Thailand tourism struggles due to coronavirus outbreak

 

 

Out of almost 40 million tourists in Thailand last year, some 11 million were Chinese. This year, however, many tourist places are quite empty after China decided to suspend tours abroad on Jan 27 in the light of the worsening coronavirus outbreak. Thailand’s Tourism Authority is expecting losses of up to €2.8 billion during the first four months of the year.year, however, many tourist places.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-tourism-struggles-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-02-14

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@all guys they say "nice, less tourists, especially the Chinese ones, make the country so much better":

- Hotel bookings down 50-80%
- Elephant camp bookings down 50-80%
- Car rental business down 50%
- Money exchanges down 40%
- Clothes sales down as much as 90% (they may mean markets)
- Van operators and tour guide services down 70-80%
- Massage parlors down 80-90%

- Restaurants down 80%

(numbers for Chiang Mai)

And who is suffering? The Thais they lose their jobs. 

 

Blame The STRENGTH Of the Thai Baht.......Now Too expensive to Holiday here !!

It is not just the virus keeping tourists away the strong baht (despite weakening marginally) is still a major factor in low tourist numbers , the Government has done and is doing far to little to late to encourage a change in numbers .

 

Despite this there is 28 members from my old golf club in Aus who are coming for their annual Thai golf tournament in Pattaya and most are big spenders/drinkers but this year their money just wont go as far so they might spend a lot less than they would normally .

Edited February 14, 20206 yr by keith101

1 minute ago, CNXexpat said:

And who is suffering? The Thais they lose their jobs. 

before this is over, everyone is going to be suffering.

soon expats will wake up to the fact that you will have to choose which country you want to be in.

because going home will not be a option for at least six months.

 

 

2 minutes ago, keith101 said:

It is not just the virus keeping tourists away the strong baht (despite weakening marginally) is still a major factor in low tourist numbers , the Government has done and is doing far to little to late to encourage a change in numbers .

 

Despite this there is 28 members from my old golf club in Aus who are coming for their annual Thai golf tournament in Pattaya and most are big spenders/drinkers .

That's What I Said ^^^^^^^^^ Keith !!

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

before this is over, everyone is going to be suffering.

soon expats will wake up to the fact that you will have to choose which country you want to be in.

because going home will not be a option for at least six months.

 

 

expat simulates existence of the  a crewman aboard the Sub, in the 'On The Beach' apocalypse movie.

Stay on a boat that has no future, or get off and succumb quickly, to get it over with?

All eggs + basket = struggles

Suspect is gonna be crowded with girls on Nana-hotel parking lot.

17 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Blame The STRENGTH Of the Thai Baht.......Now Too expensive to Holiday here !!

Funny, Chinese don´t complain about the Baht and come in masses (if there is no virus). Only westerns are whining.

Now they found a reason for the few tourists who visit the Land of Whys.

Thailand tourism struggles due to: XENOPHOBIA AND GREED!

Money! It's because of the MONEY!

If the Chinese government is not allowing Chinese people to travel abroad, where are the 3000 per day coming from?

7 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

Funny, Chinese don´t complain about the Baht and come in masses (if there is no virus). Only westerns are whining.

If you pay most of your trip at home in your local currency you won't have to complain about an overinflated currency.

1 minute ago, tropo said:

If the Chinese government is not allowing Chinese people to travel abroad, where are the 3000 per day coming from?

maybe as they consider Thailand/Cambodia as their satellite territory?

28 minutes ago, keith101 said:

 

 

Despite this there is 28 members from my old golf club in Aus who are coming for their annual Thai golf tournament in Pattaya and most are big spenders/drinkers but this year their money just wont go as far so they might spend a lot less than they would normally .

Well, does not make sense.

If they are drinkers/big spenders, golfers on holiday probably 2 week millionares they will suddenly "spend a lot less"? No drinking or golf?

I doubt it I bet they will spend more.

 

 

1 minute ago, Peterbilt said:

If you pay most of your trip at home in your local currency you won't have to complain about an overinflated currency.

1. It doesn´t matter where you pay, the prices are increasing. If you book your hotel from abroad you also pay higher prices. Many European travel companies increased their Euro prices 20%. I guess it´s not different in China but with RMB.

2. In Chiang Mai 85% of the tourists are individual travelers. They spend a lot of money in the city. The market sellers say that Chinese are the people who spend the most money per person. Same I have heard from restaurants: Chinese 800 pp, Westerns 200 pp.

