Thailand's entire tourism industry will collapse if foreign tourists are not allowed back, industry leader

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, petermik said:

When it starts to hit them in their pockets Thailand begins to wake up....

and when is that going to be? They can find the means to buy submarines, so they are never going to have to worry about any income streams going down.

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, rasmus5150 said:

 

They will all go to Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria. These countries are a lot cheaper, has very clean water and beaches, smiling and welcoming people and sun most of the year.

And best of all, no Chinese mass tourism.

What about the barscene and the ugly, fat bellied, tattooed brigade? They need the leg over, how do you think they are going to get it? 

[thasoss]

18 hours ago, The Farang said:

Actually ud be surprised how hard it is even with an education to get a decent paying job in certain parts of Thailand...

and even worse now....so many youngsters at university hoping at the finish it will get them work that wont be there.

[thasoss]

18 hours ago, poskat said:

he bottom line is that having tourism and a zero-tolerance for new cases are not compatible.

 

100% correct.

[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, contraian said:

"Thailand's entire tourism industry will collapse if foreign tourists are not allowed back"

 

That ship sailed a long time ago......It's complete fantasy to believe tourism will return to normal in the short term and the long term is just as bleak. 

If the Thai people could rise up and get rid of Gen Cha Cha and his soldiers and get a proper elected  government in, I think it would sure help most of the Thai people though I'm not sure how much it would benefit us expats, but it certainly could not be any worse.

[newatthis]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If the Thai people could rise up and get rid of Gen Cha Cha and his soldiers and get a proper elected  government in

Did you enjoy your coffee when you awoke?

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, connda said:

 So some Thais in high places are starting to take off the rose-tinted goggles and look at reality, 'eh? 

Maybe you can explain why people are so ready to believe this and ridicule everything else that gets said.

 

"the situation in the country's tourism sector is so serious that if foreign tourists are not allowed back the entire industry will collapse. "

 

The plans to allow foreign tourists back are not to be taken seriously according to TVF, damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[NoshowJones]

Just now, newatthis said:

Did you enjoy your coffee when you awoke?

Never drank coffee in my life, I hate the smell of the stuff.

[Stoker58]

“He said that even if the scheme attracts only 100,000 foreign tourists a month......”.

He’s still kidding himself that 100,000 farangs a month are going to spend half of that month under house arrest and suspicion.

They are not.

[elgenon]

21 hours ago, Mavideol said:

but before they kept saying that tourism was not an important source of income for Thailand, what made them change their view

Yes, I always wondered about them saying tourism was only a small part. Maybe as far as the money the government gets, because , for instance, I don't think bar girls pay taxes. Bars, I would venture to guess, report only a small percentage of their income as it is a cash business. And so on.

[spidermike007]

8 hours ago, Dave0206 said:

It’s not that I totally disagree with your opinion but I see you are in Thailand so not chased you away?

most on this forum are either in Thailand or wish to return for long or short vacation like myself of course we see many strange decisions made by Thai government and businesses but it’s there affair not mine for all its faults I still wish to go.

Tourism is decimated all over the world I used to get hot under the collar regards overcharging because I’m a farang then I laugh to myself that I pay 4 or 5 times this amount in our own country so unless it’s outrageous I let it go it would have been the tip anyway.

Tourist hotspots all over the world are renowned for overcharging anywhere near famous attractions but we go anyway once .

i know everyone on here may not be full on whoremongers but I would hazard a guess most have dabbled so speaking as one who is a self confessed dabbler for most after divorce or death of partner I challenge anyone to say first time in Thailand was a big rip off over spend anything it’s a memory most never forget .

Meantime I will talk about the inequality of Thai life Red Bull etc but like many on here soon as travel is fully open I’m on my way

I was referring to the experience a portion of the tourists receive here. I live here. I love it here. I have my complaints, but most of us do. My life here is great. 

 

[spidermike007]

10 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

You may have some valid points, but how do you explain tourism to Thailand reaching a record high of nearly 40 million in 2019? 

 

Most in the industry agree, they were a far lower level of tourist than in previous years. Ever diminishing quality. Low spending works at a flea market. Is it a good model for nation's tourism? Everyone I spoke with in tourism had similar complaints. Bookings down. Spending down. And that was before the Zombie Apocalypse. 

 

Also, few believe those numbers. They were fudged to death. Probably included transit, domestic, business etc. 

[Aussie Col]

15 hours ago, PatrickC said:

Don't see an issue if tourism collapses. There was too much of it.

 

Domestic tourism is fine for now. 

 

Thailand will be just fine. The world will not end. Life goes on.

You been on the grog mate?

[Aussie Col]

1 hour ago, Stoker58 said:

“He said that even if the scheme attracts only 100,000 foreign tourists a month......”.

He’s still kidding himself that 100,000 farangs a month are going to spend half of that month under house arrest and suspicion.

They are not.

Drop the quarantine requirement and tourists might return.

In the meantime 100's of people are killed on the roads every week and the government does nothing about it.

[transam]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Have to disagree that's it's a shame. Thai tourism was in serious doodoo before corona was even thought about. Maya Bay closed because of too many tourists, Chiang Mai congested with too many tourists, Pattaya congested with too many tourists etc etc etc.

Chinese mass tourism is NOT the answer, IMO. Thailand has many natural attractions and many man made ones- develop quality tourism over quantity tourism is the answer IMO. They have at least 6 months and more likely a year or more to develop the infrastructure to attract the sort of tourist that isn't interested in areas congested by hordes of tourists rushing from restaurant to a gem shop to a cheap clothes shop to a restaurant etc etc etc.

Sadly, I don't think they care enough to spend the money needed to transition. Pity.

Every tourist spends money, and your mass tourists are here because that's what they want to see or do and spend that money..

[321 BOOM]

On 8/28/2020 at 10:31 AM, RotBenz8888 said:

It has already collapsed, and it started long before covid19. 

Thats the truth...after the western tourists visited less they lured in the chinese, parallel they extended facilities over demand with unrrasonable future ecpectations. After the Chinese came less because of the Phoenix desaster they started to lure in the Indians...but they not really go out much spending money out of their hotels...so whats next ? Maybe the eskimos ? 

[SupermarineS6B]

10 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Foreign tourists with half a brain will not even entertain this type of handling... being expected to quarantine for 14 days at their expense and then hemmed in. But the powers that be KNOW this. The appeal of Thailand is/was (ever-decreasing) easy going lifestyle. Jump on a plane, sit on a beach, have fun. None of that in the above, for 14 days at least. To make it more palatable, they could waive the cost of the 14 days, but then who has 6 weeks to spare for a two week break in lala land? As said, the twits know exactly what they are doing and the decimation of status quo tourism was always on the cards. 

Been on the cards for years, they're just slowly chopping us up piece by piece.......next it'll be the retirees, all those lot who jumped through all the hoops and were crowing on here how good they were doing as they were told......... Good news for you boys..... you're on the way as well.......  Until there's a big change in senior management i'm afraid Thailand's done for........ But i'm seeing the signs........  "The times they are a changin"

[Eddy Ozark]

This collapse started a long time ago, that is correct. The present state of affairs simply means a possible transfer of ownership of hotels and etc to new owners. When things get back to normal in 2023 or so people will soon forget this crisis. There is nothing as old as yesterday's news. However, the Covid crisis has done something valuable, namely exposed some of the hi-sos as being incapable of logical thinking. This last thing is far more serious than anything else which has happened.

[black tabby]

 

Prolonged loss of livelihood will easily lead to political unrest the government  dreads worst.

That is something P's government should worry about.

Unless they provide fast-working financial aid.  Not the useless relaxed loan things.

What the becoming destitute needs now is the unconditional money handout they can live on until things start to turn better.

Not the money they have to pay back while they can't picture any  near-future prospect.

 

The current regime is cornering the inbound people; no jobs, no more living allowance after July.

And keeping the incoming flight ban for indefinite period.

The government continues to seal the border to keep foreign journalists out(for BKK protest).

It will not buy them any time.  Instead it will work vice versa.

Quite easy to predict  10 million new jobless could easily join ongoing anti-government rally.  

And it could well be a political time-bomb with pretty short fuse.

[Fairynuff]

On 8/28/2020 at 12:33 PM, Mavideol said:

but before they kept saying that tourism was not an important source of income for Thailand, what made them change their view

Their empty pockets.

[MRToMRT]

16 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

Not anymore they don't, those types of holidays have been out of favour for years now. The internet took over, even Thomas Cook didn't survive (worlds largest travel agent). Brits love booking their own holidays, it's cheaper and they have better control over their own holiday.

 

 

Thailand has fallen out of favour with Brits, if SE Asia is on the cards Vietnam is growing, Cambodia is growing, Thailand is declining.

I thinks its fallen out of favour with sectors of the Brit holiday market but still has a lot of sway with the young and blue collar sectors as an upgrade from the med. I even think that the pseudo quarantine if done on so called "Phuket model" would still attract a few. Even if its lost a lot of its shine its still marketed as an "exotic image" better than Vietnam or Cambodia et al for the package holder traveller.

 

Big issue now is going to be price though. After all of this how are flights going to be cheap anymore, how are hotels used to being full going to be cheap for the reduced numbers that visit. Thailand is about to become unaffordable. And even more than that who wants to jump through visa/permission/test hoops for a typical holiday?

 

Saying that I do agree with you, its on the decline for many sectors.

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, elgenon said:

I don't think bar girls pay taxes.

They pay 7% on everything they buy, same as everyone else.

[Jumbo1968]

5 hours ago, thasoss said:

and even worse now....so many youngsters at university hoping at the finish it will get them work that wont be there.

No different in the U.K. as to much emphasis is put on education where kids are in education till they are around 21 years old with no work ethic and some come out with worthless degrees and end up working in a Bar, Call Centre etc.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Open up topless beaches. ????

No thanks. On Samui I saw some middle aged European women topless. I have no wish to repeat the experience.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, transam said:

Every tourist spends money, and your mass tourists are here because that's what they want to see or do and spend that money..

My point was that mass tourism destroys the environment. Ergo, mass tourism is not the desirable way to go. Only alternative is quality tourism.

[Isaan sailor]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My point was that mass tourism destroys the environment. Ergo, mass tourism is not the desirable way to go. Only alternative is quality tourism.

And quality expats.  We spend a boatload of Baht every year.

[transam]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My point was that mass tourism destroys the environment. Ergo, mass tourism is not the desirable way to go. Only alternative is quality tourism.

But what is your quality tourism made of...?

 

I went to a party at a bar, never been there before, the toilets were a 100% health hazard, but here it is accepted.......

[MRToMRT]

20 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My point was that mass tourism destroys the environment. Ergo, mass tourism is not the desirable way to go. Only alternative is quality tourism.

And a very good point it is. I think Thailand is attempting to move in this direction as well just thats its not doing it very well yet. 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 minutes ago, transam said:

But what is your quality tourism made of...?

 

I went to a party at a bar, never been there before, the toilets were a 100% health hazard, but here it is accepted.......

Thais are entirely capable of doing quality- Nong Nooch, Temple of Truth, The White Temple are a few examples. Unfortunately they are just a very FEW examples because there isn't much quality on offer. Last time I went to Samet it was a rubbish tip end to end and the village was a disgrace, despite the park getting fees off every tourist. They certainly didn't spend it on the island.

[MRToMRT]

19 minutes ago, transam said:

But what is your quality tourism made of...?

 

I went to a party at a bar, never been there before, the toilets were a 100% health hazard, but here it is accepted.......

Agreed its not going to happen overnight but the gov/tat/civil service need to have a strategy over a ten years period to achieve "quality". The need to influence the market with tax incentives, immigration reform, sector tax reform, value propositions, marketing and the rest of the tools in their chest to move the market percentage split so the "quality" percentage starts to rise and other area maybe decline. All sectors will still be there just in different ratios.

 

If they get the policy side right businesses will adapt accordingly. Vietnam and Cambodia, et al are probably positioned already to poach away some parts of the current "lower end" tourism market. Thailand needs to position itself to cater for newer or financially more beneficial sectors.