Pattaya and the virus: Boat operations obliterated with possible mass layoffs to follow

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Influential media Thai Rath went to Pattaya to explore the effects of the coronavirus Covid-19 at the resort.

 

They concentrated their visit on the boat operators who cater exclusively to the Chinese market.

 

Chief of the large NPE company Natthapong Manasom said there was not a single tourist for the boat operators.

 

Agents in China originally called for a month of cancellations at the end of January but this has since been extended to a full three months.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Some staff have already been laid off though one month salaries were paid in full. Others have gone back to their home provinces to seek alternative employment.

 

In the second month salaries for staff remaining to do maintenance would be cut.

 

If the situation does not show improvement after three months Natthapong predicted mass layoffs in the industry.

 

Thai Rath published pictures of Pattaya with just some European looking people in attendance.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

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They concentrated their visit on the boat operators who cater exclusively to the Chinese market.

 

That's the relevant part of the story. Non chinese related business runs as usual.

Not to worry!

Wasn't it TAT who recently said that everything will return to normal in April.

Be an opportunist Natthapong Manasom. This is a great time to do lots of maintenance in order to run a safe, reliable operation when the hordes return in April.

They could do like Singapore is doing to help their tour guides and others affected by the virus:

 

Singapore government is offering to retrain tour guides in subjects like web design and digital marketing, they will pay S$1000 a month for the three months course plus a further S$600 when they finish. 

 

Helps the people and gets them away from this dependence on tourism

Sat on the beach 12 till 4 Monday and saw two boats in and out. Not even full. 

It's gonna get a lot worse before.it gets better.

So the underemployed are doing maintenance? Will this result in an increase in reliability on the boats?

In the event of the tourist hoards returning, will the operators of these vessels be more discerning in their employment of potential staff? Or will a strong back and a heartbeat be the main qualification?

1 hour ago, JustAnotherHun said:

 

 

 

That's the relevant part of the story. Non chinese related business runs as usual.

For how long though? The Chinese tourist has been the bread AND the butter of Thailand's economy. Beyond the likelihood of Pattaya and other tourist destinations becoming ghost towns, the impact of this pandemic-in-the-making when it finally is officially declared as such is going to be devastating globally and not just  in this parochial foreign backwater we chose to live in.

There was an article the other day saying that the tourism is booming in Pattaya. The reality is the things are pretty grim with thousands becoming unemployed.

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

Sat on the beach 12 till 4 Monday and saw two boats in and out. Not even full. 

Can you post this observation on the other Thai-bash threads where the usual suspects keep banging on about how Thailand continues to welcome thousands of Chinese tourists and are shooting themselves in the foot, nails in coffins and other, ill-associated idioms?

 

Thanks!

NL

All those unnecessary boat trips canceled will make Pattaya a new green cultural center and help TAT get some fresh Nordic air breathers in town surely every cloud????

8 minutes ago, Thunder26 said:

There was an article the other day saying that the tourism is booming in Pattaya. The reality is the things are pretty grim with thousands becoming unemployed.

At least the girls will have some time to dry out????

The government needs the boats running to chop up the turds and tampons it pumps into the ocean.

if you put all your chinese eggs in the same boat

 

add some no licence to operate on top and an accident or two where insurances pay peanuts

NOW is the time to check all qualifications  and update all Boat Captains, increase maintenance to ensure safety for Tourists and overhaul all boats so that they are ready when the toruists come bhack. 

 

BUT NO , staff layoffs, less maintenance too costly to improve services.. Typical Thai illogical thinking that is why I will NEVER get on a Thai run Boat . 

'Agents in China originally called'

 

I wonder who did the Chinese pay and where and how much ended up in Thailand at the end. Must be nice to be able to exploit a country's resources and keep all the dosh.

6 hours ago, neeray said:

Not to worry!

Wasn't it TAT who recently said that everything will return to normal in April.

Be an opportunist Natthapong Manasom. This is a great time to do lots of maintenance in order to run a safe, reliable operation when the hordes return in April.

And also enough time to get some of your Boat drivers detoxed if they need it.

7 hours ago, Rimmer said:

They could do like Singapore is doing to help their tour guides and others affected by the virus:

 

Singapore government is offering to retrain tour guides in subjects like web design and digital marketing, they will pay S$1000 a month for the three months course plus a further S$600 when they finish. 

