Senior officers and staff of the Pacific Asia Travel Association have been meeting at the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok in the midst of the prevailing political instability in the city.

By going ahead with the scheduled meeting PATA demonstrated its faith in the inherent peaceable nature of the Thai people as well as its confidence that the country will eventually bounce back to its natural tourism potential, according to the Association's CEO Greg Duffell.

PATA's newly-elected chairman Hiran Cooray said, "These are sad times for Thailand. However, there is no country that does not go through its share of strife at given moments. We are aware that some countries have currently issued travel advisories. Nonetheless, we are confident that tourism in Thailand will not be affected long-term. We are here today as a measure of that confidence and to demonstrate our solidarity as PATA to the Thai people and the global travel and tourism industry at large."