Hurting the Country - Bangkok Post's Editorial on PAD Closing Suvarnabhumi Airport

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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Hurting the Country

Editorial

The People's Alliance for Democracy's blockade of the Motorway entrance to Suvarnabhumi airport is a wrong and unnecessary move.

This ill-conceived disruption of one of the main roads leading to the country's most important international airport will get the PAD nowhere in its claimed agenda of toppling the government or any nominees of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, or making Thai politics less prone to manipulation by money barons.

In fact, this move will only further erode the rapidly dwindling public support, a hard-earned provision that the protesters badly need especially at this critical juncture of its campaign.

The damage to the PAD, however, cannot compare with that caused to the country. Suvarnabhumi airport is the main gateway to the Kingdom.

The PAD's reason for the road blockage - to prevent Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from returning home from Peru, where he has been attending the Apec summit - is ludicrous, as news reports say Mr Somchai will not be arriving in Bangkok until this afternoon, and he could very well choose to land elsewhere upon learning of the PAD's action.

In fact, there are reports that authorities have prepared both U-tapao and Chiang Mai airports for the prime minister to land in case of emergency.

So, the PAD's road block only serves to hurt ordinary Thais going about their business and foreigners coming to Thailand on vacation or business.

The PAD's march on the Motorway entrance to the airport yesterday prompted members of its rival groups - the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the pro-Thaksin taxi drivers' association - to try a counter-attack.

The resulting melee caused major traffic jams in and around the airport, resulting in extreme inconvenience for people who had to use the airport. This is absolutely not fair treatment for anybody at all.

Beyond the day's immediate chaos, the impact of the PAD's reckless action on the country's tourism industry will be immense and difficult to rectify.

Even before the PAD attempted its boneheaded move to partially block access to the civil airport yesterday, up to 14 countries had already issued advisories warning their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Thailand, and to exercise caution if they do visit.

According to Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, the protracted political tension is estimated to be costing the country 400 million baht each day in lost tourist revenue.

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has a similarly gloomy story to tell.

Due to the higher cost of travelling and our domestic disturbance, foreign tourist arrivals were down 16.5% while the average rate of occupancy at hotels around the country dropped to 45%.

Tourism-related revenue accounts for about 6% of the national economy, and had been forecast to reach about 700 billion baht this year - a goal that is unlikely to be met now.

Put these figures into the context of real life and we will see a picture of so many people who depend on the industry for their livelihood, who will have to suffer more and more as those numbers keep going down.

The PAD has the right to peaceful demonstration. But blocking access to an international airport does not fit that description.

This latest action by the People's Alliance for Democracy comes closer to terrorising the public.