CRISIS IN BANGKOK – latest eyewitness account
Andrew J Wood, general manager of the Chaophya Park Hotel & Resorts in the Thai capital, provides an update on the demonstation which has shut Bangkok airports.
The Thai government will try to open the airports with the police, we now believe. Maybe as early as today.
It will be messy; many of the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters have gone INSIDE…it is like a rabbit warren inside the two international airports at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang.
Tanks were deployed last night in a ‘training’ exercise to nearby Suvarnabhumi. They were spotted on the expressway in convey, with yellow peace flags, in the early evening. No pictures or news and NOT featured in any of the dailies today.
People are now travelling to Phuket and Penang by train or overland to Cambodia and C’Mai to try and get flight connections home via KL, Singapore and HK . Bkk Airways is still flying out of Utopao and have flights via Samui /Phuket to Singapore and HK.
It is all a huge mess for the embattled tourism industry.
There are many, many cancellations. The losses are astronomical.
Our occupancy is now down to 20% for next week when normally we would be in the 90% range during November, our busiest revenue month.
I have received 600 rooms nights cancelled in the last two days alone. Wedding and banquet functions are still going on, thank goodness!
The local market is resilient but the international market is being wiped out.
Each day the airports are closed some estimate it is costing THAI Intl, the national airline, Baht 500 million in future lost revenues and the intangible loss to the country is immeasurable.
Almost 80% of Thailand’s 14+ million annual tourists normally transit through Suvarnabhumi airport.
They have to get the airport open and quickly. Travel and tourism sector job losses look more inevitable next year, the longer this siege continues.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026