Skål Bangkok’s Wood Warns Of A Deepening Thailand Tourism Crisis

[Disparate Dan]

2 hours ago, Samui Fan said:

I am astonished by the vitriolic responses here and wonder what from which planet the people commenting so darkly come from. Did those people originally arrive here as tourists or are they locals? If they are expats, then they themselves arrived as tourists at some stage in the past. 

Completely untrue. I have never been a tourist here and never will be, although I have travelled extensively aroud the country in the last 25 years or so of living here.

The tourism-industry whiners need to embrace a number of realities:

 

-most Thais do NOT derive their income from tourism

-in non-tourist areas (most of the country - we don't all live in backpack ghettos like Pattaya or Phuket), there is strong evidence that most locals actually don't ant the hordes back

-other industries in Thailand (such as automotive production/sales, and I have no connections, or enthusiasm for this industry) are also suffering in this absurd global panic

-regardless of what the eternally PR-conscious and noisy tourism industry wants, no government  (or even what passes for one here) is able to act unilaterally in terms of international travel

and

-other countries, including all the others that have a substantial tourism industry, have precisely the same situation

 

I fervently hope tourism never recovers, here or elsewhere, and that people learn to do or make things that are less damaging to local and regional environments.

 

[Albert Zweistein]

13 hours ago, dbrenn said:

I can remember when Thailand had 4 million tourists per year. That figure became 39 million in 2019.

 

The place was much nicer and more beautiful back then. Thailand has been spoilt by the scourge of mass tourism. I hope that they never return. 

You are selfish.

[mlmcleod]

The Op reminds me of the state attorney General of Texas, Greg Abbott,  who stated that Texans should sacrifice their grandparents to get the economy going again.

 

 Rich tourists are just in the 1/2 of 1% of visitors here.  The mass of millions of tourists were budget minded and in the case of the Chinese took more than they created here since their packaged tours were owned by Chinese and only frequented Chinese owned businesses whenever possible.  There are neglected homeless and unemployed people everywhere in Thailand.  Is it a small wonder that they are getting restless and beginning to demonstrate again?

[Dogmatix]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

At least he got something right.

 

Instead of moaning about how there are no foreign tourists, how about reducing hotel prices so domestic tourists can afford to stay. Some customers better than none, yes?

 

Tourist industry has IMO been ripping off foreign tourists for years, so how about using some of the profits to support the unemployed tourism workers?

Here's an idea. How about accepting that LOS has been very lax in providing a good tourist experience and doing something about it so when tourists do return their money is well spent.

 

I went on so many poor quality tours in LOS I have zero sympathy for their problems.

 

Scams like the jetski attrocity were allowed to function for years, Pattaya speedboats ruin any day out at the beach, garbage and filth everywhere, crooked cops scamming over cigarettes, the m'bike helmet scam in Pattaya and Chiang Mai, poor service tourist buses, the national park double pricing and shoddy services in the park ( last time I went to Samet the island was garbage end to end, but the officials were not slow to get the park fees )- the list is endless.

 

IMO Thailand has been living off the 90s legend, when bagpackers that came then return as flashpackers.

The rush for the Chinese tourist has just ruined many tourist destinations like Maya Bay.

 

If Thailand wants tourists back when there are actually people wanting to tour, they need to accept that they were lacking and do something about it, IMO.

It's no longer business as usual. Stop the scams, clean the place up, stop the corruption, stop treating customers badly, and tourists might return, but hopefully in significantly reduced numbers.

 

So true but they can't stop the corruption because the system is rotten from the top down.  Police pay rent for the lucrative jobs and have to pass the gravy up the top brass who pass some on to the politicians. You would have clean out the system with carefully targeted neutron bombs and start again.

[Enoon]

Imagine if, in the West, the Iron and Steel industry, or the Coal mining, Shipbuilding, or Automobile, had not declined gradually as they have over the past 50 or so years.

