"Domino effect" sees Phuket's tourism downturn affect all areas of the economy

[webfact]

"Domino effect" sees Phuket's tourism downturn affect all areas of the economy

 

 

Thai PBS reported from Phuket where they saw the devastating effect of the pandemic on the tourism industry destroy other businesses in its wake.

 

The complete lack of foreign tourism on which the province relied has meant a kind of domino effect that has swept through the economy. 

 

Covid meant no tourists which has caused hotel closures, staff redundancies, a collapse of the rental market and a devastating effect on shops and restaurants. 

 

Many people have just packed up and gone home.

 

Epitomizing the dire state of the Phuket economy was Panatda who used to work at a five star 482 room hotel that was forced to shut temporarily on April 14th after not having a single booking. 

 

 

Though she and a hundred other got four months pay then three months welfare payments it was not enough for many who just packed up and left Phuket for their home villages.

 

Her father who used to run a taxi business is suffering. Her mother has shut her clothing and souvenir shop because there are no customers. 

 

They all relied on foreign tourists. 

 

"We went from collectively earning thousands of baht per day to nothing," she said. "We just have some savings to fall back on". 

 

Kongsak of a hoteliers' association said that 90% of tourism related business had just shut. 

 

 

So far there have been about 50-60,000 redundancies  in hotels some of whom had received redundancy pay and some of whom have not. He expected many more as there are 3,000 hotels and 150,000 rooms in Phuket but no tourists.

 

He expected many lawsuits in the coming months between employers and employees unless the government comes in with some bailouts. 

 

Panatda continued that the domino effect was also showing in the rental market.

 

She has ten rooms that would normally be rented to workers in hotels and tourism related areas.

 

 

Now just two are occupied because hotel staff, restaurant workers and convenience store staff have just packed their bags, left Phuket and gone home. 

 

The rental and property market on the island had simply collapsed, she said.

 

Source: Thai PBS

 

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[johng]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Covid meant no tourists which has caused hotel closures, staff redundancies, a collapse of the rental market and a devastating effect on shops and restaurants. 

Don't worry the Chinese will soon be back to save the day.

[sammieuk1]

It's what happens when generals run the show and don't have a single worthwhile idea between them ????

[2 is 1]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

"Domino effect" sees Phuket's tourism downturn affect all areas of the economy

Really? How can be? Never guess that whitout this big news! But HEY im simple man, i think its only effect few hotel.

[jollyhangmon]

 

... just heard Italy's respective numbers recently, funny enough they put direct impact of (pre-wuflu) tourism on GDP with 12.5% at very same level as TH but their study found the overall effect to be at "22% at least, possibly as much as one quarter ..."

 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

It's what happens when generals run the show and don't have a single worthwhile idea between them ????

No generals running NZ and far as I know it's as bad in the international tourism sector.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The complete lack of foreign tourism on which the province relied has meant a kind of domino effect that has swept through the economy. 

 

Covid meant no tourists which has caused hotel closures, staff redundancies, a collapse of the rental market and a devastating effect on shops and restaurants. 

Lots of stories about such, but a bit short on solutions. If immigration made it easy for farang retirees to live in LOS perhaps they'd get a lot, but I'm guessing they are not about to make it easy any time soon.

[KarenBravo]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Lots of stories about such, but a bit short on solutions. If immigration made it easy for farang retirees to live in LOS perhaps they'd get a lot, but I'm guessing they are not about to make it easy any time soon.

Immigration does NOT make policy, they just implement it. If blame someone you must, blame the government.

Also, it IS easy to live in Thailand if you are a retiree.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, KarenBravo said:

Immigration does NOT make policy, they just implement it. If blame someone you must, blame the government.

Also, it IS easy to live in Thailand if you are a retiree.

I do realise and I'm sure that most reading it knew that, so if you want to be pedantic if the Thai government made it easier for farang retirees I'm sure many would arrive. I would.

 

I was a retiree living in LOS and immigration regulations are not "easy" so pull the other one. I used an agent to save my sanity, but I shouldn't have had to.

[KarenBravo]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I do realise and I'm sure that most reading it knew that, so if you want to be pedantic if the Thai government made it easier for farang retirees I'm sure many would arrive. I would.

 

I was a retiree living in LOS and immigration regulations are not "easy" so pull the other one. I used an agent to save my sanity, but I shouldn't have had to.

Used an agent? Didn't have the required money?

