Thailand tourism set to lose 1 million international travelers due to the political unrest

With the prolonged political unrest in Bangkok, Thailand fears to lose at least one million international tourists. With no signs of improvement the shutdown demonstrations and political

turmoil is expected to continue till mid 2014.

 
According to the reports of Kasikorn Research Centre (KResearch), the tourism industry this year still has a bright prospect if the political strife comes under control soon. KResearch said 29 million foreign tourists were forecasted to visit the country this year, an 8.5 per cent increase from the previous year and could generate more than Bt1.4 trillion in income, as the European economy was picking up and China has relaxed its rules and regulations concerning the tourism business.

The ASEAN Ecomomic Community (AEC) set to be established by 2015 and new low cost airlines have facilitated tourists visiting Thailand, KResearch said.

The travel and tourism experts in Thailand and abroad predicts that if the shutdown demonstrations dragged till mid 2014, the tourism industry will suffer a loss of almost baht 50 billion owing to the loss of 1 million foreign tourists.