"All licensed hotels in Phuket province have been ordered closed by the Governor’s office effective Saturday 4th April. Those hotels that still are open and have guests are not allowed to accept new guests. For those with guests, they must report to the district offices. Once there are no guests, hotels must close. Only hotels that are being used by the government as hospitals or for observation of those with COVID-19 syndromes can be open at this time."

 

https://www.c9hotelworks.com/news/government-orders-mass-phuket-hotel-closure.php

What can I say. This is so surreal, y'all.

this has the potential to become a humanitarian crisis - hotels aren't charities, once the profit is gone they will close and with new guests outlawed any tourist forced out will be de-facto homeless during a curfew.

 

provisions need to be made now

 

 

 

35 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

this has the potential to become a humanitarian crisis - hotels aren't charities, once the profit is gone they will close and with new guests outlawed any tourist forced out will be de-facto homeless during a curfew.

 

provisions need to be made now

 

 

 

Hopefully all tourist have left by now. Anyone who hasn't really doesn't have my sympathy. Embassies and officials have urged them to leave for quite some time already.

 

As for the hotels, from what i heard speaking to several hotel owners and staff, many had plans to close anyway. Most staff have been released already so they can receive 6 month unemployment payments. 
Which isn't all that much. 

 

Problem will be that even if they allow hotels to reopen in 4 weeks, even if the island returns to somewhat normal life, we are at the beginning of low season and many other countries are in lockdown too. International travel and tourism will be one of the last things to return back to normal. 

Question is which airlines will survive, which travel operators. With less competition prices will go up. 

A major global recession is imminent. In my opinion the likelihood of a return to business as usual in Phuket with the next high season is very low. I hope I am wrong as my business depends on tourism too, but I am not very optimistic about it.

 

But in any case this is going to be a huge problem for much longer than just the current lockdown. 

 

Not many businesses will survive this low season and with the average household debt in Thailand and the many who already live hand to mouth things are about to get ugly here.

I agree with you Butty. We are about 50% occupied. But none are making any income. All in entertainment sector. We will have no income April as we give month free rent. Folks have enough worries.  Businesses going under. I see May no better for these guys. Most will try to get home country when safe and flights not gouge. At least we own our properties and have no debt.  Those guys paying big rents .... ???

Please continue in the topic now running here:

 

 

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