Earthquake in Myanmar further shakes Thailand's tourism industry

Already reeling from a sharp decline in Chinese tourists following travel safety concerns, Thailand's tourism industry has suffered another blow from the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar.

Thai rescuers work at a collapsed high-rise building under construction after Bangkok was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. Photo: GI/OPB

The Thai Hotels Association said international tourist arrivals are expected to drop by 10 to 15 percent or even more in the next two weeks as Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook buildings in Bangkok and other popular Thai tourist destinations, scaring away potential visitors.

Based on an initial survey conducted by some members of the association, about 10 percent of foreign tourists checked out early after the earthquake, said Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Tourism Association.

Hotel bookings for next month's Songkran water festival are not as high as two years ago, and safety concerns after the earthquake could further dampen foreign tourist confidence, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Adith Chairattananon, Secretary General of the Association of Thai Tour Operators, said that foreign tourists traveling in groups do not seem to be too worried about safety issues if they follow the flight schedules at Thailand's main airports.

“But tourists who have not yet booked a trip to Thailand may decide to put their travel plans on hold,” said Mr. Adith. “The impact could be felt in the next two weeks.”

Meanwhile, Thai authorities have reassured foreign tourists. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said on Saturday that the country is safe for tourists, adding that the Thai government has ordered safety checks at major hotels and tourist attractions.

While the impact on tourist numbers may be short-term, it will also hurt Thailand's economy, where tourism employs a fifth of the country's workforce and accounts for about 13% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Thailand’s government is betting on an improvement in tourism to boost growth to 3% this year as goods exports, another key growth driver, face headwinds from trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Tourist arrivals to Thailand have fallen in recent months amid safety concerns. A series of high-profile human trafficking cases to scam hubs in Myanmar via Thailand has driven some visitors from China, Thailand’s biggest source of tourists, away from the Southeast Asian nation.

The number of foreign visitors to Thailand has fallen every week since the end of the Lunar New Year peak in early February. Bank of America economists see high risks to Thailand’s forecast of 38.1 million tourist arrivals this year.

The country will enter its low season in a few months, with European tourist numbers down while Chinese tourist numbers show no signs of recovering.

Nguyen Khanh (according to Bangkok Post, SCMP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/dong-dat-o-myanmar-khien-nganh-du-lich-thai-lan-them-chao-dao-post340753.html