Massive quake is latest blow to Thai tourism hit by safety woes

The Thai tourism industry is set to receive another blow as the Myanmar earthquake is likely to hurt foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand in the coming weeks.

The industry is already suffering from dwindling Chinese visitors worried about travel safety, says the Bangkok Post.

International tourist arrivals are expected to drop by 10%-15% or even more in the next two weeks as Friday's 7.7 earthquake shook buildings in Bangkok and other Thai tourist hot spots, spooking prospective travellers, the Thai Hotels Association said.

About 10% of foreign tourists checked out early after the quake, said Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the association,  citing an initial survey among the group's members. Some tourists, however, later returned to their hotels as they had no other options, he said.

"A short-term impact is expected for the tourism industry because of safety concerns," Mr Thienprasit said by phone on Saturday.

Even a short-lived impact on tourist arrivals will hurt an economy where the industry employs one in five of the country's workforce and accounts for about 13% of gross domestic product. Thai authorities are betting on an improved tourism performance to propel growth to 3% this year as merchandise exports, another key driver of growth, faces headwinds from the Trump administration's trade tariffs, says the Bangkok Post.  

Thai authorities have in the meantime reassured foreign tourists. The country is safe for tourists, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said Saturday, adding that the government has ordered a safety audit of hotels and major tourist attractions.

While the earthquake rattled buildings across Bangkok, leading to mass evacuations and suspension of public transport for a day, the city emerged largely unscathed in contrast to the massive destruction in Myanmar. The collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok was the biggest hit from the temblor, killing 10 workers and trapping dozens under its debris.

To be sure, tourist arrivals were already on the decline due to safety concerns in recent months. A series of high-profile human trafficking to scam centres in Myanmar via Thailand prompted some travellers from China, Thailand's largest source for tourists, to shun the Southeast Asian nation. 

Hotel bookings during the water-splashing Songkran festival next month haven't been as good compared with two years ago, and post-tremor safety concerns could further hurt confidence among foreign visitors, Mr Thienprasit from the hotel group said.

Foreign tourist arrivals have been falling on a weekly basis since the end of the Lunar New Year rush in early February. Bank of America economists expect downside risk to its forecast of 38.1 million tourist arrivals this year with the country moving into the low season when European tourists subside and Chinese tourist arrivals still showing no sign of recovery.

Thailand, popular among tourists for its pristine beaches, a vibrant nightlife and Buddhist temples, has welcomed 8.9 million tourists since the start of the year, up 2.9% from year earlier, according to latest official data. 

Foreign visitors travelling in groups aren't as concerned about safety as seen from the normal flight schedules at key Thai airports, said Adith Chairattananon, secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents.

"But tourists, who haven't made bookings to Thailand, may decide to halt travel plans," Mr Adith says. "The impact could surface in the next two weeks."