Emergency decree fears for Bangkok tourism
Bangkok’s inbound tourism sector is becoming increasing concerned by the impact of the country’s state of emergency on visitor arrivals.
Chidchai Sakornbadee, vice president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), has told the The Nation newspaper that the number of foreign arrivals has "consistently decreased" since the anti-government political protests began in November.
"The (emergency) decree will surely aggravate that decline," Chidchai said.
There are particular fears that the emergency decree might prompt the China National Tourism Administration to consider ordering operators in that country not to bring customers to Thailand for fear of escalating violence.
The Thai army continues to keep its distance from the protests but has warned it will step in if violence increases.
A spokesperson for the Thai Hotels Association said hotel occupancy rates were remaining steady although that could change if advance bookings for Chinese New Year, mostly by Chinese nationals, were cancelled.
In its latest situation update, the Tourism Authority of Thailand stressed that the emergency decree "only covers Bangkok and some parts of nearby provinces" and "there is currently no curfew in place in Bangkok or any other parts of Thailand".
Ian Jarrett
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 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent