Phuket hit as Chinese cancel room bookings

[maddermax]

I appreciate that we need the money from these tourists but they are the lowest form of life.  Totally no manners at all.  Always shouting, pushing in front of people and spitting everywhere.  We can do without them.  I don't blame the mainland Chinese people only their government.  During the 'Cultural Revolution' of the 70s they killed off anybody with an education and were left with the dregs.  I also hear that they are trying to inform tourists not to behave so badly when they go abroad but it doesn't seem to be working!

[newnative]

  Sad that only the threat of lost tourism revenue has spurred any action.  Totally tone deaf from day one--highlighted spectacularly by  the second in command blaming the Chinese.   "Negative impact more serious than previous thought."  You got that right.

[edwinchester]

2 hours ago, doodle said:

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.

Saw it on BBC TV News and it was covered on their website.

[MekkOne]

While closing hundreds of small and medium hotels due to a crackdown didn't cause any cancellation of course...

[wealthychef]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The negative impacts of the July 5 accident in which nearly 50 were killed are widespread and more serious than previously thought, he said.

 

Well, now that money is involved, maybe a half-hearted attempt to make sure that boats don't go out in storms might be put into place?  At least until people stop noticing.  Above all, bribes and hotel profits must be maximized, in that order.  

[Jonmarleesco]

Dear, oh dear. Safety is obviously more of a priority to the Chinese than the Thais had presumed. 

[Tony Hanscomb]

Good news for normal tourists.

[natway09]

Maybe a wake up call to get all Government Departments doing their duty instead of

only coming up with schemes on how to fill their own pockets

[lvr181]

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

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

You're an optimist! 

 

The Government will merely respond with more laws that will STILL NOT be enforced - a guess on my part based on past track record. 

[cardinalblue]

Thailand still doesn't understand that safety measures are to save and preserve life NOT to keep the tourist numbers flowing....

 

 

shame on you thailand for such narrow mindedness....

[TheMacMan]

Charge the Thai boat captain and the boat owner for the lost earnings..... that would make them sit up and make things safe   :)

 

[Old Croc]

The majority of these Chinese visitors book and pay for their visits in China before travelling. These package tours include airfares, accommodation at Chinese owned hotels, local transport in crappy buses owned by Chinese companies and Island/snorkeling tours on leaky Chinese owned boats.

It was recently stated that the average money spent in the community by these tourists is $239 per person per day. Very low in comparison to other tourists.

If numbers decline, I don't see a big downside for Thailand, just the Chinese tour companies. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Old Croc

[lvr181]

2 minutes ago, TheMacMan said:

Charge the Thai boat captain and the boat owner for the lost earnings..... that would make them sit up and make things safe   ?

 

Start kicking a** (lock them up) from the top down, the provincial Governor, the Mayor, the regional Chief of Police, the Harbour Master, the Boat Owner and the Captain along with draconian fines for each and everyone of them. 

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, doodle said:

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.

At least 41 people dead and 15 more missing two days after boat carrying 105 people sank

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/07/thailand-phuket-boat-sinking-death-toll-continues-to-rise

Death toll in Thai tourist boat disaster rises to 44

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-boat-accident/death-toll-in-thai-tourist-boat-disaster-rises-to-44-idUKKBN1K00FX?il=0

Thailand ferry disaster: At least 27 dead and dozens missing after tourist boat capsizes in storm off Phuket

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/phuket-thailand-ferry-boat-capsize-dead-missing-latest-sinking-a8434056.html

Heartbreaking scenes as death toll rises after Thai tourist boat sinks

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/world/heartbreaking-scenes-as-death-toll-rises-after-thai-tourist-boat-sinks-2/

At least one person DEAD and 56 others MISSING after Thai tourist boat capsizes

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/984701/thailand-boat-capsize-phuket-one-dead-56-missing

Blink, blink

[NCC1701A]

"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."

 

So the families can buy a nice HD video of their loved ones final moments as they board the boat?

 

600 baht.



[IamNoone88]

Tough measures to protect reputation? There is no point in protecting the existing bad reputation! Perhaps it would be better to ensure tough measures to improve the existing poor reputation of Phuket.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, fakename said:

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

Or, open up "all you can eat" buffets.

[cookieqw]

Also Thailand typically does not have a 'blame culture', where a culprit must be found for any misadventure. There is a more fatalistic acceptance of things going wrong, less public clamour for accountability.

[geriatrickid]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

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.?

