Travel advisories for Thailand have been issued by 47 countries, with four issuing new guidance warning against any travel to the country due to the growing political violence in Bangkok.
Israel, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands raised their travel advisories yesterday to the highest levels due to the weekend's unrest, joining similar warnings last week by Saudi Arabia, Spain, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Germany.
The unrest is already taking a major toll on tourism, one of the country's largest industries. Tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday fell to 10,000, compared with a daily number of 27,000 to 29,000 earlier this month and a normal rate of 30,000 per day.
Prakit Piriyakiat, a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the agency has moved its operations from its headquarters at Phetchaburi Road to the Rama Gardens Hotel on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
The centre will monitor the situation 24 hours a day and inform overseas tourism markets, travel agents and officials.
He said the centre takes about 100 calls a day from foreign tourists requesting information on the situation. The agency suggested they are cautious when travelling in Bangkok and should avoid the red-shirt rallies.
The agency also provides information about tourism in provincial areas if the callers wanted to travel out of Bangkok.
It suggests tourists travel to safer destinations including Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Phuket and Krabi.
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