 

Imagine that any 2 of them had simply disappeared in less than a month, and that all those directly or indirectly employed had been thrown into an economic wilderness with barely a trace of social/economic assistance from an incompetent and abusive government.

 

That is the scale of the catastrophe that millions of Thai people have been subject to.

 

Sickening to read, on these pages, the likes of "I'm glad that there are no more tourists" or "they can just find something else to do" or "they don't really need much anyway".

 

Absolutely sickening.

 

 

[Muzzique]

Thailand has fallen of a cliff and there is no safety net.

 

There is no tourism so all the industries that supply products to those workers such as cars and clothes have no customers.

 

If you cut off the snakes head the body dies too.

 

You are just seeing the beginning of a monumental economic catastrophe in Thailand for which there is no miracle vaccine.

 

The writing is on the wall so be warned.

[ronaldo0]

2 hours ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Honoured guests i believe....... The same ones that marched / peddled down to Singapore knocking off an estimated 90,000 Chinese on their way....... 

Guests that were paid a large amount of gold not to colonise the country as far as I’m aware . 

[ericthai]

4 hours ago, Purdey said:

Seems a pity that Thailand seems to rely on only one industry. Just kidding. Agriculture is there, but it doesn't make the majority wealthy.

Perhaps more investment in education, leading to investment in high tech companies. But that takes a generation as the teachers need training first. And to get smart teachers, you need a decent basic education to make people, including teachers, intelligent not just educated.

Oh well, it is a process that should have started 20 years ago. Hope it starts soon.

Thailand 's Agriculture GDP is less than Tourism at about 12%.

Thailand is very industrialized with many multi-international companies operating in Thailand because Thailand does

have a skilled labor force. However, Vietnam is coming up fast!  Thailand hurt it's exports by increasing minimum labor rates which resulted in the loss of low level industrial jobs mostly in the textile industry that went to Cambodia. Vietnam could overcome Thailand as a producer of automobiles. 

[bristolgeoff]

They are making u stop in a government scheme 14 day  hotel.All farangs have to do this,but the thais who sneak across the border avoid everything,they all know the open borders is issan and the nth.I just wonder how will they stop the spread  if they can not control this.Tourism will not recover,you don,t need rocket science or experts to work that one out.

     I know many of my friends are still in CNX under the visa  scheme and  they all follow safe measures in CNX.Don,t know about the thais thou,some will and many more will not

[dbrenn]

11 hours ago, hansnl said:

What about the people that earned a living in the industry, what about them?

Tough. They'll have to retrain in any industry that doesn't cause Thailand so much damage - career changes are part of life, did one myself.

 

Mass tourism has ruined all the beautiful places, and I hope it's gone for good.

[dbrenn]

2 hours ago, Enoon said:

Sickening to read, on these pages, the likes of "I'm glad that there are no more tourists" or "they can just find something else to do" or "they don't really need much anyway".

 

Absolutely sickening.

Sickening to see beautiful places ruined by hordes of lager louts and package tourists. Sickening to see pristine shoreline concreted over with tatty souvenir shops and resorts. 

 

Absolutely Sickening. 

[habuspasha]

On the issue of colonialism, if we are limiting it to post 1800--excluding medieval Khmer and Burmese and Ayutthaya French--then British and Chinese influence were more important than short term Japanese.  After Chinese settlement and intermarriage I think Thai historians would say that Western cultural colonialism has been most significant.  One said to me--take monogamy for starters.

[kiwikeith]

19 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Maybe it is also time for Thailand to admit how really Dependent the countries economy is on Tourism revenue.  Time to switch gears and find a different type of cash cow.  Oh Wait they did, the TE Visa and its new cost, that should save Thailand.  TAT's new slogan along with the Ministry of Finance should be:

"Come to Thailand where you can vacation in style in our premium ASQ hotels" "Thailand will regain its financial freedom thanks to the Billions obtained by our new tourism product, The ASQ Hotel where you can go Glamping in your own room"

It is time to admit that letting the boys into Tachilek for a bit of gambling and a fling in the Chinese Hotel was not sensible reopening of gambling tourism, Mr Prayut will have to demote a few generals and rethink this one, because someone just shot themselves in the foot. 

