BANGKOK
With tourist arrivals in sharp decline since the May 22 coup, Thai authorities have come up with a new plan to reinvigorate the industry - promote martial law as an incentive to come to Thailand.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) underlined this week that tourists long-seduced by the pull of Thai nightlife, beaches, its dens of iniquity and food now have something else to look forward to - the knowledge that they are forever safe in the hands of its military.
“We want the tourists to be confident that they can travel in Thailand both day and night with safety at all times,” governor Thawatchai Arunyik told local media, while launching a “24 hours Thailand Enjoy” campaign.
Martial law was declared across the country May 20, and continues to be implemented despite the fact that there have been no anti-coup demonstrations for the last four months. Despite the military’s iron grip, however, travel advisories from over 50 countries remain in place, warning visitors to Thailand to show extreme caution.
Since seizing power, the military has been tightening its grip on everything from immigrant registration and expatriate visas to beer garden happy hours. But despite its killjoy reputation it is keen to promote the idea that it's cleansing Thai society of its ills in the sole aim of "returning happiness back to the people."
Many tourists have been scared off by the junta's exploits, but expats are holding their breath and plodding on, determined to maintain an existence in a land that affords quality life at an affordable budget.
"The land of smiles has become the land of forced smiles," one male expat told the Anadolu Agency on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
This week's TAT campaign was launched as several local tourism associations renewed calls for the junta to lift martial law, claiming it is the major cause of the collapse in tourism.
“Foreigners are still unsure about their safety in the country and feel uncomfortable about coming here at a time when martial law is in force," Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, told The Nation newspaper Tuesday.
According to immigration police, the number of arrivals at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport between January and September has dropped 19 percent compared to the same period last year – a serious blow to a country where tourism has always increased despite political troubles or natural catastrophes.
The largest decline - minus 30 percent - was among visitors from northeast Asia, who make up the bulk of the tourist population.
Outside of martial law, a number of hiccups by military leaders and new junta policies have not helped Thailand's image, among them junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha's apparent attempts to blame foreigners' dress code for the violent murder of two British tourists September 15 on a beach in southern Thailand,
“Tourists think that Thailand is beautiful, safe and that they can do anything they want here. That they can put on their bikinis and go anywhere they want," he said. "I ask you: can you get away with wearing bikinis in Thailand? Unless you are not beautiful?”
On the back of complaints from Britain, he later apologized.
The Thai junta has also revived old legal clauses, redundant for decades, which call on foreigners to carry their passports wherever they go, and to inform authorities every time they travel to a new province. It has also raised the idea of asking tourists to wear wrist-bands enclosing their personal information “for their safety.”
On Tuesday, the cabinet banned the import of electronic cigarettes and water-pipes especially popular with tourists in the southern islands.
www.aa.com.tr/en
