Phuket slowly recovering with the arrivals of Thai tourists

 

 

After the lockdown, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw Thailand’s world famous and normally bustling resort island of Phuket transformed into a ghost town, with almost all hotels closed and shops shuttered and no foreign tourists, signs of life began to return today with a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel as its economy slowly picks up, thanks to the arrival of local tourists.

 

About 60 domestic flights are currently arriving in Phuket every day, bringing a daily average of 7,000 Thai visitors, and the numbers increase during long weekends. Although most of the visitors lack the purchasing power of their foreign counterparts, their arrival has provided a glimmer of hope to entrepreneurs, from hoteliers to small retailers. They have, however, reduced the price of hotel accommodation, food and transport.

 

Mrs. Kulthida Jaengjaiyen, a small retailer in the old town of Phuket, told Thai PBS that she has had to make several adjustments to adapt to Thai customers. Asked whether she prefers foreign tourists, she said she likes all customers but there must be measures to ensure that foreign visitors are screened.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/phuket-slowly-recovering-with-the-arrivals-of-thai-tourists/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-09-05

 

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60 flights in per day bringing in 7,000 visitors....sorry I,m saying it,s BS

happy to be proved wrong however.

17 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Mrs. Kulthida Jaengjaiyen, a small retailer in the old town of Phuket, told Thai PBS that she has had to make several adjustments to adapt to Thai customers.

Lowering the prices?

7 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Lowering the prices?

"manipulating" is the word your looking for....

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Phuket slowly recovering with the arrivals of Thai tourists

Guess the long weekend has something to do with it.

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Asked whether she prefers foreign tourists, she said she likes all customers but there must be measures to ensure that foreign visitors are screened.

 

Surprising she forgot to include a heartfelt...

 

"Of course all business owners support the emergency decree and are deeply indebted to the enlightened and vigilant government for protecting the nation from dangerous foreign threats."

 

...to correctly top off her interview.

 

 

 

This weekend, there seems to be a lot more vehicles on the roads.  Effects of the long weekend I reckon.

I did a tour around the island today and there were a lot of Thai tourists around. You don't even have to go onto the beach to spot the Thais as they're the ones swimming fully clothed. Kata Viewpoint and Promthep cape car parks quite full. But it'll be back to naromal after Monday, I'm sure.

World famous ? You mean for the scams and rip offs ?

14 hours ago, petermik said:

60 flights in per day bringing in 7,000 visitors....sorry I,m saying it,s BS

happy to be proved wrong however.

What if you are proven correct?  ????     

 

I did a quick count of the  domestic flight arrivals shown as arrived (past 24 hours) - 36 flights.  How hard is it to look at the flight  arrival history? Took me all of 2 minutes.

 

Almost all are AB 320/321/319/B737-8/9 equipment.

These hold 186-189 passengers on average

If the  aircraft are coming in fully loaded;  36 X 189 =  Potential 6900 passengers

Highly unlikely the  loads are better than 60-80%. At the very best, I expect 4,000 to 5800 pax on a peak service day.

 

Anyone who  would  challenge you, would be a fool, because you sir, knew it in milliseconds.

 

Just been to Keng Entg restaurant on the pier, the place was packed, and i mean packed, cars were in the two overflow carparks.

 

Inside, there was two foreigners, the rest were Phuketian's, my friend who owns a few businesses said, Phuket people can finally enjoy our island, and sure, it was the wealthier Thai's opposed to general thai's. 

Likewise was driving past Kata beach a few weeks ago, couple of foreigners, packed with Thai's.

 

Had dinner a few nights ago, with a Thai friend who drove up from Hat Yao with his crew (sports cars, lambos, Ferraris  etc) said, to me in private, 8 of his businesses he had closed till the economy changes, but one is booming, so sure they were taking it slower but said he felt that there is enough money among Thai's that he services to see him through, likewise 4 of his friends flew down from Bangkok, they've spent the past few days travelling phuket, staying at Sri Panwa, and eating and photo'ing, said overall, its good to see the island void of mass tourism.

 

Went to patong, Karon, and Kata (driving through) anything mass-tourism related, or bars is shuttered or closed, but the cafe's here and there that have views etc were rammed with Thai's.

 

It may be the end of the era for foreigners, and it may hopefully be the end of mass tourism, but with luck Thai's can make up for the short-full, by restructuring Phuket to more of a boutique feeling, more natural, more clean.

 

And as there will be a few jibes, about Thai's, like every country, theres the low income, the middle income and the high income, and high income people generally put their hands into various pots, and Thai's in those positions generally have a nice comfortable amount stashed away, don't assume all thai's are like the bar girl you met, or the somchai the builder etc.

9 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Just been to Keng Entg restaurant on the pier, the place was packed, and i mean packed, cars were in the two overflow carparks.

 

Inside, there was two foreigners, the rest were Phuketian's, my friend who owns a few businesses said, Phuket people can finally enjoy our island, and sure, it was the wealthier Thai's opposed to general thai's. 

Likewise was driving past Kata beach a few weeks ago, couple of foreigners, packed with Thai's.

 

Had dinner a few nights ago, with a Thai friend who drove up from Hat Yao with his crew (sports cars, lambos, Ferraris  etc) said, to me in private, 8 of his businesses he had closed till the economy changes, but one is booming, so sure they were taking it slower but said he felt that there is enough money among Thai's that he services to see him through, likewise 4 of his friends flew down from Bangkok, they've spent the past few days travelling phuket, staying at Sri Panwa, and eating and photo'ing, said overall, its good to see the island void of mass tourism.

 

Went to patong, Karon, and Kata (driving through) anything mass-tourism related, or bars is shuttered or closed, but the cafe's here and there that have views etc were rammed with Thai's.

 

It may be the end of the era for foreigners, and it may hopefully be the end of mass tourism, but with luck Thai's can make up for the short-full, by restructuring Phuket to more of a boutique feeling, more natural, more clean.

 

And as there will be a few jibes, about Thai's, like every country, theres the low income, the middle income and the high income, and high income people generally put their hands into various pots, and Thai's in those positions generally have a nice comfortable amount stashed away, don't assume all thai's are like the bar girl you met, or the somchai the builder etc.

Saturday lunch time we went to the Raya in Phuket town the place was full then we ordered food from a place at the seafood market in Rawai last night almost 2 hours before it was ready let see what next week brings our friends go back to BKK Monday I think it will be busy getting off the island

There is no slow recovery. There is just about enough business to keep some businesses alive, all others are suffering or dying.

farangs are 5+ years away of returning due few flights and no wedge .the days of chucking money around are dead and gone

Wonder what the 4 day holiday will be next month....Songran No 3..