Bangkok has lost more than 7 billion baht in revenue during the mass rallies and the country as a whole should expect to see 3-4% in economic growth this year, said the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
According to Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Isara Vongkusolkit, the recently announced emergency decree has not shown negative effects in the short-term; however, in the long run, it will affect foreign investors’ confidence and the country’s image.
Since the mass rallies began on January 13 to immobilize Bangkok, many countries have issued travel warnings against going to Thailand, which has resulted in a 30% drop in foreign visitors to the country, resulting in an estimated 7 billion baht loss in tourism revenues.
However, Mr. Isara expects the Thai economy to grow between 3-4% this year on the back of the recovering global market. Currently, the Thai Chamber of Commerce is working in cooperation with the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) to hold the “Thaifex-World of Food ASIA 2014” exhibition to showcase and promote Thai food. The event will be held at Muang Thong Thani during May 21-25 this year.
Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5701230010002