'We have to be resilient': Tourism in Thailand plummets amidst the coronavirus outbreak

Krystal Prakaikaew Na-Ranong, the co-owner of luxury resort The Slate, said that she anticipated problems for hotels and other business that cater exclusively to Chinese tourists.

"Some businesses will have to close," Na-Ranong told Business Insider.

However, Na-Ranong said, in general, she felt it was too early to panic over the long-term impact of coronavirus. The Slate, she said, is working to attract new customers to make up for those who might not visit due to the outbreak.

"We are not suffering ... at this point," Na-Ranong said.

"But I think our marketing strategy that we had planned for this year and during the past is always try to put our eggs in more than one basket," she continued.

"At the moment economically, it's severely dented every single industry," Khamkar said.

In mid-February, Thailand lowered its growth outlook for the year to 1.5% to 2.5%, down from its previous prediction of 2.7% to 3.7%, Bloomberg reported.

The spread of the coronavirus outbreak has come with rumors and inaccurate information around the world. Thailand is no exception.

"At this point, the media also makes things worse, [spreading] some wrong information," Na-Ranong said. "They create fear, they put fear in people's heads."

Some have also been confused by what appear to be mixed messages from the Thai government, with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul saying in a Facebook post that all visitors from "high-risk" areas would have to self-quarantine. CNBC reports the post was soon deleted, with the TAT saying that the government had not released any new official guidance on quarantining.

Tourist destinations such as the Big Buddha and Wat Chalong were far from empty when Business Insider visited on Sunday. While Phuket was not as crowded as it may typically be during peak high season, visitors were still traveling around the island.

"Thailand has been through so many crises," Khamkar said.

"I came back to Thailand after the tsunami," she continued. "Everything was wiped out, starting from zero. We went through it and we survived it. Hopefully, this will ... sort of recalibrate and find a new balance for everyone around the world, not just for Thailand."