Thailand’s Tourism Council reports ZERO bookings following coronavirus outbreak

[Nanaplaza666]

5 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

 

I reckon an economic crash is now inevitable here. 

 

Save your cash as there will be loads of vehicles, apartments and houses up for sale in the near future.

 

Not to mention higher crime rates.

 

It's going to get messy.

People that still need to safe their cash to buy the cheap condo's and cars and whatever that is coming ,don't have enough cash to sing that one out . To profit from this you must have a stash of cash already, so you can buy and put it on hold for however long it takes before the prices go up again .

[ftpjtm]

1 minute ago, yogi100 said:

I used to get the ME O visa and visit Pattaya 2 or 3 times a year for 80 - 90 days each time and spend around 200,000 baht each time.

 

I can't get that visa any more and I'm not prepared to get a retirement or an Elite Visa so I'll be spending a lot less time in Pattaya in future and of course a lot less money. A couple of my friends who used the same visa process as myself will be doing likewise.

 

There must be tens of thousands of retired and semi retired falangs who work as taxi drivers, building workers or in seasonal occupations not to mention the North American, Scandinavian and Russian snowbirds who'll look elsewhere for their winter getaways because of these new visa regulations.

 

That's without those who may not want to risk being turned away at the airport because they are told they "come too much" by some IO on a power trip who got out of the wrong side of the bed that morning.

 

I don't think this virus scare will last all that long but it definitely won't help matters as far as the Thais who get their living from tourism are concerned.

Similar situation for me, and people like us draw other western tourists who we host when we're here (but not when we're not).

[Millcx]

5 hours ago, thequietman said:

Dry your eyes. 

Exactly and the tourism was gonna be bad anyway .. Thai baht guarantees Europeans head to Vietnam or Cambodia .. Thailand is as expensive as Ireland ... Chinese and Indians were never gonna save you ... Wise up or suffer for your greed

[Mikeasq60]

Ill be in Thailand on the 8th, it looks like bargains galore. Im not buying the hype associated with this virus. Normal precautions!

[Chongalulu]

5 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

let me put some heat rub under one eye to see if I can get a tear. 

There’s one 'eye' you certainly don’t want it!

[alzack]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

So does Thailand agree with the measures China is taking to protect other countries or not ?

All will be well The Thai Government ((read army) have said all will be well don't worry

[NemoH]

You mean they think China and corona virus are the problem? Look at the crazy overpriced Baht. Look at the Bangkok hotel buffets and drinks, look at the food prices, the restaurants !!! They are all over priced and priced like Singapore and Hong Kong. Imagine a Christmas buffet at a nice hotel for 3000 to 5000 per person. How can a decent family of 4 eat ? What about the ridiculous international schools - even more expensive then HK EFS schools and more expensive that decent singapore or Australian schools.

 

Truth is BANGKOK is overpriced. 
Sooner or later the Chinese will find out that the have been rip off. 
Thailand no longer have nice beaches- look at Vietnam- wow. 

[Cake Monster]

If the Tourism Industry thinks its bad now, wait a few more weeks.

This Virus is going to hang around for a while yet, and it will really have a devastating outcome to the Thai Tourist Sector.

Also the Thais cannot expect for the Tourist Industry to ever recover to the level it was at before this Corona Virus Outbreak.

Anything from 1 year to 3 years methinks to get back 60% of the market, and then only if the Chinese do not visit in the vast numbers that they have been. Many Tourists are actually put off from a Holiday Destination when they hear its full of Chinese people.

[Burma Bill]

Quote:-

 

"the industry has been left decimated"

 

So have the pockets of the rich hoteliers!!

[Straight8]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Hmm strange statistic

“Hotels with 700-800 rooms which would normally be full at this time of year now have zero bookings”,

I am currently staying at a 130 plus rooms, four star hotel on KPN.

One third full when I arrived a couple of days ago and totally full today.

Maybe people just do not like hotels with 700 - 800 rooms? I certainly would never stay in one that large.

You really should go out and enjoy yourself whilst on holidays instead of counting guess checking in from the lobby lounge.

