COVID-19 is “worst crisis in Thai tourism history”: TAT spokesman

[sammieuk1]

Looks very likely covid will be used as the new normal to keep the lid on control and the hungry have nots mob off the street ????

[Scouse123]

7 hours ago, andy72 said:

quality over quantity

 

tell that to the almost half a million girls who prop up theit tourist industry

 

or the foul polluting tuk tuks 

take more than covid to change the ways of Thailand

how can it not be hurting over 20% of GDP plus its almost annual not seasonal

the EU opens while SE ASIA has not allocated a single travel bubble

Thailand is over the quality thing

been there done that once you have the low rent reputation it lingers

you is what you is 

 

 

 

I agree complete.

 

Talk about the Thai authorities trying to ' put lipstick on a pig! '

 

They are so removed from people on the ground, these pillocks belong in ' One flew over the cuckoos nest.'

[chilli42]

I guess these jokers are not aware of the entry requirements for foreigners. Not going to see a return of tourists until the requirements are swept aside.  Do they really think people are that desperate to come here?

[ajarnmarc]

we can only hope it will continue to be the worst time for this country in their history. Maybe then they will learn they are not the all mighty they think they are, and stop playing their stupid head games on the tourist, while they think we are too stupid to recognize the game for what it is...

[Scouse123]

3 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

I guess these jokers are not aware of the entry requirements for foreigners. Not going to see a return of tourists until the requirements are swept aside.  Do they really think people are that desperate to come here?

 

Yep,

 

I think for sure they believe their own B.S.

 

They have not even been hit yet with the full force and consequences of the lockdown, that will come soon enough, ( faster than their second wave of Covid19! ) and then they will all be scurrying around trying to please Prayut with even more daft brainwaves to get the economy going.

 

These silly stunts of allowing total 200 per day across five islands isn't going to make the slightest difference to the economy whatsoever and they will see this soon enough. It's all just pie in the sky nonsense.

 

They are now getting testing stations up and running at Suvarnabhumi which could help the situation and about the first sensible thing they have done. Cambodia also, now installing quick testing stations at Siem Reap and Sihanoukville airports, as opposed to just Phnom Penn.

 

These lock-downs have not filtered through as yet into the realities of budget deficit and national debt, as well as mass unemployment. What does Prayut come out with? More nationalistic B.S. and meaningless drivel, and speeches of lets pull together as Thais and Let's all be Thais together!

 

What does that mean?..........NOTHING of any substance. Also just heard that Thai Air Asia is now hanging by a thread! THAI is all but busted and finished.

 

Meanwhile, he is allocating silly over the top budgets again to the Army and Navy in the name of national security, for a perceived, imaginary threat.

 

Nero fiddled, while Rome burned! springs to mind.

[Destiny1990]

Quality over quantity not sure how this will help taxi drivers hotel workers beach chair rentals companies, restaurants malls, shops  etc

[madmitch]

59 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

If you were based in Krabi or Phuket I think the tsunami was worse as it hit right at the start of high season. As bad as this year feels, most businesses had 2-3 months of business before they closed down.

No way. The timing of the tsunami couldn't have been worse, admittedly, but although Phuket was cleared of tourists very quickly, within a month they had started to return, albeit in lower numbers and at lower prices. We were running a small guesthouse and by the middle of March we were full up until Songkran. The following season was business as usual.

 

No comparison with now, when tourists are effectively banned from the country, hotels were forced to close and at the moment there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

[Scouse123]

2 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Quality over quantity not sure how this will help taxi drivers hotel workers beach chair rentals companies, restaurants malls, shops  etc

 

 

Quality over quantity would to any sensible government or tourist authority be a gentle, quietly played long game with subtle changes hardly noticeable and done over a long period of time.

 

You don't blurt out this insensitive garbage and alienate your customer base when you are trying to recover from a pandemic.

 

They are basically classifying and insulting the bulk of tourists,implying they are not really what they want and are no better than lowlifes; but will have to do until you can get something better!

 

Talk about how to make friends and influence people!

 

Dozy pillocks!