The Chinese tourist quality has been discussed multiple times and it has been shown that the Chinese are a significant source of revenue for Thailand's tourism sector. Belittling and denigrating them serves no purpose except to demonstrate your ignorance and prejudice.

The Chinese who visit Phuket are predominately family units or young couples. They are not dominated by sex tourists as is evident with other demographic groups, who you most likely favour.

A debt of gratitude is owed to the Chinese who have now taken action in response to the  recent tragic loss of life. The Thais understand urgency when there is a financial cost involved. To date, not one European, US or Australian embassy representative has ever caused the Thais to respond. Yet, the Chinese have come down on Thailand in a very clear manner such that the Thais know they are being held accountable. You go right ahead and insult the Chinese, but if your family is safer on its next visit to Phuket, you can thank the Chinese.

[sweatalot]

3 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

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 nail it

[Hooliganzone]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourism authorities and others must step up preventive safety measures, such as ensuring passengers are taught how to use safety vests.

It is overloaded boats and the lack of control from the authorities a harbour master should close the port to prevent any boats going out and only accept incoming ones in dangerous red flag conditions these are the problems and Not safety vest use.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, outsider said:

ou 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

As the song goes, "it's all about the money, money, money"..........and of course the corruption which it feeds and it is so plain when seen in light of the following: –

 

– Cheap and unsafe buses ferrying holidaymakers around the place, many Chinese involved.

 

– Crashes of the same and the usual excuse of "wet road", "brake failure", this especially when envelopes change hands.

 

– No law enforcement of traffic rules and regulations such as the wearing of crash helmets, because as the situation stands its a money earner if left "loose".

 

– Jetskis and their unsafe operations and their threatening behaviour to tourists. All allowed to exist because officials are paid off.

 

– Paragliding; unregulated and in many cases dangerous as has been seen.

 

– Chinese deaths on the road because a few baht will allow them to take a motorbike out on the road when they have never driven one before.

 

– The taxi and tuk tuk mafia and all that goes with it. 

 

This place won't change all the time money is being made in these areas and these few hiccups are just blips on the long-standing moneymaking graph of increased corruption.

[Rimmer]

A post in caps has been removed, please turn off your caps lock when posting, thank you.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

The Chinese tourist quality has been discussed multiple times and it has been shown that the Chinese are a significant source of revenue for Thailand's tourism sector. Belittling and denigrating them serves no purpose except to demonstrate your ignorance and prejudice.

The Chinese who visit Phuket are predominately family units or young couples. They are not dominated by sex tourists as is evident with other demographic groups, who you most likely favour.

A debt of gratitude is owed to the Chinese who have now taken action in response to the  recent tragic loss of life. The Thais understand urgency when there is a financial cost involved. To date, not one European, US or Australian embassy representative has ever caused the Thais to respond. Yet, the Chinese have come down on Thailand in a very clear manner such that the Thais know they are being held accountable. You go right ahead and insult the Chinese, but if your family is safer on its next visit to Phuket, you can thank the Chinese.

And it only took nearly 50 dead to shake them up?  I guess that all the deaths of Chinese tourists on the Thai roads were all their own fault?

[wvavin]

What is the problem? Those quality Russian tourists are here to stay.

[Bangkok Barry]

 So far, 7,300 Phuket hotel room bookings for July and August have been cancelled by Chinese tourists

and

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.

 

So, 7,300 cancellations from only 19 of the 179 hotels that will report. That probably means the number will go into six figures.

 

I suppose we should feel sorry for the hotel owners.

 

[connda]

Back to China to Thailand Zero Baht Tours to prime the pump.  Considering TAT and the hotel industry have told farangs to they are unwanted, cant' depend on that demographic to fill to void.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 <snip>

I suppose we should feel sorry for the hotel owners.

 

 

Why ?  They are all Chinese owned.

[Millcx]

6 hours ago, quadperfect said:

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

Check Points would be a gloss over and would be a joke... There should be systematic MOT style checks along with automatic monthly checks into any water based vehicle dealing with public. But H&S does not have a Thai translation.... This tragedy was a foregone conclusion when the boat was allowed to leave port and head into the monster squalls … How many times I have been turned back (Ordered) by Belfast Coastguard … No such teeth here … Sad....RIP those suckered tourists 

[sambum]

But did I not read the other day that such incidents would not affect Thailand's tourism industry?

The only things to affect it was the coup and the tsunami - murders on Koh Tao and ferry or boat disasters mattered not an iota according to what I read!