Thai businesses remain optimistic about the outlook for tourism despite the shooting incident at Siam Paragon, but remain wary of unpredictable events.
The tragic incident happened on October 3 when a 14-year-old boy allegedly went on a shooting spree at the upmarket Siam Paragon mall in the heart of Bangkok. Two women — a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar national — lost their lives, while five people were injured.
The shooting incident was not only covered extensively by local media, but also drew a lot of public interest in China where many use Weibo, a Chinese social media platform to share information and debate issues.
Observers fear that it could potentially affect the tourism industry, as Chinese tourists might be concerned about public safety in Thailand.
The president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, holds a different point of view….
