Government urged to quickly find motive of bomb attack in Bangkok

PHUKET, THAILAND, August 19 (TNA) - The private sector has called for the Thai government to quickly find out a motive behind a bomb attack in central Bangkok earlier this week, which has psychologically affected the domestic tourism in the short term. Phurit Maswongsa, President of the Tourism Council of Phuket in the Thai South, told journalists on Wednesday that negative impacts on the local tourism could be curbed if the government was able to quickly find the motive behind the bomb attack in central Bangkok on August 17. Phurit admitted that Monday night's powerful blast in Bangkok has certainly affected the local tourism in the short term, as some countries have warned their citizens to stay away from sensitive areas. Krisada Tansakul, President of the Southern Chapter of the Thai Hotels' Association, pointed out that business operators have felt immediate impacts from the explosion in the ongoing low season, when the hotel occupancy rate is normally at about 62 per cent. Krisada revealed that about five per cent of hotel rooms earlier reserved in the Thai South have already been cancelled, following the bomb blast in Bangkok on August 17, but the rate in Phuket's Patong area has risen to about 80 per cent for the time being. Samer Jindapong, President of the Tourism Association of Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai Northeast, said similarly that Bangkok's recent bombing has psychological affected the country's tourism image because victims included foreign visitors. Samer assessed that there should be seen in a few days whether foreign tour groups would cancel their trips to Thailand. (TNA)