The New Year`s Eve bombings may impact on Thailand`s tourism business from the middle of 2007, a tourism executive said. Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) president Anek Srichivachart said that so far no foreign tourists had cancelled their planned visits to Thailand as a result of New Year`s Eve explosions, but government offices and private businesses will reopen tomorrow after the four-day New Year holiday and may receive news of some cancellations .

If Sunday`s incidents do not linger in the headlines and do not continue to take place, then the impact could be minimal, he said.

Mr. Anek said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tourism Authority of Thailand should work together with private tourism organisations and join hands to compile information and distribute it worldwide to bolster confidence among foreign tourists planning to visit the Kingdom.

He said that tourism would be affected by news and perceptions of violence in Bangkok, but unless such violence continued, it would not be major.

Earlier projections estimated that revenue from tourism this year would be Bt540 billion which would be spent by about 16 million people.