27 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

Funny, Chinese don´t complain about the Baht and come in masses (if there is no virus). Only westerns are whining.

 

They don't pay much. Agencies squeeze the hotels for their bulk bookings. Foreigners don't arrive en masse.

Also those Chinese don't stay for very long.

 

 

Edited February 14, 20206 yr by Eindhoven

look at the hundreds of videos here. yes, some are not related to the virus and are clearly posted as a hoax, but many are not. 
 

https://twitter.com/i/events/1228168141454237698

 

U.S. Northern Command is executing plans to prepare for a potential pandemic of the novel coronavirus, now called COVID19, according to Navy and Marine Corps service-wide messages issued this week.

 

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/02/13/us-military-prepping-for-coronavirus-pandemic/#.XkUajjSbLto.twitter

 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL.N) on Thursday said it had canceled 18 cruises in Southeast Asia

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-royal-carib-crus/royal-caribbean-cancels-18-cruises-warns-coronavirus-hit-to-yearly-profit-idUSKBN207303

 

 

" Thailand tourism struggles due to..... "

 

xenophobia, racism, political instability, the (too) strong baht and a bunch of reaaaaaaaally bad ideas in the past!

13 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

They don't pay much. Agencies squeeze the hotels for their bulk bookings. Foreigners don't arrive en masse.

Also those Chinese don't stay for very long.

 

 

Oh really?! A friend has a restaurant in Chiang Mai. He said Chinese pay 800 pp, farangs 200 Baht pp. The sellers on the markets say that Chinese are the people they spend most pp. And many little massage parlors they are closed now because no Chinese in town pay nothing to agencies because the Chinese are individual travelers. 
Yes, the Chinese stay only a couple of days. Same as Europeans visit Paris, London or Barcelona for a couple of days because these cities are only a few hours away.
 

The lack of Chinese is really showing how the entire infra has been geared towards them in the last few years. I'm seeing hotel broschures, menus, tours etc only being offered in Chinese. All empty as the bowels after a heavy dose of Delhi belly. 

 

That is the reason it will not recover fast. Thais would have to demolish what they have been building since 2014. Somnam-selfdeleted-naa.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand tourism struggles due to

.... Ridiculous and unnecessary requirement of tourists to breath.

1 hour ago, CNXexpat said:

Funny, Chinese don´t complain about the Baht and come in masses (if there is no virus). Only westerns are whining.

Yes it is funny because most Chinese barely spend anything of a package tour. Whereas westerners buy what they need daily.

What Thai business people do not understand is that business goes in cycles sometimes up and sometimes down. If they have the TAT view; business ( $$) always climbing they will lose. I have explained this to my wife whose business was in boom times 18 months ago; BANK,BANK all the cash you can for the days business is bad, and that has been the case for the last 6 months. Did she take my advice; answer when did Thai listen to farang?

21 minutes ago, legend49 said:

Yes it is funny because most Chinese barely spend anything of a package tour. Whereas westerners buy what they need daily.

That´s so wrong! 85% of Chinese in Chiang Mai are individual travelers and they spend a lot. Opposite western tourists they never sleep in dorms and a friend with a restaurant says that they spend 800 Baht per person in his restaurant - westerns 200 Baht. But perhaps you are from Pattaya where are many Chinese group tour tourists.

Thai tourism was struggling before the Carona Virus outbreak, then it was blamed on Brexit and the Thai Bhat that was too strong, Carona virus just added fuel to an already burning fire, now no one is blaming it on Brexit or Strong Bhat, now all the blame is on the missing Chinese who in any way stopped coming BEFORE carona virus.

 

Now i see headlines how tourist operators are benefiting from the forgotten European market, that is now seen as welcoming.

 

Thailand should stop blaming everything and everyone else and start treating all tourist equally and with respect, placing all there eggs in one basket is now the cause of the problem. 

2 hours ago, tropo said:

If the Chinese government is not allowing Chinese people to travel abroad, where are the 3000 per day coming from?

They only banned tour groups, not independent travellers.

Seems like a lot of posters here think that all Chinese tourists are on group tours. Maybe it's because that segment is so easy to recognise.

 

But it's not the case. If you go to most 4-5 star hotels or high-end serviced apartments in Bangkok and the biggest single nationality would easily be Chinese. They are mostly relatively young, English speaking and look like fairly sophisticated travelers. This sector don't stick out from other independent Asian tourists and they have money to spend.

... spending like as if there is No Tomorrow... 

 - which describes the situation if they ever surrender freedom and return home