Thailand feels the pinch of a golden week with no gold as Chinese stay home

[webfact]

Employees wait for customers outside a massage parlour in Pattaya. Photo: AFP

 

 

● The week-long Chinese holiday is usually one of tourism-reliant Thailand’s peak travel periods, but for the second year in a row it’s been all but cancelled by Covid-19

 

● With fully vaccinated travellers able to enter from November 1 without serving quarantine, thoughts are now turning to attracting Indians celebrating Diwali

 

Vijitra Duangdee

 

First the beer and coconut shop closed, then the traditional medicine store next door.

 

With Chinese tourists staying away from Thailand during the golden week holiday due to pandemic curbs, businesses that rely heavily on mainland customers have abandoned the neat, new shophouses of Pattaya’s Sohotown development.

 

The lack of visitors from China has also upended the dream of creating a modern, buzzing Chinatown community of shops, restaurants and spas around a temple and flea market on a busy main road in the kingdom’s popular eastern resort city.

 

The seven-day holiday from October 1 to mark the founding of modern China is one of the country’s peak travel periods.

 

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Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3150799/thailand-feels-pinch-golden-week-no-gold-chinese-stay-home

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-10-02

 

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[kevin612]

of course, Chinatown wants Zero Covid, the government not suggest traveling, so don’t expect many Chinese visit Thailand.

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

thoughts are now turning to attracting Indians celebrating Diwali

They’ll have to cut prospective visitors for the year from one billion to 500 million. 

[Venom]

Best golden week ever. ????

[ezzra]

For a brief moment i thought that the article was about golden showers, i have to go and see an optometrist urgently...

[nobodysfriend]

I don't know ... when I read the recent news about double pricing , police raids on foreigners having some wine with their dinner , busting of private parties , the outcome of recent surveys where the majority is against foreigners staying in Thailand for longer , I can only say : ' som nam naah ' !

Nobody wants to come and spend their money in Thailand any more ?

Right so , I like it .

[aussiexpat]

"With fully vaccinated travellers able to enter from November 1 without serving quarantine"

 

Where's the official source report on this?

[Jimbo2014]

Pity they didnt feel that way when Covid was spreading in Wuhan back in Jan 2020.  Might have been a different story ????

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

● With fully vaccinated travellers able to enter from November 1 without serving quarantine, thoughts are now turning to attracting Indians celebrating Diwali

In a coma indeed, time to do the decent thing and pull-out the life support plug.

[hotchilli]

43 minutes ago, ezzra said:

For a brief moment i thought that the article was about golden showers, i have to go and see an optometrist urgently...

Or the urologist?

[hotchilli]

38 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

"With fully vaccinated travellers able to enter from November 1 without serving quarantine"

 

Where's the official source report on this?

Phipats pie-hole?

[SoilSpoil]

43 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

"With fully vaccinated travellers able to enter from November 1 without serving quarantine"

 

Where's the official source report on this?

You can already come to Thailand without quarantine. You only need a COE, test before flight, 3 pe-booked tests upon arrival, insurance up until your visa/extension date and a pre-booked SHA+ hotel. Piece of cake, as 1 million people are expected to visit Phuket thus high season . WI wonder if the Thai Consulates can issue that many COE's without problems. How about the millions of tests needed on Phuket alone?

[Liverpool Lew]

With Diwali being on 4 November this year they are asking for a leap of faith if they expect Indians to book to come given the justifiable expectation that a flip-flop will happen between now and 1 November.

 

Even if they did consider a visit, Indians are a fun-loving people and a week watching the tide come in and out is hardly the definition of a memorable Diwali.

 

Anyone thinking of a vacation in Thailand this year or early next should go to see a neurologist.

[Scouse123]

In all but name China has banned their nationals from  travel abroad with the exception of those studying, business, urgent family trips etc They are not even issuing travel documents such as passports unless strict criteria is adhered to, and that doesn't include ' jollies to Thailand '

 

That also applies for those visiting China unless they have current visas, residence or permission to reside, business etc none of which apply to the standard tourist. There are no plans to change this soon either,  the forthcoming Beijing winter Olympics 2022 next year has a ban on international visiting spectators!! 

 

So why does Thailand AND Cambodia get the notion that their first choice visitors will be coming to their countries soon before Western arrivals? 

 

Simply bizarre!

[BadSpottedDog]

Many don't realize that there are massive changes going on in China right now. My daughter has taught English to Chinese kids online for the past 5 years. She is literally "in" these people's homes and gets to know the parents.
China has now declared that the companies can no longer have online foreign tutors. "Cram schools" in China are also purging foreign teachers. Why? Because they don't want foreign influence.
There are many other changes going on as well behind the scenes, like the Evergrande debacle, which is going to affect investors & citizens' finances. I don't think Chinese will be traveling like they used to. 
Thai govt needs to place more importance on the expats who are already living here and contribute greatly to the country. Tourism won't rebound for years, and it seems that China might not be a big part of the tourism industry any more.

