Pattaya for sale: 90% of resort’s spa and massage businesses shutdown

[webfact]

Pattaya for sale: 90% of resort’s spa and massage businesses shutdown

 

File photo for reference only
 

Thai business media painted a grim picture of the state of the economy for small and medium size enterprizes - SMEs

 

Especially spas, massage joints and restaurants have either closed or are about to close.

 

A survey conducted by one organization said that businesses on both sides of the road from north to south Pattaya were advertised for sale or rent/lease. 

 

The tourism sector in Pattaya - previously one of Thailand's leading resorts - used to attract yearly revenues of 300 billion baht. 

 

No more. The almost complete absence of foreign tourists on which businesses relied has seen to that. 

 

Whether it is night or day Pattaya is dead - especially midweek. The once famous nightlife is a distant memory.

 

Chairat Rattanaophat of the spa association of Pattaya described the situation as very serious.

 

Previously there were 400-500 businesses from north to South Pattaya especially on the main beach, Sai 2 and in the sois. 

 

Now 90% are shut down. 

 

There were 70-80 spas businesses in hotels but many of these hotels are shut. Even if they are open the hotels may have not opened their spas or massage. They are preferring to concentrate on rooms and food and beverage at this time. 

 

Chairat said that ten larger operators with 200-300 employees (thus employing 2-3000 people) have ALL shut. 

 

Medium sized enterprises are in peril - some are just opening for the sake of providing a meager wage to workers who are left. Gone are monthly salaries replaced by some hourly rates. 

 

Great swathes of employees in the industry have gone back to their homes upcountry where it is cheaper to live. 

 

Places that employed 200-300 people now have a skeleton staff of 20-30, he said. Those that previously employed 20-30 similarly have 4 or 5 remaining. 

 

The Thai domestic market is just not enough to sustain many businesses especially as it is largely weekend only, if that.

 

From an industry that employed 10,000 people in Pattaya there are less than 400 remaining. 

 

Now, the media reported, there are genuine fears that Pattaya as a place for spa and massage now faces having to completely reinvent itself. 

 

With businesses no longer sustainable because of Covid-19 regulations the entire spa and massage industry could be on the verge of adopting an entirely new business model.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-11-30

 

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[champers]

90% closed seems like a gross exaggeration to me; 50% might be nearer the mark.

[MasterBaker]

100s of massage places and bars for a small city. Anyone has any marketing skills? I used to work in the area with 3 pizza places within 200m of each other and 4th was opening. How about those 27m2 apartments built at Amazon? It's easy to blame Covid as a bad dancer always blames his...

[Pravda]

3 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

100s of massage places and bars for a small city. Anyone has any marketing skills? I used to work in the area with 3 pizza places within 200m of each other and 4th was opening. How about those 27m2 apartments built at Amazon? It's easy to blame Covid as a bad dancer always blames his...

 

They learned from 7/11

[Golden Triangle]

There are posters on here who would totally refute the above story and tell you that Pattaya is rocking & everything is hunky dory ????      ????????????????

[Techno Viking]

Of the 1.93 trillion in tourism revenue in 2019 Iam surprised Pattaya only has a 300 Billion slice of that.

[Techno Viking]

1 minute ago, Golden Triangle said:

There are posters on here who would totally refute the above story and tell you that Pattaya is rocking & everything is hunky dory ????      ????????????????

 

From what I saw when i visited 2 weeks ago for the weekend, Yes Pattaya is doing ok as it was rammed.

[johng]

1 minute ago, Techno Viking said:

Pattaya is doing ok as it was rammed

Didn't you notice all the closed businesses  ?

bars ,disco's, restaurants,Mcdonalds,KFC,Burger king,massage places,Tiffany's show,bowling alleys, even many 7/11's  shut... almost everything on Second road dead.

[Techno Viking]

2 minutes ago, johng said:

Didn't you notice all the closed businesses  ?

bars ,disco's, restaurants,Mcdonalds,KFC,Burger king,massage places,Tiffany's show,bowling alleys, even many 7/11's  shut... almost everything on Second road dead.

 

 

Yeah a few Farang places closed but meh.

[Susco]

6 minutes ago, johng said:

Didn't you notice all the closed businesses  ?

bars ,disco's, restaurants,Mcdonalds,KFC,Burger king,massage places,Tiffany's show,bowling alleys, even many 7/11's  shut... almost everything on Second road dead.