 

Helps the people and gets them away from this dependence on tourism

It might as well be a different universe 

    My condo looks out on Pattaya Beach and pre-virus there were lots of speedboats lined up every morning on the stretch of beach I can see--probably at least 15 all the time with some arriving and leaving constantly.  It's been nice now that it has been reduced to a handful of boats--which really should be operating somewhere else, anyway.  Maybe now would be a good time to relocate them. 

I truly hope Pattaya will find a balance between the tour group madness and this peaceful  tranquility we are experiencing now...I enjoy the energy of a vibrant city but without the worn out old buses....time to make some real changes in how they move the tour groups around...

Covid-19 = more freelancers  

The boats not busy, hallelujah. Horrid nasty things that have ruined the once lovely promenade down to the lighthouse. Serves the <deleted>s right. I hope they all go broke and have to sell their nasty boats to China or somewhere.

1 hour ago, barmatt said:

Covid-19 = more freelancers  

Think again. Chinese zero baht tourists don't use BGs. They don't even sit in barbeers.

Heartless TVF  baskets! People are being de-employed. Business owners who many might assume  have been  making a fortune have probably  been not due to the proliferation in competition. True as  it  might be that  maintenance could  be a timely opportunity if there was any reality to the ideals of a returning  boom industry but that is more than likely an illusion. The reality is that given the preceding , current, and predicted financial realities and probabilities due to the  global impact on tourism overall there is  little incentive to do  much at all except the "wait and see" most  employer operators will take. Add to that that many will have or will be obliged  to pay staff to simply go away. And  where they go is unlikely to  hold much promise which is why they  originally  gravitated  to the false golden streets of tourism in the first place!

The prolific critics  of the Chinese tourist trade that the Thai  "industry" became more reliant on was due to the demise of the  prior influx of  western clientele. That may have irked  the assumptions of  many as to importance of presence but to those  dedicated  to extracting a viable income have less cultural/racial discriminations in that process.

This  current fiasco IMO of paranoid reaction to CORVID -19 and other political ructions has  coincided as a vanguard  to massive shifts in the global arena. The outcome both in the  immediate and longer term has all the potential  to become  very  nasty both in  local and  global terms.

 

Edited February 25, 20206 yr by Dumbastheycome

14 hours ago, barmatt said:

Covid-19 = more freelancers  

No.
Chinese, may it be Zero-Baht tourists or individual travelers, do not frequent the bars, including "coconut bar" nor do they normally use the services of those very special "travel guides" which work at the bars and/or freelance.
Wuhanvirus = much less stinking coaches on the roads would be right

Use the boats to move the mountains of trash off the islands.

They should do it for free as they made plenty producing it!

19 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

At least the girls will have some time to dry out????

any girls that get laid off can go and work the bars ... could bring in a few extra baht 

On 2/25/2020 at 5:31 AM, Chang_paarp said:

So the underemployed are doing maintenance? Will this result in an increase in reliability on the boats?

In the event of the tourist hoards returning, will the operators of these vessels be more discerning in their employment of potential staff? Or will a strong back and a heartbeat be the main qualification?

This is normal practice here in Thailand. As I learn from a fake news outlet, THAI Airways now started to lay off air crew and have hand picked those with a driving license / experience with a combustion engine, to be assisting the maintenance crew to do the annual service for the new A350s.

19 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Think again. Chinese zero baht tourists don't use BGs. They don't even sit in barbeers.

 

17 hours ago, Peterbilt said:

No.
Chinese, may it be Zero-Baht tourists or individual travelers, do not frequent the bars, including "coconut bar" nor do they normally use the services of those very special "travel guides" which work at the bars and/or freelance.
Wuhanvirus = much less stinking coaches on the roads would be right

Sorry for being vague. I'm well aware the chinese hordes never partake in the p4p environment....apart from the some younger guys.

I meant the businesses that cater for the hordes will be downsizing laying off or even closing. Which means the ladies who had employment but don't now will have to find alternate ways to bring home the bacon.  ????

 

On 2/25/2020 at 2:28 PM, Khun Paul said:

NOW is the time to check all qualifications  and update all Boat Captains, increase maintenance to ensure safety for Tourists and overhaul all boats so that they are ready when the toruists come bhack. 

 

BUT NO , staff layoffs, less maintenance too costly to improve services.. Typical Thai illogical thinking that is why I will NEVER get on a Thai run Boat . 

That's a huge personal sacrifice you're making there Paul, huge. Well done. I'm pretty sure if you advise them personally of your boycott, it will get mentioned at the next Pattaya Tour Boat Operator's meeting.

Edited February 27, 20206 yr by NanLaew
sp