Bangkok hotels close doors as occupancy plummets
BANGKOK – As tension rises in Bangkok, hotels located around Ratchaprasong intersection are reported to be closing their doors until the threat of violence in the area recedes.
The Bangkok Post said that the hotels temporarily closing include Grand Hyatt Erawan, Holiday Inn and Centara Grand.
The Holiday Inn Bangkok occupancy has been as low as two per cent during the political protest by the red shirts faction.
“All are in bad shape as there are no tourists coming to the country,” Prakit Chinamourphong, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said yesterday.
More hotels are expected to follow the Holiday Inn’s lead, he said.
Those along Sukhumvit Road and the Chao Phya River are also facing the same situation, he said.
In Bangkok, the average occupancy rate is as low as 20 per cent – less than half of the 50 per cent seen during a normal low season, he said.
Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the government’s move to declare some demonstrators as terrorists only worsens the situation.
Many tourists have reconsidered their trips, since travel insurance does not cover acts of terrorism.
“This message carries even stronger negativity for the industry than the internal political tension,” he said.
Security forces have been positioned in key areas as the government reiterates its vow to keep the red shirts from the business district of Silom and reclaim Ratchaprasong intersection.
Hong Kong travel agents on Monday extended a ban on all tours to Bangkok until April 29 because of continuing political unrest in the Thai capital.
Ian Jarrett
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