Good deals in Thailand

1 Thailand

Travel agents and tourism officials expect bargain prices in coming months as Thailand scrambles to salvage its peak tourist season after anti-government protests shut the country’s two main airports for a week and stranded thousands of visitors.

The Bangkok closures cost Thailand about $3.7 billion, and up to 2.3 million tourists may cancel plans to visit, according to reports.

Prakit Chinamourpong, president of the Thai Hotels Assn., called the turmoil economically worse than the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thai resorts. “We already have . . . hotel occupancies down from a usual high-season 90% to a mere 10% to 15%. Layoffs, or in many cases, shorter working hours have already been introduced,” said Tom Bishop, owner of DTC Travel in Bangkok.

As the “Land of Smiles” struggles to rebound, Bishop and others said travelers might find some good discounts. Phornsiri Manoharn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, announced a plan for promotional campaigns.

Among recent deals on the tourism website, www.tourismthailand.org, were free second or third nights at hotels and special fares on Bangkok Airways.

By Dec. 5, all airlines had resumed operations at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and the number of flights was approaching the usual 547 per day, local media reported. Although a recent State Department travel alert urged Americans to avoid demonstrations, and political instability remained, the capital was calmer last week. “The positive is that while there was mass inconvenience during the demonstration, no tourists were hurt, and there was no vandalism or damage of any kind left by the demonstrators,” Bishop said.

He added that he hoped would-be visitors would focus on Thailand’s beaches, cultural sites, cuisine and golf courses rather than what he termed “a week of indecision.”

-- Charles McDermid

2 Britain

Flights at London’s Stansted Airport, popular with business travelers and budget airlines, were briefly stopped Dec. 8 by environmental activists who broke through to the runway and put up a makeshift barricade. They were protesting plans to expand the airport.

-- reuters

3 Italy

Torrential storms, swelling rivers and high tides inundated Venice and parts of Rome as Italy endured a spate of violent weather. The flooding in Venice was among the worst in the city’s recorded history.

-- associated press

4 Dubai

A Dubai state developer of islands shaped like palm trees, where the retired Queen Elizabeth 2 ship will be moored as a tourist attraction, scaled back work and laid off 500 workers. The company blamed the global economic slump.

-- associated press

5 Cuba

Tourism on the communist island is booming, thanks largely to a surge in Canadian visitors, officials said. The country expects to log a record 2.34 million visitors in 2008.

-- associated press

Caution spots

The State Department recently issued warnings or alerts for these areas:

India, because of heightened security concerns after the fatal terrorist attacks last month in Mumbai.

Zimbabwe, because of deteriorating safety and security related to political and economic instability.