A man rakes the sand on a beach as Phuket gets ready to open to overseas tourists from July 1 allowing fully vaccinated foreigns to visit the resort island without quarantine, Phuket, Thailand June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand lost 550,000 tourism jobs in the second quarter, a private industry group said on Tuesday, as the tourism-reliant economy struggles with a third wave of coronavirus infections.

 

Thailand's most severe outbreak so far started in April and has badly hit domestic spending and travel in the absence of foreign visitors.

 

The outbreak has shut 36% of tourism businesses temporarily and 4% permanently, the Tourism Council of Thailand said in a statement, citing a survey that also showed tourism confidence hit a record low in the current quarter.

 

Hotel occupancy rates dropped to 10% in the second quarter from 20% in the first quarter, the survey showed.

 

Since the pandemic, more than 2 million tourism workers lost their jobs, including 400,000 in the first quarter of 2021, council president Chamnan Srisawat told a briefing.

 

The industry is hoping the opening to vaccinated visitors to the resort island of Phuket from Thursday, a pilot project, will bring in some foreign tourists this year.

 

The arrivals this year are expected to be a fraction of the nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019 before the pandemic, he said.

 

"Most tourism operators only have cash flow for up to six months. If the outbreak can't be controlled and the economy does not get better by then, more businesses will be closed down," Chamnan said.

 

Separately, the cabinet on Tuesday agreed to delay debt repayments for state banks' debtors until the end of the year to help households and smaller businesses affected by the outbreak.

 

It also approved financial assistance of 7.5 billion baht ($234 million) for employers and workers hit by recent restrictions to curb the spread.($1 = 32.05 baht)

 

(Reporting by Satawasin Staporncharnchai; Writing Orathai Sriring; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-30

 

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Thailand’s tourism confidence plunges to all-time low ahead of reopening

By Suchat Sritama

 

Thailand’s government targets three million foreign tourists this year under a phased reopening plan

 

Thailand’s tourism confidence index in 2Q2021 fell to a 10-year low of 11 points as the ongoing pandemic hampered recovery and dampened business confidence, but the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is optimistic of a rebound when the country reopens to international visitors this week.

 

According to a TCT statement, only 50 per cent of tourism businesses remain open, while 36 per cent have closed temporarily, and four per cent have shuttered permanently. In addition, tourism businesses which remain open said they only have enough funds to last them another six months.

 

However, once foreign tourists start returning to Thailand and domestic travel resumes, the index should rebound to 33 points in Q3 this year, predicts TCT president Chamnan Srisawat.

 

Full story: https://www.ttgasia.com/2021/06/29/thailands-tourism-confidence-plunges-to-all-time-low-ahead-of-reopening/

 

-- © Copyright TTG ASIA 2021-06-30

 

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53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is optimistic of a rebound when the country reopens to international visitors this week.

 

Misty optic more like ..............LOL

Once again, not sure how the government could not anticipate this outcome when many of us idiots here on the TV did.

 

Better countries started working a year ago to relocate tourism workers they knew would be displaced for several years.

 

One begins to feel sorry for the Thais at some point

Well that is only 550,000 jobs!

Dont they know in a recent NIDA Poll of 1311 Thai's 75% (983 Thai's) said no tourist ????????

NIDA poll: Nearly three quarters of Thais DO NOT agree with reopening Thailand to foreign tourists

Its ok, 441,000 jobs selling virtual drinks were created. 

Decent numbers, I thought the totals would be much much higher.

These numbers don't reflect what I see everyday, there alot more closed than open and many shop houses are empty and not rented. Are they putting lipstick on a pig? 

All seems to be paved out for great

scams and price hikes to get back the “lost money” by all operators.   I wouldn’t like to be a genuine long time tourist in Phuket once it gets going again.  
 

Cause it won’t be cheap! 

16 minutes ago, inThailand said:

These numbers don't reflect what I see everyday, there alot more closed than open and many shop houses are empty and not rented. Are they putting lipstick on a pig? 

 

43 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Decent numbers, I thought the totals would be much much higher.

This are the numbers for Q2 2021 . Most jobs have been lost already , as they say +2 million so far . It is a lot of people and only for Q2 2021 . I am not there , and i havent been since December 2019 ( unfortunate , Covid lockdowns started 1 week before i was flying there in 2020 ) . But i have been following the situation pretty close as much as i can . 550k for a industry that has been ravaged for over 1y already,  is a lot . Idk how many people still officially work there , and how the "sandbox" will effect the numbers , but tbh the way the Thai infection numbers aren't under control , i do not see it changing just yet . If Thailand had the numbers like 6 months ago , together with the "sandbox " and the vaccination going along , i think would be much more successful , but atm , i am even afraid i can/am willing to come in October .  I think i am not alone in that case , and the 1st numbers of the "sandbox" are showing the same thing .

Im assuming that is just workers in the hotels, what about all the support staff and the suppliers...........? more than double that amount

that figure doesn't reflect the real story of black cash money and brown envelopes  its only the people registered what about the flow on affect to others

all posters here should know that the numbers now have been the numbers always…they never tested, they never had cases…. now they test and get numbers and cases so what is the big fuzz about it here? Nothing new really for everyone that can deal with the result of 1+1……….

