Thailand's southern tourist town Hat Yai has to face a hard time following the April 3 bombings as visitors turned away to other destinations to spend Songkran holiday.

Up to 50 percent hotel reservation had been canceled ahead of the Songkran holidays, Somchart Pimtanapoonporn, president of the Hat Yai Hotels Association, was quoted by Bangkok Post newspaper as saying on Monday.

Usually, hotels in Hat Yai were fully booked during the season and a large number of visitors came from Malaysia. "Tourist are still shocked by the bombs," he said.

On April 3, triple bombings at the airport, a hotel and a department store in Hat Yai town of Songkhla killed two people and injured several dozens, including four foreigners.

Security has been beefed up at potential terrorist targets throughout Thailand following the blasts.

Meanwhile, Silachai Surai, head of the tourism authority's Central region office, said up to 70,000 visitors are expected to be in Hua Hin and Cha-am on Wednesday and Thursday, and tourism isexpected to bring in some 50 million baht (US$1,190,000) during Songkran.

Affected by southern violence, tourism in Songkhla lost more than one billion baht (US$23.8 million) last year. The impact could be more severe should the violence spread to the province.

"We need to boost tourists' confidence. We can't allow Hat Yai to go quiet," said Somchart, adding hotel and service industry in Songkhla need soft loans like those given to other provinces in the deep South.

(Xinhua News Agency April 12, 2005)