Hotel occupancy rates and guesthouse bookings in Khaosan Road, a prime
area for backpackers and other budget-conscious travellers, was sharply
declined due to the ongoing political turmoil, according to Surat
Vongchansilp, president of the Khaosan Road Business Association.
Following the anti-government Red Shirt protests, particularly the
Thursday blockades of Bangkok’s major intersections, many tourists on
Friday cancelled their Khaosan bookings and total bookings dropped to
only 20 per cent from 95 per cent of the reservation for the Songkran
Festival.
He said existing tourists have cancelled remaining
days in their room bookings and checked-out, while new tourists opted
not to come due to the protest, fearing a resumed political crisis and
worried about possible airport closures. Tourists communicated to each other via e-mail, Mr. Surat said, and the Internet had spread the news worldwide.
Mr.
Surat said the association had earlier predicted that tourist numbers
would decline by five per cent this year because of the global economic
crisis, but after the meeting of association members, bookings
evaporated by as much as 80 per cent. The association expected
a Bt300 million cash flow during Songkran, but after the protest, Bt200
million in circulation is considered the best prospect, he said.
Khaosan
Road, Thailand’s heaven for backpackers, is a famed venue for tourists
and Thais alike to celebrate the Songkran ‘Water’ Festival. Mr. Surat, however, affirmed that Khaosan entrepreneurs would continue to hold their celebration as planned during April 12-15.
The
tourism industry was sluggish for seven to eight months, and the
association hopes their business will recover and expected to cash in
during the Festival, but their plans have been shattered because of the
protest, he said.
