TTM+ postponed but not cancelled
By Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai (22.05.2010)
According to only a small notice in today's Bangkok Post Business Section, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has finally postponed Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2010 that was scheduled to be held on June 2-4 in Bangkok at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.
Mr. Prakit Piriyakiat, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, said that the annual trade show would be put off until conditions in the capital returned to normal.
TAT officials are due to meet private-sector operators on Tuesday next week in order to estimate damages and revise tourism promotion plans in line with the current situation.
Showing posts with label Thailand Tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thailand Tourism. Show all posts
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thailand in Trouble, Tourists Turn to Bali
Wednesday, 19 May, 2010 | 13:34 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Denpasar:The Thai political crisis could profit Bali.
The indication of the increase in tourist number occurred between January-April and reaches 15 percent compared to the same period last year.
“The cause of the increase is because the Thai condition is making tourists divert their travel itineraries,” said Bali Tourism Board Chairman Ngurah Wijaya, Monday (17/5).
Bali could expect a high increase of tourist numbers because Thailand’s characteristics are very similar to Bali, a destination of beaches and cultural richness.
Tourist arrivals reach 6,000 persons per day even though it is not yet the holiday season.
But, according to Wijaya, the impact would only be felt in June for tourists from Australia and July-August for European tourists.
At this time, they are still monitoring the possibility of tourist diverting their destination from Thailand.
Wijaya considered that the impact would not be that big if the crisis could be solved immediately.
Moreover, crises in the country does not lead to anarchic activity like Indonesia in 1998.
Besides that, Thai tourism is not only centered in Bangkok but also other area with equal international flight access.
Meanwhile, The Head of Bali Travel Association, Al Purwa, said that Thai crisis would have a positive impact.
But they do not dare to increase travel or hotel prices yet because hotel occupancy rate is still below 70 percent.
“It is still low season, so we wait for the right moment,” he said.
But he hoped that the government and tourism association is ready to conduct promotion so it could be an alternative tourist’s destination.
ROFIQI HASAN
ANOTHER INDEX :
TEMPO Interactive, Denpasar:The Thai political crisis could profit Bali.
The indication of the increase in tourist number occurred between January-April and reaches 15 percent compared to the same period last year.
“The cause of the increase is because the Thai condition is making tourists divert their travel itineraries,” said Bali Tourism Board Chairman Ngurah Wijaya, Monday (17/5).
Bali could expect a high increase of tourist numbers because Thailand’s characteristics are very similar to Bali, a destination of beaches and cultural richness.
Tourist arrivals reach 6,000 persons per day even though it is not yet the holiday season.
But, according to Wijaya, the impact would only be felt in June for tourists from Australia and July-August for European tourists.
At this time, they are still monitoring the possibility of tourist diverting their destination from Thailand.
Wijaya considered that the impact would not be that big if the crisis could be solved immediately.
Moreover, crises in the country does not lead to anarchic activity like Indonesia in 1998.
Besides that, Thai tourism is not only centered in Bangkok but also other area with equal international flight access.
Meanwhile, The Head of Bali Travel Association, Al Purwa, said that Thai crisis would have a positive impact.
But they do not dare to increase travel or hotel prices yet because hotel occupancy rate is still below 70 percent.
“It is still low season, so we wait for the right moment,” he said.
But he hoped that the government and tourism association is ready to conduct promotion so it could be an alternative tourist’s destination.
ROFIQI HASAN
ANOTHER INDEX :
Thailand's so-called Red Shirt protest leaders said they are formally ending their anti-government protest
BANGKOK—Thailand's so-called Red Shirt protest leaders said they are formally ending their anti-government protest and will surrender to authorities to prevent more deaths.
The announcement came after the army overran their heavily barricaded encampment in central Bangkok on Wednesday.
Seven Red Shirt leaders went on stage in the core protest zone to announce their decision, which was greeted with shouts of dismay from the men and women gathered around.
Protest leader Natawut Saikua said ``we have done our best.'' Weng Tojirakarn said ``we want to prevent further losses of our Red Shirt brothers and sisters.''
He said ``let us first prevent further losses of lives,'' and urged supporters to leave the area.
Barricade Down
View Slideshow
[SB10001424052748703957904575253242677993222]
Fayaz Kabli/Reuters
An armored vehicle broke through a barricade during an operation to evict anti-government "red shirt" protesters from their encampment in Bangkok Wednesday.
Hundreds of soldiers armed with semiautomatic rifles gathered on streets leading to the protesters' encampment, witnesses and television reports said. Demonstrators lit kerosene-soaked tires, shrouding parts of the city in thick plumes of smoke.
Troops occupied a highway overpass overlooking the camp and were seen firing sporadic shots into the camp. Others fired from the tracks of an elevated-rail network they used as a vantage point.
Thai Bankers' Association said Thailand's four biggest banks would close their branches in Bangkok and on its outskirts early Wednesday because of the growing unrest. Bangkok Bank PCL, Kasikornbank PCL, Siam Commercial Bank and Krung Thai Bank would all close at 1 p.m. local time, the association's chairman, Prasarn Trairatvorakul, said. Bond dealers said bond trading would also end early.
At the entrance to Silom Road, Thailand's equivalent of Wall Street, troops turned water cannons on protesters in a bid to disperse them and began tearing down a barricade constructed from tires and sharpened bamboo staves. An armored tank repeatedly rammed the barrier, breaching what the Red Shirts call their "liberated zone."
Many of the protesters defending the barricade retreated to the main Red Shirt camp less than a mile north, witnesses said. At least two people were shot and injured, Reuters reported.
