International wariness threatens Thai tourism
Bombings in Bangkok threaten Thailand’s tourism as other countries warn against traveling there in the near future.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok urged travelers to maintain a high level of vigilance and monitor news for updates after bombs exploded Tuesday near the city’s main ferry terminal and Monday near a popular shrine. The bombing near Erawan Shrine killed 20 and injured more than 100 people.
“We didn’t think anything like this could happen in Bangkok,” said Holger Siegle, a German traveler. He and his newlywed wife had chosen Thailand because it seemed safe. “Our honeymoon and our vacation will go on but with a very unsafe feeling.”
Other travel warnings included:
Hong Kong ’s security bureau urging citizens to adjust travel plans and avoid non-essential trips such as leisure travel to Bangkok, which represented a “significant threat.”
China telling citizens to remain alert when traveling to Thailand after four Chinese tourists were killed in Monday’s bombing.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade notifying citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution” in Thailand, steer clear of demonstrations or political rallies and avoid southern provinces entirely. “The security situation remains volatile,” the department said.
Thailand depends heavily on tourism, which totals 9% of its economy, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Tourism accounts for just 2.6% of China’s economy, 2.7% of Australia’s economy and for 3.6% of jobs in the USA, according to the council.
The bombings could hurt rebuilding efforts after a coup in 2014, according to an analysis by BMI Research. “The explosion that struck a major tourism hot spot in the heart of Bangkok on Aug. 17 could undermine the recovery of the tourism industry, deepening the country’s economic woes,” according to the report.
International tourist spending in Thailand almost doubled to $46 billion in 2013 from $23.8 billion in 2010, according to the World Bank.
Four million Chinese visitors arrived during the first half of 2015, doubling the number from the same period a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Chinese spending totaled $5.3 billion, which also more than doubled, the ministry said.
Other top nationalities visiting the country during the first half of the year included 1.7 million Malaysians, 675,000 Japanese, 638,000 Koreans, 566,000 Laotians and 526,000 Indians. About 427,000 U.S. citizens visited during that period, an increase of 12% from a year earlier.
The bomb exploded at Erawan Shrine, dedicated to Phra Phrom, the Thai version of the Hindu god Brahma, which is popular among Buddhists as well as Chinese tourists.
Thai authorities set up extra security around Bangkok, and the Royal Thai Police urged tourists to exercise caution. Tourism groups mobilized to provide interpreters and change travel arrangements.
“These are direct attacks on the livelihood of the Thai people and their economy, which is strongly linked with tourism,” said Taleb Rifai, secretary-general for the United Nations World Tourism Organization. “Terrorism is a global threat impacting our societies, taking the lives of innocent people around the world and aiming to destroy our economies and our way of life.”
The United States considers Thailand a key ally in Asia, but the country’s democracy has been interrupted by military coups and political unrest, according to the State Department.