16/11/2009
Bangkok Post
Editorial
Political protests such as yesterday's gathering by the People's Alliance for Democracy have become predictable and almost pointless. The good news is the yellow shirts showed they can be peaceful. Their seizure of the Bangkok airports nearly a year ago left a very bad taste and had economic repercussions which still continue. It is vital for the country's progress that such protests must remain lawful. But it also is time to consider whether the scripted, predictable street theatre generally hurts more than it achieves.
The past year has been a nightmare for the tourism industry. According to a report by this newspaper last week, there have been "more than two million missing tourists" from a year before, a drop of at least 15 per cent, probably more. This has cost tens of thousands of jobs and 70 billion baht removed from the economy. The turnout earlier this month for the Loy Krathong festivities was 10 per cent below expectations.
Politics is not entirely to blame for the drop in tourism. The West in particular has suffered badly from the recession, with unemployment in the US and many European countries above 10 per cent. Two rounds of pandemic type A (H1N1) flu, amidst huge waves of publicity, have kept some people at home. But only the most blinkered observer could fail to see the damage done to the country's reputation by last year's seizure of the Bangkok airports, and by the violence in Pattaya and in Bangkok at Songkran last April. Thailand has suffered far more than its neighbours. Tourist arrivals so far this year are up 2.5 per cent in Hong Kong, and 6.4 per cent in Malaysia, while Singapore had a single-digit drop. Only the political uproar can account for the difference between tourism in these countries and Thailand.
It is fair to say that the future of the country is more important than tourism. But it is not yesterday's protest that makes foreigners think twice before coming to Thailand. It is, rather, the continuing protests which give the impression overseas that Thailand is an unstable country and thus not worth visiting for now. And the perception of tourists carries over to similar thinking by businesses and potential investors. Protest is a sign of a flourishing democracy, but never-ending street demonstrations are a signal to those outside the country that Thailand has become unpredictable.
The People's Alliance for Democracy has been protesting for more than four years. In that time, the country has had a military coup, an election, three prime ministers. In addition to inconveniencing tens of thousands of foreigners at the airports and in the Bangkok streets, political demonstrators have sent foreign leaders packing in Saigon-like helicopter flights, and threatened to "invade" Cambodia at that country's border.All Thais have the right to express political sentiment, alone or in groups, only except that such protest must remain peaceful. Still, it is necessary to ask the leaders of both the People's Alliance for Democracy and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship if they are truly intent on fostering needed change in Thailand, or whether they are blustering.
Thaksin's interview with The Times and Prime Minister Hun Sen's arrogant embrace of the fugitive ex-premier provided the PAD an excuse for a public rally. But it served no real purpose, and inevitably sent a message abroad to potential tourists and investors of, "Here we go again." Similarly, the upcoming UDD protest will call for impeachment of the government and immediate elections - fruitless and repetitious whistling in the wind, bound to achieve nothing.
Bangkok Post
Editorial
Political protests such as yesterday's gathering by the People's Alliance for Democracy have become predictable and almost pointless. The good news is the yellow shirts showed they can be peaceful. Their seizure of the Bangkok airports nearly a year ago left a very bad taste and had economic repercussions which still continue. It is vital for the country's progress that such protests must remain lawful. But it also is time to consider whether the scripted, predictable street theatre generally hurts more than it achieves.
The past year has been a nightmare for the tourism industry. According to a report by this newspaper last week, there have been "more than two million missing tourists" from a year before, a drop of at least 15 per cent, probably more. This has cost tens of thousands of jobs and 70 billion baht removed from the economy. The turnout earlier this month for the Loy Krathong festivities was 10 per cent below expectations.
Politics is not entirely to blame for the drop in tourism. The West in particular has suffered badly from the recession, with unemployment in the US and many European countries above 10 per cent. Two rounds of pandemic type A (H1N1) flu, amidst huge waves of publicity, have kept some people at home. But only the most blinkered observer could fail to see the damage done to the country's reputation by last year's seizure of the Bangkok airports, and by the violence in Pattaya and in Bangkok at Songkran last April. Thailand has suffered far more than its neighbours. Tourist arrivals so far this year are up 2.5 per cent in Hong Kong, and 6.4 per cent in Malaysia, while Singapore had a single-digit drop. Only the political uproar can account for the difference between tourism in these countries and Thailand.
It is fair to say that the future of the country is more important than tourism. But it is not yesterday's protest that makes foreigners think twice before coming to Thailand. It is, rather, the continuing protests which give the impression overseas that Thailand is an unstable country and thus not worth visiting for now. And the perception of tourists carries over to similar thinking by businesses and potential investors. Protest is a sign of a flourishing democracy, but never-ending street demonstrations are a signal to those outside the country that Thailand has become unpredictable.
The People's Alliance for Democracy has been protesting for more than four years. In that time, the country has had a military coup, an election, three prime ministers. In addition to inconveniencing tens of thousands of foreigners at the airports and in the Bangkok streets, political demonstrators have sent foreign leaders packing in Saigon-like helicopter flights, and threatened to "invade" Cambodia at that country's border.All Thais have the right to express political sentiment, alone or in groups, only except that such protest must remain peaceful. Still, it is necessary to ask the leaders of both the People's Alliance for Democracy and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship if they are truly intent on fostering needed change in Thailand, or whether they are blustering.
Thaksin's interview with The Times and Prime Minister Hun Sen's arrogant embrace of the fugitive ex-premier provided the PAD an excuse for a public rally. But it served no real purpose, and inevitably sent a message abroad to potential tourists and investors of, "Here we go again." Similarly, the upcoming UDD protest will call for impeachment of the government and immediate elections - fruitless and repetitious whistling in the wind, bound to achieve nothing.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment