Two foreign tourists buy curry puffs at the popular Khun Phu shop in the Talat Noi community in Bangkok on Monday. Photo The Bangkok Post

BANGKOK — The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to revise its strategy for the second half of this year to address the sluggish Chinese market and weak confidence following the recent earthquake.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said that a tourism risk and crisis management team will be established to support the industry, with representatives from organisations in the tourism supply chain, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Roads Authority.

He said that based on initial feedback from the private sector, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to collaborate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to issue certificates for hotels that have passed a safety examination following the earthquake.

The ministry will focus on communicating a single message, ensuring that Thailand is safe for travel, he noted.

Sorawong added that the Chinese market is the most sensitive to news concerning the earthquake, and the ministry plans to discuss the matter with the Chinese ambassador, seeking to restore confidence.

Given the upcoming Songkran celebrations, all activities are expected to go ahead as planned. The ministry has asked the Tourist Police to coordinate with provincial police to ensure tourism safety in major areas.

Sorawong showed his belief that the sluggish period for bookings would not last for a long time, as authorities have been consistently working to solve the issue.

He estimated that the average hotel occupancy rate during April and the Songkran festive period will remain around 60 per cent, lower than last year’s rate of 65 per cent.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Airlines Association of Thailand said airline bookings during the two days after the earthquake decreased by 40-60 per cent. The drop in bookings from China was particularly significant, declining by 60 per cent. VNS