Authorities to take care of int'l tourists during "Bangkok shutdown" by protesters

BANGKOK, January 7 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports will take care of international tourists during mass rallies of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), which has announced to "shut down" Bangkok from next Monday onwards. Thailand's Caretaker Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak told journalists on Tuesday that he has ordered agencies under his ministry's jurisdiction to assist international visitors during the planned "Bangkok shutdown" by the PDRC from next Monday onwards. Somsak said Caretaker Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has instructed all ministries, during the Cabinet's weekly meeting earlier in the day, to finish their main tasks ahead of the planned "Bangkok shutdown" and assigned his ministry to now focus promoting domestic tourism in provincial areas. Somsak stressed that his ministry is ready to provide information service to international travelers for their convenience and safety during their visits to Thailand, noting that the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has also set up an operational centre, with its hotline No. 1672, to provide information and assistance to the international tourists, especially if they faced any disruption or any untoward incident. Taxi drivers in the capital, meanwhile, held talks with authorities of the Ministry of Transport to discuss measures to ease their impacts from the "Bangkok shutdown", saying that about 10-15 per cent of cab drivers have decided to stop working during the planned "Bangkok shutdown" and several of them have quite their job permanently, after anti-government protests began in October 2013. National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsinkaew said the Royal Thai Police, in cooperation with the military, has measures put in place to deal with the planned "Bagnkok shutdown" to maintain order as assigned by the caretaker prime minister. (TNA)