Thomas Cook Travel has collapsed with 600,000 travellers abroad and 20,000 jobs at risk. Will this have an impact on Thai tourism either with stranded holiday makers or the loss of potential inbound tourists?

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-23/british-travel-firm-thomas-cook-collapses/11538276

Naw, Thai tourism is collapsing without any help from the outside...

 

Even the Chinese get tired of the dangers in unregulated tourist traps and other Thai tourist related dangers...

 

 

Thomas Cook...whose exchange booths (for want of a better word) in the UK offered tourists about six baht under the proper rate. 

 

Good riddance to thieves. 

 

Rooster

who?

no.  They deserved to go under, they have been rubbish for many years and their management haven't had a clue for all that time, they were still living in the 1980s.  No loss to the travel industry.  

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

who?

One of their founders, I believe, was Captain Cook who discovered Tahiti. 

 

He also discovered your homeland, contrary to Spanish claims. 

 

I got my history degree on Facebook, want one?

 

Rooster

13 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

One of their founders, I believe, was Captain Cook who discovered Tahiti. 

 

He also discovered your homeland, contrary to Spanish claims. 

 

I got my history degree on Facebook, want one?

 

Rooster

you know as an American with UK tribe DNA and as someone who likes to sail I feel a small connection to Captain Cook.  

I even visited the place in Hawaii where he died.

So now it has officially collapsed and the following were given on the BBC as reasons:

 

"Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its problems including political unrest in holiday destinations such as Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking holidays because of Brexit".

 

Great how they manage to blame Brexit and Turkey (and not a word on the value of the pound abroad). 

 

But they need to look on the bright side - with global warming the UK is hotting up nicely, wine from vines in Cornwall (the new Riviera) is gaining recognition and soon it will be completely unnecessary for any Brits to leave their homeland for holidays. 

 

How the world will miss the lager louts...

 

Rooster

3 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

So now it has officially collapsed and the following were given on the BBC as reasons:

 

"Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its problems including political unrest in holiday destinations such as Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking holidays because of Brexit".

 

Great how they manage to blame Brexit and Turkey (and not a word on the value of the pound abroad). 

 

But they need to look on the bright side - with global warming the UK is hotting up nicely, wine from vines in Cornwall (the new Riviera) is gaining recognition and soon it will be completely unnecessary for any Brits to leave their homeland for holidays. 

 

How the world will miss the lager louts...

 

Rooster

Strange that they didn't mention bad management......

(It's not only in Thailand that it is always somebody else's fault).

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

who?

Thomas Cooked aka Thomas Crook

2 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

One of their founders, I believe, was Captain Cook who discovered Tahiti. 

 

He also discovered your homeland, contrary to Spanish claims. 

 

I got my history degree on Facebook, want one?

 

Rooster

Are you suggesting that the Vikings booked their excursions with Thomas Cook?

Possible of course, as there was no Expedia in those days.

2 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Are you suggesting that the Vikings booked their excursions with Thomas Cook?

Possible of course, as there was no Expedia in those days.

I believe they did taking advantage of the company's special page, "Pillage Promotions".

 

Rooster

4 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

I believe they did taking advantage of the company's special page, "Pillage Promotions".

 

Rooster

I think it is called "adventure travel in group".

Here's the ad:

 

 

The days of travel agents are over, even old dinosaurs can book their own trips now.

18 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

Thomas Cook...whose exchange booths (for want of a better word) in the UK offered tourists about six baht under the proper rate. 

 

Good riddance to thieves. 

 

Rooster

A thief usually takes without asking the victim's permission. As far as I know, TCs customers willing use their services.

6 minutes ago, Benmart said:

A thief usually takes without asking the victim's permission. As far as I know, TCs customers willing use their services.

Looks like they've stolen rooms from a lot of hotels, already used the rooms and now they're not paying the bills.

Who cares does it effect you?

Thailand will be affected as buyers of packaged tours will be more wary in the future, wherever they travel.

 

Personally, in all my travels, I've never subscribed to a tour, either for a total trip or a local, daily excursion while on a trip.

Seem to recall Thomas Cook did packaged tours to Thailand (at least to Phuket), not sure how often but there's a direct impact there.

 

From the articles in today's papers it looks like the other budget airlines are capitalizing on their misfortunes by jacking their prices up (quotes of 400% increase from some).

 

 

18 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

One of their founders, I believe, was Captain Cook who discovered Tahiti. 

Captain Cook died in 1779, the Thomas Cook travel company was formed in 1841.   

17 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

So now it has officially collapsed and the following were given on the BBC as reasons:

 

"Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its problems including political unrest in holiday destinations such as Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking holidays because of Brexit".

 

Great how they manage to blame Brexit and Turkey (and not a word on the value of the pound abroad). 

 

But they need to look on the bright side - with global warming the UK is hotting up nicely, wine from vines in Cornwall (the new Riviera) is gaining recognition and soon it will be completely unnecessary for any Brits to leave their homeland for holidays. 

 

How the world will miss the lager louts...

 

Rooster

 

The value of the pound abroad would be a very significant issue to a company with a weak balance sheet and cash flow issues where the bulk of their income is in GBP but has significant outgoings in foreign currencies.

No

1 hour ago, Orac said:

 

The value of the pound abroad would be a very significant issue to a company with a weak balance sheet and cash flow issues where the bulk of their income is in GBP but has significant outgoings in foreign currencies.

Which is where you would have thought hedging would have come in as with any large company.......

Back to the OP's question.

 

Thomas Cook was mainly doing trips to Med in Europe and North Africa and Caribean. So in that respect it does not affect Thai tourism, but of course people are forced to look for alternatives now, so there may be a few coming this way.

 

And to the people claiming a concept like Thomas Cook was obsolete, looking at the numbers that is not the case. E.g. Crete alone received 500,000 bookings yearly, 20,000 people on that island now via TC UK, plus no doubt some from mainland Europe as well.

“Naw, Thai tourism is collapsing without any help from the outside”(thanks to puchaiyank)

+1

1 minute ago, bbbbooboo said:

Naw, Thai tourism is collapsing without any help from the outside

+1

Doom gloom booga booga. The never ending narrative that will continue till the end of time.  And yet the tourists just keep coming in droves and the economy keeps expanding.

sure it will affect Thailand and many other countries because Thomas Cook had made reservations into hotels and clients will not be coming not to mention past bookings into hotels that's haven't been paid, I know a couple hotel managers here in Thailand and Vietnam that are crying out the blues as bills from last year were still not paid, it may also has a direct effect on TAT/TOT tourist arrivals estimates, many people will not be coming

Since I have Never read Thomas Cook Travel and I imagine many others have not even heard of them I'm sure the impact on travel will be zilch. 

19 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

I believe they did taking advantage of the company's special page, "Pillage Promotions".

 

Rooster

Sorry no advantage, we vikings have our own branch – yes Captain Cook tried to take it over, but it's surviving, it even got it's ships, ups airplanes, out of the captain's estate and doing business as usual one day after – we vikings are simply too strong???? to beat, like ancient British history has clearly shown...????