suvarnabhumi airport arrivals plunge 30% in one week

Passenger traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport has plunged since the state of emergency was declared in Bangkok on September 2.

Arrivals have dropped by 30 per cent compared to the week before the announcement, the Federation of Thai Travel Associations said yesterday.

Now 23 countries have issued warnings against travelling to Thailand.

Suraphol Sritrakul, executive director of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said tourists from Malaysia had already declined by 80 per cent.

Elsewhere in the region, Singapore was down by 50 per cent, Vietnam by 90 per cent, China by 80 per cent, Japan by 10 per cent, Hong Kong by 60-70 per cent and India by 40 per cent.

In the long-haul market, Holland was off 20 per cent, Germany 15-20 per cent, Russia 30 per cent and Egypt 30 per cent.

To restore visitor confidence, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and business operators would continue to stage overseas roadshows as well as boost the marketing budget to stimulate multinational markets.

"TAT will use an extra Bt25 million to do online marketing and roadshows," TAT governor Phornsiri Manoharn said.

TAT plans to run testimonial videos in two key markets - China and Europe - at prime time through its online network.

The agency will hold roadshows in eight cities and join tourism trade shows in 13 cities around the world.

It will be telling tourists and alliances about the tourism situation here along with holding promotions in order to draw tourists back to the Kingdom.

Sasithara Pichaichannarong, permanent secretary of the Tourism Ministry, said the ministry would allocate some budget from the Tourist Fund to help the tourism industry.

Tourism Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said he would propose to the Cabinet today that the emergency decree be revoked as part of tourism recovery plans.