BANGKOK, April 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Thailand's tourism sector is facing with a dampened prospect this year, due to various negative factors including fear of earthquake and insurgency in the south, said local research center.

    Though the government has tried hard to recover tourism in the tsunami-hit coastal areas, the recent earthquake occurring in Indonesia and bomb explosions in southern Thailand have counteracted the efforts, the Kasikorn Research Center said in a report.

    The number of foreign tourists, who come to Thailand for the whole of this year, would reach 11.53 million, down one percent from last year, the state-run Thai News Agency on Tuesday quoted the think-tank's report as saying.

    Thailand's southern coastal areas locate several of the country' s tourist sites including the world-hot Phuket Island.

    On March 28, there was a brief panic of tsunami attack among residents and tourists in Phuket, following a strong earthquake inIndonesia.

    On Sunday, three bomb attacks rocked the southern town of Songkhla, which are expected to receive Singaporean and Malaysian tourists in Thai New Year in mid April. Enditem