Thailand Sees Chinese Leading Tourists to Phuket After Reopening

[snoop1130]

Empty beaches in Phuket at the end of 2020. Photographer: Taylor Weidman/Bloomberg

 

Thailand expects about two million foreign tourists, mostly Chinese and Europeans, to visit Phuket this year after the nation’s most popular resort island reopens to vaccinated visitors from July 1.

 

The holidaymakers may generate about 105 billion baht ($3.4 billion) in revenue in the second half, according to Vichit Prakobgosol, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand. It will be the first time in more than a year that the island allows visitors without the mandatory two-week quarantine.

 

Phuket’s plan to waive quarantine for inoculated visitors is part of a gradual reopening of borders by Thailand, where tourism contributed to about one-fifth of its pre-pandemic economy. A successful reopening of Phuket to foreign visitors, who used to contribute almost 90% of the island’s tourism receipts, may pave way for other popular destinations to end movement restrictions.

 

Full Story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-29/thailand-sees-chinese-leading-tourists-to-phuket-after-reopening

 

-- © Copyright Bloomberg 2021-03-29

 

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[ikke1959]

I see a lot of nothing.. We hope and we believe but there are no certain numbers they talk about.  It is al hoping and guessing far beyond the reality.. I see updates every day about this issue

[connda]

Thailand may be visited by the members of countries that have not locked their citizens inside their own borders like North Korean clones.  Talk about the rise and fall of Western Civilization.  So yeah, the primary tourists imho will be from China with a smattering from other countries that haven't gone full-authoritarian-Orwellian on their own citizens.

[Laughing Gravy]

Expects and may are two words that are significant. As someone who is in China at the moment the word is that no travel until 2022 without doing up to 28 days quarantine, coming back. This again is just another pipe dream like all the others from those who really make such sensationalist claims, without engaging reality.

 

Once again this claim is delusional like nearly all the others.

[Xmas]

You need Border Force approval to leave Australia, this would not be granted for a holiday. Must be a trip longer than 3 months with a signifcant reason for leaving. Stat Dec required.

[RichardColeman]

8 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A successful reopening of Phuket to foreign visitors, who used to contribute almost 90% of the island’s tourism receipts, may pave way for other popular destinations to end movement restrictions.

You'd think they'd see the error in having 90% income from foreign tourists and try to change the tourism economy a little.

[realfunster]

6 hours ago, connda said:

So yeah, the primary tourists imho will be from China with a smattering from other countries that haven't gone full-authoritarian-Orwellian on their own citizens.

This would be the China where haz-mat suited police were forcibly dragging families from homes a year ago, right ? Followed by strictly monitored and enforced lockdowns and travel bans ?

 

6 hours ago, connda said:

Talk about the rise and fall of Western Civilization. 

These are rough times, no doubt. Talk of the fall of Western Civilization are overstated. A free-thinking, liberal and open society has clear advantages in periods of normalcy, I think we can see it has its challenges in times of crisis. Not helped of course, by anti-social tin-foil hatters like yourself. 

[Rocking Robert]

You still have to have a COE certificate and COVID 19 insurance

[Snackbar]

There it is, they have learnt nothing. TIT

[rheinwiese]

There is one major factor missing in the equation. The airlines.

Any tourism restart is going to require restoring transportation infrastructure and networks, especially for aviation.

Many planes are now parked in deserts all over the world. They will need to be retrieved and thoroughly serviced before resuming flights. Crews will have to be rehired or retrained.

But it’s not as simple as just getting planes back in the air. A massive challenge for airlines will be reestablishing air routes while ensuring their ongoing viability.

As airlines slowly build up these networks again, travelers will have to put up with less frequent connections, longer journeys and drawn out stopovers.

[dcnx]

7 minutes ago, Rocking Robert said:

You still have to have a COE certificate and COVID 19 insurance

YOU do. Don’t be surprised if the Chinese get a pass. Also, whatever is required of them will be sold as a fake on their websites within days of an official announcement.

[AhFarangJa]

Another good reason to steer clear of Phuket then.

[blacksuitdandruff]

It never ends on how I'm so impressed that they believe the Chinese will bring in money in the short term yet also bring in more deadly diseases in the future.  But don't worry, the elite ruling class will only profit while Som Chai and May will be the only ones suffering and possibly perishing.

