THAILAND-BLAST/TOURISTS-AIRPORT Tourists carry on with trips despite Bangkok blast

Record ID: 143544

  • Title: THAILAND-BLAST/TOURISTS-AIRPORT Tourists carry on with trips despite Bangkok blast
  • Date: 18th August 2015
  • Summary: SAMUTPRAKAN, THAILAND (AUGUST 18, 2015) (REUTERS) SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT ARRIVAL HALL TRAVELLERS COMING OUT OF IMMIGRATION CHECK SIGN SAYING: "INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS DOOR" TRAVELLERS WALKING IN ARRIVAL HALL TRAVELLERS COMING OUT OF IMMIGRATION CHECK VARIOUS OF TRAVEL AGENCY WORKERS WAITING FOR TOURIST GROUP (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED IRANIAN STUDENT STUDYING IN CHINA
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6MAN54SYMTBGXGM0KYWR6UKUF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tourists who just arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday (August 18) said they will carry on with their trips despite a bomb attack in Bangkok which killed 22 on the previous night.
    Thailand's Bangkok downtown was rocked by an explosion on Monday (August 17) evening. Eight foreigners were among those killed by the bombing at a popular shrine, an attack that could hurt Thailand's vital tourism industry.
    Thai authorities have not ruled out any group, including elements opposed to the military government but they said the bombing did not match tactics used by insurgents in the south.
    A tourist at Suvarnnabhumi International Airport said that he is not worried about his trip.
    "First of all because I want to go to another city so I think what happened in Bangkok is not totally relevant to my trip, however I feel sorry about all the victims and that event and but totally no, I don't feel any bad, I don't feel any bad feeling about my trip," said an Iranian student who was visiting Thailand.
    Another traveller said she was quite worried about the blast in the capital city.
    "I heard about the explosion yesterday on the news. Thailand has an image of being safe, so I am now a bit worried. Having said that though, there is nothing I can really do, so I just plan to enjoy my trip as much as I can," said Asami from Osaka, Japan.
    "Probably a little bit scared but I think we are just here for three days something like that, and then we will go to Bali so hopefully it will be fine," added Tatiana from Germany.
    Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters there were "still anti-government groups out there" but gave no further details.
    Officials have not blamed any group for the bombing at the Erawan shrine, which the government called a bid to destroy the economy. No one has claimed responsibility.
    Three Chinese were among the dead, China's official Xinhua news agency said. Two Hong Kong residents, two people from Malaysia and one person from the Philippines also died, officials said. Scores of people were wounded, including many from China and Taiwan.
    Tourism is one of the few bright spots in an economy that is still struggling, more than a year after the military seized power in May 2014.
    It accounts for about 10 percent of the economy and the government had been banking on a record number of visitors this year following a sharp fall in 2014 because of months of street protests and the coup.
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