Protests by hundreds of thousands of angry Thais, waving banners and shouting slogans as they marched through Bangkok over the past month, have cast a shadow over "the land of smiles".

"My new year's wish is that the political unrest will end and all industries and business will get back on track," said Ronnarong C, president of the Thailand and China Tourism Association.

Born in the years when the country was governed by the Royal Thai Army, Ronnarong, 56, witnessed the country's political system transform from dictatorship to democracy.

"It is actually very common for Thai people to protest. All kinds of demonstrations took place over the last two to three decades, including coups," said Ronnarong, who is second-generation Thai-Chinese.

But the frequent demonstrations have seriously damaged the local tourism business.

"Travelers are concerned by safety issues, and protests often make tourists feel insecure in Thailand," he said.

His customer figures dropped sharply in December because of security concerns. In some cases, larger groups of around 30 people have booked tours but only a dozen have turned up, while some of the smaller groups have canceled their trips altogether.

"What we can do is to provide the best service to our clients and hope they tell their friends outside of Thailand that the country is still safe to travel in," said Ronnarong.

Even if protesters have blocked the roads, he added, his tour guides can take alternative routes in order to arrive at their destination as quickly as possible.

"The protesters are also normal people who have families to take care of, so the protests cannot last forever," Ronnarong said, adding that he is still quite optimistic about the future of the country.

Thailand has experienced coups over the years, but everybody knows that the ordinary Thai people suffered the most from the political unrest, he said.

"It's fortunate that the Chinese New Year is coming soon. Since Thailand is one of the Chinese people's favorite overseas destinations for a holiday, more Chinese travelers will be coming soon," Ronnarong said.

"I hope 2014 is a peaceful year for Thailand and that my business will improve."

Xinhua

(China Daily 12/31/2013 page12)