Thailand tourists say life’s good after coup as authorities relax curfew

AS Thailand eases its curfew in the wake of last week’s coup, tourists say life’s good - but travel cancellations have hit a high.

The Sky Bar, which featured in The Hangover 2, juts on the 63rd floor of Bangkok’s Lebua

WHEN Thailand’s military staged a coup last week, Phil Koenighaus was on a beach enjoying the debauchery of the country’s infamous “Half Moon” festival.

Not a soldier was in sight on the white sands of Koh Phangan, and the raucous party that attracts revellers from around the world carried on for hours. After shaking off the effects of too much celebration, the German backpacker headed to Bangkok, unfazed by reports of the military takeover.

Revellers enjoy a Full Moon Party in Thailand, where the signature drink is a bucket full of alcohol with Red Bull.

“I figured if I survived the Half Moon Party, I could go to Bangkok and brave the coup,” said the 19-year-old, as he strolled through one of the capital’s bustling bar and nightclub districts. “This is not how I imagined a coup.”

So far, the drama of Thailand’s military takeover has played out mainly in the political arena. As the army summons journalists and academics seen as anti-coup, detains ousted political leaders and issues stern warnings on TV, tourists are enjoying the country’s famed beaches and sightseeing in Bangkok.

A 10pm curfew - which has, as of today, been pushed back to midnight - has been the main impact on tourists, forcing nightlife to close several hours earlier.

“It’s really like nothing’s changed, except you have to go home before 10,” said US tourist Rosemary Burt.

The new midnight to 4am curfew will see Bangkok’s train system operate between 6am and 11pm.

Burt and her daughter Dior Tidwell, from Arizona, were roaming the ornate Grand Palace in Bangkok before heading to other sites and then a pre-curfew dinner.

Tidwell, 36, said her initial concerns had dissipated: “I thought it was going to be a little dangerous.”

Photos posted to Twitter show scenes of white-sand tranquillity and crystal clear waters in Phuket, Samui and other idyllic beach resorts. One post was titled: “What Coup?”

@RichardBarrow pretty quiet at Ao Manoa what coup? #Thailand pic.twitter.com/MQvVsnURuI

— nick bloy (@NickBloy) May 25, 2014

For Thailand’s tourist industry, however, the situation is more ominous. Bookings were already down after six months of anti-government protests in Bangkok, and the combination of coup plus curfew along with uncertainty over how long the crackdown will last could be bruising, hotels and industry experts say.

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Tourism accounts for about 7 per cent of Thailand’s economy and provides more than 2 million jobs. The industry has been resilient despite a decade of political turbulence.

A record 26.7 million visitors came last year, up 20 per cent from the year before.

But political protests that escalated in November led to a 6 per cent drop in foreign tourist arrivals from January-April this year, Piyaman Tejapaibul, president of the Tourist Council of Thailand, said.

Piyaman has petitioned the ruling junta to lift the nightly curfew at beach resorts including Phuket, Samui, Krabi and Pattaya.

“Everyone in the country, especially in the tourism sector, hopes military rule is lifted soon and democracy restored,” she told the Phuket Gazette newspaper.

More than 40 countries have issued travel alerts, including the US and Hong Kong which have advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Thailand.

In Hong Kong, a major source of visitors to Thailand, the Travel Industry Council reported that travel agents cancelled at least 70 tour groups this week involving 1300 people.

Hotels in Bangkok say the coup has kept them busy - with non-stop cancellations.

“We have received more than 650 cancellations in the past five days,” said Deepak Ohri, chief executive of the 358-room Lebua hotel, whose dizzyingly high rooftop Sky Bar was featured in the film Hangover 2.

The Sky Bar, which featured in The Hangover 2, juts on the 63rd floor of Bangkok’s Lebua hotel.

The five-star hotel is offering promotions it calls “Staycations” to entice locals to come for drinks or dinner and spend the night - and avoid rushing home for curfew.

The Swissotel Nai Lert Park has announced a similar “Beat the Curfew” rate for residents through the end of June.

Hotels say they are waiting for events to unfold before slashing rates for overseas visitors. The junta warned this week that it won’t tolerate dissent or protest, raising concerns of a crackdown on anti-coup protesters.

“If this continues another week, there will be a price war,” Ohri said. “Then again if civil war happens, hotel price wars have no significance.”

Other businesses that cater to tourists are finding various ways to adapt. The go-go bars in the Patpong red-light district are opening three hours earlier than usual because the curfew clears out customers by 9.30pm.

As curfew approached on Monday night, the blaring music stopped along Silom Rd, where side streets are crammed with clubs, pubs and restaurants. As the neon lights switched off and tourists emerged trying to flag down taxis, a few bars tested the curfew and stayed open.

“People are starting to push the curfew, slowly,” said Simon Robinson, a 51-year-old Englishman seated on a bar’s terrace in a darkened street at 10.15pm.

“It makes you feel a bit naughty to be out past curfew.”

For official updates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand visit tatnews.org

For Australian Government travel advice updates visit the Smartraveller website.