[Straight8]

2 hours ago, iaminwa said:

I am an IHG Gold Member - Holiday Inn group.

 

I just logged in and checked out prices to stay at Holiday Inn on Beach Road Pattaya this weekend.

 

Cheapest room - 3000 Baht a night plus taxes!!! They have got to be kidding.

 

<deleted>

Thai economics 101 in full swing, if you didn't believe it, now you do!!!

[sambum]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

The scowls and frowns and sometimes the interrogations us falangs receive on arrival at BKK Airport tell us all we need to know.

 

Just like a picture a scowl or a frown and sometimes a gesture can be worth a thousand words.

Yes, "The Land of Smiles" is now a misnomer, and unfortunately this surly attitude seems to be working its way downwards from the people in authority.

 

Even the staff at supermarkets like Macro and Tesco seem to be infected with the same virus, whereas at one time I used to comment on their helpfulness compared to the UK shop workers. "No have" (with a shrug of the shoulders and no smile!)  seems to be a pretty standard reply these days, and "Khob Khun Khap" is for the most part just ignored! In contrast, to be fair, the staff at 711 seem to have had better training in "Customer Relations". 

 

If the people in authority treat "farangs" with contempt, then the "average" Thais will follow suit because as every Thai knows, a man in a uniform is ALWAYS right!  

Edited February 6, 2020 by sambum

[joecoolfrog]

5 hours ago, madmitch said:

Well, that's no surprise because at that time Chinese tourism was a minor part of the industry.

 

I would disagree that the effect of this is worse than the tsunami, well in Phuket anyway. Karon Beach was packed yesterday afternoon; post-tsunami you'd see a few washed up flip-flops, some broken beach furniture, half a dozen tourists and a couple of beach dogs.

And my mate Bill

[rossco1]

Problem is 

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by rossco1
no reason

[Pedrogaz]

Lot of schadenfreude in the comments. If you feel this way, why are you still here?

[uncleeagle]

Pity they drove me out as a long stay white person, because I probably spent the equivalent of quite a few coach loads of chinese and Indians who in truth don't stay long and don't spend much even on a daily basis. More and more time wasting nastiness, hostility and petty minded stupidity from immigration until I decided id had enough and that there would be no more bothering with visa extensions and no point in the risks of more than a couple of visa exempt entries. Time to move on and spend my money elsewhere. And Im not the only one. Thailand, you reap what you sow. Som nom na.

Edited February 6, 2020 by uncleeagle

[BRUFC]

5 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

I don't.

 

 

I think it's yet another example of inconsistency between Immigration Offices. I specifically asked whether they needed me to do a 24 hour report when returning home if I spent 24 hours (overnight if you like) in another province. The answer was a definitive YES. Saraburi I.O.

[moe666]

The unfortunate thing about this will be many hard working Thais who are paid 10,000b a month will be out of jobs to support their families. This is really a very bad situation for these people, hope the government will help them out

[Torrens54]

So....”WELCOME BACK FILTHY FERANG”?
Maybe even Exiled Aliens ( No longer favoured ExPats ) will be welcomed back ?

Maybe the damage has been done and those much maligned FERANG have found more Welcoming places where they are NOT RIPPED OFF ? 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Going back to the fields and rice paddies may not work this time around. With the drought and with ground water in short supply, there may not be too many fields under cultivation to go back to. Mechanization of many farming operations has also cut down on the demand for farm labor. This year's harvest was pretty bleak. Nobody has any money. Prodigal sons and daughters who decide to ride out the storm back in their home village might not be receiving as warm a welcome as they anticipate.

 

Instead of mama greeting them at the front door with a big plate of fried chicken and som tam, workers returning to their villages could be confronted with the unpleasant news that grand mama's diaper needs changing. Dinner for anyone not willing to pull their weight might be vegetarian khao tom. And if the epidemic takes off in rural Thailand, outsiders, especially those working in the tourist sector, might get a chilly reception when they return home.

 

The potential for serious economic hardship has got to be worrying for the government.

