Hua Hin: Tourist town devastated by Covid outbreaks - on a par with Samut Sakhon

[webfact]

Picture: Manager

 

A tourism businessman in Hua Hin has likened the resort to Samut Sakhon such has been the devastation caused to the tourism industry by clusters of infections from pubs and now a pineapple factory. 

 

Samut Sakhon became synonymous with the virus after the second wave of Covid emanated from a shrimp market there.

 

Udomsuk Nimchian - the owner of Kanta Resort and former head of the Prachuap Khiri Khan tourism business association - told Manager that the only difference was the size of the pineapple factory compared to the market.

 

The effect on tourism had been identical and now Hua Hin is known as a place for Covid.

 

Picture: Manager

 

Some 400 people - mostly workers from Myanmar are in quarantine and last month hundreds of infections in Hua Hin were caused after outbreaks connected to  entertainment venues. 

 

This had hit tourism in a big way, said Udomsuk, who spoke of 90% cancellations at his place and others in the downtown area. 

 

Particularly badly hit were hotels, shops, water parks, golf courses, a zoo and many tourism businesses in the Hin Lek Fai area where the Quality Pineapple Products factory is located. 

 

Picture: Manager

 

Udomsuk said that potential tourists who phone inquired about what places were open in the town, could they swim in the sea, go on the beach, use the hotel pool. It was all Covid related and most decided not to come. 

 

Meanwhile in the area of the factory Manager found the people in effective lockdown - scared to go out for fear of getting infected. 

 

Other traders at an elephant facility and shops had similar tales of doom and gloom. 

 

No one thought that there would be any improvement this month or in June.

 

The only hope was if there were no new infections in June and July then Hua Hin might possibly recover after that. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-05-11

 

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[MasterBaker]

since when SS is a tourist town?

[Excel]

1 minute ago, MasterBaker said:

since when SS is a tourist town?

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g1056228-Activities-Samut_Sakhon_Province.html

[RobMuir]

This B1.1.7 variant wave is destroying what was left of many businesses who had managed to survive the last year.

 

Tragic. 

[d2b2]

I had to drop off a gift to friend today. As I drove from my home in Hua Hin, the town appeared deserted. No traffic, no pedestrians, no activity. The lack of people was a bit shocking, as I had been staying home for many days and was unaware of the extent of the drop in activity.

The vaccine plan failure in Thailand has cascaded into a complete economic and political disaster

Edited May 11, 2021 by d2b2

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Some 400 people - mostly workers from Myanmar are in quarantine and last month hundreds of infections in Hua Hin were caused after outbreaks connected to  entertainment venues. 

You reap what you sow...

saying you're safe and actually being safe are two totally different things.

[mikosan]

A video posted by a friend a week or so ago.  It was filmed in the late afternoon on a Saturday, I believe.  If anything it's got worse.

  

[Donga]

Be under control by the end of June. This is Thailand not Europe or Americas.

I'm in Bangkok quarantine after flight from Sydney. The whole process from pre boarding, BKK airport controls, ASQ check in and tests, with protective measures throughout and comprehensive processes, has been top class.

With porous borders, outbreaks will happen but the Thais know how to manage Covid, and have proved as much. Those who harp otherwise are ignoring the performance and the comparative data.

[ukrules]

When the Bangkok outbreak happened they should have acted immediately which would have prevented the initial nightlife related infections.

 

Maybe next time around they will act.

 

I doubt it would have prevented the pineapple canning factory outbreak - that's something entirely different by the looks of it.

 

Still, they did pretty much nothing and the inevitable happened, I'm not surprised at all.

[hotchilli]

14 minutes ago, Donga said:

With porous borders, outbreaks will happen but the Thais know how to manage Covid, and have proved as much. Those who harp otherwise are ignoring the performance and the comparative data.

And the proof is in Bangkok for all to see.... Lol

[Donga]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

And the proof is in Bangkok for all to see.... Lol

 

Typical, ignoring Thai performance through 2020 and until the recent outbreak as well as comparison with most of the world.

The fat lady is still singing in Bangkok, but she won't be long lol

[Pete092]

The Pineapple Factory outbreak was a result of a Thai Engineer at the factory going to the Maya Pub on 30 March when Joey Boy was appearing. He then kept quiet about being at Maya and passed his infection on to the Factory workers.

[Venom]

53 minutes ago, mikosan said:

A video posted by a friend a week or so ago.  It was filmed in the late afternoon on a Saturday, I believe.  If anything it's got worse.

  

I miss the tradfic jam. Such a pity. At least PM  2.5 air pollution will return at years end. Something we can all look forward to.????

[mikosan]

3 hours ago, Pete092 said:

The Pineapple Factory outbreak was a result of a Thai Engineer at the factory going to the Maya Pub on 30 March when Joey Boy was appearing. He then kept quiet about being at Maya and passed his infection on to the Factory workers.

Great.  And his punishment?

 

[Deli]

4 hours ago, Donga said:

 

Typical, ignoring Thai performance through 2020 and until the recent outbreak as well as comparison with most of the world.

The fat lady is still singing in Bangkok, but she won't be long lol

 

Easy to lock down a country, running it's economy into the worst scenario you can immagine and let millions of your people unemployed with no social network. Really something to be proud of.

That's not a crisis management, that's Uniforms in charge.

[phantom51red]

8 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

since when SS is a tourist town?

Best thing about the place is the road out,north or south just get me outta that <deleted>hole.

