Not just Chinese travellers staying away as virus shakes Asian tourism

A Chinese tourist wearing a mask as he arrives at Suvarnabhumi Airport during a welcome ceremony of Chinese Lunar New Year travellers in Bangkok, Thailand, last month. - Reuters

BANGKOK/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As a driver of one of Thailand's renowned "tuk tuk" motorised rickshaws, Amonchai Laodoungdee is used to busy days ferrying tourists around Bangkok, but on Tuesday he waited for four hours at a shopping mall without a single customer.

Since word of the new coronavirus spread from China last month, he's seen his daily income drop from about 1300 baht ($41) per day to around 400 baht. At first, he noticed not as many Chinese tourists were around. Now, there are few tourists from any country.