Pattaya: Protests against government yet another nail in the coffin of tourism, says operator

[webfact]

Pattaya: Protests against government yet another nail in the coffin of tourism, says operator

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

Thai media Manager reported from Pattaya that the ongoing democracy protests against the Thai government threatened to be a further nail in the coffin for tourism in the eastern seaboard resort. 

 

A bar owner feared that her already devastated business was heading for complete catastrophe.

 

Manager noted that the protests of the "Khana Rasadon" group that initially centered on sites in Bangkok were now spreading to all areas of Thailand and Pattaya was no exception where protests were planned for the Bali Hai port area on Saturday.

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

Kotchaporn told the media that she used to make 10,000 baht a day but now was lucky to see 400 baht.

 

She had sold all her gold just to stay afloat, pay staff wages and meet overheads. 

 

The government had been largely useless, she lamented. 

 

But now things were taking an even worse turn with the protests. Instead of going out people were glued to their television sets at home wondering what the immediate future would hold, she said. 

 

Manager noted that the resort was largely deserted even though it was a weekend. 

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

One bright spot was a man called Janerop who was a fisherman who had clubbed together with friends to sell their catch at a small restaurant they have opened in south Pattaya called "Katana Sashimi Pattaya".

 

He hopes to appeal to a Thai clientele who might visit Pattaya.

 

Dishes are only 100 baht up and the shop can be found near Big C. 

 

Source: Manager Online

 

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[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

A bar owner feared that her already devastated business was heading for complete catastrophe.

Unfortunately a common cry for a lot of bar owners.

[Pravda]

Thai people are not stupid as portrayed by most farang "experts" with questionable intentions in Thailand. Most of the time they are just not allowed to speak. 

[champers]

I think that if the protests at weekends in Bangkok become a fixture then people will come here in greater numbers to stay well away from them.

The protests in Pattaya have been relatively small by comparison and have not been disrupting transport and causing shopping malls to close like they have in the capital.

[stevenl]

With tourism at the moment limited to internal, if something is going to happen, please do so asap.

[darksidedog]

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

The government had been largely useless, she lamented. 

One of the principal reasons for the protests of course.

[colinneil]

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

The government had been largely useless, she lamented

Understatement of the year.????????????????????

[Kerryd]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Manager noted that the resort was largely deserted even though it was a weekend.

Nothing at all to do with the rain that has been coming down almost non-stop since Friday I'm sure. 

[Justgrazing]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The government had been

as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike she lamented .. 

[Oldie]

She made 10,000 a day and couldn't save anything... I know people that are in a worse position. 

[Chang_paarp]

Given only a select few Chinese tourists can come to Thailand, the protests will be having very little effect on the tourist numbers, and a very small impact on the tourism based businesses.

This makes it a perfect time for the protests. The protests are after all a purely internal Thai affair. If they delay them till when the tourists are allowed to come the business owners would have a legitimate complaint.

[Kerryd]

When they refer to "tourism" now - they are referring to Domestic Tourists (Thais), not foreign tourists who they already know are not going to be back any time soon.

Which is why there has been a drive on in recent weeks to increase Domestic tourism in an attempt to generate more business in that sector. It won't make up for the loss of the International tourism market, but could offset that loss to a degree and provide some additional employment for the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, etc).

[RichardColeman]

Travel bubble Chinese will be as likely to stimulate Pattaya bar economy as a monk to stay off his mobile phone for 24 hours

[Wongkitlo]

37 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

When they refer to "tourism" now - they are referring to Domestic Tourists (Thais), not foreign tourists who they already know are not going to be back any time soon.

Which is why there has been a drive on in recent weeks to increase Domestic tourism in an attempt to generate more business in that sector. It won't make up for the loss of the International tourism market, but could offset that loss to a degree and provide some additional employment for the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants, etc).

I doubt Thai tourists would be going to this woman's bar or cancel their travel plans because of prorests. 

