Phuket hit as Chinese cancel room bookings

[webfact]

Phuket hit as Chinese cancel room bookings

By The Nation

 

 

Tourism industry seeks tough measures to protect reputation after boat tragedy

 

THAI TOURISM authorities are worried following the massive cancellations of hotel room bookings by Chinese tourists in the southern island resort of Phuket following the tragic July 5 boat accident.

 

So far, 7,300 Phuket hotel room bookings for July and August have been cancelled by Chinese tourists. Industry insiders say the numbers are likely to increase as more hotels report their booking status. Chinese account for as many as 3 million tourists in Phuket per year, while on average some 10 million Chinese tourists visit Thailand every year.

 

Kongsak Kupongsakorn, president of the Southern Hoteliers’ Association, said 19 member hotels had already reported their cancellations while another 160 hotels have yet to file their reports. The negative impacts of the July 5 accident in which nearly 50 were killed are widespread and more serious than previously thought, he said.

 

Chatchai Tipsunavee, permanent secretary at the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said a massive number of hotel booking cancellations had been reported despite remedial measures taken by the Thai government following the boat accident.

 

At this stage, hotel room cancellations are estimated to account for 10-15 per cent of the total business in the world-renowned resort province.

 

Chiaya Rapuepol, president of the Andaman Sea tourism business association, said the boat accident could cost as much as Bt42 billion in lost tourism and related revenues over the next two months. He called for the government to restore confidence in tourist safety as soon as possible to avoid even greater damage being caused to Phuket’s Bt350-billion-a-year tourism industry. News reports of the two boats capsizing received worldwide media coverage.

 

Phuket Governor Napat Prodthong wants the government to set up a command centre to regulate all Andaman Sea tourist activities in the nearby Phang Nga province. 

 

He suggested inspection points for all incoming and outgoing vessels so that authorities could more effectively enforce safety and |related laws on vessel operators, captains, passengers and crew.

 

The Phang Nga command centre could take responsibility for Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Phang Nga provinces, he said, adding that Phuket itself will have its own vessel command units at Ao Por, Ratchata Harbour and Ao Chalong Harbour, with closed-circuit and surveillance TV systems installed to record all incoming and outgoing tourists.

 

Overall, the Phang Nga command centre and other facilities would cost Bt500 million to Bt600 million to boost tourist safety in the Andaman Sea, he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Phuket governor and other provincial authorities have joined with Vice Admiral Somneuk Prempramoj, commander of the Third-Region Navy responsible for Phuket and other Andaman Sea provinces, to work with harbour operators and other businesses to ensure tourist safety in the wake of the disaster. The government has announced a revamping of safety rules and regulations to prevent future accidents. The large number of vessels, boat services and even harbours in Phuket alone present a challenge for properly regulating the industry.

 

The Navy has sent its personnel to help provincial authorities restore confidence and to help upgrade the safety system by issuing early warnings on bad weather. Tourism authorities and others must step up preventive safety measures, such as ensuring passengers are taught how to use safety vests.

 

Somnuek said the Navy would propose that the central government use Article 44 of the charter to empower Phuket authorities to fast-track enforcement of rules and regulations to boost safety.

 

Meanwhile, Woraluk Reukch-aikan, managing director of TC Blue Dream Co, owner of the ill-fated Pheonix tourist boat, surrendered on Saturday and will appear in court today to seek release on bail. 

 

Relatives of the 29 victims killed in the accident have been paid more than Bt60 million in combined compensation. Altogether, 46 bodies have been recovered from the sea, while authorities are still attempting to recover another body struck in the boat’s wreckage and another passenger is still missing.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30350125

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-16

[canuckamuck]

This is the only way the lesson will be learnt, if at all.

[fakename]

Just tell the Chinese that Article 44 will be in effect, that will all then flock to Phuket!

[doodle]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

News reports of the two boats capsizing received worldwide media coverage.

Not here in the UK, it didn't. I never saw one report of it apart from here on Thai Visa. May have been 'blink and you miss it'. Wall to wall cave rescue though.

[jaiyen]

Please tell all the Chinese newspapers to report that Thailand is a very dangerous country to go to for a holiday. Burma is a nice Army controlled country that the Chinese can associate with.  New slogan.....Thailand...Dieland !!

[Bob12345]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He suggested inspection points for all incoming and outgoing vessels so that authorities could more effectively enforce safety and |related laws on vessel operators, captains, passengers and crew.

And, as always, they dont spend a second looking at WHY things went wrong in the past, they just immediately ask for more authority, staff, and money. Because that will result in more power (cash) to whoever is in charge.

 

I would suggest they first identify their own failings. If you now have 10 people as staff and all 10 sleep at the job and only collect bribes it wont help to add another 10, 20, or even 100 men staff.

