Impact from coronavirus outbreak leaves Pattaya deserted

[bert bloggs]

we were in town yesterday , was not deserted ,but not all that busy  either ,mind you so many Brits not coming because of the high baht and now the virus ,two very big spenders ,just said not coming in March , one friend who is a bar hopper not coming Baht to high ,my family not coming same thing ,a friend just gone home usually here 1 month ,stayed only two weeks ,.

[sahibji]

there are lessons to be learnt from any event but certain advice is time pretty valid. we have been advised not to put all the eggs in one basket. yet some hotels choose to narrow their markets to certain limited avenues, then they have now to rethink in terms of diversification - markets and thereby different clientele.

[sahibji]

20 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

we were in town yesterday , was not deserted ,but not all that busy  either ,mind you so many Brits not coming because of the high baht and now the virus ,two very big spenders ,just said not coming in March , one friend who is a bar hopper not coming Baht to high ,my family not coming same thing ,a friend just gone home usually here 1 month ,stayed only two weeks ,.

please give some views about the bad publicity in pattaya - robbing and abuse by ladyboys, cruel attacks on foreigners (often by many against one) the ruthless tuk tuks and taxis (not all but certainly a fair number)

[peter14]

Not going to send my money in Thailand  whe  you dont feel welcome.... am happy in KL ... lovely place    

[sahibji]

1 hour ago, legend49 said:

Whats normal?

some of the properties might have gone down the right path by catering to a wider spectrum of tourists ( in terms of nationality)

rather being dependent on only a single nationality.

[Parsve]

28 minutes ago, sahibji said:

please give some views about the bad publicity in pattaya - robbing and abuse by ladyboys, cruel attacks on foreigners (often by many against one) the ruthless tuk tuks and taxis (not all but certainly a fair number)

I have been in Pattaya for several times the last five years, even if I live up in the north, but I have never seen any tuk tuk in Pattaya. Are you sure you know what you are talking about?

[rocketdave]

I live in Pattaya, There's no Chinese that's true but also there's no massive queue of tour buses, no streams of idiots walking across Beach Road, you can get into a 7/11 and Family Mart! All the previous was paid for (at a discount) in China. None of the bars, restaurants (not on the tour list) have noticed any non seasonal downturn. The millionaire Indians don't spend anything anyway so who's left to put money over the counter?

[emptypockets]

4 hours ago, baansgr said:

Your joking, its now like a lovely seaside resort without those freaking tour buses everywhere...hope the Asians never come back

Have all the Thais left Jomtien??

[emptypockets]

4 hours ago, yogavnture said:

Bikini clad thai women on the street and the tourist will come back

Don't recall ever seeing a bikini clad Thai woman walking down any street apart from in the red light areas, and that was probably a ladyboy.

[justin case]

time to raise the prices for the few customers left, THAIS STYLE economics

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Flugg said:

When you get abandoned by your money messiah from one day to the next, you might rethink the choices you made. Or not.

Making, beds and lying in them springs to mind.

Shame that I'm not in Thailand as I'd certainly be going for a visit that would last till the Chinese hordes return.

Amuses me when they talk about bars and Thais, Indians in the same article. Are they so dumb that they don't realise that Thais and Indians do not frequent farang bar beers?

If the bars are empty ( and they've been empty for a decade or longer ) it's not because of the virus, but because Pattaya is no longer a good deal for farangs.

[Mac98]

Went to.Mike Arcade. Half the stalls empty, 2nd Road entry area cleared out, real discounts on product. Near noon and many shops around there shuttered.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, peter14 said:

Not going to send my money in Thailand  whe  you dont feel welcome.... am happy in KL ... lovely place    

How many Gogos in KL?

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, sahibji said:

some of the properties might have gone down the right path by catering to a wider spectrum of tourists ( in terms of nationality)

rather being dependent on only a single nationality.

Being realistic, how many customers would stay in an hotel mainly occupied by an ethnic group they were not part of? 

[Swedenlars]

Actually I'm a bit confused. So far I always had the impression TAT is not telling us the truth about tourist arrivals. But now I have the impression we do same same thing as well. Like the headline of this article says:

Impact from coronavirus outbreak leaves Pattaya deserted

But members in the forum are telling us not true at all and others say maybe. As I'm not in Pattaya for the time being  I don't know who is right or wrong. But even if I would be, who knows the exact figures ? I guess nobody. Oops Sorry TAT, you know of course.

 

 

[robsamui]

" . . . some had closed down completely for a month. Others had laid off staff for half a month."

• There are 1.2 thousand million people in China - 1.2 billion. Three times more than North America in a similar-size landmass.
• There is no vaccine for the N-Cov virus.
• It takes only a few hours for a person to become infected and the symptoms don't show for several weeks.
• It takes at least a month to diagnose, treat and cure an infected patient.
• That's a total of at least 6 weeks for each infected person to become cured or die.
• Meanwhile others are infected but not showing signs of it.
• Already China has isolated and virtually imprisoned 70 million people in their homes and cities - the same population as the whole of Thailand - and still the virus continues to spread.
• Anyone who thinks that everything will be back to 'normal' in one month, or two months, must have an IQ similar to a shoe size.
• Except for the government and administration of one particular nation, which has proved it self time and time again to have the collective IQ of a small Asian person's shoe size.
• Thailand should count itself fortunate if, by the end of this year, 'things' (ie, the number of Chinese tourists) have returned back to even where they were three or four years ago: always assuming that the goalposts don't get moved drastically in the interim. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by robsamui

[gk10002000]

8 hours ago, yogavnture said:

Bikini clad thai women on the street and the tourist will come back

sadly, as I found out after my first trip, the idea of thai girls and bikinis and warn water beaches just doesn't happen all that much. This is not like Florida USA beaches or some other countries that have beaches and girls actually go there. Thais avoid the beaches, sun, etc. 