Korbsak Sabhavasu, the main government negotiator and a secretary-general in the prime minister's office, confirmed that talks to end the standoff had collapsed.
People familiar with the negotiations between the two sides said the biggest problem was the main Red Shirt leaders' inability to control hard-core demonstrators on the edges of the rally site.
Fears are growing that the military's push could lead to an intensified conflict in coming days. In a televised address, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the army operation is designed to tighten a security cordon around the demonstrators' main camp and would continue throughout the day.
"Brothers and sisters, wake up! The crackdown is beginning," yelled one speaker on the Red Shirt stage.
Gen. Lertrat Rattanavanich, a senator involved in trying to rescue negotiations between protesters and the government, said on Thai TV that efforts to re-start talks had failed. "I think this will be the final clash," he said. "If the protest leaders don't surrender, the losses could be huge."
At least 39 people have been killed and more than 300 injured since Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government on Thursday ordered army troops to end the monthslong antigovernment protest.
The Red Shirts, many of them followers of ousted populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra, were demanding immediate elections to recalibrate a political system that they say has been manipulated by powerful military officers and bureaucrats.
Their protest began peacefully on March 12, when tens of thousands of people flowed into Bangkok after Thai courts confiscated $1.4 billion of Mr. Thaksin's family fortune. The court ruled that much of the wealth had been amassed through corruption—a ruling Mr. Thaksin decried as evidence of a political conspiracy against him following the 2006 coup that removed him as prime minister.
Uproar in Thailand
Key political events in Thailand since 2006
View Interactive
On Lockdown
See what sections of Bangkok have been shut down by anti-government protesters.
View Interactive
Key Players
View Interactive
* More photos and interactive graphics
* China Real Time: Thai Turmoil Resonates in China
* Rogue General Dies, More Violence Feared
* Once-Stable Thailand Close to Unraveling
* Earlier: Thai Protesters Seek Fresh Talks
* Martial Mood Settles Over Protest
* Thai Unrest Puts Army in a Tight Spot
* Thai Army Works to Remove Thousands of Red Shirts
* Protesters React to Election Proposal
* Bangkok: A City Under Siege
* Inside Thai Protesters Camp
But in recent weeks, as the demonstrators set up camp in Bangkok's main shopping district, shutting down dozens of hotels and shopping malls, the protests took on a more violent tone. Around the periphery of the main camp, some demonstrators began throwing Molotov cocktails and other improvised-explosive devices at security forces sent in to seal off the protest.
The army used snipers to peg back the protesters in recent days. Witnesses reported and filmed marksmen using rifles with telescopic sights firing on unarmed demonstrators, in some cases shooting them in the head.
Since the government announced its plans to crack down on the protesters on Saturday, the demonstrators had actually expanded their territory, bringing them into regular conflict with security forces assigned to stop the protests from spreading.
Many hard-liners were also angered by the death on Monday of a rogue soldier who had defected to the Red Shirts' cause. Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol was shot in the head last Thursday night by unknown assailants, in an apparent assassination attempt.
Maj. Gen. Khattiya and many of his followers have been operating independently of the main protest leaders, who include lawmaker Jatuporn Prompan and activists Nattawut Saikua and Weng Tojirakarn.
Maj. Gen. Khattiya, in particular, had his own lines of communication to Mr. Thaksin, who now lives in Dubai in self-imposed exile to avoid imprisonment on a 2008 corruption conviction.
Before he died, Maj. Gen. Khattiya said in an interview that his goal was to turn the Red Shirt protests into a full-blown revolt against the Thai state.
People involved in negotiations to end the protests say Mr. Thaksin had encouraged more militant Red Shirt leaders to continually add fresh demands, effectively delaying talks and a final agreement after Prime Minister Abhisit offered to hold a new election on Nov. 14.
Last week, with scant sign of any progress, the Oxford-educated Mr. Abhisit withdrew his election offer and ordered troops to cordon off the demonstrations.
Mr. Thaksin has described suggestions he had deliberately sabotaged the peace talks in order to provoke a wider uprising that could enable him to return to Thailand as "fiction."
—Oranan Paweewun and Phisanu Phromchanya contributed to this article.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tourist arrivals in Thailand down
By Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai (18.05.2010)
According to the latest news on www.bangkokpost.com, the intensifying political violence has pounded the country's tourist industry, with arrivals down by about one third, Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa said on Tuesday.
The number of incoming passengers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport had dwindled from an average 30,000 to 20,000 passengers a day, as foreigners were concerned about the widespread chaos and the security situation, Mr Chumpol said.
He said 19 countries had warned their people to avoid visiting Thailand at this time.
"The number of tourists has dropped considerably," the minister said. "The government was hoping that tourism in the South would see a boost, but it is now more difficult as foreigners think that the unrest is occurring nationwide."
On the measures to revive the tourism sector after the political situation stabilises, he said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has prepared plans to stimulate tourism in the third and fourth quarters of this year.
When the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters seized airports in late 2008, the TAT was able to raise the tourist arrivals from 10 million to 14 million that year after it was over, the minister said.
"The government hopes this year's tourist arrivals will reach the target with the time remaining," he said.
Mr Chumpol refused to comment on whether the government would last until the end of this year.
According to the latest news on www.bangkokpost.com, the intensifying political violence has pounded the country's tourist industry, with arrivals down by about one third, Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa said on Tuesday.
The number of incoming passengers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport had dwindled from an average 30,000 to 20,000 passengers a day, as foreigners were concerned about the widespread chaos and the security situation, Mr Chumpol said.
