HOTELS in Bangkok responded quickly after a bomb attack in the Thai capital which saw at least 21 dead and over 120 injured.
Among the dead and injured are locals and tourists from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
No stranger to political violence, Thailand was however stunned by the scale, timing and location of the bombing, which was caused by a large explosive device left in the Erawan Shrine, one of Bangkok’s busiest tourist attractions, at the peak of the evening rush hour.
The shrine is connected to the Grand Hyatt Erawan and surrounded by some of the city’s major hotels and shopping malls. Nearby establishments kindly opened their doors to help emergency services and provided support to the public in the aftermath.
Meanwhile, hotels and airlines are stepping up safety precautions.
Gilles Cretallaz, vice president of operations for AccorHotels in upper South-east Asia, told TTG Asia e-Daily: “AccorHotels in Bangkok have heightened security and precautionary measures with emergency procedures in place to protect our guests and employees. We have also advised them to avoid the Ratchaprasong intersection and crowded areas.”
AccorHotels also established a crisis management committee as part of its security protocol and is monitoring the situation closely alongside Thai authorities. It will update its properties on the latest development regularly, Cretallaz added.
Opinions differ as to the bombing’s impact on the tourism industry.
Demonstrations and a military coup last year dented improving visitor arrivals and Thailand’s turbulent politics, which saw troops battle demonstrators next to the Erawan Shrine in May 2015, may have emptied hotels across the city, but only initially.
“Regarding tourism, it is too early to tell. We hope it doesn’t affect (tourism) much as it was bouncing back well compared to last year,” said Olivier Berrivin, managing director of international operations at Best Western International.
Cretallaz acknowledged the group was anticipating “some cancellations” but declined to specify how many.