Couldn't happen to a more inept, confused and conflicted, deserving place. 

 

RE - The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is optimistic of a rebound when the country reopens to international visitors this week.

 

* Wonder why the expression "reality break" came to my mind .... ????

16 minutes ago, OKF said:

all posters here should know that the numbers now have been the numbers always…they never tested, they never had cases…. now they test and get numbers and cases so what is the big fuzz about it here? Nothing new really for everyone that can deal with the result of 1+1……….

 

The big fuzz now.... Other countries may not allow their citizens to come and enjoy the "sandbox" Given the steep incline the covid counter is currently travelling.

 

That can't be good for what little remains of the decimated tourist industry.

About a month ago I remember reading how Thailand's unemployment rate was 1.96% and that the number unemployed was 760,000. Now they say that 400000 jobs were lost in Q1 and 550000 in Q2.

 

Do the tourist board boffins work out the unemployment figures?

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-economy-jobs-idUSL3N2NB0QX

Only real solution vaccines for everyone  , and cut out the hoops one has to jump through to get here. Oh, and not flip flop for 1 whole year.

Quote

Quote

No more idiot schemes

 

 

Pretty sure that amount and many more were lost long before !!

Just about every Thai person I know has lost their job ,the odd one is on half wages etc for same weekly working hours just to keep a job in a dead restaurant/bar .

1 hour ago, GeilGeilertzen said:

All seems to be paved out for great

scams and price hikes to get back the “lost money” by all operators.   I wouldn’t like to be a genuine long time tourist in Phuket once it gets going again.  
 

Cause it won’t be cheap! 

Don't hold your breath, delta is expected to become the dominant strain of covid in Thailand in the next few months , but do not worry just rush out and get vaccinated, according to the Thai newspaper we dont' name today.

If I were a fortune teller I would say a new India is on the horizon.

18 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

The big fuzz now.... Other countries may not allow their citizens to come and enjoy the "sandbox" Given the steep incline the covid counter is currently travelling.

 

That can't be good for what little remains of the decimated tourist industry.

 

My sad guess is that the sandbox will be filled up to the brim with emptiness and loneliness than anything else this summer

1 minute ago, ttrd said:

 

My sad guess is that the sandbox will be filled up to the brim with emptiness and loneliness than anything else this summer

 

And many will beg/borrow/steal to make their way to Phuket in the hopes of finally earning an income again... they will be bitterly disappointed when they arrive.

Prayuts complete mishandling of the infections since New year, and his lack of vaccine planning has cost the nation billions.

You could say Thailand was just hanging in there with subsidised domestic tourism, but that all changed in the last 3 months... even Thais are scared of this outbreak and are mostly careful about their movements to other provinces.

Even now half way through the year at best 10% have had a first jab, and less than half of that their second,  nationwide it's even less as certain hotspots are being given priority, starving other areas.

 

3 minutes ago, ttrd said:

 

My sad guess is that the sandbox will be filled up to the brim with emptiness and loneliness than anything else this summer

It's ridiculous to even consider anything otherwise.

Take this example:  In most countries you are told to avoid all unnecessary travel.  All unnecessary travel.  Tourism is not necessary travel.  

When you go against advice like this your insurance skyrockets (which you must have).  Plus COVID insurance.  Plus this plus that plus maybe you will sleep on a cardboard box or spend your holiday in a country where the health care system is admittedly crumbling.  

 

These people are completely and utterly nuts.  

I expect since last year actual lost jobs is far higher when taking into account the unregistered workers it is truly a tragedy which unlikely to get better until tourists can return without restrictions the Phuket Sandbox restrictions will not encourage many visitors probably mostly those wanting to enter Thailand without quarantining in Bangkok but it is still very expensive and inconvenient and without quarantine in name only.

What happened to the success of domestic tourism that saw hotels almost fully booked during the first and second waves?

Things that everybody ought to know about Thailand's numbers and statistics.

1. No Thai 'spokesperson' actually knows the reality of the figures or statistics that they quote. They're handed numbers which have been prepared by somebody else.

2. When a Thai 'spokesperson' isn't given any figures or statistics, they make them up, trying to sound as optimistic as possible.

3. The people who compile the figures or statistics for the Thai 'spokespeople' usually believe that they are accurate, even though they know nothing much about figures or statistics. These figures or statistics are usually ordered to be biased for effect and are frequently inaccurate.

4. Often the people who compile the figures or statistics couldn't care less, as they will be handing the figures or statistics on to somebody else and there's no way of proving them right or wrong, so they just make them up.

 

CONCLUSION: Absolutely no figures or statistics produced or stated by a Thai 'spokesperson' are accurate and can be believed, even if they genuinely think that they are.

2 minutes ago, Blumpie said:

It's ridiculous to even consider anything otherwise.

Take this example:  In most countries you are told to avoid all unnecessary travel.  All unnecessary travel.  Tourism is not necessary travel.  

 

 

Some countries require one to apply for permission to even leave !!

1 minute ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Some countries require one to apply for permission to even leave !!

I know!

These guys are crazy.  Even Chinese won't come.  If they dare do so they will be blacklisted when they get back.  If you need your passport renewed there they won't do it.  

Seriously, these guys have absolutely no idea what they are doing.  

There were 550,000 tourism jobs left to lose?