He said 19 countries had warned their people to avoid visiting Thailand at this time.
"The number of tourists has dropped considerably," the minister said. "The government was hoping that tourism in the South would see a boost, but it is now more difficult as foreigners think that the unrest is occurring nationwide."
On the measures to revive the tourism sector after the political situation stabilises, he said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has prepared plans to stimulate tourism in the third and fourth quarters of this year.
When the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters seized airports in late 2008, the TAT was able to raise the tourist arrivals from 10 million to 14 million that year after it was over, the minister said.
"The government hopes this year's tourist arrivals will reach the target with the time remaining," he said.
Mr Chumpol refused to comment on whether the government would last until the end of this year.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Bangkok hotels take a major hit
May 09, 2010
http://www.eturbonews.com/16015/bangkok-hotels-take-major-hit?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eturbonews+%28eTurboNews%29
The global media coverage of unrest and violence in Bangkok has frightened a lot of travelers away and put the brakes on an otherwise promising recovery.
Since the state of emergency was imposed in Bangkok in April, foreign arrivals are down at least 20 percent from the same period a year ago. The impact on some hotels in the capital has been severe and comes at a time when the industry was just beginning to see a substantial turn around, said Andrew Langdon, senior vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
Accompanying the decline in arrivals have been many cancellations or postponements in the MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibitions) market, largely for Bangkok-based events.
"Luckily the detrimental tourist conditions seem to be largely limited to Bangkok, with many hotel operators reporting their hotels outside of Bangkok, in regions such as Phuket and Samui, are witnessing limited downside," said Mr. Langdon.
Research by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels shows that the Thai tourism industry did better than expected last year with tourist and business arrivals totalling 14 million, a drop of only 3 percent compared with 2008. A surge in arrivals in November and December helped, as people worldwide began traveling more in the belief that the global economy was on the mend.
"If you are looking at the early part of last year, say in June, tourist arrivals were down by 15 percent. Obviously we finished the year better than many people thought we would," Mr. Langdon added.
However, hotel performance was not that strong, with declines in the two main gauges used by the industry - revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rate (ADR).
In the Bangkok five-star hotel market, RevPAR declined 26.5 percent from 2008, with full-year occupancy standing at 53 percent, down from 62.5 percent in 2008. ADR fell 13.3 percent year-on-year to 4,916 baht.
In the four-star category, RevPAR fell 28.3 percent and occupancy declined from 66.2 percent in 2008 to 55.5 percent, while ADR fell 14.5 percent to 2,592 baht. Three-star RevPAR declined 21.6 percent with occupancy sliding from 66.4 percent to 59.6 percent and ADR down 12.6 percent to 1,668 baht.
"The three-star segment was probably the best-performing hotel market in Bangkok," said Mr. Langdon. "That is what you would expect, because what happens in difficult economic times is that people who used to stay in four-star hotels now stay in three-star hotels."
However, he sees some upside, because one of Thailand's strengths is that it has a very high proportion of repeat visitors - anywhere from 30-50 percent depending on which statistics one examines.
"The figure is incredible compared to Vietnam, where it's less than 10 percent. People go to Vietnam once.
"In Thailand, people keep coming back, and the reason is Thailand is a very good value-for-money destination," said Mr. Langdon
However, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels' research also shows that between 2010 and 2015, as many as 40 hotels will be opening in Bangkok, adding 9,728 rooms to the market.
Mr. Langdon said: "This actually represents 16.8 percent of the total room supply in Bangkok, and this is a huge amount of new supply. In any market, to achieve 7 percent new supply is rare. This doesn't include two-star or three-star boutique hotels with 10 to 12 rooms on Sukhumvit Road, but does include large international branded three-, four- and five-star hotels."
Interestingly, a breakdown of the new supply shows that 34.8 percent of the rooms will be five-star, 52.2 percent four-star, and only 12.9 percent three-star.
"There is a large oversupply, particularly in the four- and five-star market, but the three-star market is not going to be affected as much," Mr. Langdon said.
In any case - and barring any more seriously negative political developments - Mr. Langdon foresees a healthy moderate increase in tourist arrivals over the next five years. But despite this, actual hotel occupancy is going to stay relatively unchanged at about 60-65 percent.
Mr. Langdon explained: "Maybe some hotels might touch 70 percent, but the days of 75-80 percent occupancy [seen in 2006-07] are gone.
"The other effect is going to be on the rates, and overall we see rate growth is going to be quite subdued. So rates are going to stay relatively flat for the next five years or so.
"Obviously there will be very strong competition in the four- and five-star market and as they drop rates, it obviously has a flow-on effect down the line.
"However, what you find with international hotels is that they don't drop rates. That's one of the last things they do - they prefer to drop their occupancies, not rates. So at the end of the day, Bangkok will still be one of the cheapest places to stay in a good hotel in Asia, if not the world."
While this is positive for the tourism industry, Mr. Langdon cautioned that the days of hotel owners making big profits are gone.
So why are people still building hotels? In Mr. Langdon's opinion, the appeal of returns on investment from property remains strong, given the low rates on offer at banks. A hotel investment can still return 5-8 percent annually over the long term.
The vanity factor in owning a hotel also exerts a strong pull, he added.
Mr. Langdon went on to say: "Also in the past - and I admit things are changing a bit now - it has been very easy for people to get bank financing to build hotels, because in the last 10 years, it has been very profitable to own a hotel.
"But ever since the global financial crisis, banks in Thailand, like everywhere else, are getting conservative in granting loans and project financing as well."
