A Thai shopping mall operator embraced the imposition of the martial law after the May 2014 coup d’état, saying that there is no need to worry about political rallies to obstruct the business.
Supalak Ampush, the deputy chairwoman of The Mall Group executive board, one of the major retailer conglomerates in Thailand, said the imposition of the martial law since 2014 is actually good for retailing business and tourism.
Supalak spoke at the press briefing on Monday evening at the Army Chief Residence after the meeting between business operators and the junta cabinet.
The Mall Group is one of Thailand's largest mall operators which operate some of the most well known shopping centers in central Bangkok, such as the Emporium and the department store in Siam Paragon. In April-May 2010, the red-shirt protest at Ratchaprasong Intersection adjacent to Siam Paragon which ended after the deadly military crackdown that took nearly 100 lives, forced Siam Paragon to close down briefly.
Supalak said the junta’s imposition of the martial law made Thailand safer for tourists and that there are more tourists this year since it is difficult to find available flights to popular tourist destinations and the profit margin of Siam Paragon grew by 25 per cent.
“Nowadays at Ratchaprasong, we don’t have to be afraid that some people will stage rallies and close the streets. We have sweet dreams. In the past, we were worried that some people might come and close the avenue, but today we don’t have to worry about that in comparison to last year,” said Supalak.
Despite Supalak’s claims that the prospects on tourism for Thailand remains bright, ironically, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTs) alone found itself down by 42 per cent on the previous year (575 million USD) and the current profits from the lucrative tourism industry is no where near the pre-coup period.
She also added that foreign investors that she discussed with foreign business operators and that they are not worried about the martial law.
