BKK airport closures to cost 1 million jobs
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At least one million Thais employed in the tourism sector could lose their jobs next year due to the closure of the two Bangkok airports, the Bangkok Post has reported.
The government, which will spend around THB1 billion (US$28.4 million) to help the stranded tourists return home, said that hotels, restaurants and tour agencies would be hardest hit by the closures of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports by anti-government demonstrators.
Deputy Prime Minister, Olarn Chaipravat, said at a Saturday press conference; “Next year, foreign tourist arrivals may fall by half and about one million people may be jobless if we don’t have any measures to help them.” Olarn detailed that he expects Thailand’s tourist arrivals to fall to between 6-7 million in 2009 (down from 14.5 million last year). Around 13.5 million foreign visitors are expected this year.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s Minister for Tourism & Sports, Weerasak Kohsurat, said that the government would provide THB2,000 per head, per day, to the foreign tourists stranded in Thailand. Weerasak apologised to those affected and called for Thais to “help take care of these foreign tourists, as that would be a good way of expressing our friendship in time of crisis.”
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