THE FIRST fresh travel warnings have been issued in the wake of Tuesday's clashes on the streets of Bangkok between anti-government protestors and police.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that warnings had been issued by Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
A previous set of 24 warnings issued following a ''state of emergency'' declaration for Bangkok in early September cost the tourist industry many bookings and dramatically reduced tourism to Thailand.
Ironically, the efforts to repair the damage to tourism from the first round of violence are taking place in the immediate aftermath of a second round of clashes.
About 800 foreign media representatives and agents are visiting Thailand this week to see for themselves the limits of the political activity.
Phuket was expecting about 150 journalists and agents to visit late this week as part of the process of maintaining high-season bookings.
In Bangkok yesterday, Tourism and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat addressed a large group of foreign travel agents and media, telling them that the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) campaign might continue but the dispute was unlikely to bring a repetition of Tuesday's clashes.
Two people died and several hundred were injured when police used tear-gas on protestors on Tuesday, bringing negative coverage of Thailand to television screens and newspapers all over the world.
The TAT is trying to reassure overseas tourists that the potential for conflict is limited to a small portion of Bangkok, and that the seizure of Phuket airport by protestors over three days in late August will not be repeated.
The Malaysian-based Bernama news agency reported that embattled Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Wednesday ''gave an assurance to Bangkok-based foreign envoys that his three-week-old government would deal with the ongoing anti-government protests within the law and constitution of the kingdom.
''Somchai, who was elected on September 17 to succeed Samak Sundaravej, made this commitment during his inaugural meeting with ambassadors from Asean countries and later the rest of the diplomatic corps at the Foreign Ministry.
'''My government is committed to ensuring confidence in our political system. We continue to abide by parliamentary democratic rule and intend to uphold the rule of law.
'''We will resolve domestic problems through the democratic process,' he said.
Bernama quoted a diplomat who attended the meeting as saying that the foreign envoys told Somchai that they wanted to see stability return to the country soon.
The meeting with more than 80 ambassadors is a traditional gathering for a new Prime Minister that happened to have been scheduled the day after Tuesday's clashes.
The PAD, which had been occupying Government House since August 26, laid siege to the Parliament building on Monday night in a move to block Somchai from giving his policy speech, another regular part of the process to allow his new government to start administrating the country.
Reuters news agency reported that Thailand's worst street violence in 16 years has already started to hurt the lucrative tourist industry.
It ''will do nothing to help an economy feeling the effects of the global credit crisis, tourism officials and analysts said.''
Reuters quoted Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, as saying: ''Bookings have recovered since the lifting of the emergency rule.
''But there have already been some cancellations from Asian travellers since the incident yesterday.''
''The impact is unavoidable, but the extent of the damage depends on how the situation ends .''
According to the news agency, Khun Apichart said there were no additions to the list of countries that issued travel warnings because of emergency rule.
''However,'' Reuters added, ''Thai Airways International said on Wednesday that it would cut flights to Asian countries from next week because of a fall in passenger numbers due to the political unrest and the global financial crisis.
''Thais have also been less willing to leave home because of the trouble.
''Thailand is banking on 600 billion baht ($17.4 billion) in revenue from 15.5 million tourist arrivals this year,'' Reuters reported.
''The sector directly employs 1.8 million people and brings in the equivalent of 6 percent of gross domestic product.''
In September the Chamber of Commerce said the political turmoil, if prolonged for another month, could cost the economy as much as 62 billion baht and might drag growth below five percent this year after 4.8 percent in 2007.
Locally, the Bangkok Post reported Porntip Hirunkate, secretary-general of the Tourism Council of Thailand, as saying that reports by foreign media about the fresh clashes had hurt the country's tourism industry, which had already been hit hard by the world financial crisis.
The clashes, if prolonged, would result in losses of at least 10 billion baht in tourism revenue in the remaining three months. Twenty-three countries may retain their travel advisory warnings against visits to the country.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thailand Travel Agents, said it was premature to evaluate the losses and damages done to the Thai tourism industry after the violence.
According to TAT Governor Phornsiri Manoharn, following the clashes the TAT called an urgent meeting of all deputies and senior officials to assess the situation and to immediately explain the clashes to the TAT's 22 overseas offices.
Mrs Phornsiri said the affected area spanned only three square kilometres, with other areas in Bangkok and Thailand not affected.
Natwut Amornvivat, president of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), told the Post that the violence would hurt the meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (Mice) market. But assessing possible damage is less important than acting to revive the business.
''The Asian market, which accounts for 80 percent of total Mice visitors in Thailand, will easily panic,'' he said.
But assessing possible damage was less important than acting to revive the business.
