AnotherFarang8

Good for Thailand. Somebody has to revive its tourism industry. It won’t be cash stripped energy-free Urapeeans or mortgage-burdened Muricans. These two categories are now past their glory days.

GBP is likely to reach 1:1 with USD before spring time. This year is really full of interesting trends.

Many. Despite all the talk the bulk of energy inflation hasn’t really started making its way to retail prices yet. Energy companies have been taking losses paying high wholesale prices but the consumers have been shielded from that until recent weeks. Now the bills are beginning to land on consumers. Governments will only increase that inflation by printing more money and raising taxes. They are between the hammer and the anvil: raise rates very high and plunge economy into abyss or not raise rates and let inflation wreak havoc. Both outcomes leave little money for holidays.

Hotels, yes. But there is a sizeable number of long term snowbird tourists who escape to Thailand for 3-4 winter months, they will rent an apartment usually. Counting them together with the two week hotel tourists and dividing total number of days spent by both groups by number of farang visitors will produce an average of 4 weeks per farang. Besides, if i stay 2 weeks in one hotel then move to stay 2 weeks in another hotel/city, do they count me as an average 2 weeks farang from hotel records?

Comparing farang tourists to asian tourists and lumping them as one number of arrivals is obfuscating the picture. Farang tourists stay on average 4 weeks. One Malaysian tourist will spend much less time, often only a weekend, that is 10x less time and money than a typical farang. Both will be counted as equal. On the other hand, a Malaysian tourist may visit more times in a year. What can show a more real picture of what is happening is a count of tourist-days.

The 300 baht fee is not a deterrence, it’s nothing. Most people wouldn’t even notice it if it was introduced quietly. The real deterrence to visiting Thailand right now is a PCR test requirement for the unvaccinated, which can incur a much higher level of expenses and cause stress incompatible with holiday mood if it comes positive even though no symptoms. Vietnam has no such bs requirement and looks competitive right now.

Forum members who condemn Thailand for staying neutral should immediately leave LoS on the first available flight to be true to themselves and never return, shouldn’t they?

Correct, but don’t let the facts get in the way.

Meanwhile Nord Stream 2 is fully operational with shiny new turbines on stand by. Unfortunately it will take crowds of german people running with pitchforks to convince their government to license Nord Stream 2 into operation after entire industries shut down.

Russia’s Aeroflot will resume direct flights to Phuket from October 30. As for good or full recovery of tourism in Thailand, there is a very long way to go, considering all the damage already done and the global economic crash in slow motion that will take years to play out, wiping off the middle class and savings.

It didn’t go well for Sri Lanka where fertiliser production was cut after their government listened to climate change cultists, now food is scarce. It is not going well for energy prices after many countries stopped investments in fossil fuel production. Hopefully Thailand doesn’t give too much floor to these pseudo scientists to avoid getting srilanka’d.

Low season. Anti-covid requirements not fully lifted in Thailand (PCR test for the unvaccinated or get injected with a questionable cocktail is a good deterrent). High inflation taking away savings that could be spent on vacations with no signs of ebbing away. People losing interest to travel after years of staying locked down, some might say the effect should be reverse from the pent up demand but it is arguable. In short, recovery will be very slow and painful, no matter how much lipstick they will try to put on this pork.

Have they lifted the PCR requirement for the unvaccinated yet? Vietnam looks more hassle-free, at least for tourists who don’t look for night life. In general, vacation expenditures will stay low, energy prices multiplying will take care of that.