Train troubles "another black mark" as many cancel their travel plans

       The crippling train strike has inflicted another blow on the already beleaguered tourism industry, as scores of package tours have been cancelled while the legendary Oriental Express luxury rail cruise had been held up.
       Contrasting Tourism Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa's insistence yesterday that the tourism industry was immune to the work stoppage, Association of Domestic Travel president Maiyarat Pheerayakoses said it added yet another black mark to the country's image and coudl further discourage foreign visitors.
       "This will hurt our reputation. This will be another factor ruining the industry," she said.
       The Oriental Express train from Bangkok to Singapore with 69 foreign tourists on the 10-carriage train faced an hour's delay.
       At first, it was unclear if they would be allowed to pass through Hat Yai train station to the southernmost point of Thailand and continue into Malaysia. The train finally left Surat Thani train station at 1.40pm.
       Charoen Wangananont, managing director of Kangwal Tour, a major domestic tour operator, said many local and foreign tourists had cancelled their traval plans between Bangkok and the South. Many families had given up on taking the children to see Bangkok by train during the school break, including one of Charoen's relatives.
       Some holidy-makers, intending to head to famous resort destinations like Surat Thani, Koh Samui and Phuket right after landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport, remained stranded in the capital, he said.
       "Travellers use trains more than buses. We'll see very soon how the problem will damage the tourism industry in the South," he said.
       The paralysis of long-haul land travel comes at a time when the country is entering the high tourism season.
       Prapas Intanapasat, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Hat Yai office, said some Malaysian tourists had been asking for updates on the situation, although not many Singaporean and Malaysian visitors to Songkhla used train services.
       Songkhla Chamber of Commerce chairman Surachai Jitpukdeebodintra said the disruption hurt both domestic commuters and local vendors, as well as shipments of commodities like oil and and cement.
       The labour union should call off their walkout as soon as possible and resort to other means to achieve their demands, he said.
       Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungrueng said the impact had so far been slight on industry, which relied more on lorries and air freight for transport.
       The exact toll should be known next week, as the Federation of Thai Industries is gathering damage estimates from members.