The Nation reported that the PAD is now planning an ''international campaign'' to bring justice to those killed and injured in Tuesday's clashes with the police.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that warnings had been issued by Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
A previous set of 24 warnings issued following a ''state of emergency'' declaration for Bangkok in early September cost the tourist industry many bookings and dramatically reduced tourism to Thailand.
Ironically, the efforts to repair the damage to tourism from the first round of violence are taking place in the immediate aftermath of a second round of clashes.
About 800 foreign media representatives and agents are visiting Thailand this week to see for themselves the limits of the political activity.
Phuket was expecting about 150 journalists and agents to visit late this week as part of the process of maintaining high-season bookings.
In Bangkok yesterday, Tourism and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat addressed a large group of foreign travel agents and media, telling them that the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) campaign might continue but the dispute was unlikely to bring a repetition of Tuesday's clashes.
Two people died and several hundred were injured when police used tear-gas on protestors on Tuesday, bringing negative coverage of Thailand to television screens and newspapers all over the world.
The TAT is trying to reassure overseas tourists that the potential for conflict is limited to a small portion of Bangkok, and that the seizure of Phuket airport by protestors over three days in late August will not be repeated.
The Malaysian-based Bernama news agency reported that embattled Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Wednesday ''gave an assurance to Bangkok-based foreign envoys that his three-week-old government would deal with the ongoing anti-government protests within the law and constitution of the kingdom.
''Somchai, who was elected on September 17 to succeed Samak Sundaravej, made this commitment during his inaugural meeting with ambassadors from Asean countries and later the rest of the diplomatic corps at the Foreign Ministry.
'''My government is committed to ensuring confidence in our political system. We continue to abide by parliamentary democratic rule and intend to uphold the rule of law.
'''We will resolve domestic problems through the democratic process,' he said.
Bernama quoted a diplomat who attended the meeting as saying that the foreign envoys told Somchai that they wanted to see stability return to the country soon.
The meeting with more than 80 ambassadors is a traditional gathering for a new Prime Minister that happened to have been scheduled the day after Tuesday's clashes.
The PAD, which had been occupying Government House since August 26, laid siege to the Parliament building on Monday night in a move to block Somchai from giving his policy speech, another regular part of the process to allow his new government to start administrating the country.
Reuters news agency reported that Thailand's worst street violence in 16 years has already started to hurt the lucrative tourist industry.
It ''will do nothing to help an economy feeling the effects of the global credit crisis, tourism officials and analysts said.''
Reuters quoted Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, as saying: ''Bookings have recovered since the lifting of the emergency rule.
''But there have already been some cancellations from Asian travellers since the incident yesterday.''
''The impact is unavoidable, but the extent of the damage depends on how the situation ends .''
According to the news agency, Khun Apichart said there were no additions to the list of countries that issued travel warnings because of emergency rule.
''However,'' Reuters added, ''Thai Airways International said on Wednesday that it would cut flights to Asian countries from next week because of a fall in passenger numbers due to the political unrest and the global financial crisis.
''Thais have also been less willing to leave home because of the trouble.
''Thailand is banking on 600 billion baht ($17.4 billion) in revenue from 15.5 million tourist arrivals this year,'' Reuters reported.
''The sector directly employs 1.8 million people and brings in the equivalent of 6 percent of gross domestic product.''
In September the Chamber of Commerce said the political turmoil, if prolonged for another month, could cost the economy as much as 62 billion baht and might drag growth below five percent this year after 4.8 percent in 2007.
Locally, the Bangkok Post reported Porntip Hirunkate, secretary-general of the Tourism Council of Thailand, as saying that reports by foreign media about the fresh clashes had hurt the country's tourism industry, which had already been hit hard by the world financial crisis.
The clashes, if prolonged, would result in losses of at least 10 billion baht in tourism revenue in the remaining three months. Twenty-three countries may retain their travel advisory warnings against visits to the country.
Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thailand Travel Agents, said it was premature to evaluate the losses and damages done to the Thai tourism industry after the violence.
According to TAT Governor Phornsiri Manoharn, following the clashes the TAT called an urgent meeting of all deputies and senior officials to assess the situation and to immediately explain the clashes to the TAT's 22 overseas offices.
Mrs Phornsiri said the affected area spanned only three square kilometres, with other areas in Bangkok and Thailand not affected.
Natwut Amornvivat, president of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), told the Post that the violence would hurt the meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (Mice) market. But assessing possible damage is less important than acting to revive the business.
''The Asian market, which accounts for 80 percent of total Mice visitors in Thailand, will easily panic,'' he said.
But assessing possible damage was less important than acting to revive the business.
The Nation reported that the PAD is now planning an ''international campaign'' to bring justice to those killed and injured in Tuesday's clashes with the police.
