Martin Li

    martin.mouse@163.com

    SHENZHEN Travel Association has advised local travel agencies to stop booking travel groups for trips to Thailand during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, which starts Jan. 31, due to political tension amid anti-government protests in Bangkok.

    Thailand is one of the most popular travel destinations for Chinese tourists during holidays.

    The association said on its website that Thailand could see deteriorating stability before and after its disputed upcoming election Feb. 2. The association asked local travel agencies to inform tourists intending to travel to Bangkok of potential safety hazards.

    “Our company has suspended package tours to Thailand from at least Jan. 22 to Feb. 8. It’s not known when tours will resume,” Liang Wei, a senior adviser for outbound travel with Shenzhen China International Travel Service, told Shenzhen Daily yesterday.

    Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday that all travel agencies in Shenzhen have cancelled planned trips to Bangkok due to safety concerns.

    Thirty-nine countries and regions — including China, Russia and the United States — had issued travel warnings for Thailand as of Dec. 10, the paper said.

    The daily number of travelers arriving at Bangkok’s airport has dropped by about 5,000 amid the protests, according to Thailand travel statistics.