Bangkok will be virtually devoid of any organised Songkran celebration this year after the Khao San Road merchants' association cancelled its plans following the bloody clash nearby and the Tourism Authority of Thailand had pulled its own activities earlier.
That leaves revellers TAT's events set for 13 major cities nationwide.
Visiting Thailand is banned by Japan, following the killing of a Japanese reporter on Saturday. Japan has joined 7 other countries that have raised their travel warnings to the highest rank.
"Roughly 600-700 Japanese come to Thailand per day. I think nearly 100 per cent should cancel or postpone trips following the violence," Anake Srishevachart, president of the Thai-Japan Tourism Association, said yesterday.
Charoen Wangananon, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said overall arrivals should plunge throughout this week as the political turmoil is far from over. The violence marked the beginning of the low season, he said.
Surat Wongchanspil, president of the khao san Business Association, said hotel guests fled the area while shops and restaurants closed, so the party was scrapped and this would lead to an estimated Bt500 million in damage.
Khao San, a major celebration venue for years, had anticipated up to 400,000 revellers. Last year, festivities were also cut short due to fighting between police and anti-government protestors.
Many tourists have checked out and headed to the provinces, he said.
Wiwatchai Boonyasak, TAT's director of tourism products, said that although all key events in Bangkok were called off, the celebration is on at temples around the Rattanakosin Island until Thursday. Bathing rites are the focus, rather than water splashing.
"I believe that lots of Thais and foreigners will join the event in Bangkok and upcountry," he said.
The provincial events are planned in Ayutthaya, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and in the South, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket. Most events are scheduled to run through this week.
Some places such as Pattaya and Sri Racha will observe Songkran until the middle of next week.
In Hat Yai, hotels and related business would earn Bt200-300 million during the season, which will be 30 per cent higher than last year, according to the local chapter of the Thai Hotels Association.
Chiang Mai, usually the most popular provincial destination for the water festival, was suffering from demonstrations in the city and the chronic haze.
Kasikorn Research Centre forecasts that most Bangkok residents would spend Songkran in the South or abroad, and only 8 per cent will join merrymaking in the capital.
Total spending during the festival is expected to reach Bt23 billion, with B17 billion generated by domestic revellers.
