Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said the effect of the first Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) case recorded in Thailand will have a minimal impact on the economy and the Ministry of Public Health's high alert level regarding the deadly disease means that it will be able to contain it.
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the Minister of Tourism and Sports, said MERs and the concerns about Thailand's aviation safety had not had a huge impact on the tourism sector in the short term as many foreign tourists had kept their plans to visit Thailand.
Kobkarn said: "Tourists are still coming and we haven't seen a cancellation from overseas regarding MERS and the aviation safety issue."
To deal with MERS, Kobkarn said the authorities were working with Suvarnabhumi International Airport on preventative measures.
"The ministry is confident that Thailand can reach a tourism projection of 28.8 million arrivals and total income of Bt2.2 trillion [this year]," she said.
