Tourism operators sound the alarm on possible coup
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Tourism operators sound the alarm on possible coup

Call for confidence to be maintained

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Protesters gather in front of Government House to put pressure on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign over the leaked audio clip of her conservation with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
Protesters gather in front of Government House to put pressure on Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to resign over the leaked audio clip of her conservation with former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)

Tourism operators insist a coup must be avoided at all costs as the nation struggles with political instability, as businesses prefer a democratic system.

The industry has already been hampered by external economic and geopolitical factors, said the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).

The leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen over the border dispute prompted opposition parties to call for the House dissolution, while concerns over a possible coup were raised on social media.

"Political turmoil should be solved by democratic mechanisms, not a coup, as occurred in 2014," said Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, vice-president of the TCT.

Mr Ratchaporn said during that period, the number of foreign arrivals drastically fell, mainly attributed to lack of travel confidence.

Typically, travel insurance would not cover incidents occurring in a country facing a coup.

Amid the ongoing political turmoil, he said tourism confidence should be maintained, as the industry is already hampered by negative factors since the beginning of the year, including declining safety confidence among the Chinese market, the US tariff hike and the Iran-Israel war.

The tourism sector is also worried that the reading of the 2026 fiscal budget bill might be disrupted, causing a delay in significant tourism and economic measures.

As protestors have begun demonstrating against the Paetongtarn administration, Mr Ratchaporn said it is normal practice for democratic countries to face such a form of opposition.

If the protests are not harmful or do not disrupt the peace, there should not be any problem for the tourism industry.

So far, foreign travel agents and tourists remain unfazed by the political situation in Thailand.

They are more worried about airspace closure due to the conflict between Israel and Iran, which prompted them to cancel trips to Thailand.

Naree Suneta, president of the Hostel Thailand Association, said the sluggish Chinese market could be worsened by the ongoing political instability, particularly from demonstrations.

If the situation escalates, it could impact the opportunities that the government previously attempted to create by inviting hundreds of Chinese travel agents to Thailand last month.

She said small hotel operators are also concerned that the new law dedicated to small and medium hotels, which is still in progress, might face a delay if there is disruption in the current administration.

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