[phantomfiddler]

In my opinion the Covid virus is not entirely to blame for the disastrous fall in number of tourists. What has caused considerably more damage is the reaction by Thai authorities, particularly by blaming foreigners and making it extremely difficult for them to come and enjoy a relaxed holiday here. Maybe it is a coincidence, but the heyday of Thai tourism was back when Khun Anand Panyarachun was the man in charge, intelligent, honest, and a man who was very Farang-friendly and made them feel welcome in the country.

[bluedoc]

I thought a thailand didn’t have a Covid problem????

[BritManToo]

Just now, bluedoc said:

I thought a thailand didn’t have a Covid problem????

It has a 'no tourists' problem.

[maxcorrigan]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You're wrong,

WW2 provided Thailand with plenty of high value Japanese visitors.

Plus a lot of Brits Aussies Kiwis Dutch Indians and others too, all working/dieing away on the Railway to Burma!

[RobbyXNorway]

Ex-girlfriend (last one) lost her job in March at a 5-star resort here in Hua Hin. I told her to get get back on the horse and go around every day to look for a new job. She landed  one at another 5-star hotel in town in May. Today she messaged me that she had lost her job again because there were a lot of students flooding into the already small amount of available jobs. So she was even considering suicide because she was so depressed about the entire situation. Her mom had to leave and go back to her village a month ago (they were living together) and her father is lives out in the sticks with no jobs around (retired army) and cant support her. So she is struggling to find a job to support herself and her daughter. I have forked over around 5000 baht every month to help her, even though i am in a new relationship. While i wouldnt normaly do that as it's not an acceptable thing for most women, i have talked with my current girlfriend (Philippines) and explained the situation. So i guess its ok, but cant keep doing it.

 

The ex applied for the 5000 baht monthly hep, but was denied.

 

In my opinion Thailand is going down the <deleted>ter FAST. People are out of jobs and struggling like hell to have food to eat and clothes on their back. Coupled with a huge domestic household debt, it is really hard for a lot of people who have been suckered into taking on loans and credit. But also for the regular people who have lived hand to mouth for years on small paychecks. Combined with a really stupid "live today, tomorrow you can be dead" outlook on life where they tend to not save or set aside money for a rainy day, this can get really ugly really soon.

 

Also i think that propping up the thai baht currency is now going to strangle the export industry. Other countries will go "cutthroat" in competing for international export production, as the global market will tank and many international companies will start rearranging their production locations to lower their costs even more. We are already seeing problems propping up like the coconut-picking monkeys impacting coconut-product exports. I think the bad news will keep on coming for Thailand, and they need to get their <deleted> together both domesticaly and internationaly.

[greeneking]

1 hour ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Yep,

 

I think for sure they believe their own B.S.

 

They have not even been hit yet with the full force and consequences of the lockdown, that will come soon enough, ( faster than their second wave of Covid19! ) and then they will all be scurrying around trying to please Prayut with even more daft brainwaves to get the economy going.

 

These silly stunts of allowing total 200 per day across five islands isn't going to make the slightest difference to the economy whatsoever and they will see this soon enough. It's all just pie in the sky nonsense.

 

They are now getting testing stations up and running at Suvarnabhumi which could help the situation and about the first sensible thing they have done. Cambodia also, now installing quick testing stations at Siem Reap and Sihanoukville airports, as opposed to just Phnom Penn.

 

These lock-downs have not filtered through as yet into the realities of budget deficit and national debt, as well as mass unemployment. What does Prayut come out with? More nationalistic B.S. and meaningless drivel, and speeches of lets pull together as Thais and Let's all be Thais together!

 

What does that mean?..........NOTHING of any substance. Also just heard that Thai Air Asia is now hanging by a thread! THAI is all but busted and finished.

 

Meanwhile, he is allocating silly over the top budgets again to the Army and Navy in the name of national security, for a perceived, imaginary threat.

 

Nero fiddled, while Rome burned! springs to mind.

From The Thaiger today. 

'A new division of the Royal Thai Police is being formed to monitor tourists’ movements as part of the ongoing suppression of the Covid-19 virus.' 

Rather disconcerting and further measures to 'protect' Thai people may just make them feel paranoid when foreigners are about.  Could be the virus excuse is just to give them the power to monitor and control full stop.

And to provide another department budget.  Why not use the existing Tourist Police and Immigration Police?

