BANGKOK — The Tourism Authority of Thailand says its preparing to add one more tourist attraction to the Kingdom's long list of temples, beaches, and mountains: life under martial law.

"The TAT is preparing a campaign called '24 Hours Enjoy Thailand' to attract foreign tourists to visit Thailand under martial law," TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik told Thai Rath newspaper on Friday.

Thawatchai said that martial law is beneficial to tourism, because it ensures that foreign tourists can be safe 24 hours a day.

"We want the tourists to be confident that they can travel in Thailand both day and night with safety at all times," Thawatchai said, adding that he hopes to promote this concept by creating a "buzz" on social media.

The military imposed martial law over the entire nation on 20 May and seized power two days later.

Tourism industry bodies desperate for a boost amid weak bookings

BANGKOK: -- The tourism sector is reiterating its call for the government to lift martial law in the face of losses due to the continued drop in tourist arrivals.

Key tourism groups - Thai Travel Agents Association (ATTA) and Thai Hotels Association (THA) - voiced their concern over the decline in arrivals despite the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s many campaigns to woo visitors in the wake of the coup.

ATTA has strongly advised the government to lift martial law, while THA is calling for measures to boost confidence in terms of safety and protect tourists from scams.

Between January and September, international arrivals at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport stood at 9.1 million, down from 11.3 million in the same period last year, according to the Immigration Police Bureau. This shows a 19-per-cent decline.

The bureau also reported that visitors from all regions, with the exception of Eastern Europe, had plunged by 5 to 30 per cent. Visitors from Northeast Asia recorded the biggest decline of 30 per cent, followed by East Asia (29 per cent) and Oceania (16 per cent). Visitors from east European nations, namely Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Commonwealth nations posted a growth.