Many Vietnamese tourists have dropped their Thailand tour plans after a bomb blast in Thai capital Bangkok on Monday killed 22 people, nearly half of them foreigners.

Local travel firms said many guests had called them to get updates on the situation in Bangkok on August 18 and that some had cancelled their tours while others stuck to their travel plans.

A number of travel firms reported falls in bookings of Thailand tours on August 18.

“The number of customers buying Thailand tours is down 20-30% against normal days,” Vietravel general director Nguyen Quoc Ky told the Daily on August 18 afternoon.

Ky confirmed his firm’s guests in Bangkok were still safe and no one wanted to terminate their tours earlier than scheduled.

Meanwhile, other tour operators said many of their customers were hesitant to confirm their participation in the already-booked tours to Thailand or switch to other countries though tour operators are willing to help customers rebook their tours.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, marketing manager of Ben Thanh Tourist, told the Daily on August 18 that some customers phoned the company on August 18 to ask for information about Thailand and that they remained undecided over their travel plans.

“We sent one group of tourists to Thailand this morning while tourists of the groups departing tonight and tomorrow have not made up their mind yet,” Mai said.

The same situation happened to other travel firms like Saigontourist Travel Service Company.

Ben Thanh Tourist alone sent 750 tourists to Thailand on August 18. Customers of Saigontourist, Vietravel and Viet Jet Tour in Thailand were also reported safe.

Many travel firms have changed their itineraries to keep their customers away from Bangkok and skip shopping plans at major malls in the capital.

“With the tourists arriving in Bangkok this morning, we brought them straight to Pattaya. We are working closely with Thai partners,” said Doan Thi Thanh Tra, marketing and communications manager of Saigontourist.

Some Vietnamese currently visiting Thailand on August 18 complained on social media about difficulties in buying air tickets to fly back to Vietnam.

Ky of Vietravel said free-and-easy travelers might find it hard to buy air tickets but those traveling with tourism firms were not affected as their tickets had been booked in advance.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said in a statement on August 18 that tourism activities in Bangkok were still as usual but Thai police advised locals and tourists to exercise caution when out and about in Bangkok.

TAT said Thai authorities had stepped up security at key locations in Bangkok following the Monday bomb blast at a shrine near the city’s Ratchaprasong Intersection.

Overall, life in Bangkok is described as normal and tourists are advised to call 1672 for assistance.

“All public services and banks are available to the public. As for tourist businesses, other tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and shopping malls remain open, while transportation links, major roads and airports continue to operate. This includes Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain and MRT services and both Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi International Airports receive domestic and international flights,” TAT said in the statement.

TAT added that it was monitoring the situation and would provide regular updates. The

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) on August 18 afternoon wrote to travel firms asking them not to send tourists to high-risk and crowded places. Besides, travel firms are advised to closely coordinate with partners and Vietnam’s diplomatic representatives in Thailand to get updates and take measures to ensure safety for tourists.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Hai Binh was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying on August 18 that Vietnam strongly condemns the bombing in the Thai capital on Monday.

“Our deep sympathy is with the Thai Government and people and other countries with citizens killed and wounded in the attack,” the spokesperson said.

Binh confirmed that there was a Vietnamese national injured in the incident, and the Vietnamese embassy in Thailand had visited and provided assistance for the citizen.

The embassy has recommended that Vietnamese should not come to the site of the bombing until the situation improves and should follow guidance of local authorities. It is also closely working with relevant Thai agencies to gather information and support Vietnamese citizens. Those who need assistance can contact +66 89 89 666 53 or +84 981 84 84 84.

Thailand is an attractive destination for Vietnamese tourists despite unrest in previous years. Many tour operators sent tourists to Thailand this summer and Vietravel even arranged tours for up to 13,886 tourists to visit the neighboring country last month.

TAT expects to attract 700,000 tourists from Vietnam this year.