Thailand Tourism Falls as Anti-Government Red Shirt Protests Continue with Violence Possible

Even though the Thai government has spent the last three weeks trying to put a brave face on it, tourism is down in Thailand and, in the main tourist areas, tourism is down by a substantial amount. The Thai government says anti-government red shirt protesters are to blame. But, as massive anti-government demonstrations in Thailand are now moving into their fourth week with even larger demonstrations than before expected this weekend, this reality is hardly likely to change.

According to a report on Thai TV yesterday, a spokesperson for the Thai Hotels Association said in areas like Khao San Road in Bangkok, famous for being the top destination for backpacker tourists, the hotel booking rate is down by 30%. A huge number that's not only impacting the hotels themselves but also many of the business in the Khao San Road area. As around 10% of Thailand's economy depends on tourism, the situation will have an enormous impact on Thailand's economic growth this year if the situation isn't solved quickly.

As a westerner living in Bangkok, it's easy to see Thailand's tourism rate is lower than normal by just walking around town. Whereas, a couple of years ago it was commonplace to see hundreds or thousands of western, Chinese, Korean and Japanese tourists in main tourist areas, nowadays, in these same tourist areas most of the tourists are Thai.

As protests in Bangkok against the government move into their fourth week and as bombs and rocket grenades are going off in Bangkok almost every day, more and more tour groups are canceling tours to Thailand. Chartered flights full of Chinese tourists are being canceled daily and, with anti-government protesters threatening more pressure on the government, this trend is likely to continue. The Thai government and Thai police have also been unable to discover who is responsible for the bomb and grenade attacks, although some Thais believe it's actually pro-government forces, who are doing this in an attempt to discredit the red shirt (UDD) protesters.

For tourists planning a trip to Thailand, Thailand really isn't dangerous. Particularly for tourists heading to tourist destinations like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Koh Samui, the anti-government red shirts aren't affecting anything in a negative way at all.

But, if you're worried at all about the red shirts' anti-government protests, simply avoid Bangkok and head to Chiang Mai, Phuket or any of the other Thai beach resorts. If the political situation in Bangkok gets worse, relaxing on a Thai island or in the mountains close to Chiang Mai, you won't even notice.