Coronavirus: How long can Thailand survive without foreign tourism?

[warcy]

So the Chinese and Russians are the top two ?

[Sharp]

34 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

Reading posts on here one must question the gray matter between the ears. Why do people forget the exodus of foreign investment when the coup happened and realisation of foreign investment being on the whim of generals (I think the number was 75% left then and the has been a slow exodus since then). Toyoto closing down production of Prius, and the gold mine attempted theft which  cost the country greatly at the time and the bill has yet to be paid. Exports crashed (only precious metals and Gems gave little glitch spikes) so things were not rosy before The Chinese C19 and the military reaction to it. In layman's terms the country is or has crashed by about 50%. Thailand is in a very bad way and this is being well hidden by the generals. When Sorus turns his gaze at Thailand again the last crash will be like a Sunday brunch in comparison. 

If you mean Soros (Sorus) then i totally concur !!!!!!!!

[Blumpie]

You're going to see it one way or another.

Tourism will not return this year or next.  The only if factor is when the vaccine gets approved, then how fast can it be distributed to the planet.  

The second part is the hard part.  IT is going to be a long long long time.  

[adammike]

7 hours ago, allane said:

Posts like this are a laugh. Thailand survived for centuries, and will do so again. The last thing it needs is planeloads of foreigners arriving here from these Covid infested banana republics, which are unable to control the virus.

How dare you call the UK a banana republic.

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, scammed said:

'survive' they can survive, but its a step backwards in

prosperity, especially the poor

The poor were never prosperous, farmers won't care if there are no Germans ,Brits or Swedes in Phuket. I've never seen a tourist in my neck of the woods, kids still spin around to look at me and toddlers start crying if I smile at them, it's my teeth.

[scammed]

8 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

The poor were never prosperous, farmers won't care if there are no Germans ,Brits or Swedes in Phuket. I've never seen a tourist in my neck of the woods, kids still spin around to look at me and toddlers start crying if I smile at them, it's my teeth.

thats the only good thing about the mask,

i dont have to show my teeth

[soalbundy]

Just now, scammed said:

thats the only good thing about the mask,

i dont have to show my teeth

Masks?

[Isaan sailor]

Sure, tourism has suffered from Wuhan-19.  But someday it will return.  We rarely hear about the plight of Thai exporters—an even bigger piece of the economy.  The Chinese virus doesn’t bother them so much as an overpriced Baht.  The exporters all want and need a USD much higher to the Baht.

[RichardColeman]

8 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Nothing to do with optimism...this is called resilience, something Thai people have a lot of, and which Westerners severely lack.

Think you may be referring to the older thai generation - not the newest

[sammieuk1]

Thailand can't survive but despot generals can unfortunately????  

[mommysboy]

10 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Many Thais having lost their jobs have come back to our village where they have family.

 

I can tell you that none of them is depressed or suicidal. 

 

One of them is working for us, part time, and is in no hurry to go back to his previous job in Bangkok. 

 

We were talking to another one yesterday evening and he said that he was thinking to go back looking for a job... after new year. 

 

It is amazing how many of the Isaan villagers who have left for a job in the big city still have an aptitude to fall back on their feet by returning to a hunter gatherer way of life... which is exactly what they do in our village (fishing + a few leaves and herbs + rice obviously). 

Why did they leave in the first place?

[Trujillo]

"But hopefully foreign tourism will be reborn from ist ashes more decently upmarket."

 

Lovely discriminatory idea that, but one held by the locals too. Hopefully no tourists in the future with long hair or open toed shoes; no backpacks (don't you just hate that "cliche" poverty look?); God forbid anyone on a budget and banned before entry: TIE-DYED SHIRTS!

 

Give me your wealthy, your up-market, your DECENT tourists!

[Enoon]

 

Something called "Thailand" is very likely to survive for a good while yet.

 

But, together with other ongoing/emerging tensions, this particular bit of economic collapse may help provoke/stimulate other developments in society.

 

Russia has "survived" for hundreds of years.

 

I would not have wanted to be on most of the ride that took it from Russia to Soviet Union, and back again.

 

France has survived a lot longer.......and it had very interesting times in the late 18th century.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Enoon

[Marco100]

Let Tourist back in  Phuket   , Koh Samui , Chang Mai , Pattaya   . Covid Test before departure.  Covid Test at Arrival . What is worst ? Few Covids or Tourist Industry Broken ? ( any way covid  comes in from land borders , but thats OK).

[Soikhaonoiken]

16 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

I am sure Thailand could "survive" without foreign tourism. 

 

But hopefully foreign tourism will be reborn from ist ashes more decently upmarket. So let it burn for a while.

 

That the only domestic COVID case in 100 days has been found in Khaosan road bar looks like an amazing opportunity for further cleansing.

What planet are you from, the Country is in dier financial trouble now, thousands upon thousands of Thai people are loosing there jobs daily, the reports state tourist account for 20% of GDP, which is not a true figure, what isn't included is all the money given to bar workers, familys, etc, etc, the Country will survive, not sure about the population.... 

[ChakaKhan]

7 hours ago, Blumpie said:

 IT is going to be a long long long time

Does this mean no more "short time"????  short short short time...aka a quickie!  20 baht!

[Brunolem]

4 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

the Country will survive, not sure about the population.... 

The human population will be replaced by a resurgent tiger and elephant population!

 

Then Thailand, having become the Asian Botswana, will be able to promote photo safaris to wealthy foreigners.

