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SINGAPORE : Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry is helping the families of Leslie Yeo and Lu Weiye to bring their bodies back to Singapore on Tuesday night.
They were among the Singaporeans killed in the fire that razed a Bangkok club during New Year celebrations.
The fire has killed 64 people, including one other Singaporean - air traffic controller Teo Sze Siong.
Three other Singaporeans were injured in the early-morning blaze, with two of them still in hospital.
Incidents such as the club fire, as well as the political instability in Thailand, are factors driving away Singapore visitors.
One travel agency said that since September, there has been an 80 per cent drop in visitors to Thailand. Many have been choosing alternative destinations.
Alicia Seah, senior VP, Marketing and Public Relations, Commonwealth Travel, elaborated: "(These destinations are) Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. For example, Kuala Lumpur offers a wide variety of shopping centres, and in Vietnam they offer a wide range of cultural sights as well."
Leslie Ng, head, Sales and Distributions, Jetstar Asia Airways, said: "There is a discernable drop. I would put it in the range of 30 to 40 per cent. There is a shift from Bangkok to some of these other points we have. One other place which has picked up very well would be Kota Kinabalu."
Some budget carriers have been offering lower price tickets to entice travel to Thailand. And they said there will be more promotions coming up over the following weeks.
Some said the current economic gloom is also adding to the dwindling numbers.
However, tickets to Thailand for the Lunar New Year period have been selling well. But it is hard to say if the momentum will carry on.
Thai authorities believe that about one million foreign visitors cancelled their trip to Bangkok during the recent eight-day closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
And with the current political climate, observers said it is unlikely the country can reach its target of 16 million visitors this year. - CNA/ms
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