Regional tourism operators have called for a long-term plan to manage floods and storms to prevent possible damage to tourism and the economy, following the floods in northern provinces and a deadly landslide in Phuket.
Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the landslide and heavy rains had killed 13 people, including at least two Russian tourists, shocking tourism operators in Phuket.
He said this tragedy should prompt the government to quickly implement long-term infrastructure planning for Phuket.
These include revoking plans to allow building to a greater height from sea level or taller buildings with a shorter setback length.
Pariyakon Phungmalai, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Chiang Rai, said although the water level in some areas has started to decrease, the incident had impacted the overall tourism industry in the province.
Ms Pariyakon said the floods covering 10 provincial districts had been the most severe seen in many years because of the heavy rainfall.
As Chiang Rai is famous for its nature and cultural herigtage, many of its attractions such as farms, temples, parks and homestays are located in various areas scattered outside the city.
She said deforestation along with slash and burn agriculture have made the province more vulnerable to floods as there are not enough large trees to absorb and slow the spread of the flood water.
Ms Pariyakon said the government should tackle this issue by redeveloping the whole water management for the region.
Kalyakamon Soongswang, who sits on the committee of the Tourism Council of Nan, said state authorities and local operators in Nan had begun a big cleanup operation after encountering flash floods last week.
Ms Kalyakamon, who is also managing director of Wiang Kaew Hotel, said many hotels had to cancel or postpone bookings as transportation in the city had been disrupted.
She also urged the government to prioritise initiating a water management project to prevent the area facing the worst flood situation again since 2011.
Wiwat Tharawiwat, president of the Tourism Council of Sukhothai, said city hotels and historical parks are still safe from the flood surge.
However, some tourists decided to cancel their trips, even though the affected areas are mostly in suburban districts.
Tourism Minister Sermsak Pongpanit on Monday announced setting up a war room to assist tourists and tourism operators affected by the floods in the North and the landslide in Phuket.
