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The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT), the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance (TCTA) and the Thai-Japan Tourist Association (TJTA) complained to the House committee on tourism and sports that the government was not doing enough despite the gravity of the situation.

"There have been empty promises. We just can't wait for state agencies' help, and the prime minister must take a leading role," said ADT president Maiyarat Pheerayakoses.

"The tourism industry has been dropping since the airport closures last year, and the April violence did not help. Operators in tight financial straits are dying, as the SME Bank is lending only to profitable businesses. Let me ask: if there have been only low seasons in the past few years, how could they have shown a profit?" she said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva must take the lead in formulating a strategy for survival, because the tourism industry involves a number of ministries, Maiyarat said.

He must clarify the supervisory powers of coalition parties over ministries and then tell the ministries what to do, she said.

The premier has put the tourism problem on the national agenda, but in recent months there have been no concrete solutions.

The assistance provided so far has been superficial, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand's activities are centred on public relations, which does little for business operators, Maiyarat added.

TCTA president Sidivachr Cheewarattananaporn said domestic political conflict had taken is toll on the industry.

Many countries have maintained travel warnings against Thailand, and the government should urgently solve political conflict and formulate policies to revive the tourism industry.

When Abhisit visits Beijing later this month, he should |instil confidence in China about how Thailand is coping with type-A (H1N1) influenza, he said.

TJTA president Anake Srishevachart said without the government's help, tourist arrivals would continue to plunge.

In the past six months, arrivals have fallen 33.45 per cent year on year. This month alone, the number has tumbled from 160,000 last year to only 20,000.

"The June figures show a short-term problem: the new flu. However, it is undeniable that the long-term problem for the tourism industry is political turbulence," he said.

Joining their press conference was the outspoken Democrat MP from Phuket, Thosaporn Thepabut, vice chairman of the House committee.

Thosaporn said in the past six months, only Iran and Hong Kong have sent more tourists here, while other markets have dropped 20-50 per cent. The government must address the problems quickly or unemployment will grow, he said.

Siam Commercial Bank's economic-information centre said unemployment would greatly worsen if tourists were not drawn back, because 90 per cent of the industry's workers were hired by financially strapped small and medium-sized enterprises, compared with 30 per cent in the auto, electronics and electric-appliance industries.