[orchidfan]

1 hour ago, robsamui said:

" . . . some had closed down completely for a month. Others had laid off staff for half a month."

• There are 1.2 thousand million people in China - 1.2 billion. Three times more than North America in a similar-size landmass.
• There is no vaccine for the N-Cov virus.
• It takes only a few hours for a person to become infected and the symptoms don't show for several weeks.
• It takes at least a month to diagnose, treat and cure an infected patient.
• That's a total of at least 6 weeks for each infected person to become cured or die.
• Meanwhile others are infected but not showing signs of it.
• Already China has isolated and virtually imprisoned 70 million people in their homes and cities - the same population as the whole of Thailand - and still the virus continues to spread.
• Anyone who thinks that everything will be back to 'normal' in one month, or two months, must have an IQ similar to a shoe size.
• Except for the government and administration of one particular nation, which has proved it self time and time again to have the collective IQ of a small Asian person's shoe size.
• Thailand should count itself fortunate if, by the end of this year, 'things' (ie, the number of Chinese tourists) have returned back to even where they were three or four years ago: always assuming that the goalposts don't get moved drastically in the interim. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last stats were more than 1.4 billion people in China.  This would not could itinerant migrant workers.

[tomauasia]

Wrong headline 

Impact of government incompetence leaves Thailand on its knees.

[Edwin Cameron]

BOO-HOO..!

[anicon]

16 hours ago, thequietman said:

 

..right, like who is going to do anything that will cost them money they can't afford to part with now, not knowing how long this lock down in China will last.. if things normalize by Nov. can they wait that long to expend the costs of any major repairs now.. those that do have reserve cash for emergencies should be able to find labor at a discount for any major renovations..  on a side note I haven't seen or read any news lately about the HK protests, seems like this virus has solved that problem for China for now..

[RoadWarrior371]

14 hours ago, sahibji said:

please give some views about the bad publicity in pattaya - robbing and abuse by ladyboys, cruel attacks on foreigners (often by many against one) the ruthless tuk tuks and taxis (not all but certainly a fair number)

Sounds really scary, I almost wet myself when I saw my own shadow in Pattaya.   Abuse by ladyboy?  They usually charge big for that, so consider yourself lucky you got a freebee.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2020 by RoadWarrior371

[mikebell]

9 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

yeah, it would be so nice if they would clean and disinfect those air con filters.  Such an easy thing to do and could be done regularly.  I have always been dismayed all the times I stayed in Pattaya, and just saw the same lack of simple work things done as you mentioned.  Paint the hallways, paint a few rooms now and then.  The hotels were not full. 

Paint is unnecessarily expensive in Thailand because of the cartels that are allowed to exist.

[baansgr]

17 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

Yes, it would be a great country if not for the Asians????

Just the ones that come for tours in dirty stinking buses or get the boats to Koh Learn....seriously, the difference its made to Jomtien..not so much noise from the boat pulling tractors, no black smoke blowing up your nose everyday...it really is a pleasant place again...

[spidermike007]

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. This drop 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!

 

I think that even when the corona situation is contained, Thailand will suffer long term consequences from this. And in some ways they deserve that. I do feel for the Thai masses, who will be harmed greatly by this. But, in some ways they asked for it, by allowing the hapless army to assume this much control over the nation. That was a historical mistake, and we are just beginning to see the hazards of allowing incompetent fools, to helm the ship. 

[Rimmer]

Some off topic posts and replies removed

[JustAnotherHun]

Deserted Pattaya yesterday:

 

1 pm at the Central. Fuji packed, (short) wating list. Sizzler well visited, around 70% of their tables. Central Food Store queues at the counters as usual.

 

8 pm on Nalua rd. Fussili Italian restaurant. Outside 12 tables, 10 occupied. Inside packed. Bon Cafe terasse quite full, inside empty. Mai Thai outside no table available.

 

No tour busses, no traffic jam, no Chinese. I like the "deserted" Pattaya.

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Great... off to check later!

Couldn't get into one place on Walking St last night.... 'Full.... Please come back later'..... the girls are missing their Asians in many places though... it's great!

[yogi100]

20 hours ago, legend49 said:

Whats normal?

The same as it usually is.

[yogi100]

18 hours ago, sahibji said:

please give some views about the bad publicity in pattaya - robbing and abuse by ladyboys, cruel attacks on foreigners (often by many against one) the ruthless tuk tuks and taxis (not all but certainly a fair number)

It's safer in the streets of Pattaya than in many cities of Europe and the USA. There are no tuk tuks in Pattaya and the baht buses and taxis provide a safe and efficient service.

 

The problems are the high baht and the visa issues for those that want to stay more than 30 days like the European and North American snow birds. The Corona virus threat is only temporary.