It is also very difficult to buy an existing hotel. Either there are none for sale, or those that are on the market have asking prices that are seen as too high; thus it's cheaper to buy land and build a new property.
"The thing about Bangkok is that there are still a lot of vacant land sites in key areas, compared to London, Sydney, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles - where you can buy a hotel that is already completed and there is an active trading market because there is no land to buy and build hotels," said Mr. Langdon.
Despite this, it is very difficult to buy land at market prices in key areas of Bangkok and develop a financially viable hotel.
"So if a developer wants to come here and buy land on Sukhumvit Road, they are probably paying 800,000 to 900,000 baht a square wah (4 square meters)," Mr. Langdon concluded.
http://www.eturbonews.com/16015/bangkok-hotels-take-major-hit?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eturbonews+%28eTurboNews%29
The global media coverage of unrest and violence in Bangkok has frightened a lot of travelers away and put the brakes on an otherwise promising recovery.
Since the state of emergency was imposed in Bangkok in April, foreign arrivals are down at least 20 percent from the same period a year ago. The impact on some hotels in the capital has been severe and comes at a time when the industry was just beginning to see a substantial turn around, said Andrew Langdon, senior vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.
Accompanying the decline in arrivals have been many cancellations or postponements in the MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibitions) market, largely for Bangkok-based events.
"Luckily the detrimental tourist conditions seem to be largely limited to Bangkok, with many hotel operators reporting their hotels outside of Bangkok, in regions such as Phuket and Samui, are witnessing limited downside," said Mr. Langdon.
Research by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels shows that the Thai tourism industry did better than expected last year with tourist and business arrivals totalling 14 million, a drop of only 3 percent compared with 2008. A surge in arrivals in November and December helped, as people worldwide began traveling more in the belief that the global economy was on the mend.
"If you are looking at the early part of last year, say in June, tourist arrivals were down by 15 percent. Obviously we finished the year better than many people thought we would," Mr. Langdon added.
However, hotel performance was not that strong, with declines in the two main gauges used by the industry - revenue per available room (RevPAR) and average daily rate (ADR).
In the Bangkok five-star hotel market, RevPAR declined 26.5 percent from 2008, with full-year occupancy standing at 53 percent, down from 62.5 percent in 2008. ADR fell 13.3 percent year-on-year to 4,916 baht.
In the four-star category, RevPAR fell 28.3 percent and occupancy declined from 66.2 percent in 2008 to 55.5 percent, while ADR fell 14.5 percent to 2,592 baht. Three-star RevPAR declined 21.6 percent with occupancy sliding from 66.4 percent to 59.6 percent and ADR down 12.6 percent to 1,668 baht.
"The three-star segment was probably the best-performing hotel market in Bangkok," said Mr. Langdon. "That is what you would expect, because what happens in difficult economic times is that people who used to stay in four-star hotels now stay in three-star hotels."
However, he sees some upside, because one of Thailand's strengths is that it has a very high proportion of repeat visitors - anywhere from 30-50 percent depending on which statistics one examines.
"The figure is incredible compared to Vietnam, where it's less than 10 percent. People go to Vietnam once.
"In Thailand, people keep coming back, and the reason is Thailand is a very good value-for-money destination," said Mr. Langdon
However, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels' research also shows that between 2010 and 2015, as many as 40 hotels will be opening in Bangkok, adding 9,728 rooms to the market.
Mr. Langdon said: "This actually represents 16.8 percent of the total room supply in Bangkok, and this is a huge amount of new supply. In any market, to achieve 7 percent new supply is rare. This doesn't include two-star or three-star boutique hotels with 10 to 12 rooms on Sukhumvit Road, but does include large international branded three-, four- and five-star hotels."
Interestingly, a breakdown of the new supply shows that 34.8 percent of the rooms will be five-star, 52.2 percent four-star, and only 12.9 percent three-star.
"There is a large oversupply, particularly in the four- and five-star market, but the three-star market is not going to be affected as much," Mr. Langdon said.
In any case - and barring any more seriously negative political developments - Mr. Langdon foresees a healthy moderate increase in tourist arrivals over the next five years. But despite this, actual hotel occupancy is going to stay relatively unchanged at about 60-65 percent.
Mr. Langdon explained: "Maybe some hotels might touch 70 percent, but the days of 75-80 percent occupancy [seen in 2006-07] are gone.
"The other effect is going to be on the rates, and overall we see rate growth is going to be quite subdued. So rates are going to stay relatively flat for the next five years or so.
"Obviously there will be very strong competition in the four- and five-star market and as they drop rates, it obviously has a flow-on effect down the line.
"However, what you find with international hotels is that they don't drop rates. That's one of the last things they do - they prefer to drop their occupancies, not rates. So at the end of the day, Bangkok will still be one of the cheapest places to stay in a good hotel in Asia, if not the world."
While this is positive for the tourism industry, Mr. Langdon cautioned that the days of hotel owners making big profits are gone.
So why are people still building hotels? In Mr. Langdon's opinion, the appeal of returns on investment from property remains strong, given the low rates on offer at banks. A hotel investment can still return 5-8 percent annually over the long term.
The vanity factor in owning a hotel also exerts a strong pull, he added.
Mr. Langdon went on to say: "Also in the past - and I admit things are changing a bit now - it has been very easy for people to get bank financing to build hotels, because in the last 10 years, it has been very profitable to own a hotel.
"But ever since the global financial crisis, banks in Thailand, like everywhere else, are getting conservative in granting loans and project financing as well."
It is also very difficult to buy an existing hotel. Either there are none for sale, or those that are on the market have asking prices that are seen as too high; thus it's cheaper to buy land and build a new property.