[kiwikeith]

2 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

It is time to admit that letting the boys into Tachilek for a bit of gambling and a fling in the Chinese Hotel was not sensible reopening of gambling tourism, Mr Prayut will have to demote a few generals and rethink this one, because someone just shot themselves in the foot. And it wasn't big Joke, it was Big Poke 

 

[Cattleman]

Thailand put an economic value on life ,its tourism industry 

The tourism industry has been largely sacrificed to save the lives of  many thousands of thais who would have died if covid had been let run amok into the country side .

the death rate would be horrific ,(close to 4% )

I for one believe that for this sacrifice , they need to be compensated .

This is the shared responsibility of both the government and general population .

 

[philosphrstone]

No, covid is just a bad flu...  here in Canada, the health Canada website says there were 4 confirmed cases of influenza last week in a country of 35 million.  Covid has replaced the usual flu season and is killing about the same number of sick and elderly people as influenza usually does.  I say that as someone who just recovered from a bout of it.  Covid is not a big deal, but the reactions of all these idiotic governments all over the planet is going to take years to recover from, if we ever do.  The only country that seems to be doing just fine is China, in case nobody has noticed.  They set the spook loose last winter and are sitting back laughing at the economic destruction it is wreaking abroad while their factories are working overtime...  and sadly, the western nations are all becoming full-on communist with every little bureaucrat having big power.  

 

Anyway, how do you know that the death rate would have been HORRIFIC?  Been reading mainstream media again?  lol  

I think covid is a small matter, but the reaction to it will have long term and horrific effects for many years to come...

[DaveK68]

10 minutes ago, Cattleman said:

 

the death rate would be horrific ,(close to 4% )

 

 

Insane.

The death rate would be nowhere close to that.

Stop fear mongering. 

[lkv]

24 minutes ago, DaveK68 said:

Insane.

The death rate would be nowhere close to that.

Stop fear mongering. 

Currently here in my country in Europe (eastern), we have a 2% death rate from confirmed testing, with yet not enough testing.

And hospital standards are somewhat lower than Western Europe, which results in higher number of deaths.

 

It is estimated we probably capture 1 in 5 if not 1 in 10 infections with testing,  which would indicate a more realistic death rate of 0.2 - 0.4%. So yes, nowhere near the percentages the previous poster was suggesting.

 

It is also true that the number of confirmed influenza cases is significantly lower compared to the same period of last year.

[Solinvictus]

21 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

I can say from my own exp working with thais in LOS, they never seemed to enjoy it when I shared my opinion on how things should be done, being a dirty farang and all...as there were also alot of "misunderstandings"

Very true! Especially if you're working with them. Crikey..don't tell them nothing!

 

Asking for their opinion also is like trying to open a box with no opening...don't bother..

[mr mr]

6 hours ago, Enoon said:

Sickening to read, on these pages, the likes of "I'm glad that there are no more tourists" or "they can just find something else to do" or "they don't really need much anyway".

 

taxi driver - welcome phuket sir where you go. what hotel you stay ?

you - actually i would like to just go a few hundred feet down the road to the 7. how much ? 

taxi driver - special for you 1000 baht.

[Miami007]

21 hours ago, dbrenn said:

I can remember when Thailand had 4 million tourists per year. That figure became 39 million in 2019.

 

The place was much nicer and more beautiful back then. Thailand has been spoilt by the scourge of mass tourism. I hope that they never return. 

If you live in Thailand on an Expat salary making 10-15 times more than the average Thai plus housing and trips home every year, you are right... Great to be the rich one in a poor country.

