Many Vietnamese tourists have canceled their packages to Thailand following a bombingthat killed at least 20 people, including many foreigners, in Bangkok on Monday, while local tour agencies have been requested to ensure safety for their clients.
Vietnamese travel firms told
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday they continued receiving booking cancelations for tours to Thailand, with holidaymakers concerned about security in Bangkok.
Tours whose departures fall between the remaining days of this week and next weekend are the most affected, according to Vietnam’s tour organizers.
The Thai capital was rocked by a blast on Monday night after an explosive device placed inside the Erawan shrine, one of Bangkok’s most popular tourist attractions, detonated. Twenty people were confirmed dead, whereas more than 100 were injured.
Thai police said they believed at least 10 plotters were involved and are searching for a man believed to have planted the backpack bomb.
Vietnamese travel firms said if airlines do not charge them for canceling air tickets at the last minute, they will fully refund customers when they scrap their tours; otherwise they will reschedule the departure times for these packages.
On Wednesday, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) issued a directive asking local travel agencies to ensure safety for Vietnamese tourists in Thailand.
“Travel firms should not bring tourists to dangerous places, or crowded and high-risk areas, and should recommend their customers not to visit such locations,” the VNAT said in the document obtained by Tuoi Tre News.
Vietnam’s budget carriers VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific said on Wednesday they will support passengers if they wish to reschedule their flights to and from Thailand.
Other carriers said they are following the situation in Bangkok to determine what measures they should take to support passengers and tour organizers.
These airlines are now willing to adjust the departure times for journeys booked by travel firms, they said.
Thailand has emerged as a favorite destination for Vietnamese holidaymakers in recent times, owing to its close geographical distance to Vietnam.
Tour packages to Thailand also have attractive prices, and Vietnamese nationals are allowed to travel there without a visa.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects to welcome 700,000 Vietnamese visitors in 2015.
Vietravel, a leading Vietnamese tour organizer, said Thailand accounted for 40 percent of its outbound packages. In July alone, the company brought 13,886 Vietnamese vacationers to Thailand.
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