"The thing about Bangkok is that there are still a lot of vacant land sites in key areas, compared to London, Sydney, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles - where you can buy a hotel that is already completed and there is an active trading market because there is no land to buy and build hotels," said Mr. Langdon.
Despite this, it is very difficult to buy land at market prices in key areas of Bangkok and develop a financially viable hotel.
"So if a developer wants to come here and buy land on Sukhumvit Road, they are probably paying 800,000 to 900,000 baht a square wah (4 square meters)," Mr. Langdon concluded.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Two Thai policemen killed in attacks near Bangkok protests
Posted: 08 May 2010 0900 hrs
Channel News Asia
Photos 1 of 1
Policemen at the site of a blast at a local commercial bank's ATM booth on Silom road in Bangkok where a recent grenade blast killed two Thai policemen
BANGKOK: Two Thai policemen have been killed in attacks near anti-government protests in Bangkok, in a grenade blast and a drive-by shooting that also left 12 wounded, authorities said Saturday.
Police said in the early hours of the morning a grenade attack hit a security checkpoint in front of a city park that forms the edge of the protest encampment.
"Eight people including five police and three soldiers were wounded," the Bangkok Emergency Medical Service said. A hospital official said that one 35-year-old policeman died during surgery.
Earlier, one policeman was killed and four others -- two police and two civilians -- were wounded when a man on a motorbike opened fire on a patrol in the nearby Silom financial district, which is under heavy guard.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thai protesters welcome premier's olive branch
Paula Bronstein / Getty Images
Anti-government protesters react to their leaders' speeches about Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's reconciliation plan.
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(05-04) 04:00 PDT Bangkok - -- Anti-government Red Shirt demonstrators said Tuesday that they welcomed a reconciliation plan offered by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva but demanded more details before agreeing to end their seven-week occupation of parts of Thailand's capital.
Abhisit offered to hold an election Nov. 14, much later than the 30-day deadline the protesters had demanded, but which would cut short his four-year term by more than a year.
"We have reached a consensus to accept the process of reconciliation," said Veera Musikapong, a protest leader. "This is because we want to spare lives."
He said the Red Shirts are seeking clarification about the time frame for a dissolution of the government.
The proposed compromise won praise from people on many sides of Thailand's fragmented political scene, primarily as a way to defuse an intense confrontation that has raised fears of widespread violence or, as some Thai commentators warned, could even lead to civil war.
"The prime minister's road map is a good one, and it seems like everyone agrees with it," said Suryasai Katsila, a leader of the opposing Yellow Shirt pressure group, which generally supports the government.
But he added: "This is just to find a way out. It's not a solution for Thai society."
The protests grow out of deep social and economic divisions that have reached a critical moment as the country's poor majority challenges the entrenched elite for a greater voice in national affairs.
Abhisit's mentor, former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, also voiced doubts, saying, "I'm not sure whether this will be a solution for the country."
He said he opposed acceding to the protesters' demand to dissolve parliament, which would happen in the case of a new election. "We should not dissolve because someone threatens us to dissolve it," he said.
The long occupation has paralyzed the glittering commercial center of the city, which has become a lawless zone sealed off from traffic and guarded by protesters. The city's biggest malls and some of its five-star hotels have been closed.
The prime minister has come under intense pressure to end the occupation, but both he and his military chiefs have said they do not want to use force because of the potential for extensive casualties.
The long standoff has also taken its toll on the Red Shirts, and their protest site, far more thinly populated than in the past weeks, looked bedraggled behind the menacing spiked walls and gates that they had erected.
The proposed election date was likely to displease some factions of the protest movement because it would allow the current government to conduct the annual reshuffling of military leaders in September and to pass a new budget.
This article appeared on page A - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/04/MNCJ1D9A27.DTL
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Thailand's Prime Minister said yesterday the government was preparing to clear an area of Bangkok defended by thousands of anti-government protesters.
Ready to clear them out
But Thai govt says it will give warning before it begins
05:55 AM May 03, 2010
BANGKOK - Thailand's Prime Minister said yesterday the government was preparing to clear an area of Bangkok defended by thousands of anti-government protesters.
"We are sending a signal that we have given people enough time to leave (the occupied zone). We are in the process of ... cutting off support before we move in,'' Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a press interview.
Mr Abhisit declined to elaborate on a plan announced earlier to end the crisis, which he said did not include the declaration of martial law. In an emergency meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved special funding for the police to contain the demonstrators.
"My belief is that the majority of the people want the protest to end ... This is a situation we have to handle," Mr Abhisit said.
The mostly-poor protesters, who view the government as an illegitimate puppet of Bangkok's elite and the military, are demanding Mr Abhisit's resignation, the dissolution of Parliament and new elections.
Mr Abhisit has rejected the call for quick elections and suspended talks with protesters. But he said the demonstrators would be given prior warning. "We continue to exercise restraint and patience and the best solution is one that does not involve violence," he said.
In a small concession, the demonstrators on yesterday shifted their tire barricades away from Chulalongkorn Hospital on the edge of their protest site in a move intended to allow the medical facility to reopen.
Mr Nattawut Saikua, a Red Shirt leader, said the Red Shirt raid on the hospital was a mistake and offered an apology.
The International Crisis Group think tank said on Saturday Thailand's political system had broken down and expressed fears the standoff could "deteriorate into an undeclared civil war". But Mr Abhisit said only in three or four of the country's provinces was there "a (protest) movement in parallel with Bangkok that has to be handled. The rest of the country is well under control." AP
But Thai govt says it will give warning before it begins
05:55 AM May 03, 2010
BANGKOK - Thailand's Prime Minister said yesterday the government was preparing to clear an area of Bangkok defended by thousands of anti-government protesters.
