 "This Yuletide, Indians to give Bangkok a miss")
The recent violence and clashes in the streets of Bangkok may have hit Indians planning to visit their favourite holiday destination this Christmas and New Year.
The Thai capital has seen protests since December 1, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The number of casualties have differed across reports.
Every year, about 5,00,000 Indians visit Bangkok. Due to the recent violence in that city, traffic from India to Bangkok has already fallen 20 per cent, and it is expected the fall would be steeper in the days to come, according to the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).
Leading travel portals are issuing notices to those who have already reached Bangkok to stay away from locations expected to be volatile.
Gour Kanjilal, executive director at IATO, which has about 1,600 members, said travellers who had already reached Bangkok were cutting short their plans. “Bangkok is one of the most popular destinations for Indians, but the business has been hit due to the developments in Thailand. The outgoing traffic to Bangkok has been growing about 15 per cent a year; but due to the latest clashes, people are cancelling their plans. Some are opting for other countries, while many are going for domestic options,” he said, adding on the flip side, India was gaining tourists from the US and Europe. “Those travellers from the US and Europe can’t cancel their plans made long ago; so, they are coming to India, as it is economical.”
The Indian embassy has already cautioned Indian tourists in Bangkok, asking them to regularly monitor the situation through local media, their hotels, tour operators, etc.
“Usual precautions for personal safety should be undertaken and areas where protests are taking place should be avoided,” the embassy said.
Karan Anand, head (relationships), Cox and Kings, said tourists in the trouble-torn city had been advised to keep away from selected areas. “We are also keeping track of the developments and advising tourists to be careful and to avoid certain areas where there are protests,” he added.
Shibani Phadkar, senior vice-president and head of leisure travel (outbound), products, contracting, operations & tour management, Thomas Cook India, however, said, “Though the current political turmoil in Thailand is making global headlines, travel operations to the destination and sightseeing locations haven’t been hit, as the impact is restricted to government buildings. At Thomas Cook India, consumer safety has always been foremost and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure our customers have a safe and hassle-free journey.”
The Thai capital has seen protests since December 1, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The number of casualties have differed across reports.
Every year, about 5,00,000 Indians visit Bangkok. Due to the recent violence in that city, traffic from India to Bangkok has already fallen 20 per cent, and it is expected the fall would be steeper in the days to come, according to the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).
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Leading travel portals are issuing notices to those who have already reached Bangkok to stay away from locations expected to be volatile.
Gour Kanjilal, executive director at IATO, which has about 1,600 members, said travellers who had already reached Bangkok were cutting short their plans. “Bangkok is one of the most popular destinations for Indians, but the business has been hit due to the developments in Thailand. The outgoing traffic to Bangkok has been growing about 15 per cent a year; but due to the latest clashes, people are cancelling their plans. Some are opting for other countries, while many are going for domestic options,” he said, adding on the flip side, India was gaining tourists from the US and Europe. “Those travellers from the US and Europe can’t cancel their plans made long ago; so, they are coming to India, as it is economical.”
The Indian embassy has already cautioned Indian tourists in Bangkok, asking them to regularly monitor the situation through local media, their hotels, tour operators, etc.
“Usual precautions for personal safety should be undertaken and areas where protests are taking place should be avoided,” the embassy said.
Karan Anand, head (relationships), Cox and Kings, said tourists in the trouble-torn city had been advised to keep away from selected areas. “We are also keeping track of the developments and advising tourists to be careful and to avoid certain areas where there are protests,” he added.
Shibani Phadkar, senior vice-president and head of leisure travel (outbound), products, contracting, operations & tour management, Thomas Cook India, however, said, “Though the current political turmoil in Thailand is making global headlines, travel operations to the destination and sightseeing locations haven’t been hit, as the impact is restricted to government buildings. At Thomas Cook India, consumer safety has always been foremost and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure our customers have a safe and hassle-free journey.”