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| Sunday, 3 November 2002 |
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Thailand irked at raft of travel warnings as PM assures safety BANGKOK, Saturday (AFP) Thailand on Thursday voiced its frustration with the growing number of foreign governments issuing travel warnings for the kingdom and said the advisories were unnecessarily sowing panic among travellers. Several countries including Britain, current European Union president Denmark, Australia, Portugal and Japan have posted travel advisories for Thailand in the wake of the Bali bombings, citing an increased threat of terror attacks here and on the island of Phuket in particular. "They issue advisories based on the first information they receive, not on exclusive intelligence, which is causing panic among people," Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai told reporters. Such warnings can "affect tourism and investment in any country," he said, adding that while Thai embassies have explained the situation to foreign governments, none of the advisories had been withdrawn. Surakiart's remarks followed repeated attempts by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to reassure tourists and investors that recent bombings and arson attacks in the country's troubled south were not acts of international terrorism. "Please don't be frightened," Thaksin pleaded, according to Thursday's Nation newspaper. "If I'm not afraid, you shouldn't be either." Thaksin's government has been working overtime to downplay the threat of terrorism in the kingdom ever since a massive bomb blast on Bali killed more than 190 people and sent shockwaves throughout the region. Western embassies have refused to divulge details of any specific intelligence that has spotlighted Phuket, the popular beach-fringed island mentioned in several travel warnings, as a possible target. "When we specify places, it is in response to specific bits of information which have been duly examined and weighed up," said a Bangkok-based diplomat from a Western country which has cited Phuket in its warning. "Our prime concern is obviously the safety and welfare of the traveller or resident in the overseas country," he told AFP. "Obviously we're sensitive to the local political implications but that is not the dominant issue. The dominant issue is the safety and well-being of the traveller." Analysts and tourism executives have presented mixed reactions on how the Bali tragedy might impact Thailand's multi-billion-dollar tourism industry. "To be honest, there have been no cancellations, or very few cancellations to speak of," said Diethelm Travel (Thailand) Ltd. general manager Marcel Schneider. "But what I presume will happen is that there will be fewer new bookings coming in," he said. However, agents of the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel in Bangkok said that over 800 Portuguese delegates to a travel seminar here recently cancelled their December bookings at the hotel, citing security concerns. Since the Bali bombing police and army units have been dispatched in greater numbers to Thailand's key tourist spots, including Phuket, the northern city of Chiang Mai, Pattaya seaside resort and Bangkok's red-light districts. And last week police said they were boosting security at 85 oil depots and six refineries nationwide after the energy ministry received information from the US Federal Investigation Bureau that the sites could be attack targets. Southern Thailand has also been hit by recent bomb and arson attacks which intelligence sources believe are aimed at causing sectarian conflict and disrupting the government. Two bombs exploded Tuesday at a Buddhist temple and a hotel in the southern city of Pattani, causing minor damage. Five schools were also set ablaze in neighbouring Songkhla province in pre-dawn attacks the same day. Deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said Thursday authorities had identified the culprits although, National Police Chief General Sant Sarutanond warned Wednesday that it would take some time to track down the group responsible. Some 10.06 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year, a record despite the September 11 attacks in the US. |
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