 

Why bother replying to a well known troll

[from the home of CC]

what would you expect when tourism is shut for the sake of public health ? You think Thais are going to go and spend money foolishly like drunken tourists? Time for these areas to stop the reliance on foreigners and gear themselves for the future without the addiction to easy money..

[RichardColeman]

Will only get worse in the following months with no high season

[Olivie]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

what would you expect when tourism is shut for the sake of public health ? You think Thais are going to go and spend money foolishly like drunken tourists? Time for these areas to stop the reliance on foreigners and gear themselves for the future without the addiction to easy money..

If they stop to rely on foreign tourism, some will have to shut down.

Business can not be the same with or without 40 millions tourists.

[RotBenz8888]

27 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Will only get worse in the following months with no high season

Exactly, just wait until Ferbruary, Pattaya will be as lively as Ordos. 

[Justgrazing]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

massage now faces having to completely reinvent itself. 

 

Have to pull all the stops out then but you can't do it by tik tok so maybe it'll be a glory hole type evolution where you have stick your limb through a hole in the wall .. 

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, champers said:

90% closed seems like a gross exaggeration to me; 50% might be nearer the mark.

Not sure about that. I was talking to an airport "limo" driver. He said about 90 percent of the drivers are no longer working. Not the same business but I would assume definitely over 50 percent. 

[Oldie]

"Now, the media reported, there are genuine fears that Pattaya as a place for spa and massage now faces having to completely reinvent itself."

 

No tour groups anymore. What does reinvent mean? More individual soapy massages  and more happy endings? 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Now, the media reported, there are genuine fears that Pattaya as a place for spa and massage now faces having to completely reinvent itself. 

Pattaya has been reinventing itself for years.... the biggest joke was "family friendly resort".

Take-away the sex trade Pattaya has nothing left, it was never anything else!

Edited November 30, 2020 by hotchilli

[Traubert]

As we say in England 'it'l be right....'

 

Don't worry your heads about it.

[johng]

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

As we say in England 'it'l be right....'

 

Don't worry your heads about it.

Ehh wasnt that Bob Marley

Three little birds.

[Almer]

1 hour ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Have to pull all the stops out then but you can't do it by tik tok so maybe it'll be a glory hole type evolution where you have stick your limb through a hole in the wall .. 

That will add to the excitement especially if a lady boy shouts thankyou  

[Traubert]

44 minutes ago, johng said:

Ehh wasnt that Bob Marley

Three little birds.

No, Bob Troop actually.

[murraynz]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Didn't you notice all the closed businesses  ?

bars ,disco's, restaurants,Mcdonalds,KFC,Burger king,massage places,Tiffany's show,bowling alleys, even many 7/11's  shut... almost everything on Second road dead.

Soi Buakhou,and some side sois,not so dead..

 

[bkk6060]

I would estimate 80 to 90% of the "legit" shops have in fact closed.

 

[shackleton]

The Chinese and Korean business people will be buying once they are allowed in 

No wait thats hotels and restaurants 

Looks like the massage parlours are out of luck 

 

[Scott]

Off-topic, troll post reported and removed.  

 

[RR2020]

There will not be any tourists coming in until around July at the earliest..........

 

China does not want its people travelling, they want domestic tourism and have 2 billion people to vaccinate.

 

So let Europe get most of its people vaccinated by July 2021 and with "Covid Vaccination" passports..........and you might see some coming in when Thailand adopts acceptance to the new "Vaccination Passport" scheme where only vaccinated people can travel outside their home country.

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, champers said:

90% closed seems like a gross exaggeration to me; 50% might be nearer the mark.

I agree. or maybe we move in similar areas. MPs might be 50% , restaurants a bit more. Also beer bars might be up there.... but that and the lack of Western tourist predates Covid. Had a massage yesterday and, yes I was their only customer of the day so far, but many places open. 

[mikebell]

Panic not: there'll soon be scores of Chinese businessmen AKA tourists snapping up properties and businesses they helped to ruin in the first place - and Thailand will welcome them back with open arms.

[HashBrownHarry]

17 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

 

From what I saw when i visited 2 weeks ago for the weekend, Yes Pattaya is doing ok as it was rammed.

the weekends are not a true indication.