Coronavirus: Tourism in Thailand hit by Covid-19

By Jonathan Head

South East Asia correspondent

 

Tourists have deserted Thailand over coronavirus fears//Image copyright JONATHAN HEAD

 

Over the past 25 years, Thailand has experienced a spectacular economic crash (1997), a tsunami (2004), coups (2006, 2014), the occupation of its main international airport by protesters (2008) and serious political violence (2010).

 

Yet the statistics speak for themselves. In 1960 around 80,000 foreign tourists came here.

 

Last year it reached 39 million, earning more than $60bn (£46bn) for Thailand, and indirectly contributing around one fifth of the country's national income.

 

The country's tourism sector was considered so robust that the country got the nickname "Teflon Thailand". Yet of those 39 million tourists last year, more than 10 million were Chinese.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51796812

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2020-03-13

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

The country's tourism sector was considered so robust that the country got the nickname "Teflon Thailand".

And what is it now? Dirty Farang Thailand?

So i click on to TV and see it's in actually a BBC report. Does it get any more lazy ass than that.!! 

I just finished watching Contagion (2011). Very similar to what social effects the coronavirus has. Too near to reality for my liking. Watch the trailer HERE, Whats your thoughts?

 

And with the health minister saying watch out for the dirty farangs it will only get worse just give me your money and don't come in attitude is only going to hurt Thailand unfortunately a lot of people are going to be out of work and with the thai baht being high it's not going to get better

After being called a dirty farang, having to put some crazy app in my phone,  I will pass on Thailand this year.    We always had a feeling we were disliked by the junta.   Its no longer a feeling. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Teflon Thailand"

Teflon junta maybe, but not Thailand.   You are far better treated in Vietnam, and you can afford wine with dinner.

Nice photo,reminds me of when i first came in 1989,Lamai on Samui was just a small village,i went back a few years ago,it was like a city.

3 minutes ago, marko kok prong said:

Nice photo,reminds me of when i first came in 1989,Lamai on Samui was just a small village,i went back a few years ago,it was like a city.

LOL:
i spent 2 months on samui in Lamai in 84, my last trip in 2014, we couldn't find our way to Chaweang beach with all the buildings.

after 2 nights on the island couldn't get out fast enough

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

And what is it now? Dirty Farang Thailand?

"Burnt out pan Thailand".

1 hour ago, curious297 said:

I just finished watching Contagion (2011). Very similar to what social effects the coronavirus has. Too near to reality for my liking. Watch the trailer HERE, Whats your thoughts?

It's a good flick. They've obviously had a good advisor, likely from CDC. Worth watching as it reiterates many points that we're seeing unfolding now. 

23 minutes ago, phuketrichard said:

LOL:
i spent 2 months on samui in Lamai in 84, my last trip in 2014, we couldn't find our way to Chaweang beach with all the buildings.

after 2 nights on the island couldn't get out fast enough

I rented a house there from 89-91 it was as close to paradise as I have found, landlord wanted me to buy the land house was on, turned him down as 1 million Baht seemed a ridiculous price for only two Rai of beach front land! ????

Last time I was there ten years or so ago ???? ruined!

29 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

It's a good flick. They've obviously had a good advisor, likely from CDC. Worth watching as it reiterates many points that we're seeing unfolding now. 

It is called Predictive Programming !

I doubt Thailand will ever recover.  They will have let China take over

1 hour ago, brain150 said:

It is called Predictive Programming !

In this case I think it was combo of experience from SARS and the virus they used as the model for the fictional one, Nipah.  Now there's a nasty one. The movie itself is more about the psychological group behaviour side, it's just about same in any epidemic.

 

By having a large part of your GDP come from tourism you'll end up vulnerable to these predictable events. And they are getting more frequent: https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/4/3/493/3789515

 

Quote

Due to a combination of factors related to farming practices, human behaviour, international travel, globalization and climate change, there has been a succession of such pandemics in recent years, such as Severe Acute Respiration Syndrome (SARS), Nipah, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Ebola and Zika, posing an unprecedented challenge to scientists and health workers worldwide.

 

Solution is to educate the populace to move higher up in the value chain instead of relying on tourism. Yeah, not going to happen here, educated people are the last thing the junta wants.

1 hour ago, Redline said:

I doubt Thailand will ever recover.  They will have let China take over

I feel the same as you , much to my dismay , I love my family here and my two villages here have respect for me on how I treat people here. It is going to be a great loss to the folks of Thailand when they rename this country Chiland. I feel so bad for these folks.

1 minute ago, nervona81732 said:

It is going to be a great loss to the folks of Thailand when they rename this country Chiland. I feel so bad for these folks.

Tea growers will be happy. You know, Chai-land.

5 hours ago, Ian Nagle said:

So i click on to TV and see it's in actually a BBC report. Does it get any more lazy ass than that.!! 

I think you'll find a lot of articles on TV are from external sources

Tourism in Thailand hit by racist and incapable ministers, Anutin you are the number ONE ...

8 hours ago, nervona81732 said:

I feel the same as you , much to my dismay , I love my family here and my two villages here have respect for me on how I treat people here. It is going to be a great loss to the folks of Thailand when they rename this country Chiland. I feel so bad for these folks.

Me too