Chiang Mai reels under impact of new coronavirus as tourists stay away

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, crabbie2020 said:

FANTASTIC NEWS!

 

MAYBE THE THAIS WILL APPRECIATE US FALANG NOW!!!!

Never have, never will

[spidermike007]

One has to hope the army will take the heat for alot of this. Tourism of the quality varietal had already been dropping precipitously. Now? Unprepared, ill equipped, incompetent and non visionary. That sums them up. Despised by most also sums them up. 

[GarryP]

3 hours ago, crabbie2020 said:

FANTASTIC NEWS!

 

MAYBE THE THAIS WILL APPRECIATE US FALANG NOW!!!!

And then he woke up.

[legend49]

The top photo is CNX  domestic waiting area at the airport, add to it the International waiting area; both are disgusting the carpet is never cleaned its past that now , throw it out get AOT to start fixing all these areas. I cant believe in my outgoing trips Internationally, no where to sit the Chinese now lie on the seats to sleep as the floor/carpet is like a garbage tip. Are the 2 body scanners installed over 18 months ago commissioned yet or still white elephants. Now there is few Chinese the  6 Immigration departure desks can be resigned; 4 lanes were for Asians only. If you want to attract tourists what is the first thing they see on arrival?  Let them see a reasonable cared airport; if its a quiet time AOT has  plenty of time to fix minor issues. As for the car park thats a total laugh, you cannot upscale number of passengers 10 times and retain the same number of parking spaces.

[nobodysfriend]

15 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Was out and about today.

Just my imagination maybe, but people seemed friendlier and more willing to provide service.  Walked into a restaurant I have never seen before and the manager gave me a tour and his business card.  The place was empty.  Even had a friendly conversation at a coffee place with the barista. Got a foot massage very friendly they did request I put my mask on.  No problem.

Definitely slow out there less traffic and malls I would say 1/5th their normal crowds.

Less tourists = less stress for the workers in the tourist business = more time to take care of each individual .

Good for everybody who stays here , but less money for businesses of course .

[RichardColeman]

18 hours ago, Nakmuay887 said:

Better buckle up. Many reports say the virus won't even peak for another 3 months. 

3 ? Word is that the vaccine wont hit for 18 months 

[yogi100]

18 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I love it. So quiet and less congested for once. You get sick of seeing and having to watch your step with a million Chinese running around.

Don't hold your breath, it won't last long.

 

They'll be back with a vengeance once the travel restrictions are relaxed.

[Guest]

pity it did not stop the koreans coming to isaan to play golf

[Dustdevil]

19 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Tourism was going down before the sh#t hit the fan

I know one thing, at least from the ChinaCupid dating website--not one among hundreds of Chinese women want to LIVE in Chiang Mai or anywhere in Thailand--and that was a year ago. They would like to live in the West, though, because they know the quality of life is better. Fancy skyscrapers and fast trains don't make a unicorn utopia.

Edited February 13, 2020 by Dustdevil

[sammieuk1]

Kad Farang was very quiet last night hand sanitizer in McDonald's but no masks to buy anywhere could have got a dose of the Wuhan looking for one how ironic????

[dingdongrb]

The best news I have read in along time!

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, legend49 said:

The top photo is CNX  domestic waiting area at the airport, add to it the International waiting area; both are disgusting the carpet is never cleaned its past that now , throw it out get AOT to start fixing all these areas. I cant believe in my outgoing trips Internationally, no where to sit the Chinese now lie on the seats to sleep as the floor/carpet is like a garbage tip. Are the 2 body scanners installed over 18 months ago commissioned yet or still white elephants. Now there is few Chinese the  6 Immigration departure desks can be resigned; 4 lanes were for Asians only. If you want to attract tourists what is the first thing they see on arrival?  Let them see a reasonable cared airport; if its a quiet time AOT has  plenty of time to fix minor issues. As for the car park thats a total laugh, you cannot upscale number of passengers 10 times and retain the same number of parking spaces.

Airport parking in C M has always been atrocious. If it was owned by private enterprise would have a huge multi story parking building. 

I never found Thai bureaucrats to be any better than bureaucrats in other countries. Always a bunch of people unable to think outside the box, wherever they are.

Douglas Adams had the right idea.

 

Re tourism in C M, perhaps people just woke up and realised that C M is a dirty, congested, unattractive and polluted <deleted> with rip off public transport. I went on a few tours in the C M area and all of them were awful rip offs, except for the night safari, which could have been better. I lived there instead of Pattaya because it was cheaper. I should have paid the extra for Pattaya which at least has a night life, unlike the travesty in C M.

[dingdongrb]

4 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Kad Farang was very quiet last night hand sanitizer in McDonald's but no masks to buy anywhere could have got a dose of the Wuhan looking for one how ironic????

Do masks really help when the majority don't wash their hands after going to the restroom? 

[sammieuk1]

6 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

Do masks really help when the majority don't wash their hands after going to the restroom? 

Its a fashion thing and the minister told me to wear one but not how to find one????

[saminoz]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

And everyone else stopped coming because the the extreme air pollution.

That's it!  Thailand is the home of extreme tourism.

Extreme pollution.

Extreme yellow peril

Extreme road dangers

Extreme rudeness

Extreme price gouging

etc.

etc.etc.

Extremely!

[saminoz]

19 hours ago, Kelsall said:

I saw lots of Chinese tourists in Cm during the flower festival which ended Monday.  Hopefully they're all gone now.

They were probably allergic to the pollen!

Edited February 13, 2020 by saminoz

[yogi100]

19 hours ago, crabbie2020 said:

FANTASTIC NEWS!

