Abstract

The objective of this research was to explore tourists’ practices in Thailand duringthe demonstrations in terms of security, information and tourists’ perceptionsabout the political problems. The study was limited to the Bangkok area, which is surrounded by many important institutions including the main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, which was shut down by the protesters. Using a random sampling process, the respondents were 200 male and female tourists of various nationalitieswhowere presentduring the demonstrations. Responses were gathered in tourist areas such as Bangkok, Sukhumvit, Kaosan Road, Suwannaphumi Airport, and Silom Road. The findings showed that the demonstrations have short-term negative effects on tourism but no long-term impact; most respondents stated they were willing to come back to Thailand. However, they did suggest Thailand could improve in terms of providing information to people, tourism security and regaining political stability to bring backthe imageof apeaceful country. Significant relationships were found between the demonstrations and tourists’ feelings. Implications and recommendations are provided for tourism businesses in Bangkok as well as for the entire tourism industry in Thailand.

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