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Bangkok's luxury malls shutter up for 'final showdown'
As thousands of red shirts move in for a last push to oust the government, the city's shoppers are forced to head elsewhere
Thousands of red shirt protesters have moved into Rajaprasong, claiming to be preparing for the next stage of their campaign to oust the government.It might be business as usual in most of Bangkok this Songkran week, but for the city’s biggest malls in the busy Rajaprasong district there’s no relief in sight from the ongoing red shirt protests.
According to media reports, the red shirts have abandoned Phan Fa bridge and are shifting their main protest area to the Bangkok commercial district for a final showdown aimed at toppling the government. Malls in the area, including Siam Paragon, CentralWorld and Gaysorn, have closed indefinitely. Luxury mall Emporium, located on Sukhumvit soi 33 (BTS: Phrom Phong), remains open to fill the gap for the city's upscale shoppers.
Meanwhile, the continued anti-government rally is giving the country’s tourism sector a beating. Spokesman of the Federation of Thai Tourism Association Charoen Wangananont was quoted by the Bangkok Post on Thursday as saying the economic slump had already reduced the average room occupancy rate from previously 80-90 percent to 60-70 percent.
"Now the red shirts rally has worsened the situation, bringing down the rate to only 30 percent,” he said.
