TTAA president Anake Srishevachart said the number of charter flights from Japan, Hong Kong and China over the holiday period would decline from the usual number of 40 to 30.

More than 500 Japanese students planning to visit Thailand in November have already cancelled their trip.

Anake said inbound tourism this year would be slower than last year due to lots of negative news, including the murder of two Russian tourists in Pattaya, violence in the South and air pollution in the North.

Occasional rumours about bombings at major public places are also scaring tourists away from Thailand.

Anake said the TTAA and the Association of Thai Travel Agents would deliver a letter to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, urging the government to take action to maintain the number of tourists.

"Travel operators are saying that negative news is overstated and there are no active measures to protect tourists, so we need the government to help," said Anake.

The TTAA is also calling on the government to withdraw a ban on alcohol advertising, claiming it will damage the tourism sector, especially in very popular destinations such as Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok.

Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani said the ministry expected tourism to grow gradually this year despite being threatened by many factors.

In order to give tourists confidence, the ministry has set up a crisis management centre in Bangkok, which consists of representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Airways International.

TAT governor Phornsiri Manoharn said the number of tourists would increase to 14.8 million - an 8.4-per cent increase from last year.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation