Thailand's tourist haven Pattaya devastated as coronavirus hits travel

[webfact]

Thailand's tourist haven Pattaya devastated as coronavirus hits travel

By Vorasit Satienlerk and Juarawee Kittisilpa

 

People sleep in a closed restaurant following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pattaya, Thailand March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

PATTAYA, Thailand (Reuters) - Beaches are deserted, go-go bars stand empty and cabarets have shut their doors in Thailand's tourist haven of Pattaya, as business has ground to a standstill after worldwide travel restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

For one of the world's most famed - some might say infamous - tourism hotspots, the economic devastation is near-total and business owners say haven't seen anything like it for four decades."Our organization has halted business 100%.

 

Pattaya is a tourist city, we rely mostly on them. The whole city is affected by the virus," Alcazar Cabaret Show executive Pawin Phettrakul told Reuters.In normal times, the theatre - which features high-kicking dancing girls wearing elaborate feather headdresses and sequined dresses - sees over a thousand tourists daily, but now there are zero.

 

Alcazar Cabaret is not planning on laying off its staff at the moment, but the foreseeable future seems bleak.Thailand depends on tourism for around 12% of its GDP, but in Pattaya, nearly the entire economy runs on visitors.

 

The resort town saw over 15 million visitors in 2018, according to the 2019 Chonburi Provincial Statistical Report, which was already a 20% drop from the previous year."I would say that this is the worse that has ever hit Pattaya.

 

A man collects his umbrellas on an almost empty beach which usually crowed with tourists following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pattaya, Thailand March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

And, during the past two to three weeks, so much businesses has already folded, has already went bankrupt, closed down due to the coronavirus," said Roy Fu Wanlong, a business owner in Pattaya.

 

The city in recent years has been trying to shed its association with sex tourism that started in the 1970s when it became a rest and relaxation spot for U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

 

The town has promoted family-friendly entertainment and boat tours in the city.

 

(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-30

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[Thaiwrath]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

which features high-kicking dancing girls wearing elaborate feather headdresses and sequined dresses

Dancing girls ?

Not so sure about that !

[Puchaiyank]

The town has promoted family-friendly entertainment!   ????????????

[Justgrazing]

22 minutes ago, webfact said:

and boat tours in the city

I know it floods some but that's a bit extreme .. And somehow being gondola'd down 2nd road hasn't quite the allure of Venice ..

[Justgrazing]

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

In normal times, the theatre - which features high-kicking dancing girls wearing elaborate feather headdresses and sequined dresses - sees over a thousand tourists daily, but now there are zero .

but Octopus impressions are on the cards if they ever come back .. 

 

[Destiny1990]

 

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

The resort town saw over 15 million visitors in 2018, according to the 2019 Chonburi Provincial Statistical Report, which was already a 20% drop from the previous year."

Interesting already in 2019 Pattaya had a 20% drop of visitors in comparison  with 2018...( that without corona)

Seems their hailed first timers Norwegian visitors approach has failed.

[Don Mega]

And the lack of traffic on the roads is awesome !!

[gamb00ler]

14 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

And the lack of traffic on the roads is awesome !!

Hopefully traffic accident fatalities reduction >> COVID19 deaths.

[eddie61]

On a separate note, the TAT has announced that the new campaign to target Rwanda and Burundi is expected to increase arrivals by 50% in 2021.

[balo]

RIP 

[Pravda]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Alcazar Cabaret Show executive Pawin Phettrakul told Reuters.In normal times, the theatre - which features high-kicking dancing girls

 

Yep, stopped reading after this

[30la]

Do not hope that the end of Covid is also the end of the tunnel, the world economy was already in depression before, now almost zero, all this caused by individuals who only play their game ...

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Hopefully traffic accident fatalities reduction >> COVID19 deaths.

Certainly won't have anything to do with any police action.  Chonburi's silver medal position in road casualties looks safe thanks to the BIB (Bandits-in-Brown.)

[riverhigh]

3 hours ago, gamb00ler said:

Hopefully traffic accident fatalities reduction >> COVID19 deaths.

Practically no traffic last night. Even COVID19 in at its worst could never compete with the Thai traffic death rate. A simple analogy for you Brits: create a football team of Pattaya Expats (average age 65) and put them on the same field with Leverpool premier club. No contest!

[mrfill]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Dancing girls ?

Not so sure about that !

Well, girl-ish....

[waders123]

In the middle of this crisis I wouldn't be surprised that someone from the higher up food chain decides its a good idea during this "quiet" time to go ahead and implement right hand driving to the country.  Their logic will be fewer drivers on the roads now so easier to get everyone used to the switch-over!  

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, waders123 said:

In the middle of this crisis I wouldn't be surprised that someone from the higher up food chain decides its a good idea during this "quiet" time to go ahead and implement right hand driving to the country.  Their logic will be fewer drivers on the roads now so easier to get everyone used to the switch-over!  

They already do pal,,, some of them. 

[thailand49]

6 minutes ago, waders123 said:

In the middle of this crisis I wouldn't be surprised that someone from the higher up food chain decides its a good idea during this "quiet" time to go ahead and implement right hand driving to the country.  Their logic will be fewer drivers on the roads now so easier to get everyone used to the switch-over!  

That is all possible that someone might come up with this idea thinking it will save lives on the road. But sadly the side of the road they drive isn't the problem it is the lack of knowledge and proper execution of the laws they already have on the books add that with the lack of enforcement.

Edited March 30, 2020 by thailand49

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Dancing girls ?

Not so sure about that !

LOL.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

which features high-kicking dancing girls

Never mind that they ain't "girls", I've been to see the show and while spectacular it was hardly a Las Vegas Rockettes style show. Has the person that wrote the article even been to a show there?

 

The photo in the OP showed speedboats. I hope they all go bankrupt- destroyed Kho Larn beaches as a nice day out, and if the situation gets rid of the jet skis that can only be regarded as a good thing.

[waders123]

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

They already do pal,,, some of them. 

LOL, and don't forget the sidewalks! Grin

[kevin612]

this is a global recession, stay closed for a while.

[smudger1951]

I did'nt make it onto my flight back to Pattaya this week, just as well I think as the realisation this week is that Covid-19 tightens it's grip and everyone has to lockdown and isolate. Stay strong everyone.

[waders123]

3 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

That is all possible that someone might come up with this idea thinking it will save lives on the road. But sadly the side of the road they drive isn't the problem it is the lack of knowledge and proper execution of the laws they already have on the books add that with the lack of enforcement.

I can't argue with you about that!  You are so right!

[mberbae]

Interesting that Thai Tourism is linked to Pattaya. Why not write; Wat Phra Kaeow sees dramatic drop in Tourism ? With the hefty entry fee to get into the temple , I would think it equals Pattaya's " unique " 

tourist spending habits ( apart from the " behind closed doors" fees, of course ).

[Chassa]

2 minutes ago, waders123 said:

That is all possible that someone might come up with this idea thinking it will save lives on the road.

Why will it save lives?

[thaibeachlovers]

29 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

Practically no traffic last night. Even COVID19 in at its worst could never compete with the Thai traffic death rate. A simple analogy for you Brits: create a football team of Pattaya Expats (average age 65) and put them on the same field with Leverpool premier club. No contest!

Does that mean the baht buses no longer run? If so a certain poster will be happy!

[Emdog]

15 minutes ago, waders123 said:

In the middle of this crisis I wouldn't be surprised that someone from the higher up food chain decides its a good idea during this "quiet" time to go ahead and implement right hand driving to the country.  Their logic will be fewer drivers on the roads now so easier to get everyone used to the switch-over!  

"..which side of the road do they drive on? This is easy. They drive on your side. That is, and you can depend on it, any oncoming traffic will be on your side of the road." from PJ O'Rourke article "Third World Driving Hints and Tips" https://hotelivory.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/third-world-driving-hints-and-tips/

[baansgr]

What the Junta has tried to do for years, the virus has achieved in one week..

[madmitch]

Er, couldnt you replace the words Thailand and Pattaya with most of the tourist resorts in the world?

 

Pattaya is hardly unique in this.

[Phuketshrew]

If they had any sense they would do a "Borocay", bulldoze the lot and start again.