Not so good for the millions of Thais who will no longer have jobs and income because 35 million tourists are no longer visiting.  

 

[Miami007]

14 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

taxi driver - welcome phuket sir where you go. what hotel you stay ?

you - actually i would like to just go a few hundred feet down the road to the 7. how much ? 

taxi driver - special for you 1000 baht.

maybe you walk a few 100 feet, and save the money...I am sure most of us tourists can walk 300 yards LOL

[dbrenn]

31 minutes ago, Miami007 said:

If you live in Thailand on an Expat salary making 10-15 times more than the average Thai plus housing and trips home every year, you are right... Great to be the rich one in a poor country.

Not so good for the millions of Thais who will no longer have jobs and income because 35 million tourists are no longer visiting.  

 

I've been broke before. I once ran a business in Thailand that went to the wall in the 1997 financial crisis. Life goes on, I found something else to do, and I'm alright now.

 

39 million tourists are in any case totally destroying what they came to see, so a correction to the size of the tourist industry was inevitable. I hope they never return, and Thailand recovers its natural beauty. 

[metisdead]

A post using an animated trolling image has been removed.

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

I call upon our industry leaders and government to speak with one voice - avoid conflicting information and mixed messages. One official voice only. All statements to be made and sanctioned from this ONE source.

They speak with fork tongues kemosabe.

[elgenon]

Just raise rates! If you can get 1 booking charge for 400. Makes sense to me.

 

Hand officials a proper envelope to make your hotel a quarantine hotel.

[Walker88]

1 hour ago, dbrenn said:

I've been broke before. I once ran a business in Thailand that went to the wall in the 1997 financial crisis. Life goes on, I found something else to do, and I'm alright now.

 

39 million tourists are in any case totally destroying what they came to see, so a correction to the size of the tourist industry was inevitable. I hope they never return, and Thailand recovers its natural beauty. 

 

So you can come to Thailand as you wish, but nobody else can? Sounds......entitled.

 

Would you be willing to allow the Thai people, particularly those who benefit from tourism, to have a say in the matter? Must Thailand remain the way you, an outsider, want it to be? Have the Thai people no right to build whatever culture and society they want, even if you don't approve?

 

 

[mr mr]

2 hours ago, Miami007 said:

maybe you walk a few 100 feet, and save the money...I am sure most of us tourists can walk 300 yards LOL

 

you totally miss the point. straight over your head. 

 

the comment was in regards to the fact that when one visits phuket other than walking...you are taken advantage by the local taxi mafia and ripped off. 

 

 

[Disparate Dan]

40 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

 

So you can come to Thailand as you wish, but nobody else can? Sounds......entitled.

 

Would you be willing to allow the Thai people, particularly those who benefit from tourism, to have a say in the matter? Must Thailand remain the way you, an outsider, want it to be? Have the Thai people no right to build whatever culture and society they want, even if you don't approve?

 

 

The assumption that Thais all benefit from or want tourism blighting their country is simply wrong, same as it is in other 'tourist traps' (Venice and Barcelona are good examples). My wife and family, their friends, our neighbours, local shopkeepers and food shops, etc, are all happy about the current situation and getting on with their lives and livelihoods. They don't want or need mass tourism.

[dbrenn]

57 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

 

So you can come to Thailand as you wish, but nobody else can? Sounds......entitled.

 

Would you be willing to allow the Thai people, particularly those who benefit from tourism, to have a say in the matter? Must Thailand remain the way you, an outsider, want it to be? Have the Thai people no right to build whatever culture and society they want, even if you don't approve?

 

 

I'm Thai. Your post looks a bit daft now, doesn't it?

 

I've no objection to tourism in limited numbers, that doesn't run the places that tourists come to see - sustainable tourism I think it's called.

 

39 million tourists in a single year is far too many - crowds, queues, crime and concreted over beauty spots. I really do hope all the budget airlines go bust, so travelling is just that bit more difficult.