[scuba2day]

10 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Please tell all the Chinese newspapers to report that Thailand is a very dangerous country to go to for a holiday. Burma is a nice Army controlled country that the Chinese can associate with.  New slogan.....Thailand...Dieland !!

Hmmmm.  Sure, like Thailand isn't a nice Army controlled country.   ?

[Valentine]

20 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

And, as always, they dont spend a second looking at WHY things went wrong in the past, they just immediately ask for more authority, staff, and money. Because that will result in more power (cash) to whoever is in charge.

 

I would suggest they first identify their own failings. If you now have 10 people as staff and all 10 sleep at the job and only collect bribes it wont help to add another 10, 20, or even 100 men staff.

Yes something needs to be done just to enforce existing regulations but 5 to 600,000,000 seems like a figure just plucked out of the sky.

[trainman34014]

Nothing will be fixed; greed will always control what happens and if things go too sour in Phuket then all the crooks will just move their activities to another Island.    Money and how to get lots of it easily is the only driving force.

[quadperfect]

Check points for boats ? It was the government blaming the chinese that sparked the social media in china. What did they expect?

[dinsdale]

Well there's good and bad news here. Good news is less Chinese when I take my family to Phuket. Bad news I've already paid for the room. Prices may go down. On the other hand economic theory being what it is less occupancy may mean an increase in prices. Mmm? Still less Chinese is good.?

Edited July 16, 2018 by dinsdale

[sammieuk1]

Maybe a red line of killing its citizens has been crossed. 

[jaiyen]

There has never been any control of the tour boats by any of the so called Authorities. It was only a month ago when the boats were being loaded up from the beach ! It was total chaos. 

[klauskunkel]

a quick google on Thai Teflon Tourism:

Tourism unaffected as MERS sparks concerns in Thailand

Foreign tourism unaffected by recent events, says ...

Tourism unaffected by shark attack rumour at Karon ...

Chiang Mai tourism unaffected by haze pollution ...

Tourism Unaffected by Unrest Say

Tourism unaffected by deadly Bangkok bomb

Thailand tourism largely unaffected by martial law decree

Northern Thailand's tourism unaffected by earthquake

Tourism unaffected as Thailand mourns King's Death

 

... and then of course:

The tour boat catastrophe in Phuket was unlikely to harm the Thai tourism industry

[Lupatria]

41 minutes ago, scuba2day said:

Hmmmm.  Sure, like Thailand isn't a nice Army controlled country.   ?

The only things the Army has under control in this country are the mechanisms to keep the trough.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Please tell all the Chinese newspapers to report that Thailand is a very dangerous country to go to for a holiday. Burma is a nice Army controlled country that the Chinese can associate with.  New slogan.....Thailand...Dieland !!

How about Little P. Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking and astonishing pace? Or bizarre, incomprehensible Thailand. Not a foreign country. Definitely another planet.

 

Very happy to hear about the cancellations. The only language these small minds in the industry and the administration understand is money. We can all hope that for once in it's existence, Thailand will take public safety seriously. Even with the highest highway fatality rate on the planet, they still do not take traffic safety seriously. One can only hope and wonder. Thai government officials are not all that sharp, and their indifference to the pain and suffering of the masses is legendary. 

 

As for Burma? Not much better. And an even more corrupt and incompetent government, if that is possible. Combine that with poor infrastructure, a dearth of accommodations, and higher prices than Thailand, and it is not all that appealing. One can get a nice $60 hotel room in Bangkok. Not the case in Yangon. Substandard all the way. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by spidermike007

[Moti24]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiaya Rapuepol, president of the Andaman Sea tourism business association, said the boat accident could cost as much as Bt42 billion in lost tourism and related revenues over the next two months. He called for the government to restore confidence in tourist safety as soon as possible to avoid even greater damage being caused to Phuket’s Bt350-billion-a-year tourism industry. News reports of the two boats capsizing received worldwide media coverage.

That about sums it up - "Pockets are not going to get filled, so let's have another temporary crackdown!".

 

The poor boat captain is probably looking at the death penalty.

 

A bit like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.  But worry not!  The gate will be re-opening shortly.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Bob12345 said:

And, as always, they dont spend a second looking at WHY things went wrong in the past, they just immediately ask for more authority, staff, and money. Because that will result in more power (cash) to whoever is in charge.

 

I would suggest they first identify their own failings. If you now have 10 people as staff and all 10 sleep at the job and only collect bribes it wont help to add another 10, 20, or even 100 men staff.

You are 100% right.. there are enough laws already, they just don't enforce them as they are lazy or get bribed.. new laws are not always needed.. just enforcing the ones that are on the books usually does it. But if they say that then they admit they were wrong too. 

[phantomfiddler]

Let,s just hope that they don,t all come to Pattaya instead ?

[dcsw53]

Why just the Andaman Sea ?

The whole " boating industry " needs regulation.

