Just how many hits can the Thai tourism industry take? Will the anti-government protests in Bangkok in mid-April — which escalated into two days of rioting during the traditional Thai New Year and caused the cancelation of a summit meeting of Asian nations in Pattaya — keep away the visitors who have been gradually returning since the devastating tsunami of 2004?
The clashes, in which two people were killed and more than 100 injured, were quelled after government troops stepped in. But images of burning buses and armed soldiers in the streets of Bangkok came just four months after another group of demonstrators blockaded airports, stranding passengers for about a week. And the prospect of continued turmoil has already prompted some travelers to rethink their travel plans.
For a three-week vacation abroad, John D. Long of Washington had been trying to decide between a trip to Europe or a tour of Southeast Asia, using Bangkok as a hub to reach Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.
“I was ready to make a reservation for either place, but as I began to read about the unrest in Thailand and remembering what happened the last time the political party currently in power was in the opposition,” he said referring to the airport shutdowns, “I began to think it was more prudent for me to opt for the European trip.”
It wasn’t so much the nature of the recent strife that worried Long, but how his trip might be affected if the demonstrations were to have an impact on his travel plans.
“If I get to Bangkok and can’t get out,” he said, he would never make it to places like Yangon in Myanmar, “a major draw for that trip.”
Thai tourism had already taken a hit from the global economic crisis. The Tourism Authority of Thailand was anticipating about 14 million international visitors this year, down from about 14.6 million last year. But the Bangkok riots are expected to direct an additional blow at the travel market — an estimated drop in international visitors of 20 percent to 30 percent for the first half this year, according to the tourism authority.
The Thai government has tried to soothe tourist jitters. On April 21, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said: “The protests in Thailand were confined to only a few, one or two spots of Bangkok,” while in the rest of the city, “99 percent was life goes on as usual.”
While the US embassy advised citizens to avoid areas with demonstrations and “exercise caution anywhere in Bangkok” during the protests, the State Department did not issue a separate warning or travel alert for the region. It does, however, advise US citizens visiting Bangkok “to monitor events closely, to avoid any large public gatherings and to exercise discretion when moving about” the city.
As a result, some travel companies expect visits to drop.
“There is always a short-term effect when things like this occur,” said Rod Cuthbert, founder of Viator.com, which links travelers with local tour operators for sightseeing, including 94 activities in Thailand.
Though traffic to the site’s Thailand pages remained strong throughout the period of upheaval, he said, “we expect April and May bookings will be well down.”
The uncertainty about the situation in Thailand may damage the country’s increasing reputation as a place where travelers can find affordable luxury — five-star treatment at three-star prices.
Certainly, some recent deals make Thailand seem like the place to go. Through April, the Metropolitan Bangkok, part of the high-end COMO Hotels and Resorts, offered rooms that are normally US$260 a night for US$99.
The Anantara Golden Triangle Resort and Spa in Northern Thailand, which has an on-site Elephant Camp, is offering three nights for the price of two, with rates from 9,200 baht a night, or about US$255 at 36 baht to the dollar. Travelers can get an even lower rate (7,600 baht) by booking 50 days in advance.
Its sister property Si Kao Resort and Spa, on a southern beach an hour from Krabi’s airport, is offering discounts of up to 40 percent off the usual rates of 6,000 baht and up a night, based on how far ahead travelers make their reservations.
On top of such deals, US travelers have about 11 percent more buying power in Thailand compared with a year ago because the baht has dropped against the dollar.
Despite televised images of burning buses and armed soldiers squaring off with angry protesters in the streets of Bangkok, some visitors to the city were oblivious to the state of emergency. Agneta Mallenberg, 38, an interior architect, and her friend, Agnieszka Mrugala, 37, a computer programmer, both from Warsaw, Poland, were there when the riots started.
“I didn’t know what happened in Bangkok while we were there,” said Mallenberg, while taking a break from shopping in the Jungceylon mall in Phuket. “My mum wrote me on Facebook that I’m supposed to avoid big crowds. That was the first I heard about it.”
Other vacationers in Thailand also appeared unfazed. Just days after the riots, the boisterous nightlife scene in Patong, on Phuket, was still raging, its bars and street stalls thronged with people.
Friendly Planet Travel, based in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, sent a group of 26 tourists to Thailand on April 16 for a 12-day tour from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. No one canceled.
“Sept. 11 changed forever our way of viewing the world,” said Peggy Goldman, Friendly Planet’s president. “We have found that our travelers are much more sanguine about facing the world, even during times of instability and unrest.”
Goldman is planning to go to Bangkok herself this month.
“Quite honestly, we don’t have any concerns at this moment,” she said. “While there is political instability at this moment, these are generally peaceful, welcoming people who love visitors and treat them with a great deal of respect.”
Sibel Mulard, 39, an insurance account manager from France who was vacationing in Thailand with her husband, Lionel, and their two young boys, had just arrived on Phuket when the Bangkok riots started. She received many calls from concerned family members in France urging her to come back right away.
But Mulard, who said she was more concerned about a tsunami than getting caught up in any violence, was determined to see out her vacation. She pointed out to her family that Phuket is a long way from Bangkok, adding: “I said, ‘I am going to stay. I am not coming back.’”
The Mulards did alter their plans so they would avoid the capital, however, due to the protests. Instead of sightseeing in Bangkok, Mulard said, “We will go to the islands.”
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
It would be absurd to claim to see a silver lining behind every US President Donald Trump cloud. Those clouds are too many, too dark and too dangerous. All the same, viewed from a domestic political perspective, there is a clear emerging UK upside to Trump’s efforts at crashing the post-Cold War order. It might even get a boost from Thursday’s Washington visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In July last year, when Starmer became prime minister, the Labour Party was rigidly on the defensive about Europe. Brexit was seen as an electorally unstable issue for a party whose priority
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought renewed scrutiny to the Taiwan-US semiconductor relationship with his claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business and threats of 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made processors. For Taiwanese and industry leaders, understanding those developments in their full context is crucial while maintaining a clear vision of Taiwan’s role in the global technology ecosystem. The assertion that Taiwan “stole” the US’ semiconductor industry fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of global technology manufacturing. Over the past four decades, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), has grown through legitimate means
Today is Feb. 28, a day that Taiwan associates with two tragic historical memories. The 228 Incident, which started on Feb. 28, 1947, began from protests sparked by a cigarette seizure that took place the day before in front of the Tianma Tea House in Taipei’s Datong District (大同). It turned into a mass movement that spread across Taiwan. Local gentry asked then-governor general Chen Yi (陳儀) to intervene, but he received contradictory orders. In early March, after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) dispatched troops to Keelung, a nationwide massacre took place and lasted until May 16, during which many important intellectuals
RSS