Thai government to turn off tourism aid after cases of fraud

[webfact]

Thailand's tourism industry has been hit hard by the loss of foreign tourists who brought in about two-thirds of the country's total tourism revenue of 3 trillion baht in 2019.   © Reuters

APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writer
Additional reporting by Masayuki Yuda

Industry calls for further help while lobbying to open up to vaccinated foreigners

BANGKOK -- Thailand's tourism industry faces another blow after the government shut the door on more domestic travel subsidies following revelations that many hotel operators had abused the system.

The Thai cabinet earlier this week turned down a proposal by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to extend the subsidy scheme called "We Travel Together" after many hotels and guesthouses were found to have defrauded authorities.

"We badly need the subsidy and the government should extend it as soon as possible, otherwise the tourism sector cannot be revived," Wassana Srikanchana, president of Hua Hin-Cha am Tourist Association told Nikkei Asia.

Full story: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Thai-government-to-turn-off-tourism-aid-after-cases-of-fraud

 

-- © Copyright Nikkei Asian Review 2021-03-17

 

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[RichardColeman]

If they don't start some serious and definite planning in vaccine roll out and non-quarantine tourism that graph is going to be more nearer to zero than anything else for '21

[ezzra]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

following revelations that many hotel operators had abused the system.

Fancy that, cheating in Thailand... who would have thought...

[colinneil]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

were found to have defrauded authorities.

Fancy that , people defrauding, shocking just shocking people defrauding the fraudsters.

[ChipButty]

Name and Shame them, lets see if I know any of them

[PatOngo]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai cabinet earlier this week turned down a proposal by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to extend the subsidy scheme called "We Travel Together" after many hotels and guesthouses were found to have defrauded authorities.

Who would have expected less! So many role models to choose from!

[mtls2005]

Consider me shocked that the cabinet decided not to continue this fraudulent campaign. I guess they sort of had to with nearly a thousand businesses accused of ripping off he government.

 

The other government schemes, like "Let's Go Halves" are similarl fraud-ridden, but maybe the lower classes benefit from that fraud?

 

Sketchy government schemes got a few democratically-elected governments in trouble. The current one seems to have an extra special teflon coating when it comes to corruption?

 

 

[LennyW]

The same happened with the 50/50 scheme for restaurants, the owners upped the price first and then applied the 50/50, many were caught and fined heavily, even jailed, they just cant help it, anything from the government seems to be fair game!!

[herfiehandbag]

29 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Sketchy government schemes got a few democratically-elected governments in trouble. The current one seems to have an extra special teflon coating when it comes to corruption?

 

I thought that they had rooted out corruption, after all, wasn't that one of the reasons that they took power in a coup, and formed a government charged with doing so - a government which was enthusiastically endorsed by a grateful electorate.

To return to the OP topic, perhaps the problem was that the wrong people were benefitting, which reduced the amount available to go to the good people?

[ChipButty]

I think the "We Travel Together" would be easy to fiddle, get all the staff to make a booking for their parents and friends

[worgeordie]

Government projects + money = corruption , everytime.

regards Worgeordie

[pixelaoffy]

37 minutes ago, LennyW said:

The same happened with the 50/50 scheme for restaurants, the owners upped the price first and then applied the 50/50, many were caught and fined heavily, even jailed, they just cant help it, anything from the government seems to be fair game!!

Oh yes.  lying. cheating all second nature and engrained ..and let's not hear from the apologists who will say 'ah it happens everywhere '. No 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Name and Shame them, lets see if I know any of them

I haven't got that long to live to read the whole list.

[hotchilli]

54 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I think the "We Travel Together" would be easy to fiddle, get all the staff to make a booking for their parents and friends

Should have been called "we gouge together" 

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

an extra special teflon coating

AKA - GUNS

[lesmac]

They bite off the hand that was feeding them and now cry with hunger som na na

[DefaultName]

Government offers free money, desperate people lie to get some.  Surprise.