PATTAYA, Thailand (12 Apr 2009) — It could take up to two years before Pattaya's tourism sector recovers from yesterday's events, according to local operators. Pattaya mayor Itthiphol Kunplume said the cancellation of the Asean summit had undermined the city's image. About 500,000 tourists had been expected to travel to the seaside resort for the Songkran holidays. Over 5.5 million tourists visited Pattaya last year, mostly travellers from Bangkok just two hours away. ''Tourism here had only just recovered from the shock of [last December's] airport closure. But what happened today is the most severe incident in the history of Pattaya tourism,'' Mr Itthiphol said. Before yesterday, occupancy in Pattaya had been running at 75% to 80%, the highest level in months. Tourism accounts for around 90% of the area's economy. ''It could take up to two years for tourism here to fully recover from the clashes and cancellation of the summit. And Thailand has lost not just its credibility for its handling of the Asean summit, but also the opportunity to integrate with other regional economies,'' Mr Itthiphol said. At a local hotel, staff stood watching television coverage of the nearby protests with trepidation for the future. ''I feel shocked. I hadn't thought that things would turn out this bad,'' said Monti Meepien, a worker at the Eastern Grand Hotel, located just 10 minutes away from the Royal Cliff Beach Resort where the summit was held. He said around 70% of the hotel's clients were Chinese tourists sensitive to the thought of political violence. ''We had hoped the summit would help the local economy. Now, I think the only direction we can go is down,'' said 38-year-old Mr Monti. Lek Saingarm, a 48-year-old restaurateur, said her business would be seriously damaged by the violence. ''Pattaya depends on foreign tourists, especially as Thais have mostly cut back on spending. ''Who will want to go out to eat or go to the beach in a situation like this?'' she said. Tourism in the region was only just recovering from last year's political upheaval, which culminated in December with the closure of Suvarnabhumi airport by yellow-shirt protesters under the People's Alliance for Democracy. The rallies now by the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship could possibly be the death blow for the country's tourism sector for years to come, locals warned. | 