[phantom51red]

Still the beach area is as nice as ever and better without all the jet skis,windsurfers ect that think they own the  sections of the beach :).

[MrJ2U]

Tough times for sure.  Big problem for Thai hotel owners charging prices as though it was normal times.  The Kanta Resort mentioned is a 3 star resort.  It's ok but not compared to the Ocean front resorts like the Hua Hin Marriott or newly remodeled Hilton that actually have cheaper rates.  Its always been that way with Thai owned properties, no wonder there struggling.  Charging more for less is a bad business model under any circumstances.

[ukrules]

6 hours ago, Pete092 said:

The Pineapple Factory outbreak was a result of a Thai Engineer at the factory going to the Maya Pub on 30 March when Joey Boy was appearing. He then kept quiet about being at Maya and passed his infection on to the Factory workers.

 

Sure it was ????

Edited May 11, 2021 by ukrules

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Donga said:

 

Typical, ignoring Thai performance through 2020 and until the recent outbreak as well as comparison with most of the world.

The fat lady is still singing in Bangkok, but she won't be long lol

Typical, the fat lady is singing but you develop a deaf ear.

[Stargeezr]

Thanks for the video, it brings back fond memories, but  Hua Hin is a ghost town now.  Good time for Hollywood

to take some camera crews to show a futuristic movie, of some kind of pandemic, and few survivors.  I will wait until next year before returning, as i suspect

that even by this Winter, the conditions will not be much better for visiting tourists.  There might be some businesses open, but if

the people do not get their vaccines by this Fall, I do not want to risk my health to be there with the locals not being protected.

Besides by this Fall and Winter, all the variants will have had their time in country as well.

Geezer

[baansgr]

15 hours ago, mikosan said:

A video posted by a friend a week or so ago.  It was filmed in the late afternoon on a Saturday, I believe.  If anything it's got worse.

  

Nice video, enjoyed seeing around HH...gotta say though, it's pretty obvious, if bars are closed, they're ain't gonna be any customers or people there...same as doing a video of a football ground when a game isn't being played...it would be empty...

[clivebaxter]

Nice film reminded me of the place, but it certainly looks better with all those tatty bars closed, bars being the polite word for them. Burger King gone is even better.

[baansgr]

10 hours ago, Deli said:

 

Easy to lock down a country, running it's economy into the worst scenario you can immagine and let millions of your people unemployed with no social network. Really something to be proud of.

That's not a crisis management, that's Uniforms in charge.

What course of action would you suggest the Thai Government take..seriously I am interested to know the solution if you have one.

[Olmate]

33 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Thanks for the video, it brings back fond memories, but  Hua Hin is a ghost town now.  Good time for Hollywood

to take some camera crews to show a futuristic movie, of some kind of pandemic, and few survivors.  I will wait until next year before returning, as i suspect

that even by this Winter, the conditions will not be much better for visiting tourists.  There might be some businesses open, but if

the people do not get their vaccines by this Fall, I do not want to risk my health to be there with the locals not being protected.

Besides by this Fall and Winter, all the variants will have had their time in country as well.

Geezer

Fall? ????

[phantom51red]

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Thanks for the video, it brings back fond memories, but  Hua Hin is a ghost town now.  Good time for Hollywood

to take some camera crews to show a futuristic movie, of some kind of pandemic, and few survivors.  I will wait until next year before returning, as i suspect

that even by this Winter, the conditions will not be much better for visiting tourists.  There might be some businesses open, but if

the people do not get their vaccines by this Fall, I do not want to risk my health to be there with the locals not being protected.

Besides by this Fall and Winter, all the variants will have had their time in country as well.

Geezer

To be honest its only bintibaht,soi 80 area that could claim this tag,the other sois are doing ok,yes lots of places have closed down hilton way,mostly falang,indian business,apart from that all good,not as bad as lamai or chawang in samui,pattaya,phucket ect,plenty restaraunts still open here and even some new ones [thai] opened while i was away,and easy to get a beer with your meal aswell,still no point coming here to party at the moment.

[Stargeezr]

Fall is Autumn in some places, you know September October and November,  that is Fall where I am. and even late

August some years may feel like early Fall.

[mikosan]

5 hours ago, baansgr said:

Nice video, enjoyed seeing around HH...gotta say though, it's pretty obvious, if bars are closed, they're ain't gonna be any customers or people there...same as doing a video of a football ground when a game isn't being played...it would be empty...

That's absolutely the point being made, there are no people here, because everything is closed.  And everything is closed because of COVID and because of this governments inept and laissez faire attitude to dealing with the crisis i.e. not thinking ahead and planning a vaccination scheme, because they thought they had it licked.

 

[Surelynot]

20 hours ago, ukrules said:

When the Bangkok outbreak happened they should have acted immediately which would have prevented the initial nightlife related infections.

 

Maybe next time around they will act.

 

I doubt it would have prevented the pineapple canning factory outbreak - that's something entirely different by the looks of it.

 

Still, they did pretty much nothing and the inevitable happened, I'm not surprised at all.

As the scientists from UK SAGE told our politicians (who didn't listen)......in a pandemic you have to act what you think might happen, basing your actions on real data, as it comes in, is too late......you have lost the battle.......hence 152,000 covid deaths.

[H1w4yR1da]

On 5/12/2021 at 7:17 AM, clivebaxter said:

Nice film reminded me of the place, but it certainly looks better with all those tatty bars closed, bars being the polite word for them. Burger King gone is even better.

I liked the bars and BK.