[IamNoone88]

The Chinese are quietly fighting the Delta variant which has started to sweep the country recently. It is not widely reported but is there and if it gets a hold, you won't be seeing the Chinese tourists for a long time.

[steven100]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

With Chinese tourists staying away from Thailand

good .....  hope they never return.   

[BadSpottedDog]

15 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

In all but name China has banned their nationals from  travel abroad with the exception of those studying, business, urgent family trips etc They are not even issuing travel documents such as passports unless strict criteria is adhered to, and that doesn't include ' jollies to Thailand '

 

That also applies for those visiting China unless they have current visas, residence or permission to reside, business etc none of which apply to the standard tourist. There are no plans to change this soon either,  the forthcoming Beijing winter Olympics 2022 next year has a ban on international visiting spectators!! 

 

So why does Thailand AND Cambodia get the notion that their first choice visitors will be coming to their countries soon before Western arrivals? 

 

Simply bizarre!

Interesting! Please read my comment too regarding what's going on in China. 

[Nabby]

China is currently building massive quarantine facilities that house over 5,000 people. This will be the norm for the foreseeable future for Chinese travelers, and few will want to tolerate that. Don't expect the Chinese hordes to return anytime soon. 

[steven100]

22 minutes ago, Nabby said:

China is currently building massive quarantine facilities that house over 5,000 people. This will be the norm for the foreseeable future for Chinese travelers, and few will want to tolerate that. Don't expect the Chinese hordes to return anytime soon. 

actually China is building more than just the 5000 room one your talking about,  their are two more being constructed in other cities.  The 5000 room one feeds the occupants by robot,  so no human contact or little as possible. 

[Scouse123]

30 minutes ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Interesting! Please read my comment too regarding what's going on in China. 

Yes, Read and agree with it.

 

I think this guy Xi, is out to set himself up for a legacy and wants to be remembered and go down in history for his radical approach.

 

He also is invading everyday life of the Chinese and wants to control absolutely everything.

 

A bit like Chairman Mao without the red book!

 

Maybe Huawei will do it in a notebook or a mini computer form for him and distribute it to every kid to wave around. Brainwashing in its highest forms by completely controlling the media and ruthlessly crushing any dissent, opposition or differing opinions.

 

 

 

 

[zzaa09]

35 minutes ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Many don't realize that there are massive changes going on in China right now. My daughter has taught English to Chinese kids online for the past 5 years. She is literally "in" these people's homes and gets to know the parents.
China has now declared that the companies can no longer have online foreign tutors. "Cram schools" in China are also purging foreign teachers. Why? Because they don't want foreign influence.
There are many other changes going on as well behind the scenes, like the Evergrande debacle, which is going to affect investors & citizens' finances. I don't think Chinese will be traveling like they used to. 
Thai govt needs to place more importance on the expats who are already living here and contribute greatly to the country. Tourism won't rebound for years, and it seems that China might not be a big part of the tourism industry any more.

Place more important on the foreign communities already here? 

What sort of importance?

[Scouse123]

The only time pumpkin face and his ghastly government want to talk about Western foreigners contributing to Thailand is when all other options have failed and he is faced with no choice.

 

He is so brass necked that it is impossible to embarrass him or allow anyone to hold his dumb policies up for scrutiny.

 

He will have to be dragged from government house kicking and screaming because he will not leave of his own accord.

[Scouse123]

4 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Place more important on the foreign communities already here? 

What sort of importance?

I personally wouldn't say more importance myself.

 

I would say aim for a target audience that is within reach instead of dreaming about hordes of Chinese and Billionaires, they ain't coming.

 

I would definitely encourage policies that made Thailand a great place again for retirees and investors and not keep rigidly talking about the Chinese and Indians.

[Scouse123]

41 minutes ago, steven100 said:

good .....  hope they never return.   

+1

[Thailand]

11 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Place more important on the foreign communities already here? 

What sort of importance?

Maybe a review of immigration requirements for a start perhaps?

[Sydebolle]

Well, two years ago they were busy at wet markets in Wuhan and other places to ensure sending something Chinese around the world.
You cannot expect the Chinese to come in person or in lieu on a yearly or bi-yearly basis, can you? 

 

[Pravda]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

For a brief moment i thought that the article was about golden showers, i have to go and see an optometrist urgently...

 

How much extra for that? Asking for a friend.

[XJPSX]

All countries love the Chinese money.

But nobody likes the Chinese. 
Global opinion - period!

[Tonypandy]

The Chinese are not coming back for a very very long time and then the numbers won't be like pre panademic.