Phuket boat tragedy could cost Thailand 670,000 Chinese tourists
Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports revised down its forecast number of Chinese arrivals for July-December by nearly 670,000, to 5.1 million
Thailand will lose more than half a million Chinese tourists in response to a deadly boating accident that killed nearly 50 people last month, a potential blow to the country’s vital tourism sector.
The Phoenix was carrying 105 people – mostly Chinese – when it sank on the way back from a popular snorkelling spot on July 5 off the southern resort island of Phuket.
It was among three vessels which ignored a bad weather warning against island day trips.
The boat’s captain, an engineer and the owner of the company that operates the vessel have been arrested and are being held while authorities conduct an investigation, Phuket police said.
Divers and the navy spent more than a week retrieving bodies, some from inside the boat, with the final death toll at 47 Chinese nationals.
Tourists from China made up almost a quarter of Thailand’s 35 million visitors last year, official statistics show.