 

[greeneking]

5 minutes ago, RobbyXNorway said:

Ex-girlfriend (last one) lost her job in March at a 5-star resort here in Hua Hin. I told her to get get back on the horse and go around every day to look for a new job. She landed  one at another 5-star hotel in town in May. Today she messaged me that she had lost her job again because there were a lot of students flooding into the already small amount of available jobs. So she was even considering suicide because she was so depressed about the entire situation. Her mom had to leave and go back to her village a month ago (they were living together) and her father is lives out in the sticks with no jobs around (retired army) and cant support her. So she is struggling to find a job to support herself and her daughter. I have forked over around 5000 baht every month to help her, even though i am in a new relationship. While i wouldnt normaly do that as it's not an acceptable thing for most women, i have talked with my current girlfriend (Philippines) and explained the situation. So i guess its ok, but cant keep doing it.

 

The ex applied for the 5000 baht monthly hep, but was denied.

 

In my opinion Thailand is going down the <deleted>ter FAST. People are out of jobs and struggling like hell to have food to eat and clothes on their back. Coupled with a huge domestic household debt, it is really hard for a lot of people who have been suckered into taking on loans and credit. But also for the regular people who have lived hand to mouth for years on small paychecks. Combined with a really stupid "live today, tomorrow you can be dead" outlook on life where they tend to not save or set aside money for a rainy day, this can get really ugly really soon.

 

Also i think that propping up the thai baht currency is now going to strangle the export industry. Other countries will go "cutthroat" in competing for international export production, as the global market will tank and many international companies will start rearranging their production locations to lower their costs even more. We are already seeing problems propping up like the coconut-picking monkeys impacting coconut-product exports. I think the bad news will keep on coming for Thailand, and they need to get their <deleted> together both domesticaly and internationaly.

My sympathies.  This is from a friend who recently lost her job at a guesthouse in Khaosan.

'Yes i try everyday to get a job today to walk for 5 place they say they need only young people not more than 35!!

I just say i can work for you event im 36 !!

I have no confident now if many ppace only say age!!!!!!

Sometime i cry all the way i walk back to my room  ????????????

I understand people who want to die when they no money and no job to pay daily or there alot thing takecare parent thake care they  kids...

Hard to understand stand but life will be ok just stopcrying and stay strong!!!'

[samsensam]

7 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

It cannot be healthy in the long term for any country (except perhaps micro nations like San Marino or Monaco) when - as in the case of Thailand - almost 20% (some say sources even claim it's as high as 25%) of GDP is solely generated through foreign inbound tourism. So... what a great opportunity to re-structure, de-clutter and revise the tourism sector now, making it healthier and more sustainable in the process.

 

But as I could glean from the panelists presented in the article, they all are rooting for things to return to "the same old". Hence, nothing's going to change and soon enough the country will be caught up in the rather insane tourist numbers race once more. 30 million? Not good enough. Got to be 35 million next year, and 40 million the year after that. Then 45 million and 50 million, and so on and forth. The question is: How many tourists can a country the size of Thailand "stomach" while at the same time keeping up with the necessary infrastructure AND trying to protect the environment?   

 

protecting the environment in not on the agenda, it's simply something thailand doesn't  care about.

 

there is a pretty decent tourist infrastructure already in place.

 

the concerns are about the healthcare system and its ability to cope should the virus take off in thailand, and having health insurance will not stop that happening, only other prevention measures will do that.

 

the insurance issue is a 'bolt on' that certain parts of the government have been banging on about for a while, they are terrified that a foreigner may receive medial attention and not be able to pay for it. this fear, i suggest, is way out of proportion to the actual problem.

[Max69xl]

"Mr. Tanes said it will be a long time before Thailand again chalks up the 2019 record visitor arrivals of nearly 40 million."

They are still using that fake number for tourists entering Thailand 2019, when everyone knows that the real number wasn't even close to 40 million. On top of that, counting migrant workers coming and going as if they were tourists.

[Blumpie]

Look at that, a dose of reality coming into the picture.

Yes, it can only recover from here.  It's 0 so it's only up.  Of course, until flights are restored AND people are willing to come to thailand and most importantly, countries will permit them to travel, get infected on a plane, and shut down their economies nobody is coming to Thailand.