"We are sending a signal that we have given people enough time to leave (the occupied zone). We are in the process of ... cutting off support before we move in,'' Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a press interview.
Mr Abhisit declined to elaborate on a plan announced earlier to end the crisis, which he said did not include the declaration of martial law. In an emergency meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved special funding for the police to contain the demonstrators.
"My belief is that the majority of the people want the protest to end ... This is a situation we have to handle," Mr Abhisit said.
The mostly-poor protesters, who view the government as an illegitimate puppet of Bangkok's elite and the military, are demanding Mr Abhisit's resignation, the dissolution of Parliament and new elections.
Mr Abhisit has rejected the call for quick elections and suspended talks with protesters. But he said the demonstrators would be given prior warning. "We continue to exercise restraint and patience and the best solution is one that does not involve violence," he said.
In a small concession, the demonstrators on yesterday shifted their tire barricades away from Chulalongkorn Hospital on the edge of their protest site in a move intended to allow the medical facility to reopen.
Mr Nattawut Saikua, a Red Shirt leader, said the Red Shirt raid on the hospital was a mistake and offered an apology.
The International Crisis Group think tank said on Saturday Thailand's political system had broken down and expressed fears the standoff could "deteriorate into an undeclared civil war". But Mr Abhisit said only in three or four of the country's provinces was there "a (protest) movement in parallel with Bangkok that has to be handled. The rest of the country is well under control." AP
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thailand calls emergency meeting as tensions rise
By Anusak Konglang (AFP) – 7 hours ago
BANGKOK — Thai officials Saturday called an emergency cabinet meeting as a top think-tank warned the stand-off between the government and "Red Shirt" protestors could deteriorate into an "undeclared civil war".
Deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban, in charge of national security, told reporters the meeting would be held at a Bangkok military base on Sunday to analyse how to cope with the protest rallies that began in mid-March.
While tensions increased in the capital, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said Thailand must consider mediation help from other countries to avoid a slide into further violence.
"The Thai political system has broken down and seems incapable of pulling the country back from the brink of widespread conflict," the ICG report, which was released late Friday, said.
"The stand-off in the streets of Bangkok between the government and Red Shirt protesters is worsening and could deteriorate into an undeclared civil war," it added.
Thailand is reeling from its worst political violence in almost two decades in the capital, where 27 people have died and nearly 1,000 injured in a series of clashes, but the government has rejected suggestions of outside mediation.
The country's Department of Special Investigation said it seized bullets, grenade parts and official government security documents Saturday in a raid on the Bangkok apartment of one Red leader, Suporn Attawong.
However Jatuporn Prompan, another core Red leader, used an evening news conference to accuse authorities of planting the material.
The demonstrations are the latest chapter in years of turmoil pitting the ruling elite against the Reds, who say the government came to power illegitimately in 2008.
Many of the Reds come from Thailand's rural poor and urban working classes and support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lives overseas to avoid a jail term for corruption.
Protest leaders on Saturday slammed management at a Bangkok hospital, saying its chaotic evacuation of patients after it was stormed by Red Shirts was a ploy to make the protesters look bad.
The Reds have faced heavy criticism after about 100 supporters raided Chulalongkorn hospital Thursday evening under the mistaken belief it sheltered security forces preparing a crackdown, following deadly street violence.
The 1,400-bed hospital evacuated most of its patients because of the incident, and Red leaders have apologised profusely.
"The hospital did not hear our apology. They dramatised the evacuation of patients, turning it into a tragedy to paint Red Shirt people as bad," Red leader Jatuporn said.
The Reds, who have occupied sections of Bangkok for over a month in their bid to force snap elections, claim the hospital was used in an April 22 grenade attack on a pro-government rally that killed one and wounded dozens.
The government said the grenades were fired from inside the Reds' camp -- an accusation the movement has denied.
Thailand's Medical Council criticised the storming of the hospital and asked protesters to respect medical personnel, while police were deployed at the hospital to ensure neither security forces nor Reds use the grounds.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed to prosecute those who were involved in the hospital incident.
Thai television reported Princess Chakri Sirindhon went to Chulalongkorn Saturday to visit one of its last patients, 96-year-old Patriarch Prasangkaraj, and suggested that the country's ailing head Buddhist monk switch hospitals.
New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement on Saturday calling for all sides to "negotiate a political solution before the situation escalates".
"Thailand is spiralling further into political violence as protesters, counter-protesters, and security forces respond tit for tat against attacks and provocations," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
Some 70 bomb and grenade attacks have been carried out by unknown parties in Bangkok since the Reds began street protests in mid-March, according to the rights group.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More » http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hFreN2OSE8Oi81DvhQPIRXscp1Qw
BANGKOK — Thai officials Saturday called an emergency cabinet meeting as a top think-tank warned the stand-off between the government and "Red Shirt" protestors could deteriorate into an "undeclared civil war".
Deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban, in charge of national security, told reporters the meeting would be held at a Bangkok military base on Sunday to analyse how to cope with the protest rallies that began in mid-March.
While tensions increased in the capital, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said Thailand must consider mediation help from other countries to avoid a slide into further violence.
"The Thai political system has broken down and seems incapable of pulling the country back from the brink of widespread conflict," the ICG report, which was released late Friday, said.
"The stand-off in the streets of Bangkok between the government and Red Shirt protesters is worsening and could deteriorate into an undeclared civil war," it added.