 

MAYBE THE THAIS WILL APPRECIATE US FALANG NOW!!!!

The people who work in the bars, hotels, guest houses and cafes of places like Pattaya really do appreciate us and always have done, they hate their govt. They represent the real Thai people. Anutin & Co don't.

 

Government ministers like Anutin are in the pockets of the Yuan and Bhat merchants who in turn are in the pockets of big Chinese/Thai business interests. They don't give two hoots about the livelihoods of Lek or Somchai Bloggs.

[TKDfella]

Ha, I don't want to post something that might be classed as 'scaremongering' but yesterday I read an article by the Chairman of the Hong Kong Health Committee (via the Guardian Newspaper but I actually read it in a journal)). He said that this virus could infect 60% of the world's population and kill about 50 million people, that is, if it isn't halted. The 60% part isn't that bad because many might get infected and not know it as the symptoms might be mild and not be much of a problem. But killing 50 million...that's quite another 'kettle of fish' as they say. 'Stop the world I want to get off' might be appropriate here.

Edited February 13, 2020 by TKDfella

[moe666]

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Good. I'm coming back in a week, and the fewer plague carriers around, the better for me.

I was out and about last night we went to a local sushi bar, we had some food drank a few beers the place was full with some Thais and farangs. We then went to a local bar on the south side of the moat there was 6 of us  there and a couple other people , it was too early for the heavy hitters. There are some chinese about in chaing mai but defiantly way down in numbers. Your stay should be just fine

[yogi100]

32 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

I know one thing, at least from the ChinaCupid dating website--not one among hundreds of Chinese women want to LIVE in Chiang Mai or anywhere in Thailand--and that was a year ago. They would like to live in the West, though, because they know the quality of life is better. Fancy skyscrapers and fast trains don't make a unicorn utopia.

Back in the 1990s in London a pal of mine called Roy used to go on the lonely hearts club columns in the newspapers, there was no internet then. He was always a bit of a loner when it came to seeking out women.

 

He used to like Oriental women and went out with quite a few Chinese girls who lived in London probably from places like Singapore or Hong Kong. Native Chinese people did not travel much then. As time went on he moved away and I lost touch with him.

 

Around 10 years later I'm having a drink in an open bar in Pattaya and who goes wandering by but my old pal Roy! When we got over our surprise at bumping into each other 6,000 miles from home, we caught up on the gossip and what had become of mutual friends and Roy duly proceeded on his way.

 

Over the years he'd obviously never lost his fascination for and attraction to Oriental girls nor his lone wolf method of finding them. Back then few people knew anything about Chiang Mai. Most tourists stuck to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.

[Guderian]

If the Thail government actually cared a jot about its own people and all the tourists from other countries that visit here, there wouldn't just be a sharp decline in Chinese tourist numbers, there would be none allowed to come here at all!

[Thomas Hannah]

20 hours ago, crabbie2020 said:

FANTASTIC NEWS!

 

MAYBE THE THAIS WILL APPRECIATE US FALANG NOW!!!!

Thai,s dislike farangs.The new king hates us.Also the word farang comes from the french.Thais have problem with there r,s,they have money now.Think they dont need farangs money anymore.

[Brickbat]

hopefully it ain’t like a tsunami where it recedes , then floods. That’s if this virus does not wreck havoc on the world economies. Even with bushfires , floods and this virus resulting in an Aussie ban on all China inbound tourists, the Aussie stock market is going gang busters. Like it’s big godfather, the Dow.

[mickey rat]

20 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

I live in Chiang Mai and have not seen it this quiet in 10 years.  I love it!

Now you can have all that unhealthy breathing air and pollution all to yourself. You lucky rascal. ????

[Iron Tongue]

Have the backpackers decreased as well in CM?

[SiSePuede419]

Bye bye 80B cappuccino and 80B cakes at expensive Farang friendly coffee shops.

 

Hello...Buriram. 

 

Wait.  Where?!?!?

 

Bye bye, Bangkok and Bali: why it’s time to try somewhere new in Asia

 

"Forget calling into the most obvious and often overcrowded ports, in favour of those that fly under the radar.  Instead of the Thai capital, try Buriram, or swap Indonesia’s most inundated island for another of its more than 17,000 others"

 

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by SiSePuede419

[emptypockets]

21 hours ago, cmsally said:

What could possibly go wrong if you rely on only one nationality for the majority of your customer base ??!!

This forum seems to.

[wealthychef]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

“Chiang Mai used to be highly popular among Chinese tourists, but this year only a few of them can be seen at tourist attractions as well as at Chiang Mai International Airport,” said a source.

 

Great time to visit Chiang Mai!  Fewer tourists taking selfies and littering and pushing and doing stupid things all day.  

 

[wealthychef]

21 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Bye bye 80B cappuccino and 80B cakes at expensive Farang friendly coffee shops.

 

Hello...Buriram. 

 

Wait.  Where?!?!?

 

Bye bye, Bangkok and Bali: why it’s time to try somewhere new in Asia

 

"Forget calling into the most obvious and often overcrowded ports, in favour of those that fly under the radar.  Instead of the Thai capital, try Buriram, or swap Indonesia’s most inundated island for another of its more than 17,000 others"

 

 

 

Byebye crabby geezers with a 1970's outlook on the world and an imperialist mindset, hopefully.  Yes, go move to an island where I don't have to deal with your lack of self awareness.  LOL  

 

[Vacuum]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

And everyone else stopped coming because the the extreme air pollution.

Yes, that's a bonus.