This place is becoming like a ghost town

[CorpusChristie]

15 minutes ago, fangless said:

Absolute cr&p.  The shops are shut because there are no tourists!   Go speak to Thai (ex) tourist business owners and their families.  My partner is one of them! Make your comment to her if you dare!

What would she do to me, if I dared to make that comment to her ?

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Pattaya also a ghost town, more noticeable the last week or two as the Thais evacuation has escalated

I was in Pattaya a couple of months ago and the place was completely dead. Feel so sorry for the Thais who invested their life-savings in a guesthouse, restaurant or bar. RIP. 

[dabhand]

5 minutes ago, fangless said:

Remember this is an extended holiday weekend (ex Songkran) so lots of locals out and about.

Thought that was next weekend.

[Olmate]

4 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Thought that was next weekend.

It is.

[fangless]

6 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Thought that was next weekend.

You are correct!

The Mrs thought that it was this weekend as the CM "Local Food Festival" is happening

now at Annusarn market.

[Thailand]

12 minutes ago, fangless said:

Remember this is an extended holiday weekend (ex Songkran) so lots of locals out and about.

No it's not.

[fangless]

8 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

What would she do to me, if I dared to make that comment to her ?

Call an ambulance for you!

[CorpusChristie]

Just now, fangless said:

Call an ambulance for you!

I won't say it to her then 

[vinny41]

37 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Realistically, because Thailand is so dependent on international tourism, they should have looked to see what other countries were doing and imposed a more relaxed version to allow some people into the country to keep things ticking over. So they do the exact opposite, relentlessly chasing a figure of zero for some reason, and have destroyed the lives of so many in the process. 

if Thailand should look at what other countries are doing would Australia be a good example

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

Its now quite difficult to find somewhere to eat as not many places are still open .

Time to consider taking up cooking.

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

this lockdown is causing more harm to the country now than the virus...

This lockdown is causing more harm the the WORLD now than the virus

[2 is 1]

33 minutes ago, fangless said:

Remember this is an extended holiday weekend (ex Songkran) so lots of locals out and about.

just going to ask next week lotto numbers, but many guys for more fast!

[Boomer6969]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

There is no lock-down though , businesses are free to open .

Everythings back to normal (apart from the borders being closed) 

Exactly, wear masks, keep borders closed, and life is as normal for most people.

[rumak]

35 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Tourist related businesses and shops yes.

Hang Dong road was chocker today and Tesco Lotus, BigC and Makro were heaving.

Those of us who have been here a long time know this.    Certainly not a "ghost town"

 

get tired with these posters that quote figures and take a few photos.   boringggg

[Enoon]

43 minutes ago, rumak said:

as i tried to point out....living in and around CM for 20 years,  Chiangmai is a lot bigger than the "old city"  tourist areas.    The city and its surrounding suburbs has grown grown grown .  Massive development over the last 15 years or so.      

Take a few years to drive around and see how many businesses there are .   Then we can discuss ghost town Chiangmai

"Take a few years to drive around and see how many businesses there are .   Then we can discuss ghost town Chiangmai"

If tourist income represents 15-20% of GDP of Thailand as a whole, what does it represent for Chiang Mai, or any other tourist area, as an individual location?

 

It would seem reasonable to suppose a much greater percentage.

 

If those businesses are heavily dependent upon selling to (supporting) the "frontline" tourist industry, and those who directly profit from it, there must be consequences.

 

The only questions being how long before the "rear areas" start to fail, and how great will be the failure?

 

And what of the provincial farmers who, presumably, have experienced a growth in demand for their produce ("over the last 15 years or so"?) as tourism has grown?

 

 

 

[JAFO]

55 minutes ago, rumak said:

Very misleading post.    Chiangmai is a very large city,  and traffic everywhere but the old city is back to normal.  Lots of it.    All the businesses I frequent are operating as normal.  All schools and govt offices open.   

Great post Rumak and quite true. A lot of people also forget that a great majority of those restaurants /tourist type businesses are part of their homes which were paid for in full years ago. They pull down the front and just live at home and many find other ways to make cash. To Rumak's point the pictures show a very specific little area.  Most everywhere I travel around in Thailand has been pretty much getting back to normal. CM is pretty active and its quite nice without all the tourists and jammed packed roads with monster bus's. IMHO for us expats living and working here this has been exceptionally nice. My wife and I have enjoyed numerous resort hotel getaways at significantly reduced fees being they are offering domestic tourism incentives. The beaches are empty and quiet and I do not have to hold back "verps" witnessing obese Europeans in speedos who apparently have no shame. ????.

 

While I feel for the families that have been impacted here due to the covid situation, I do not think it is as bad as one wants to make it appear. Sure a segment of the industry has been significantly impacted but in the bigger picture it has been a good recovery period for the environment that was being abused and destroyed by over tourism. I could easily enjoy another year of this. 

[rumak]

14 minutes ago, Enoon said:

"Take a few years to drive around and see how many businesses there are .   Then we can discuss ghost town Chiangmai"

If tourist income represents 15-20% of GDP of Thailand as a whole, what does it represent for Chiang Mai, or any other tourist area, as an individual location?

 

It would seem reasonable to suppose a much greater percentage.

 

If those businesses are heavily dependent upon selling to (supporting) the "frontline" tourist industry, and those who directly profit from it, there must be consequences.

 

The only questions being how long before the "rear areas" start to fail, and how great will be the failure?

 

And what of the provincial farmers who, presumably, have experienced a growth in demand for their produce ("over the last 15 years or so"?) as tourism has grown?

 

 

 

with that post i will have to amend my "take a few years"  post to hmmmm  maybe 6 or 7 years in your case .   i think that would be a "reasonable" assumption .

[rumak]

17 minutes ago, JAFO said:

While I feel for the families that have been impacted here due to the covid situation, I do not think it is as bad as one wants to make it appear

We too have been impacted .  One of our rentals is empty,  and another soon to be.  Not the end of the world,  and actually a bit of a break from farang renters  haha

And don't feel bad about those for

 rent signs in the old town.  The OWNERS of those properties have increased rents to the max over the years.  I assure you they are not hurting...if anything one might say they had it coming.   The small businesses that tried to make a go , paying those high rents, came and went faster than a freelancer on Soi Nana.

I too am looking forward to some relaxation......and a trip to the beach in a few months..    Note:  i have said before, but want to add that the ones i feel for are those who were away from their families or work and now can not get back in to the country.

IMO   this has gone on way too long and is one case where i would use the word "ridiculous" .   Let these families reunite !   and isolate at home .

[elliss]

2 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Nice post, the photos show a very clear picture.

 

Much the same ,  every where , in the Kingdom ...

   Tourism / aka  the sex trade , is finished. RIP .

 

  Lets not forget many of the 30 day millionaires , visa exempt 

   Have lost their wage packets , never too return . 

 Covid-19 / Chinese flu,  Panic .

  Has changed the World , forever ..

 

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, CorpusChristie said:

Yes, that was my point , its the borders being closed that has caused the businesses to close, rather than lock-down measures (Which were lifted a few months ago)

  Closing the borders IS a lockdown measure.  

[JAFO]

19 minutes ago, rumak said:

Note:  i have said before, but want to add that the ones i feel for are those who were away from their families or work and now can not get back in to the country.

IMO   this has gone on way too long and is one case where i would use the word "ridiculous" .   Let these families reunite !   and isolate at home .

Absolutely agree. I know a few business expats that left feeling it would be safer in the states and now cannot return. 

[metisdead]

An offensive off topic post has been removed. 

[CorpusChristie]

2 hours ago, fangless said:

You are correct!

The Mrs thought that it was this weekend as the CM "Local Food Festival" is happening

now at Annusarn market.

Some photos from there tonight

[CorpusChristie]

1 hour ago, JAFO said:

They pull down the front and just live at home and many find other ways to make cash. To Rumak's point the pictures show a very specific little area. 

Many of the shops have "For sale/Rent" stuck to them .

The photos are from Tapae gate area , walk around the moat to Kad San kaew (the long way) up to Nimman then up to the ring road by the airport, which is from the central area to the outskirts of the city

[fangless]

12 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Many of the shops have "For sale/Rent" stuck to them .

The photos are from Tapae gate area , walk around the moat to Kad San kaew (the long way) up to Nimman then up to the ring road by the airport, which is from the central area to the outskirts of the city

Photo number two (from top to bottom) of the OP look like it is a photo of a restaurant just north of the Istanbul small sit in Kebab shop which is part of the little entrance into Anusarn market in Changklan road. Maybe they all just look the same!

[CorpusChristie]

1 minute ago, fangless said:

Photo number two (from top to bottom) of the OP is a photo of a restaurant just north of the Istanbul small sit in Kebab shop which is part of the little entrance into Anusarn market in Changklan road. No where near what you mention above!

Yes thanks, that shows I took photos from more locations and a larger area than what I mentioned 

Thanks for pointing that out

[fangless]

Is it not a bit misleading when you "miss quote" where/what your photos are/about?

[CorpusChristie]

2 minutes ago, fangless said:

Is it not a bit misleading when you "miss quote" where/what your photos are/about?

I just missed one location out , not important 

(Another location I missed out was the long road leading off Chiang Mai gate)

[fangless]

7 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

I just missed one location out , not important 

 

It is important when you are pretending to be factual!

Credibility is all, after all!

[herfiehandbag]

3 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

I also think that the knock-on effect of there being no tourists has been understated .

The closed guest houses , restaurants etc typically employ say four workers and they earn and spend money locally , yeah not a huge amount individually , but collectively they help to keep local businesses afloat .

   Many of those workers seem to have gone back to their villages and the downward spiral continues 

Yes, it is a downward spiral How will it end? I suspect with most of the people stuck in a subsistence farming economy perhaps able to get the occasional days work for B300. Those with a stable income will be reduced to assorted government employees, health care workers, teachers, policemen, civil servants and employees of the big companies. New normal is a sort of C21 feudalism.

 

I live in a rural community 30 km from Chiang Rai. On the edge of the village is a crossroads. Every day dozens gather at the crossroads, hoping to be picked for a days casual work. Perhaps 50% are picked. The rest are left. That is the reality of what " new normal" means. It is not sustainable, and the population will only stand it for so long!

 

We are heading into a society utterly divided into haves and have nots. That is not sustainable. Unless this is addressed, and there is no sign of it, trouble is brewing.