Drop in Thai Tourism Leads to Pleas for End to Crisis

By Seth Mydans

The acting prime minister of Thailand lifted a state of emergency Sunday and warned that the continuing political crisis was frightening away tourists and tarnishing the country’s image as the “Land of Smiles.”

The acting prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, implored all sides to find a peaceful solution to “bring back the smile” to the country after a nearly three weeks of protest calling for the removal of the government.

The state of emergency, which was announced on Sept. 2 after a clash between two rival groups of protesters, has never been enforced.

Apart from that clash, which killed one person, the protests have been largely peaceful and life in Bangkok has continued as usual.

But the bad publicity has caused international arrivals to drop by 70 percent, according to the Thai Tourism Services Association. The Thai Hotels Association says that occupancy has fallen by 40 percent.

Food, entertainment, souvenir, jewelry and handicraft businesses are also taking losses.

Tourism is a crucial industry for Thailand, built on a painstakingly constructed image of charm and smiles. It accounts for about 6 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product, bringing in close to $17 billion last year from more than 14 million foreign tourists.

“I appeal to all parties to turn to each other to resolve the problem and together heal the damage done to the nation,” Somchai said. “We should bring back the smile to the country once again as we are called the Land of Smiles. We have to restore confidence in outsiders, especially tourists, that we are a peaceful country and have no more conflict.”

Somchai is one of three leading candidates to be nominated next week by the governing party to replace Samak Sundaravej, who was forced to resign Tuesday because he had received payment for appearing on a television cooking show.

A power struggle within the party, the People Power Party, forced the postponement of a planned nomination on Friday. A vote was rescheduled to Wednesday. The party’s nominee is likely to become the next prime minister, as it holds 233 of the 480 seats in Parliament, and five coalition partners hold 83 seats.

In addition to Somchai, who is minister of education and a brother-in-law of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, party officials said the leading candidates were Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee.

The protesters, from a group called the People’s Alliance for Democracy, have said that no member of the governing party would be acceptable to them and have stated an intention to continue their blockade of the prime minister’s office.

Somchai’s concern for public relations was shared by the army commander, General Anupong Paochinda, who had refused to enact the state of emergency declared by Samak and had called for its cancellation.

“The decree is having an impact on the country’s image,” the general said.

As many as 23 countries have issued travel warnings about dangers in Thailand, although the protest is mostly confined to one location and there have been no reports of foreigners being injured.

Australia, for example, on a government Web site, urges travelers to exercise “a high degree of caution,” warning that “further violence cannot be ruled out.”

When anti-government protesters forced a two-day closure of the airport at Phuket, Thailand’s premier beach resort, they paralyzed the gateway for nearly one-third of the country’s tourists. Thousands were stranded.

The bad publicity comes at the worst time for the tourism industry, when travel agents around the world are preparing their packages for the winter high season, said Boonsong Kositchotethana, a business editor for The Bangkok Post.

In a column, he pleaded with protesters to put their nation’s welfare ahead of their political agendas.

“Please do not take our economy hostage,” he wrote. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Originally published by The New York Times Media Group.

(c) 2008 International Herald Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.