Thailand’s Caretaker Government Urged To Review Emergency Decree

BANGKOK, January 26 (TNA) - Four days after the caretaker government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra imposed the Emergency Decree in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces in a bid to disperse anti-government protesters, the Thai - Japan Tourism Association (TJTA) has urged to government to review the stiff Decree as it would impact Japanese tourists visiting Thailand. TJTA president Anek Srishevachart said that many Japanese who planned to visit Thailand have already cancelled their trip on concerns of their safety as they believed the Thai government might use force in dispersing anti-government protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee following the imposition of the Emergency Decree. Statistics show that about 1.4 million Japanese visited Thailand in 2013 while each spent between 20,000 – 30,000 baht per head for an average of five days stay in this country. The trip cancellations by the Japanese will definitely affect revenue of several service businesses in Thailand. Mr. Anek said the imposition of Emergency Decree will cause a severely impact because the Japanese tourists “don’t understand the real situation and they only listened to the news”. “Now, they would simply avoid travelling to Thailand,” Mr. Anek said. Anek urged the Thai government to review the imposition of the Decree in order to regain tourism business and international trade confidence so that Thailand’s economy could drive forward. The caretaker government imposed the Decree on Wednesday and it would be in force 60 days. (TNA)