 

My extension takes 15 minutes once a year. I have the correct paperwork and the money required.

Nothing hard whatsoever. It really is, too easy.

 

If you meant the government, say the government. Immigration faces an undeserved bad rap on here because too many people think, or post like they make policy.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He expected many lawsuits in the coming months between employers and employees unless the government comes in with some bailouts. 

Think I can safely predict that the entire court system worldwide is about to collapse for covid related ppi-like claims within he next 18 months

[Deli]

16 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Immigration does NOT make policy, they just implement it. If blame someone you must, blame the government.

Also, it IS easy to live in Thailand if you are a retiree.

 

Retirees are a drop in the ocean. Families, couples, Western package tourists who spend their usual 2 - 3 weeks in the country are the motor of the tourism industry. And they are deperately needed, long before any others.

[KarenBravo]

3 minutes ago, Deli said:

 

Retirees are a drop in the ocean. Families, couples, Western package tourists who spend their usual 2 - 3 weeks in the country are the motor of the tourism industry. And they are deperately needed, long before any others.

I agree with you 100%.

[Destiny1990]

Well high season is coming..

[Jimbo2014]

Globally its looking like the cure may be worse than the disease... Now more than 500 million people are being thrust back into poverty and lockdowns dont seem to be able to halt the never ending outbreaks.  Perhaps isolating the vulnerable and getting on with life may be a better solution? 

[dimitriv]

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Immigration faces an undeserved bad rap on here because too many people think, or post like they make policy.

 

They do make policy. How else can it be that there are different rules in different immigration offices ?

 

[KarenBravo]

Just now, dimitriv said:

 

They do make policy. How else can it be that there are different rules in different immigration offices ?

 

That's not making policy, that is interpretation of policy.

 

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

It's what happens when generals run the show and don't have a single worthwhile idea between them ????

Let's be fair, this isn't anybody's fault, I doubt that the world's best entrepreneur would have done any better. Even if Thailand opened its gates who is going to come on holiday at a time like this, many in the West fear they will soon be unemployed or homeless. Thailand has nipped the pandemic in the bud, no doubt through good fortune more than anything else but they would be foolish to throw their good luck to the wind by opening up too soon. Europe is getting its 2nd wave and the USA is still in its first wave with worse to come, there is no safe country to invite in. It is expected that the deaths worldwide will eventually rise to 2 million. Thailand seems to be an island of safety, why risk it.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Think I can safely predict that the entire court system worldwide is about to collapse for covid related ppi-like claims within he next 18 months

Shall we make a bet about that ? First give me your definition about the worldwide court system collapsing. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

It's what happens when generals run the show and don't have a single worthwhile idea between them ????

The barracks are full, so they worry.

[Thomas J]

[Flying Saucage]

There are many in the powerful and superrich Thai elite who habe been losing billions of Baht already. All the luxury hotels, restaurants, airlines, duty free shops, travel agencies etc. I wonder how long they will continue to accept Prayuts policy of isolating the country for his own benefit.

[Knocker33]

Yet in another article by the same outfit they are saying how rosy Phuket is looking

[spidermike007]

3000 hotels on Phuket alone. Wonder how many did market research on Thai tourism? Quality tourism was dropping off years ago. Yet, they continued building. And investing trillions. Now, who do they have to fall back on for support? Obviously, not the tone deaf and indifferent army. 

[khaowong1]

Phuket is a tourist place, what did they think would happen when the tourists aren't allowed to come? 

[FarangJon]

This is exactly what they always wanted in the past few years, no dirty farangs.

Here we are. Congrats.

[Prairieboy]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

"Domino effect" sees Phuket's tourism downturn affect all areas of the economy

Imagine that!

[ChipButty]

Thai's never stop complaining about all nationalities over the years it's been one then another and when you can speak Thai it gets worse when you can hear the gossip I remember taking a couple of friends to the Similan islands it was full of Chinese and Russians I went to the cafe inside and the girl all she was doing was slagging them all off and pulling faces behind their backs, I bet she'd be on her hands and knee's begging them to come back now.

I remember sitting having my lunch in a place and 4 Thai's on the next table spent their whole lunch break slagging Farang off I didn't say anything until I got the bill when I asked for it in Thai then when I walked away I spoke to them in Thai.

 

[3NUMBAS]

this is the norm til the entire world is vacinated ,cud take 3 years though

[3NUMBAS]

wheres the golden man who used to ride round on his  bike