In yet another tourist-related public relations disaster in Thailand, the country’s friendly ‘Land of Smiles’ image – and massive tourism revenues – may be slipping from its grip.
Last week, a video went viral of a vicious assault on an elderly British couple and their son by four local men during the Thai New Year Songkran festivities. The Owens, both 68, and their son Lewis, 43, were at a busy strip in the Thai holiday resort Hua Hin on April 13 when Lewis accidentally bumped into one of the men. The video showed he was punched, his mother dealt with a blow when she came to his aid and, before long, the whole family was left sprawling unconscious on the ground.
As Thais across the country expressed sadness in local press and social media, local tourism businesses have brayed for action over yet another incident likely to negatively impact business. Asian Trails, an inbound operator that handles clients from international markets, wrote to the Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MOTS), urging for it to restore Thailand’s reputation “after several incidents over the past few years in which tourists were hurt or killed”.
These incidents were few and far between but each time they happened the shock was incalculable. “As these images are such a contrast to the day-to-day experiences most visitors have in Thailand, they will draw more attention compared to similar incidents in other destinations,” said Pornthip Hirunkate, deputy CEO/managing director of Destination Asia Thailand, an inbound operator that handles lots of British tourists.
She said there might be some impact on bookings from the UK market in the short-term but believed numbers would bounce back quickly “assuming the matter is handled correctly by authorities and no similar incidents occur”, she said.
Thai tourism has been able to bounce back quickly from crises, including the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, the takeover of Suvarnabhumi Airport in November 2008, the occupation of downtown Bangkok from March to May 2010, the massive floods in Thailand in October 2011 and the military coup d’etat in Thailand in May 2014, which caused arrivals to slump 6.4 per cent that year. By 2015, Thailand not only recovered, it became “the new leader” in arrivals growth in South-east Asia, according to STR Global data. Last year, it welcomed nearly 30 million visitors, an increase of over 20 per cent over 2014.
However, the volume is being fuelled by China and Korea, where the bulk of the business is low-yield tour series compared with higher spending and longer staying markets such as the UK. Large congresses, too, have not returned to Thailand’s shores since the coup in 2014.
With the next few months looking tough due to factors such as slower economic growth in Asia and China, and weaker corporate demand, tourism players are anxious there will be no bad news such as the Owens incident to derail the 30-million-visitors number.
The industry wants to see the authorities act and show that such incidents are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It wants MOTS to be proactive in working with victims and the general public to reduce the chance of a recurrence.
The role of the police has also been called into question. Said Mario Hardy, CEO of Bangkok-based Pacific Asia Travel Association: “ I believe the authority may need to further educate the tourism police and most importantly remind them to be more alert. One incident can cause much damage to the reputation of a destination.”
No one believes that the Owens case will cause so much of a dent in arrivals this year. However, the country will do well to remember that having a count of more than 30 million visitors a year brings with it increased responsibilities in ensuring safety measures are in place and that the destination’s infrastructure can cope.