Thailand is reeling from its worst political violence in almost two decades in the capital, where 27 people have died and nearly 1,000 injured in a series of clashes, but the government has rejected suggestions of outside mediation.
The country's Department of Special Investigation said it seized bullets, grenade parts and official government security documents Saturday in a raid on the Bangkok apartment of one Red leader, Suporn Attawong.
However Jatuporn Prompan, another core Red leader, used an evening news conference to accuse authorities of planting the material.
The demonstrations are the latest chapter in years of turmoil pitting the ruling elite against the Reds, who say the government came to power illegitimately in 2008.
Many of the Reds come from Thailand's rural poor and urban working classes and support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lives overseas to avoid a jail term for corruption.
Protest leaders on Saturday slammed management at a Bangkok hospital, saying its chaotic evacuation of patients after it was stormed by Red Shirts was a ploy to make the protesters look bad.
The Reds have faced heavy criticism after about 100 supporters raided Chulalongkorn hospital Thursday evening under the mistaken belief it sheltered security forces preparing a crackdown, following deadly street violence.
The 1,400-bed hospital evacuated most of its patients because of the incident, and Red leaders have apologised profusely.
"The hospital did not hear our apology. They dramatised the evacuation of patients, turning it into a tragedy to paint Red Shirt people as bad," Red leader Jatuporn said.
The Reds, who have occupied sections of Bangkok for over a month in their bid to force snap elections, claim the hospital was used in an April 22 grenade attack on a pro-government rally that killed one and wounded dozens.
The government said the grenades were fired from inside the Reds' camp -- an accusation the movement has denied.
Thailand's Medical Council criticised the storming of the hospital and asked protesters to respect medical personnel, while police were deployed at the hospital to ensure neither security forces nor Reds use the grounds.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed to prosecute those who were involved in the hospital incident.
Thai television reported Princess Chakri Sirindhon went to Chulalongkorn Saturday to visit one of its last patients, 96-year-old Patriarch Prasangkaraj, and suggested that the country's ailing head Buddhist monk switch hospitals.
New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a statement on Saturday calling for all sides to "negotiate a political solution before the situation escalates".
"Thailand is spiralling further into political violence as protesters, counter-protesters, and security forces respond tit for tat against attacks and provocations," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
Some 70 bomb and grenade attacks have been carried out by unknown parties in Bangkok since the Reds began street protests in mid-March, according to the rights group.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More » http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hFreN2OSE8Oi81DvhQPIRXscp1Qw
Thursday, April 29, 2010
DJ Thai Protesters Storm Hospital In Search Of Soldiers -Report
BANGKOK (Dow Jones)--Thailand's anti-government protesters stormed a hospital to search for soldiers it suspected of hiding in the complex, which is located next to their main rally site in central Bangkok, The Nation newspaper reported Friday.
More than 200 so-called "Red Shirt" guards swept through Chulalongkorn Hospital for an hour in front of bewildered nurses and doctors before seizing two men and taking them to their rally stage. They were later released when they were identified as workers.
The search ended after negotiations between protesters and police, who agreed to allow them to check the hospital premises again Friday, the newspaper reported.
Thailand is reeling from the worst political violence in almost two decades. At least 27 people have died and almost 1,000 have been injured this month in a series of bloody confrontations between the government and the "Red Shirts" seeking its ouster.
Medical Council President Somsak Loklekha in a statement urged protesters not to block the entrance to the hospital, adding that it should not be used as a shield for political purposes.
"I hope Red Shirt leaders, like Dr. Weng Tojirakarn, will understand our purpose. No demonstration in any country in the world uses hospital premises to defeat the opposition," Somsak was quoted as saying.
Chulalongkorn Hospital will Friday close its outpatient and inpatient units because of the demonstrations. It has suspended surgery for emergency patients, The Nation reported.
The Nation Web site: www.nationmultimedia.com
More than 200 so-called "Red Shirt" guards swept through Chulalongkorn Hospital for an hour in front of bewildered nurses and doctors before seizing two men and taking them to their rally stage. They were later released when they were identified as workers.
The search ended after negotiations between protesters and police, who agreed to allow them to check the hospital premises again Friday, the newspaper reported.
Thailand is reeling from the worst political violence in almost two decades. At least 27 people have died and almost 1,000 have been injured this month in a series of bloody confrontations between the government and the "Red Shirts" seeking its ouster.
Medical Council President Somsak Loklekha in a statement urged protesters not to block the entrance to the hospital, adding that it should not be used as a shield for political purposes.
"I hope Red Shirt leaders, like Dr. Weng Tojirakarn, will understand our purpose. No demonstration in any country in the world uses hospital premises to defeat the opposition," Somsak was quoted as saying.
Chulalongkorn Hospital will Friday close its outpatient and inpatient units because of the demonstrations. It has suspended surgery for emergency patients, The Nation reported.
The Nation Web site: www.nationmultimedia.com
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
British tourists have been warned to avoid travelling to Thailand as violent political protests erupted
Tourists told to avoid Thailand as protest grows
British tourists have been warned to avoid travelling to Thailand as violent political protests erupted into running battles that resulted in the death of a soldier and left 18 wounded.
by Damien McElroy and Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok
Published: 5:36PM BST 28 Apr 2010
Thai soldiers open fire rubber bullets at anti-government protesters during crackdown on a highway in Bangkok. Troops stopped a caravan of anti-government demonstrators heading from Bangkok to a neighbouring province by setting up road barriers and shooting at the tyres of the vehicles Photo: EPA
A Foreign Office advisory said there was a growing risk the confrontation would spread from Bangkok to other parts of the country after demonstrators vowed to resist security force efforts to disband the movement.
