Krabi safe for tourists, governments told

KEY players in Krabi’s hospitality industry want to assure visitors that the Andaman coast is a safe destination in order to kick start the region’s ailing tourism industry




The message conflicts with alerts from the vast majority of national governments who have warned their citizens against travelling to Thailand. Only Taiwan currently lists Krabi as a safe destination for tourists to visits.



Similarly the Pattaya hotel market is facing another awful year with occupancy of luxury establishments falling to below 50 per cent.

In 2006 and 2007 Pattaya experienced usual booming tourist trade with occupancy reaching three-quarters of all four and five star rooms.



Meanwhile the Criminal Court will announce tomorrow whether it will approve an arrest warrant for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges, as the massive clean up operation in Bangkok gets underway.



The judicial body will re-examined a request by the Dept of Special Investigation for an arrest warrant for Thaksin.



Volunteers including teenagers and students were among those who helped to clean six venues which remained littered with rubbish and reeking of sewage after the red shirt demonstration.



Participants wanted to remind the red shirt rioters of the damage they had done to the peaceful image of Thailand around the world and the damage done to the economy through the destruction of property and decline in tourist numbers.



The 44-year-old Siam Theatre, in Bangkok, and CentralWorld shopping centre are just two of many buildings left gutted by fire.



And tourists have been warned not to break tonight’s 23:00 to 04:00 curfew after 36 people were fined 2,000 baht and received two month suspended jail terms in Bangkok last night.



There have been a total of 511 arrests for violating curfew intentionally or without justified causes since May 20 according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.



Authorities warn they will continue to arrest those who violate the condition, which has been put in place in the Thai capital and northern provinces after escalating violence.