Govt urged to allay terrorism fears
Concerned tourism businesses yesterday called on the government to make it clear to the international community that the bomb blasts in Bangkok on Tuesday had nothing to do with terrorism.
"Reports from foreign news agencies have linked the bombing with terrorism in India and Georgia … [similar to] the US travel warning issued in January," said Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand.
The reports said terrorists were targeting tourist spots and travellers. This will result in more countries issuing travel warnings, he said.
Kongkrit said such warnings would have a psychological effect on tourists, who would delay their trips to Thailand, as they did after similar advisories last month. Further violence or discovery of bomb-making ingredients would affect tourists’ decision on whether to come to Thailand even more.
He said that when the United States and the United Kingdom issued warnings, other countries would follow. The government should investigate Tuesday’s event and clarify the situation as soon as possible to reduce the number of countries issuing such advisories for travellers.
Kongkrit said 60-70 per cent of tourists coming to Thailand decided for themselves the destinations of their trips and might be influenced to avoid Bangkok. Although the government has said the bombings were not the work of terrorists, foreign news agencies were still linking them to terrorism. The government should present evidence to refute this belief, he said.
Sisdivachr Chewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said it had been receiving questions from trading partners and tourists concerned over the bomb blasts. However, they have not cancelled their trips to Thailand yet, but are waiting for the government’s investigation.
"We have been informed that Thailand is not placed on the risk country from tourists but Thai travel agents instead," Sisdivachr said.
He said that if the government did not come out with clear information and security protection measures, it would affect Thailand’s tourism industry in the long run.
The private sector cannot assess the situation but has to monitor the progress closely day by day.
"The government should control the situation as fast as it can and should be careful when releasing details [so as not] to create panic that leads embassies here to issue warnings," Sisdivachr said.
He added that in some sensitive countries such as China, such warnings would discourage tourists from travelling here. Sisdivachr pointed that the government should more careful for foreign tourist entering into Thailand.
