The Tourism Authority of Thailand ‘s consistent message during the political upheaval in Bangkok has been that the protests are a local affair, concentrated in a number of sites, well away from the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
But all that changed over the weekend with the death of three children. A six-year-old girl died early Monday from wounds sustained during a grenade attack on a busy Bangkok shopping area
The girl’s four-year-old brother also died after the grenade struck on Sunday afternoon as shoppers mingled with anti-government protesters at a rally in one of Bangkok’s main commercial areas.
A woman was the third victim of the grenade, which was launched near busy street stalls, hotels and a large shopping mall.
A five-year-old girl was gunned down in a drive-by shooting at an anti-government rally in eastern Trat province late Saturday.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has since called on the Thai government and protesters as well as parents to protect children by keeping them away from all rally sites.
The latest violence came during a large Tourism Authority of Thailand media famil aimed at showing 40 journalists from Asia, Europe and Australia/New Zealand that it is business as normal in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand.
However, the cancellation of a welcome gala media dinner due to the political upheaval exposed the journalists to the uncertainty faced by visitors to Bangkok.
"Rather than waiting for the protests and demonstrations to end, we decided to go ahead and start the recovery programme immediately," said TAT governor, Thawatchai Arunyi, explaining the timing of the media visit.
Given the weekend violence, TAT might having been better off keeping its tourism promotion budget under wraps until the political situation in the capital calms down.
By Ian Jarrett