[Dutchjohn]

5 hours ago, Pravda said:

Thai people are not stupid as portrayed by most farang "experts" with questionable intentions in Thailand. Most of the time they are just not allowed to speak. 

I'm all with you!!

[PingRoundTheWorld]

What tourism? Tourists are not allowed in. If anything I hope the protests make the government wake up to see without tourism they have no employment, and no employment = mass protests.

[patman30]

What tourism?
there is no tourism while the borders remain shut.

[pokerface1]

If the government was smart they would come out with the truth. “After decades of environmental damage caused by millions of tourists we are killing tourism off in order to allow the environment to recover back to it natural beauty. “ That’s the only excuse that I can think of for what they have done. It’s also the only upside I can think of as well. 

[Oldie]

1 hour ago, pokerface1 said:

If the government was smart they would come out with the truth. “After decades of environmental damage caused by millions of tourists we are killing tourism off in order to allow the environment to recover back to it natural beauty. “ That’s the only excuse that I can think of for what they have done. It’s also the only upside I can think of as well. 

Watch what is happening in Europe. Covid cases increase very fast. If it continues like this they will have a "natural" shutdown - businesses will close because their employees are sick. I think the government here did a great job so far. Of course tourism related businesses suffer but not the big rest of Thailand. But even if Thailand opens its borders completely there will be still much less tourists than usual. So the tourist industry still will have problems.

[tomauasia]

You are a very dumb gov. Incompetent very much.. You left farangs who support Thai family's stranded deliberate. You are a jealous old group of pensioners. Also there is no tourism with you lol. Dirty Chinese are not tourists goose.

Protests have shown your imposters.. Destroyers and finished.

[essox essox]

21 hours ago, Oldie said:

She made 10,000 a day and couldn't save anything... I know people that are in a worse position. 

and how can we believe such a figure???

[madmen]

12 minutes ago, essox essox said:

and how can we believe such a figure???

Sounds about right for medium sized bar in a complex with say 5 bgs. Out of that 10k comes rent wages electricity, buyAlcohol etc, 

[Bell1234]

She should of saved her money then shouldn't she.

[essox essox]

7 hours ago, madmen said:

Sounds about right for medium sized bar in a complex with say 5 bgs. Out of that 10k comes rent wages electricity, buyAlcohol etc, 

she said THAT SHE MADE 10 K........go read it....10 k per day.......!!!! thats 70 k per week which I would say is good money....if her statement is true.....which i doubt.....

[DLock]

She can keep whining, and complain about how the protests will further damage her business...

 

...or she can get all her staff and friends and join the protest to try and bring about change.

 

The choice is hers.

[Hoppyone]

On 10/19/2020 at 1:00 PM, Oldie said:

She made 10,000 a day and couldn't save anything... I know people that are in a worse position. 

Probably her turnover was 10,000 a day  little mixed up ,most Thais have trouble working out any profit figures 

[Trujillo]

Is this thread an ad for "Katana Sashimi Pattaya"?

Did I miss the "this is ad content" message? 

[TechnikaIII]

Protests a nail in the coffin of Tourism?

Silly. The bar owners should get out there and join them.

The protests are, if anything, merely a thumb tack compared with Prayut's 6-inch nails.

[scammed]

On 10/19/2020 at 9:41 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Unfortunately a common cry for a lot of bar owners.

its not just bars, it cascade on everything else,

my neighbor that washes clothes closed shop yesterday

stating pattaya had become too quiet,

she is going back to isaan

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, scammed said:

its not just bars, it cascade on everything else,

my neighbor that washes clothes closed shop yesterday

stating pattaya had become too quiet,

she is going back to isaan

Of course it's cascaded, however as the story was about a bar owner, my comment stated the obvious, i.e. she was not alone, other bars were and had done down the hole.

 

This is and will continue to have a domino affect for years to come, that said, my wife has just started her business from home and is making a killing in the sense that she is making 3 times what the average wage is for a Thai, although she doesn't need to work, she saw an opportunity and pounced on it, that said, people will need to diversify and keep swimming to stay afloat.