The Thai Restaurant Association expects Thais to travel during this year's Songkran holiday period, but anticipates that they will spend less during their break than last year.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar and Thailand on March 28, and its effects are still being felt within the Thai restaurant industry, especially eateries situated in high-rise buildings, said Thaniwan Kulmongkol, president of the association.
She said some buildings in Bangkok remained closed as of April 8, which means restaurants located in those buildings have not yet reopened.
Some companies encouraged their employees to work from home, which has reduced foot traffic in the buildings where they would normally work, affecting restaurants with branches in those buildings, she said.
Mrs Thaniwan said she expects people who plan to travel or visit their hometowns during the Songkran holiday period to go ahead with their plans.
"The quake will not impact Thais' travel plans during this year's Songkran, as the festival is important to Thais, so they don't want to miss it," she noted.
However, she is concerned that the sluggish economy and the financial burden some families face from having to repair their homes after the earthquake may lead to a reduction in travel spending this year compared to 2024.
Mrs Thaniwan expects Thais to be more cautious with their spending after Songkran, due to the current economic uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the restaurant sector in the south has faced minimal effects from the earthquake, according to the Krabi Restaurant Association.
Supphachai Rodthong, president of the association, said the tourism sector in Krabi saw only modest hotel and restaurant booking cancellations following the earthquake and the industry appears to be faring better than last year due to an influx of European travellers.
However, the number of Thai travellers remains below the pre-pandemic level, attributed to expensive airfares.
He expects that spending in the restaurant sector during Songkran in Krabi will not reach the pre-pandemic level.
Mr Supphachai said the majority of travellers heading for Krabi during Songkran this year would be Thai families and Malaysians.
The lingering effects of the impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic mean both Thais and foreigners are spending less on travel.
"People are still travelling, but they are being careful when it comes to spending," said Mr Supphachai.
This industry also faces another challenge this year as the prices of raw materials are rising alongside increased travel demand. For example, the price of banana shrimp (40 pieces per kilogramme) has climbed from 300 baht to 360 baht per kilogramme.
Mr Supphachai said he is concerned tourism in Krabi this year might mirror last year's situation, when a fallow low season from mid-May to September saw fewer travellers than during the pandemic.
He urged the government to closely monitor airfares, ensuring they remain reasonable. He suggested the government consider subsidising airfares for Thai travellers during the off-peak season.
