Chinese travel agents call for clarity

Chinese travel agents have already quizzed Thai tour operators about the clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border over concerns the situation may impact their clients’ travel plans, says the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), while Thai AirAsia has observed asurge in Thai passengers on its flights serving Cambodian cities.

- MOLPASORN SHOOWONG

Following clashes on Thursday, which caused at least 13 Thai civilian fatalities, some countries, including the UK and the US, issued a warning to their citizens to avoid border areas in the provinces of Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) issued a statement assuring the safety and security of tourists as the top priority of relevant government authorities.

The statement advised travellers to avoid certain areas in seven provinces in the East and Northeast, including the provinces of Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi and Trat.

Atta president Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn said the incident would undeniably hamper tourism for the remainder of this year, but the scale of the impact would depend on how long the conflict persists.