Thailand's sliding reputation is costing much more than just tourism dollars

Those reservations are, now, rapidly sliding into adverse judgements. Since the horrendous Koh Tao murders, we have had a Japanese man murdered and dismembered, another committing suicide by jumping off a building, two Koreans drowned in a boating accident, and a Briton killed under anaesthesia in a clinic – and all in a period of weeks. Thailand’s international reputation is not immune to the cumulative effect of these stories, which could lead to a snow-balling of “things going wrong in Thailand” coverage if those responsible for managing the country’s international reputation do not step up to the plate at this time of crisis.

The real problem for Thailand lies not in the fact that tourists die on Thai soil – they die in other countries, too – but in how we address those incidents. The flip-flopping on the Koh Tao murders – confessions and retractions, authorities reaching out for international help then rejecting international help, and the inability to solve a crime committed in a tiny community – raises serious doubts about the capacity of the state to carry out one its most basic duties: enforcing law and order.

The other problem for Thailand is the doubt it raises on leadership. International coverage portrays Thailand as unable, or unwilling, to deal with crime, while its tourism leaders are preoccupied with puzzling safety measures, such as wristbands and radio-frequency ID-tagging for all visitors to the country.

The price of this adverse publicity for Thailand goes beyond damage to high-yield tourism. It undermines overall investor confidence in the country.

When you say “Thailand” to anyone overseas, whether tourist or investor, the immediate reaction is usually positive. This is not a God-given privilege for Thailand, but something that has been earned through positive reports and experiences over the last 20 years. Perceptions will change based on how media present our country, and that change will make itself felt in boardrooms that vote on investment in Thailand. Nothing scares international investors more than erosion of the rule of law.

The tactical programmes being undertaken in Thai tourism promotion may be good, but they are totally insufficient if we want to stop the snowballing negative coverage of Thailand. Our leaders need to forget about asking the media to “refrain from covering bad stories”. The media is doing its job; our leaders must learn to do theirs.

The best public relations initiative to shore up confidence in Thailand is for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step in personally to ensure that certain high-profile crimes are solved, securing whatever involvement will reassure a now-sceptical international community that this is done transparently and truthfully. It will show the world (even if only symbolically) that the rule of law is still in force in Thailand and a priority at the highest levels of government. It’s a job the prime minister cannot afford to delegate any longer.  

The consequences of failing to do so will be severe for him personally. Unlikely as it may sound to Prayut at the present time, it is individual, apparently isolated incidents such as these, rather than great matters of constitutional or electoral reform, that will ultimately determine how both he and the coup that he led will be judged by the international audience.

 

Hasan Basar is a public relations guru with 30 years’ experience in the field of PR, during which time he has advised prime ministers and holders of high political office. He is the founder and managing director of Bangkok PR.