Hotels slash room rates by up to 80%

The move is aimed at reclaiming local guests and filling vacancies, following the huge number of cancellations by foreign guests due to the temporary closure of Bangkok's commercial airports.

Many hotels in Bangkok, including luxury properties, are offering special offers during the toughest of times.

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is offering rooms for Bt7,000 per night in its superior river wing. The original rate for online bookings was US$389 (Bt13,850).

The offer is valid for stays until December 19 and is aimed at local guests.

Surapong Techaruwichitr, vice president of the Thai Hotels Association, said many hotels in Bangkok and in other major tourist destinations such as Phuket were cutting their rates by up to 80 per cent.

"Many hotels are running at a very low occupancy rate because customers who booked rooms cannot get into the country. The operators must therefore encourage new local customers instead," said Surapong.

Jutaporn Reungronasa, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), estimates that the number of foreign visitors next year will be half of the previously projected 15 million.

She said the authority was planning to launch special promotions to lure more domestic travellers, as well as to persuade international tourists to return to the Kingdom.

The TAT is also preparing an advertising campaign called "Apologies Thailand", aimed at redressing the damage by the political turmoil and the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airport closures. The agency will use the campaign to send a positive message to tourists around the world, encouraging them to come back to Thailand.

Meanwhile, the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the TAT are working with airlines to finalise a quick departure schedule for all remaining stranded passengers.

It is reported that more than 150,000 foreigners are still waiting for flights home, while thousands of Thais overseas cannot fly back to the Kingdom.

The authorities are urging tourists to refrain from attempting to check in at airports or designated in-town check-in centres in hotels on their own prior to receiving official notification or flight confirmation from airline representatives.