BANGKOK — Officials have warned that the suspected downing of a Malaysian Airline plane in Ukraine could discourage Westerners from traveling to Thailand, further crippling the Kingdom’s already-struggling tourism industry.

The incident may have a “psychological effect” on European tourists, causing them to delay plans to travel to Southeast Asian nations, especially because many of those who perished on flight MH17 were Dutch and Scandinavian, said Ponthip Hiranket, deputy president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (ICT).

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