At a recent media briefing, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sport, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said ID wristbands and electronic tagging were being considered as possible measures to be introduced to increase the safety of visitors to the country.
"The Minister attended a meeting on Koh Tao with representatives from the islands tourism private sector and local business owners. During the meeting a variety of issues were discussed, including the topic of safety," the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) told eTNW.
"Following the meeting the Minister was met by media with whom she shared some of these topics including the idea of ID wristbands and electronic tagging. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to confirm that these are not the official suggestion of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and have not been confirmed as a new policy."
This follows the murder of two British backpackers on a beach in Koh Tao last month.
Despite the incident, The Holiday Factory’s Jacqui Carr says Thailand is still perceived as one of the safest destinations abroad. She says SA travellers may find the concept of the wristbands dramatic. However, she adds: “If the wristbands and curfews are limited to the likes of Pattaya, Koh Pha Ngan and Tao, which I believe is the case, that does not necessarily affect our conventional product – although the publicity around the implementation might well be misconstrued. If it was implemented in our mainstream environments such as Phuket, I think it would make the situation more noticeable and raise questions and concerns that would otherwise not have been asked.”
According to Karen Camm, product manager for Thailand at Holiday Tours, South Africans haven’t expressed concern over travelling to Thailand, adding that Koh Tao is not that popular with South African tourists yet. “The introduction of the wristband is a good way of showing tourists that they are valued and welcomed in Thailand, and that this is a commitment from Thailand to tourists that their safety means everything to them.”
Wendy Goutier, product and contract executive, Far East, India, Australia and New Zealand for Thompsons Holidays, says South Africans are resilient travellers and not more concerned about safety when travelling than when at home. “These parties happen worldwide and not only in Thailand. By introducing these measures they may drive people to other destinations and away from Thailand. The destination in the end will lose the business, not the party… Crime and murder happen worldwide and wearing a wristband is not going to make a change to criminal minds.”
