Tourists in Phuket, Koh Samiu and Pattaya can move around freely after Thailand’s military junta lifted the curfew from the popular beach resorts. But the restriction, imposed following the May-22 coup d’etat, will remain in place across the rest of the country, including capital Bangkok.
The decision to end the curfew was a bid to promote tourism as the latest statistics show that global interest in Thailand as a holiday destination has dropped 26 per cent following the coup.
In a television announcement, the junta said it was ending the curfew ‘to promote tourism and relieve the impact of the curfew in areas that are peaceful and free from political protests”.
Last week, the junta eased the nationwide curfew during the hours of midnight until 4am. The ongoing political turmoil, which has seen disruptive and sometimes violent protests in Bangkok since November last year, has caused a significant drop in tourism.
A further drop in holiday bookings has been reported by holiday website trivago.com, comparing search figures for the week prior to the coup and the week following the military takeover.
Despite no reports of violence and reassurances that holidaymakers are not in danger, trivago found that worldwide searches dropped 26 per cent, with British holidaymakers’ search 24 per cent less than they were the week previously.
Thailand’s tourism industry has been resilient despite nearly a decade of political turbulence, with a record 26.7 million visitors last year.
But tour operators, restaurant owners and hotels have complained that the combination of coup plus curfew was leading to excessive cancellations.
More than 50 countries have issued travel alerts, advising citizens to steer clear of protests in Bangkok. But many tourists have tweeted pictures from the country’s resorts showing peaceful, unaffected beaches.
The curfew was introduced nationwide from 10pm until 5am, evoking complaints from the country’s vital tourism industry, which accounts for about seven per cent of Thailand’s economy.
