Above is a photo that accompanies a NYT story entitled: “Thailand Tourists: ‘Coup? What Coup?'” The thesis of the article is that tourism is still thriving in Thailand, but the unsurprising subtext is that Thai tourists are sort of clueless and self-centered. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Coup? What coup? That seems to be the attitude among travelers and travel professionals as the recent political turmoil in Thailand appears to have had little or no effect on tourism there. After all, the embattled prime minister, who had led a grudgingly accepted social order campaign in 2001 that mandated a 1 a.m. closing time for most of Bangkok’s bars and nightclubs, was not very popular among the city’s residents.
In fact, when tanks rolled into Bangkok, Thais presented soldiers with flowers and candy, and many troops gladly posed for photographs with foreigners. In Phuket, unperturbed beachgoers sipped”coup cocktails”at beachside bars. And if the opening of a new international airport outside Bangkok on Sept. 28 is any indication, the provisional rulers seem intent on making sure that the tourism industry : which Thai officials say draws more than 11 million tourists a year : continues apace. The Associated Press has reported that the $3.8 billion, six-million-square-foot airport : meant to be the centerpiece of Mr. Thaksin’s political legacy : can handle 76 flights an hour and 45 million passengers a year.
Of course, there are some very real concerns. Critics worry about the temporary suspension of certain civil liberties around the country, in particular, curbs placed on public gatherings, political activity and the local news media. The United States State Department and ministries in other countries in Australia and Britain have encouraged travelers to exercise extra caution.
Tour operators and hotels, however, report few cancellations. Luxury-tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent and Cox & Kings, for instance, said that none of their clients had chosen to change their plans.
Seven people were quoted in the article, four travelers to Thailand and three people who work in the travel industry. Judging by their first names, six were men, including all four of the travelers. Yet who is that in the photo, visually representing touristic obliviousness?
–Ann Bartow