 

 

Agreed. I live out in the country surrounded by fields, and no-one, no-one is growing anything at all. And where I am there is still another three months to go before rain is expected. I've read once or twice that not much rain is expected this year too, but I don't know how accurate that is. Together with the drop in tourists, this country is going to hit rock bottom soon.

[FarFlungFalang]

9 minutes ago, BRUFC said:

I think it's yet another example of inconsistency between Immigration Offices. I specifically asked whether they needed me to do a 24 hour report when returning home if I spent 24 hours (overnight if you like) in another province. The answer was a definitive YES. Saraburi I.O.

Did you ask what happens if you don't?

[newnative]

    "Zero bookings".  Totally misleading headline.  Fewer bookings?  Likely.  Zero bookings?  Rubbish.  

[sawadee1947]

Good NEWS, though it's a hard way of learning!!! ????

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and a post using inappropriate language has been removed. 

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

The tourism industry is teetering on the edge of a tragic drop, and has already been devastated by this highly destructive administration. All it needs now is a spread of this virus. It could crush millions of families dependent on tourism. Why take a chance? Who can trust the Thai authorities, and what they say? Why trust them? What have they done to earn that trust?

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. Some of your officials even went as far as saying we prefer to have tourists that look more like us! And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

Dont remember any of that.

 

I remember some IO getting sniffy about people extracting the urine and living here on tourist visas and education visas without going to any lessons. I remember some IO getting fired up about people not leaving when their visa was up and not doing anything about it. I remember some RTP getting annoyed at western drug runners and people traffickers. Some other RTP working with Interpol and outing wanted westerners. Routine stuff like that.

 

I guess it matters which 'we' you're speaking on behalf of. Certainly not me, and you're still here, right?

 

Y'know, sticks and stones?

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, iaminwa said:

I am an IHG Gold Member - Holiday Inn group.

 

I just logged in and checked out prices to stay at Holiday Inn on Beach Road Pattaya this weekend.

 

Cheapest room - 3000 Baht a night plus taxes!!! They have got to be kidding.

 

<deleted>

Well it is much nicer without the Chinese, makes sense prices go up.

[BRUFC]

12 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

Did you ask what happens if you don't?

No I didn't. My next 90 day report is due this month I'll try to remember to ask and will post the reply.

[Elzear]

Living in Thailand’s outback I don’t yet see any particular impact from that virus. The economic impact has been there for quite a while as far as the farmers are concerned. You don’t see no Chinese tourists out here (Bueng Kan province).

What I am concerned with are the border controls with neighbouring countries.. inexistant, all eyes are turned towards BKK Pattaya and Phuket .. 

 

[Traubert]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

The scowls and frowns and sometimes the interrogations us falangs receive on arrival at BKK Airport tell us all we need to know.

 

Just like a picture a scowl or a frown and sometimes a gesture can be worth a thousand words.

Ah, the scowls and frowns.....yeah...why can't they put a coat hanger in their mouths and those questions! 'Why have you been here eight months out of the last nine on a tourist visa?' How dare they!!

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

How does a person's level of education enter the equation?

 

Seems quite common when anybody on here is talking about the Thais.......

[SteveK]

34 minutes ago, Torrens54 said:

So....”WELCOME BACK FILTHY FERANG”?

No no no. Because of the concept of "saving face" which seems to control almost everything in Thailand, they won't make an about turn on previous decisions because they will lose face or be made to look stupid. Hence they won't welcome back the farangs, they will find another excuse, another thing to pin their hopes on, anything but admit that they were wrong. Even if that means damaging the country's economy further. Then they'll pat themselves on the back and say what a good job they did handling this crisis.

 

Saving face is holding the country back and has a lot to answer for. If they immediately scrapped TM30, 90-day reporting, and allowed as many tourist visits as you want per year, then that would have a quick impact and be a good first step to recovering from this crisis. Will that happen? Not in a million years. Thai logic (oxymoron if ever there was one) is incomprehensible.

 

Admitting when you were wrong isn't just the decent thing to do, it allows you to make changes and progress and improve the country. But they'd rather cut off their nose to spite their face than ever do so.

Edited February 6, 2020 by SteveK