MUSCAT -
Vacation plans to Thailand will not be majorly hit following the coup that placed the military in control of the nation, according to tour operators in Muscat who expect bookings to increase during the summer break and Eid holidays.
A nationwide curfew has been imposed in Thailand but movement of tourists has been unaffected, the country's tourism authority has said, allaying fears of travellers.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in a statement said that authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and that public and private agencies will 'exercise utmost efforts' to ensure tourists’ convenience. Under the current circumstances, TAT will also be providing updates on a daily basis.
Suraj Shroff, manager holidays, Zahara Holidays, said, “There isn't much traffic going to Thailand right now because people shy away from going to places where there is unrest. But I believe Thailand remains a very safe destination and there will be a lot of interest in this destination for Eid holiday makers. We concentrated on creating packages geared towards families, and we're expecting them to be very popular as Thailand continues to be a very popular destination for Omanis and expats.”
Prasad Bhat, sales manager, Marmul Tours said, “It's business as usual. We haven't had a single cancellation, and the feedback we get from people returning is positive as well. We expect sales to increase during the summer holidays, and Eid.”
Meanwhile, the TAT statement said that tourism-related businesses and services in Thailand continue to open and operate as normal, but operating hours have been adjusted to comply with a nationwide curfew that has now been rescheduled from midnight to 4am. However, all airports in Bangkok and throughout the kingdom continue to carry on with their normal operating hours and air passengers are allowed to travel to and from the airports at any time as usual, the TAT statement said.
“The curfew will be in place until further notice, according to the coup makers (National Council for Peace and Order - NCPO), which explained that the council’s key objectives were to ensure a reform of political, economic and social institutions in order to bring out peace and order to the kingdom,” the statement added.
Source: Muscat Daily