 

Tourism will be back!

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, Ganesh108 said:

Thailand can survive, but on the economic level of the 1980s.

 

But not all Thais would survive, there would be uncountable cases of suicide, millions of people in severe depression or going mental.

 

 

No need for uncountable cases of suicide, millions of people in severe depression or going mental; most Thais have ties to the land so they can just go home to the village.

 

Thais are not yet as fragile as western peoples. If it were about western countries where most people live in cities and have never been on a farm I agree. Massive suicide rate and mental breakdown. Happening already and the worst is yet to come.

[ChipButty]

Ive always said that, it's about survival and Thai's will survive better than any farang

[steven100]

Thailand will come back ..... Khun Prayut will make sure it is revived back to the pre-covid days.

Maybe it will take 6 months or 6 yrs,  it depends on how soon an approved vaccine is available and how soon all quarantines are removed. 

For now, folks will have to work harder as there are no tourists to rip off so it's either back in the rice field or starve. 

[ThailandRyan]

21 hours ago, Ganesh108 said:

Thailand can survive, but on the economic level of the 1980s.

 

But not all Thais would survive, there would be uncountable cases of suicide, millions of people in severe depression or going mental.

 

 

And BOOM, there you go, spot on your views, but it unfortunately has already started.  Good friends of mine in Phuket who ran there own Muay Thai gym and training center, have now officially gone under, and the equipment has been taken by loan sharks to cover debts owed, and now depression and desperation have set in.

[MaxYakov]

18 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Many Thais having lost their jobs have come back to our village where they have family.

 

I can tell you that none of them is depressed or suicidal. 

 

One of them is working for us, part time, and is in no hurry to go back to his previous job in Bangkok. 

 

We were talking to another one yesterday evening and he said that he was thinking to go back looking for a job... after new year. 

 

It is amazing how many of the Isaan villagers who have left for a job in the big city still have an aptitude to fall back on their feet by returning to a hunter gatherer way of life... which is exactly what they do in our village (fishing + a few leaves and herbs + rice obviously). 

Not a "hunter gatherer" way of life, sorry. Their current situation would be better classified as a sort of neolithic (growing with domestic animals and fishing), maybe iron age but with motor vehicle and computer technology.

A strange mix, really, but TiT and similar to other "income-trapped" countries. ????

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Thailand will come back ..... Khun Prayut will make sure it is revived back to the pre-covid days.

Maybe it will take 6 months or 6 yrs,  it depends on how soon an approved vaccine is available and how soon all quarantines are removed. 

For now, folks will have to work harder as there are no tourists to rip off so it's either back in the rice field or starve. 

Wow, just so Hi-So of you and of course very royally said by you Sir, of course full of baloney you are in that respect.

[pixelaoffy]

21 hours ago, allane said:

Posts like this are a laugh. Thailand survived for centuries, and will do so again. The last thing it needs is planeloads of foreigners arriving here from these Covid infested banana republics, which are unable to control the virus.

'survive '? Pretty low bar you've set!  The country just being able to exist !

[MaxYakov]

26 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Ive always said that, it's about survival and Thai's will survive better than any farang

Maybe so...as long as they stop zipping around the roads on motorbike and electric scooters. Then again there is thing about their general levels of education (not wanting to completely open Pandora's Box [Wiki link] on Thai issues).

[steven100]

18 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wow, just so Hi-So of you and of course very royally said by you Sir, of course full of baloney you are in that respect.

Why ???   Thailand will bounce back .... as soon as a vaccine is found and quarantine's removed.

What part of that don't you understand  ?

[ChipButty]

This weekend is fairly busy where I live from yesterday afternoon more traffic even at 7-30 pm the roads where busy my wife took her friends down to the seafood market she said it was busy but all Thai let see over the weekend when I go out

I know a few people from Bangkok have come to Phuket for a few days and they dont mind spending money but they dont go in the bars 

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Why ???   Thailand will bounce back .... as soon as a vaccine is found and quarantine's removed.

What part of that don't you understand  ?

Depends on the rest of the world, I spoke to some people yesterday who would love to come here but the total cost is putting them off with the covid insurance 43,000 Baht each 

[steven100]

8 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Depends on the rest of the world, I spoke to some people yesterday who would love to come here but the total cost is putting them off with the covid insurance 43,000 Baht each 

yes .... I can imagine,  i think once a vaccine is approved and available, once quarantine's are removed, and any other costly restrictions such as the insurance requirement ....  only then will things ' slowly ' start to revive, and even then it won't happen over night as money is tight.

[Trujillo]

Again, the problem is the "Zero Covid Cases" syndrome. 

Thailand is stuck in the mindset (along with other nations) that the country can only be re-started if covid is eliminated totally; a goal that is absurd and unrealistic. 

 

I was speaking with the owner of a well-known and successful restaurant a few days ago. She told me that if it were not for the fact that she owned the property outright, she would have closed already. 

Speaking of the bizarre notion that tourists would be able and willing to undergo a 14-day state quarantine at their own expense before they even start their holiday, she said, "Well, you know the government is run by soldiers, right? I'm afraid for the country because they (military people) are not very smart."

Given the totally unworkable suggestions -- made with a totally straight face as being actual options by the coup government officials -- one can only agree with this assessment. 

 

However, now that there is a Lancet-approved vaccine from Russia (from Russia with love), things could change, although, again, this is in the hands of people who come up with hair-brained ideas, so let's not get ahead of ourselves in optimism.