Occupancy rates in hotels in Bangkok, the Thai capital that has been the scene of violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces, stand at below 30 percent, a spokesman for Federation of Thai Tourism Associations said on Thursday. We were expecting 80-90 pct room occupancy rate in BKK, but I don't think we can make it to 30 pct, Charoen Wangananont, a spokesman for the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations told local cable news network TNN.

Tourism accounts for six percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and employs 1.8 million people directly.

(Reporting by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by David Chance; Editing by David Chance)

Thailand