It's this way all over the world so of all the things to do, stop blaming the government in Thailand.  Nobody is coming here, they aren't going to India, they aren't going to Nepal, they aren't going anywhere in SE asia.  

Tourism is destroyed.  Look to 2021 for signs this will end not 2020.  

[dallen52]

And there's thousands of people who have families and partners just waiting to get back. 

Still no possibility. 

They contribute more than the 10 day tourists do.

About time they were given the opportunity to return without any huge costs and obstacles...

[Parsve]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

“I have been working for TAT for more than 30 years, during which we have faced many crises;

Already this statement disqualifies him.

[Caine]

Who gives a toss, deserve everything they've got coming to them ????????????

[3NUMBAS]

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/hundreds-scientists-coronavirus-airborne-ask-165118435.html

 

Health

Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations – NYT

[Truth Will Set You Free]

After reading all the BS this country had said about us White Europeans are trash to them, I hope that no Europeans come to this country for years down the road. They need to suffer to the point that they beg Westerns to return to this country. 

[3NUMBAS]

china is cooking up some bubonic plague now so that will be next on the menu of woes

[sezze]

3 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said:

china is cooking up some bubonic plague now so that will be next on the menu of woes

Although bubonic plague killed a large amount of people long long time ago , it was always present after and is easily controlled and treated ( when in time ) . It still kills a few people every year but "only" in less advanced ( read clean/big population / enough doctors ...) places .

Bubonic plague comes from a bacteria ( hence the treatment with antibiotics ) which lives in flea on rats/mice/hamsters .. .

[GAZZPA]

Quality not quantity is just a pipedream,, it's just an idea someone had in some office somewhere but it is completely impractical... To me it's  as likely as Macdonalds revamping itself to appeal to the high end, fine dining customer. Basically Thailand is stuck with it's image,, in my view it has damaged it's image over the past 10 years (all the points that have been done to death on TVF) and is pretty much seen as the sex tourist capital of the world and the home of mail order brides.. So, best thing Thailand can do is embrace it's image and work with it.

 

I am a bit confused as to why they don't open the doors to everyone if they have such strict criteria for entering the country. If they are being given the all clear before they are allowed in then what does it matter?

 

 

[Starmocihc]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I suspect the closures, bankruptcies and unemployment have only just started.

Too many service providers and not enough customers ........ ever again.

 

Maybe they should start by returning immigration/VISA rules to the 'good old days' where any foreigner can come as often as they like, and stay for as long as they like.

They'll have to, at some point, there's little alternative in the matter. Not necessarily something I'm excited about, but that's the reality. Unfortunately there is no way to "skillfully managing the situation." Whatever play they think will turn things around to leaps and bounds, is simply just delusion. Even if they announced no restrictions for arrivals tomorrow, it still wouldn't turn it around. As I've said in other replies, the economic downturn has yet to be fully realized there.

[GAZZPA]

42 minutes ago, Starmocihc said:

They'll have to, at some point, there's little alternative in the matter. Not necessarily something I'm excited about, but that's the reality. Unfortunately there is no way to "skillfully managing the situation." Whatever play they think will turn things around to leaps and bounds, is simply just delusion. Even if they announced no restrictions for arrivals tomorrow, it still wouldn't turn it around. As I've said in other replies, the economic downturn has yet to be fully realized there.

Sad but probably true. The economic downturn of the tourist trade will start to have big knock on effects on other industries now such as cars, houses, clothes, shopping malls etc,,, it's going to be a very long recovery for Thailand and the rest of the world and that's assuming we don't have a second wave.. At the moment the USA is seeing huge rises again and India and South America are in the peak of suffering. We are months and months away from a global recovery, if not years. Thailand need to have a rethink on how they can create additional sources on income for the economy.

[smew]

I am qualified to return ( officially married to a Thai ) but the requirements are ridiculous and impossible to obtain

  

[kingdong]

13 hours ago, Xonax said:

If they upgrade all hotels and resorts to attract more quality tourists, they could hit 20% again. But I seriously doubt that will ever happen.

and where will all these "quality tourists " going to come from? thailand is simply not good value any more,if it wasn,t for vietnam being so close i wouldn,t bother.