[vandeventer]

So now if we travel to China with any vaccine other than a Chinese vaccine life will be difficult for us and we will have to quarantine. Forget the money they may bring and concentrate on the covid 19 that they may bring.

[nobodysfriend]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The holidaymakers may generate about 105 billion baht ($3.4 billion) in revenue in the second half,

They surely are very good in counting money that they do not have ( yet ) .

[herfiehandbag]

Todays dose of TATtery!

[IamNoone88]

The last thing I want to see is the return of the Chinese. So much for quality tourism.

[mikebell]

The Chinese will be back in droves hoovering up all the cut-priced properties and businesses they ruined in the first place.

[Xonax]

To me it sounds like this is a plan bound for disaster. Imagine what will happen, when the vaccinated foreign tourists in Phuket are getting mixed with the vulnerable un-vaccinated domestic travellers from other parts of Thailand?

People have learned close to nothing from the pandemic. Many Thais are now wearing their masks under the chin, as they just like me are exhausted by wearing it properly. Just a few days ago, I was enjoying a lunch buffet in a 5-star hotel in Bangkok, when I saw a Thai man touching and squeezing all the buns and baguettes in a basket. When I made a no-no sound, he just said "check hard", meaning that he needed to know, if they were hard or soft.

[ChrisKC]

This is not new

It is not even old

It is just plain boring! 

[yogavnture]

i wonder how well chinese tourists will get along with other europeans and westerners after things open up/..............i wonder if hostility towards chinese will occur due to covid anger

[bougnat]

variant 1 ; vaccine 1

variant 2 ; vaccine 2

variant 3 ; vaccine 3

variant 4,5,6......

[Isaan sailor]

No one nation has done more to destroy tourism here and worldwide—than China.  Seems ironic that TAT has more concern for revenue than anything else.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand expects about two million foreign tourists, mostly Chinese and Europeans, to visit Phuket this year after the nation’s most popular resort island reopens to vaccinated visitors from July 1.

What about vaccinated Thais & farangs living in Phuket.... lets not do the "cart before the horse" trip again.

[ThailandRyan]

Concertina wire to separate the tourists from the locals and domestic travelers?  Will they only be allowed in certain hotels and places.  Finding it really sketchy, as my daughter would say.  A few friends would come to Rawai and rent a Villa for a month, one half of the family for the first two weeks then the other half for the final two weeks, as it was cheaper to rent for a month then to stay in Hotels.  Stayed near the beach when they did come.  How will those types of folks be affected if they have to stay in certain areas.  The devil is in the details which has not been truly laid out for anyone to see as of yet.  Still waiting to see all of the parameters.

[NordicDemon]

37 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

i wonder how well chinese tourists will get along with other europeans and westerners after things open up/..............i wonder if hostility towards chinese will occur due to covid anger

I highly doubt that any tourists will show hostility towards each other because of the pandemic. Most people travel and go on vacation to have a nice and enjoyable experience. The vast majority of Europeans don't blame the Chinese people for the virus outbreak either, and East Asian people, including the Chinese, are still very much liked and respected in Europe. As far as I know, the same holds true for North America even though there tend to be some antagonism between its different minorities. That being said, neither Europeans nor the Chinese will likely return to Thailand in significant numbers anytime soon. 

[bojo]

15 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

No one nation has done more to destroy tourism here and worldwide—than China.  Seems ironic that TAT has more concern for revenue than anything else.

I'm interested to hear how China has done more to destroy tourism here and worldwide than any nation...................

[Isaan sailor]

6 minutes ago, bojo said:

I'm interested to hear how China has done more to destroy tourism here and worldwide than any nation...................

In a word, COVID-19.  Or did you think it came from somewhere else?

[shackleton]

It will be interesting to see where these future Tourists are coming from with Europe in Lockdown and no travel advised 

As most countries around the world 

Keep coming back to the vaccine program and Quarantine restrictions taking place in Thailand 

Looking at next year before any proper tourist will be travelling 

[Expat Tom]

Thailand doesn't want us dirty farang. They prefer the "Clean Chinese" who spit on the floor of the restaurant, walk down the street sounding like a flock of geese and who will bring "Covid 20" as their "Gift" to their little brothers to the south.....In 6 months, I'm out of there. There are other countries just as nice as Thailand that are more welcoming, don't adore the Chinese and have rational adult leadership.