Massive quake is latest blow to Thai tourism hit by safety woes

BANGKOK – The deadly Myanmar earthquake is set to hurt foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand in the coming weeks, the latest blow to an industry already reeling from dwindling Chinese visitors worried about travel safety.

International tourist arrivals are expected to drop by 10 per cent to 15 per cent or even more in the next two weeks as March 28’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook buildings in Bangkok and other Thai tourist hotspots, spooking prospective travellers, the Thai Hotels Association said.

About 10 per cent of foreign tourists checked out early after the quake, said Mr Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the association, citing an initial survey among the group’s members.

Some tourists, however, later returned to their hotels as they had no other options, he said.

“A short-term impact is expected for the tourism industry because of safety concerns,” Mr Thienprasit said by phone on March 29.

Even a short-lived impact on tourist arrivals will hurt an economy where the industry employs one in five of the country’s workforce and accounts for about 13 per cent of gross domestic product.

The Thai authorities are betting on an improved tourism performance to propel growth to 3 per cent in 2025 as merchandise exports, another key driver of growth, faces headwinds from the Trump administration’s trade tariffs.

The Thai authorities have in the meantime reassured foreign tourists.

The country is safe for tourists, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said on March 29, adding that the government has ordered a safety audit of hotels and major tourist attractions.

While the earthquake rattled buildings across Bangkok, leading to mass evacuations and suspension of public transport for a day, the city emerged largely unscathed in contrast to the massive destruction in Myanmar.

The collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok was the