I was almost killed last year by a speedboat buzzing my diving buoy. Now I only go to very secluded places away from those maniacs.

As with the minibuses, boat drivers generally brain dead.

[scorecard]

Quote:

"Chiaya Rapuepol, president of the Andaman Sea tourism business association, said the boat accident could cost as much as Bt42 billion in lost tourism and related revenues over the next two months. He called for the government to restore confidence in tourist safety as soon as possible to avoid even greater damage being caused to Phuket’s Bt350-billion-a-year tourism industry."

 

A few direct serious questions to Khun Chiaya: 

 

Why haven't you and your association put self-regulations into your industry?

 

You want the benefits (cash / greed) but you don't want to be bothered with safety and protecting lives. You don't care. Just look the other way when it's obvious to a blind man that there is serious danger right in front of your eyes. 

 

You and your industry colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves and you should all be charged with dereliction causing death.

 

Another question to Khun Chaiya: How many of your industry members have paid off numerous government officials to make it super easy for you to operate without checks.

 

And another question to Khun Chaiya: Your members must know (don't say they didn't know, that's not logical or acceptable) that dozens of boats were on the waters without proper boat design and manufacture, without proper licensing, without proper safety equipment. So why didn't your members, years ago, demand enforcement / conduct own industry checks and quickly reveal the names of boats / owners / captains who were not in compliance with all the laws and regulations involved here. 

 

A final question: Would you or your association members allow your own families to take tours on these sunken boats? If your answer is yes then that just proves even further your lack of ethics and morals and total lack of professionalism and any duty of care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katipo]

So how many of these bookings are due to the actual tragedy, and how many are due to a certain watch wearing politicial opening his mouth and blaming the Chinese? From what I read, it was the latter insult that really got the Chinese up in arms.

So, billions of baht in damages from this incompetent corrupt fool, and yet once again no repercussions.... well, I suppose he did apologise, if you can count that.

 

It's disturbing how a tour guide who lets a lone tourist climb a temple causes national uproar and is forced to 'kraab' amongst other things, yet a man who has single handedly done more to damage Thailand's reputation and tourism earnings than coups, tsunamis, and floods, just utters a few words of apology and then simply is allowed to carry on like nothing has happened.

[outsider]

Som nam na. You people don't care when the odd farang complained. You look the other way when the odd accident happened. You try to gloss over or cover it when some tourists died. Then the scams and bullshit continued. Now, this one is not just a few farangs, and the magnitude is too big for a cover up. As some TVF members have mentioned, you guys will only feel the pain where it hurts most - when the money stops coming in. Still, it doesn't look like you clowns have learned. All these asking for more money, authority and revamping of rules - just knee-jerk reaction that takes place after all major accidents in Thailand. Tomorrow, everything will go back to being same-same. I hope I'm wrong but if I'm not, enjoy the slow and sure demise, Phuket.

[Somchai Logic]

3 simple little words come to mind.

Som Nom Na 

[Cereal]

" Kongsak Kupongsakorn, president of the Southern Hoteliers’ Association, said... The negative impacts of the July 5 accident in which nearly 50 were killed are widespread and more serious than previously thought..."

 

Seriously? How can you underestimate the potential for fallout, unless you are a world class dumbkopf.

[maximillian]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Please tell all the Chinese newspapers to report that Thailand is a very dangerous country to go to for a holiday. Burma is a nice Army controlled country that the Chinese can associate with.  New slogan.....Thailand...Dieland !!

 

I'm so happy Thailand isn't army controlled...

[Get Real]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

At this stage, hotel room cancellations are estimated to account for 10-15 per cent of the total business in the world-renowned resort province.

That really sucks, duh!

[Thailand]

Prawit blaming the Chinese for their own deaths did not go down well. The about turn when he obviously got his hands slapped was too late, damage done.

[SOTIRIOS]

...duhh...the caption says it all....

 

...'to protect reputation'....

 

...nothing about protecting tourists.....

 

....is that sick or what...???

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

How about Little P. Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking and astonishing pace? Or bizarre, incomprehensible Thailand. Not a foreign country. Definitely another planet.

 

Very happy to hear about the cancellations. The only language these small minds in the industry and the administration understand is money. We can all hope that for once in it's existence, Thailand will take public safety seriously. Even with the highest highway fatality rate on the planet, they still do not take traffic safety seriously. One can only hope and wonder. Thai government officials are not all that sharp, and their indifference to the pain and suffering of the masses is legendary. 

 

As for Burma? Not much better. And an even more corrupt and incompetent government, if that is possible. Combine that with poor infrastructure, a dearth of accommodations, and higher prices than Thailand, and it is not all that appealing. One can get a nice $60 hotel room in Bangkok. Not the case in Yangon. Substandard all the way. 

 

 

Wasn't he simply  being facetious?