Tourism operators yesterday threatened to march on the US Embassy to meet with the ambassador if the United States refuses to withdraw its terrorism warning for Thailand within two days.

"Those concerned operators will join forces to submit their demand to US Ambassador Kristie Kenney to learn more about the impacts of maintaining the warning," said Watchara Kannikar, spokesman of the Tourism Ministry.

"They will also present information that they got in cooperation with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the National Police Office and other security agencies, which shows that Thailand is not a terrorist target," he said after a meeting of the National Tourism Policy Committee.

With the raising of a terrorism-threat warning by the US, those operators are facing business losses as tourists mainly from China and India have changed their plans to skip Bangkok. 

The committee to monitor the situation after the posting of the terrorism warning in Bangkok by the US is also concerned about the impacts on tourists, especially those from China and India who are sensitive to news about terrorism, flooding and Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"Those news reports have made tourists reluctant to enter Thailand," Watchara said.

However, cancellations of hotel-room and air-ticket bookings are not that high now, as the problem is still limited to the three areas in Bangkok mentioned in the US warning. Tourists have avoided Bangkok and proceeded directly to their destinations after taking off from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Chiang Mai and Phuket.

The ministry will inform tourists of the facts. It projects visitor arrivals will reach 19.55 million, up slightly from 19 million last year. They are expected to generate at least Bt760 billion of income for Thailand.

Tourism Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa went down to Khao San Road, where crowds of Israeli and American tourists gather, to convince them of Thailand's security measures.

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