Opinion: Phuket in a Covid Crisis – VIDEO

[webfact]

Phuket in a Covid Crisis – VIDEO

By The Thaiger

 

 

Phuket is facing an existential crisis. Because of its semi-isolation as an island, it doesn’t get much “passing traffic” and is too far away from Bangkok to attract much ‘weekend’ business. Whilst the borders stay closed the island’s businesses face ruin.

 

 

A year ago, the streets of this tourist island were brimming with a diverse international tourism mix. In fact the island had become one of the most popular tropical island destinations in the world, catering for both the high end, the back-packers and just about everything in between.

 

But nearly 9 months into a global coronavirus pandemic, things are now very, very different.

 

Since Thailand’s borders were closed, Thailand’s tourist magnets, including the southern island of Phuket, have faced the prospect of at least a short to medium term future without any means to run their businesses. Each of these shops is an individual, maybe a family, friends, employees, a landlord… all suddenly cut off from an income. Their sin, choosing to run a business, and pay hefty rents for the pleasure, in areas where tourists wanted to visit.

 

In the case of Phuket, which previously attracted 8-10 million international visitors a year, its cash lifeline, probably more than 90% of its economy, has been cut off.

 

The provincial government has done little, can do little, to help. The Thai government has had a round of cash handouts for people losing their job, but, in many cases, these have either been negligible and in some cases, never turned up. Either way, none of the government’s stimulus has been able to do much to help the island find a new pathway to re-open all these businesses.

 

As for Phuket’s 2,000 or so hotels and guesthouses, most of them still have their doors locked, some even completely vacated without even maintenance staff. The prospect of their survival, on domestic tourism alone, is impossible – Phuket, just too far away from the country’s population centres to get any passing or weekend traffic.

 

The island’s east coast, where many of the Thai’s live and the established families have their businesses, have burst back to life following the lifting of lockdown provisions in May and June this year. But a drive through the west coast towns looks more like the set of a dystopian Hollywood set, bereft of tourists, locals, and empty streets lined with row after row of shuttered shops.

 

This isn’t an exaggeration, this is how it is, and has been for months with little hope of the situation improving any time soon.

 

The businesspeople here followed the government’s demands to close up shop and lockdown for 6 week in March and April. A 6 week interruption to their businesses would be bad enough. But, here we are, 6 months later and the situation remains bleak.

 

In fact most of the owners and employees of these businesses have stripped their shops, left the island and headed back to their homes.

 

For the locals, who call Phuket home, they’ve had to find a new life, a new job and make a new start, often helped along by the kindness of strangers and the island’s expat community.

 

Thailand’s travel and hospitality industries, and they ARE industries, especially on an island like Phuket, are now in a perpetual limbo. Whilst everyone is happy to see a development like the Special Tourist Visa, it is not even a remotely sustainable model for Thailand’s tourism industry beyond the immediate short-term and will do little get these shops open again.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/phuket-in-a-covid-crisis-video

 

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-10-05

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Somtamnication]

Tell us something we don't know!

[CG1 Blue]

3 minutes ago, Emdog said:

Be careful what you ask for! ????

Could be worse in Phuket: shut down AND have virus rampaging. If you don't have your health, you have nothing

Fair point.

But I wonder how many are going to suffer and die from the poverty caused by lockdowns, versus how many would die from a virus with a 0.1% death rate? 

[metisdead]

Insensitive posts and the replies have been removed. 

[GeorgeCross]

12 minutes ago, CG1 Blue said:

Fair point.

But I wonder how many are going to suffer and die from the poverty caused by lockdowns, versus how many would die from a virus with a 0.1% death rate? 

well put it this way if thailand had 20K cases per day no other country would clear travel to it without quarantine on return so tourism would still be dead AND they'd have the 20K cases to deal with

 

for reference see what happened to spain after uk declared quarantine upon return. dead within days. 

 

china currently has 14 day quarantine upon return for ALL countries so thats 30% of the tourists gone with or without thai response

 

this is a global problem not just a thailand one

 

[eisfeld]

1 minute ago, GeorgeCross said:

well put it this way if thailand had 20K cases per day no other country would clear travel to it without quarantine on return so tourism would still be dead AND they'd have the 20K cases to deal with

 

for reference see what happened to spain after uk declared quarantine upon return. dead within days. 

 

china currently has 14 day quarantine upon return for ALL countries so thats 30% of the tourists gone with or without thai response

 

this is a global problem not just a thailand one

 

Yup it's baffling that many people assume that opening the borders up will bring in again tons of tourists. Even if they opened borders tomorrow, only a fraction of tourists will come. How many is anyones guess but I doubt it would be even close to half the usual amount. People are losing their jobs in other countries too and in general are heaving a hard time so wont travel much. There's a risk of borders getting closed again after opening and then people would be stuck once more. Plus all the quarantine restrictions in various countries. Who in their right mind would go on a vacation now?

 

So the result would be a fairly low amount of tourists which wont be enough to keep all those tourism businesses afloat (many were already strugling the years before and didn't exactly rake in the money) plus you also get all the side effects of more infections. It's not exactly a winning strategy either.

[ourmanflint]

"Oh dear. How sad. Never mind."

[GeorgeCross]

8 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Yup it's baffling that many people assume that opening the borders up will bring in again tons of tourists. Even if they opened borders tomorrow, only a fraction of tourists will come. How many is anyones guess but I doubt it would be even close to half the usual amount. People are losing their jobs in other countries too and in general are heaving a hard time so wont travel much. There's a risk of borders getting closed again after opening and then people would be stuck once more. Plus all the quarantine restrictions in various countries. Who in their right mind would go on a vacation now?

 

So the result would be a fairly low amount of tourists which wont be enough to keep all those tourism businesses afloat (many were already strugling the years before and didn't exactly rake in the money) plus you also get all the side effects of more infections. It's not exactly a winning strategy either.

 

there would be a brief influx of "tourists" desperate to get back to their businesses or families. as soon as the GPS bracelets are taken off though they will quickly disappear into the ether. they certainly will not be hanging around to fill up the beaches and rescue thailand's tourism industry.

 

real tourism is dead until quarantine is non-existent in BOTH directions

 

[ChipButty]

In another news report some young guy has Hung himself because he has no job and no money here in Phuket

[Tropicalevo]

It is the same story in both Samui and Pattaya.

The majority of people working in the tourist industry are low paid, normal people just trying to make a living. Restaurant staff, cleaners, gardeners etc. They do not 'rip off' tourists. Many are paid 'cash in hand' and so are unable to apply for any government support.

These workers were supporting families in other parts of thailand, who now have no income. The poverty is spreading.

There are millions of people (Thais and foreigners) now at the bottom of the ladder and with no way up again.

The suicide rate amongst Thais has grown 22% against last year's numbers in just a few months. It will not be going down this year.

Sad and difficult times ahead for many.

[Pedrogaz]

Thailand is a victim of its own success. In order to overcome the virus, it was necessary to close the borders. This worked very well, but pretty much only in Thailand. The countries that kept their borders open like UK, US, Europe, India are ravaged with the disease. Thailand can't fully open its borders until the rest of the world gets the virus under control, but with Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Narenda Modi in charge of UK, US, Brazil and India respectively then chances of bringing the virus under control seem years away (unless the virus gives up and moves onto some other animal). 

If Thailand reopens its borders to how it was in the past, it is inviting the virus to come back and ravage here. Sadly some businesses, good and bad, will be dragged under and their owners will suffer.

I'm a fat, 67 year, old diabetic and the Thai government's repose has been great for me, but I feel for some of the honest businessmen who have been caught in the downturn, which is not yet over...banks will have to declare their NPLs (non performing loans) and increase their capital reserves....this will mean a tightening of standards for new loans otherwise called a credit crunch which is bad for starting new businesses.

[CG1 Blue]

5 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

well put it this way if thailand had 20K cases per day no other country would clear travel to it without quarantine on return so tourism would still be dead AND they'd have the 20K cases to deal with

 

for reference see what happened to spain after uk declared quarantine upon return. dead within days. 

 

china currently has 14 day quarantine upon return for ALL countries so thats 30% of the tourists gone with or without thai response

 

this is a global problem not just a thailand one

 

I agree. But I also keep an open mind about whether lockdowns across the world are the right way to go. With suicides on the increase, cancer and other serious conditions going undiagnosed, the long term effects of extreme poverty etc. Some might say the world leaders and their advisors are killing their citizens in greater quantities than the virus would if left to run it's course. 

[DaveCW]

6 hours ago, eisfeld said:

Yup it's baffling that many people assume that opening the borders up will bring in again tons of tourists. Even if they opened borders tomorrow, only a fraction of tourists will come. How many is anyones guess but I doubt it would be even close to half the usual amount. People are losing their jobs in other countries too and in general are heaving a hard time so wont travel much. There's a risk of borders getting closed again after opening and then people would be stuck once more. Plus all the quarantine restrictions in various countries. Who in their right mind would go on a vacation now?

 

So the result would be a fairly low amount of tourists which wont be enough to keep all those tourism businesses afloat (many were already strugling the years before and didn't exactly rake in the money) plus you also get all the side effects of more infections. It's not exactly a winning strategy either.

And this is the point that folk have been making - Its not just a matter of reopening borders, its a matter of returning to normal (or as near as) and stop all this madness for what is no more destructive than Flu. The sooner that starts the sooner folk will have better prospects for the future. Not just Thailand, but globally. 

[DaveCW]

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Thailand is a victim of its own success. In order to overcome the virus, it was necessary to close the borders. This worked very well, but pretty much only in Thailand. The countries that kept their borders open like UK, US, Europe, India are ravaged with the disease. Thailand can't fully open its borders until the rest of the world gets the virus under control, but with Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Narenda Modi in charge of UK, US, Brazil and India respectively then chances of bringing the virus under control seem years away (unless the virus gives up and moves onto some other animal). 

If Thailand reopens its borders to how it was in the past, it is inviting the virus to come back and ravage here. Sadly some businesses, good and bad, will be dragged under and their owners will suffer.

I'm a fat, 67 year, old diabetic and the Thai government's repose has been great for me, but I feel for some of the honest businessmen who have been caught in the downturn, which is not yet over...banks will have to declare their NPLs (non performing loans) and increase their capital reserves....this will mean a tightening of standards for new loans otherwise called a credit crunch which is bad for starting new businesses.

Disease?

Ravage? In comparison to what? The C19 Flu is the 24th killer in the UK, not exactly doomsday visiting most folks door.

[eisfeld]

18 minutes ago, DaveCW said:

what is no more destructive than Flu

From the numbers that I can find, the mortality rate is much higher than Flu in the UK (and world wide but taking UK as example because you mentioned it) even with all these counter measures. Something like 8k deaths per year in UK [1] compared to more than 42k [2] deaths from Covid-19 and it hasn't been a full year yet. What numbers do you have?

 

[1] https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2019/10/04/flu-vaccination-the-main-things-to-know-about-the-2019-programme/

[2] https://virusncov.com/

[CG1 Blue]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

From the numbers that I can find, the mortality rate is much higher than Flu in the UK (and world wide but taking UK as example because you mentioned it) even with all these counter measures. Something like 8k deaths per year in UK [1] compared to more than 42k [2] deaths from Covid-19 and it hasn't been a full year yet. What numbers do you have?

 

[1] https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2019/10/04/flu-vaccination-the-main-things-to-know-about-the-2019-programme/

[2] https://virusncov.com/

We also have to bear in mind that those death numbers in the UK are people who died (from whatever causes) after a positive Covid test. So those are (apparently) deaths with Covid, not because of Covid. 

I don't deny Covid is highly contagious, but I keep an open mind about how deadly it is - especially as we see the devastation unfold from locking the world down. 

[eisfeld]

Sure, always keeping an open mind especially with something like Covid-19 which is still being researched and it'll take yaers until we get a good picture and numbers can change as we learn more about it. But I guess your argument goes also the same with the flu. Some people who die "from" flu have a bunch of diseases that weaken the body enough so flu can take it over the edge. So the best we can do right now is look at the official numbers and go by that because everything else would be wild guessing and hypothesizing.

 

I think the real trouble - and that goes for Phuket as well - is that we as a society are not yet at a point where no one has to hunger or fear having no roof over their head. Because I believe that this should be a solved problem.

[talahtnut]

57 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

I think the real trouble - and that goes for Phuket as well - is that we as a society are not yet at a point where no one has to hunger or fear having no roof over their head. Because I believe that this should be a solved problem.

Spot on mate, its mean and disgraceful how they treat the poor of Thailand.

Pull the ladder up Jack.

[sammieuk1]

Thank you Xi ????

[Albert Zweistein]

Brimming a year ago ? I was there at that time and most shop/bar/restaurant keepers I know were complaining. Was there again February this year and still complaining : high season was very short, low season started to early.

[steelepulse]

Traffic is a dream compared to a year ago, as are the beaches.  However for the common person working for or operating a business here, that's of little consequence when it comes time to feed the family and pay the bills.

[eisfeld]

8 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Brimming a year ago ? I was there at that time and most shop/bar/restaurant keepers I know were complaining. Was there again February this year and still complaining : high season was very short, low season started to early.

It depends on who you speak to. I believe tourism over the years increased but the demographics heavily changed. Westeners over the years steadily decreased, then the Russians nearly completely disappeared when the Ruble tanked, recovered but not to the same levels as before and now the big shift was to Chinese many of which traveled in group tours in very well planned out trips all going to the same places and a handful of businesses making all the money. And these businesses are in many cases run by Chinese so Thailand and Thais have not profited all too much from this tourism while at the same time having to support it via infrastructure. So if you talk to restaurants and hotels that cater to the independent traveler then they would tell you things gradually got worse year by year. If you speak to a business catering to Chinese then they'd have told you everything was amazing. Now of course everything is dead.

 

So when someone says last year things were brimming then yes. That's because the total number of tourists increased and the infrastructure was not improved to keep pace. Traffic miserable. Tons of busses spewing black smoke. It was brimming but not really in a good sense.