A Million Thais Will Lose Their Jobs Because of Airport Siege, Thai Govt. Says

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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One Million to be Unemployed from Suvarnabhumi Closure

 

Deputy Prime Minister for economics Olarn Chaipravat said the government may have to pay about one billion baht to about 500,000 stranded Thais and foreigners at Suvarnabhumi airport, or about 2,000 baht per person a day.

 

Because Suvarnabhumi airport was under siege by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), more unemployment in the tourism sector would arise because the number of tourist arrivals next year would plunge, according to Mr Olarn.

 

The deputy premier said the initial forecast estimated 13.5 million tourists would travel to Thailand in 2009, but the figure would definitely drop due to the current political situation.

 

As a result, about one million people working in hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses could be laid off next year, Mr Olarn said.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

The terrorist events in Mumbai, India have been a small gift to Thailand, as those incidents have taken Thailand out of the headlines, and moved to page 2 or 3. Without those attacks, the Bangkok story would be the lead story for most news media.

[fedssocr]

I'm not sure it would be much news in the USA until people start dying. But Mumbai certainly knocked Thailand off of BBC World and CNN International.

 

I would take this 1 million number with a grain of salt considering the source is a deputy PM. However, I think there is a lot of damage being done that will last a very long time.