The advice said those already in Thailand should stay indoors and noted that opposition groups had threatened to unleash violence against the government forces.
"We advise against all but essential travel to all parts of Thailand. This advice reflects our concern that violence could break out during the increasingly volatile political crisis," the warning said.
"British nationals should continue to exercise extreme caution throughout the country and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings.
"This advice reflects the increasing tension in Thailand and our concern that violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand."
Shots were fired yesterday after opposition leaders instructed more than 2,000 followers to move to a nearby neighbouring province in a convoy of trucks and motorcycles.
By calling a rally elsewhere, the opposition hoped to test the government's resolve. A confrontation broke out when pro-government forces interdicted the convoy.
The trooper was shot in the head during a confused incident when uniformed men on motorbikes drove through the Red Shirt ranks at the army and police lines.
The loyalties of members of the security forces are split between the two camps, with Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a renegade military leader, commanding the protester's defences.
The renewed violence is the worst since a grenade attack on rival demonstrators left one person dead and scores wounded last week.
Travel agencies reported, however, that Britons were pressing ahead with trips to Thailand despite the threat.
Thomas Cook said holidaymakers were due to travel to Thailand up to and including Friday would be given the option to amend or cancel their holiday with a full refund.
"We are working closely with the Foreign Office and the Federation of Tour Operators to review the situation as it evolves and will continue to update customers accordingly," a statement said.
Insurance industry bodies warned the advice would leave some travellers unprotected if they got caught up in violence.
Frances Tuke, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said: "Some people are still wanting to go out to Thailand despite the FO advice.
"They should realise that should they decide to go, get caught up in an incident and get injured and have travelled knowing the Foreign Office advice, they will not be covered by insurance."
Dennis and Janet Warner, a British couple last night complained they had been abandoned by a tour operator after they were caught up in the Bangkok violence "We were just left over there – we didn't know what was going on because we weren't told anything," said Mr Warner. "It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime by in the end it turned out to be a nightmare."
The United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, which is popularly known as the Red Shirt movement, is made up mainly of rural poor loyal to ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in 2006.
It has been protesting in Bangkok for seven weeks in a bid to bring down the government of Eton-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, which they regard as illegitimate. A series of bloody clashes has now left at least 27 dead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7646124/Tourists-told-to-avoid-Thailand-as-protest-grows.html TelegraphNews
British tourists have been warned to avoid travelling to Thailand as violent political protests erupted into running battles that resulted in the death of a soldier and left 18 wounded.
by Damien McElroy and Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok
Published: 5:36PM BST 28 Apr 2010
Thai soldiers open fire rubber bullets at anti-government protesters during crackdown on a highway in Bangkok. Troops stopped a caravan of anti-government demonstrators heading from Bangkok to a neighbouring province by setting up road barriers and shooting at the tyres of the vehicles Photo: EPA
A Foreign Office advisory said there was a growing risk the confrontation would spread from Bangkok to other parts of the country after demonstrators vowed to resist security force efforts to disband the movement.
The advice said those already in Thailand should stay indoors and noted that opposition groups had threatened to unleash violence against the government forces.
"We advise against all but essential travel to all parts of Thailand. This advice reflects our concern that violence could break out during the increasingly volatile political crisis," the warning said.
"British nationals should continue to exercise extreme caution throughout the country and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings.
"This advice reflects the increasing tension in Thailand and our concern that violent incidents of an unpredictable nature are occurring in many parts of Thailand."
Shots were fired yesterday after opposition leaders instructed more than 2,000 followers to move to a nearby neighbouring province in a convoy of trucks and motorcycles.
By calling a rally elsewhere, the opposition hoped to test the government's resolve. A confrontation broke out when pro-government forces interdicted the convoy.
The trooper was shot in the head during a confused incident when uniformed men on motorbikes drove through the Red Shirt ranks at the army and police lines.
The loyalties of members of the security forces are split between the two camps, with Major General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a renegade military leader, commanding the protester's defences.
The renewed violence is the worst since a grenade attack on rival demonstrators left one person dead and scores wounded last week.
Travel agencies reported, however, that Britons were pressing ahead with trips to Thailand despite the threat.
Thomas Cook said holidaymakers were due to travel to Thailand up to and including Friday would be given the option to amend or cancel their holiday with a full refund.
"We are working closely with the Foreign Office and the Federation of Tour Operators to review the situation as it evolves and will continue to update customers accordingly," a statement said.
Insurance industry bodies warned the advice would leave some travellers unprotected if they got caught up in violence.
Frances Tuke, a spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said: "Some people are still wanting to go out to Thailand despite the FO advice.
"They should realise that should they decide to go, get caught up in an incident and get injured and have travelled knowing the Foreign Office advice, they will not be covered by insurance."
Dennis and Janet Warner, a British couple last night complained they had been abandoned by a tour operator after they were caught up in the Bangkok violence "We were just left over there – we didn't know what was going on because we weren't told anything," said Mr Warner. "It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime by in the end it turned out to be a nightmare."
The United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, which is popularly known as the Red Shirt movement, is made up mainly of rural poor loyal to ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in 2006.
It has been protesting in Bangkok for seven weeks in a bid to bring down the government of Eton-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, which they regard as illegitimate. A series of bloody clashes has now left at least 27 dead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7646124/Tourists-told-to-avoid-Thailand-as-protest-grows.html TelegraphNews
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