Omicron impacts tourist numbers

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

PHUKET: The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Yuthasak Supasorn has admitted that the number of tourist bookings to Thailand has slowed down with the latest COVID-19 strain of Omicron believed to be the chief factor.

 

Yuthasak said that there were on avergae 5 to 6,000 international tourists arriving in the Kingdom per day prior to the Omicron outbreak but that figure has fallen to less than 3,000 per day since Dec 8.

 

He added that on Dec 15 it was reported a total of 2,584 tourists entered the country and that many were now postponing their booking to the New Year in the hope the Omicron strain can be better understood and contained.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/omicron-impacts-tourist-numbers-82428.php

 

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[Chang_paarp]

That is a drop of half, TAT would normally ignore such a deviation of their plans as a rounding error

 

I am willing to bet the numbers are more dire that those given for TAT to even comment.

[Gsxrnz]

Saw the airport bus arriving in Jomtien yesterday,  If you doubled the number of passengers, and then doubled it again, the answer is four.

 

The world of observable reality is a cruel place.

[Dmitry2222]

May be most of backpackers who plans to spend holidays in the peak of the season already arrived.

[kelboy]

Maybe everyone can see the news that there's no fun to be had in Thailand. No drinking no dancing no everything, so why come?

[internationalism]

they are foreigners, thai on foreign passports (for easy return to their departure country), but majority are not tourists.

 

they are expats, traders, businessmen or working thais taking their holidays and visiting family.

Maybe only 10-20% are genuine tourists coming for just  a few weeks. 

[JR89]

32 minutes ago, kelboy said:

Maybe everyone can see the news that there's no fun to be had in Thailand. No drinking no dancing no everything, so why come?

Oh? My social feeds showed plenty of drinking, dancing and a pretty fun time to be had today. Maybe not as much as as it was pre 2020, but that will never come back as long as this whole clown-show continues throughout the world anyways. 

[nobodysfriend]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

in the hope the Omicron strain can be better understood and contained.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/18/no-evidence-omicron-milder-than-delta-british-researchers-say

 

“We believe that it might not necessarily just be that Omicron is less virulent, but … coverage of vaccination [and] … natural immunity of people who have already had contact with the virus is also adding to the protection,” Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a news conference on Friday. “That’s why we are seeing mild illness.”

However, ICL said in a statement that protection afforded by past infection against reinfection with Omicron may be as low as 19 percent, according to its research."

The study, which involved AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, also found a significantly increased risk of developing a symptomatic Omicron case compared with Delta for those who were two or more weeks past their second jab dose, and two or more weeks past their booster dose.

[Oracle2022]

Omicron will not be better handled...........

 

Delta wave in Thailand was with masks, restrictions, no alcohol etc......

 

Omicron is 3 times more transmissible.  So you take Delta wave and times by 3 for cases - and at this point - nobody knows how effective the Sino jabs are..........so hospitalisation and deaths may be less, but how much given the massive use of Sino jabs ??

 

It looks like Thailand is going for "lets party for Christmas and spread it all over" and then face 2 months of lockdown mid January to mid March as Omicron rips through the population.

 

Oh dear.......................

[WEBBYB808]

Will this be three times the charm.  Once again new strain, and ther countries, industrialized countries , ate locking down.  Seems like this has happened  twice before as new strain dominates.  Then two months later Thailand  follows, instead of stopping it before starts.  Enjoy, while it last boys!

[WEBBYB808]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/18/no-evidence-omicron-milder-than-delta-british-researchers-say

 

“We believe that it might not necessarily just be that Omicron is less virulent, but … coverage of vaccination [and] … natural immunity of people who have already had contact with the virus is also adding to the protection,” Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a news conference on Friday. “That’s why we are seeing mild illness.”

However, ICL said in a statement that protection afforded by past infection against reinfection with Omicron may be as low as 19 percent, according to its research."

The study, which involved AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, also found a significantly increased risk of developing a symptomatic Omicron case compared with Delta for those who were two or more weeks past their second jab dose, and two or more weeks past their booster dose.

But its still overwhelming  health system and hindering  people with other or more severe  illnesses  from getting care.  One must think of all the variables when evaluating,  but complex equations  arent something  thats used here in the ed, system.

[Enzian]

Why do they even have to speculate that the decline is because of caution concerning Omicron? Because they don't want people to think about the confused and confusing entry policies implemented by the government, the risk of unjustified quarantine, and the problematic condition of the country's service sector.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Yuthasak said that there were on avergae 5 to 6,000 international tourists arriving in the Kingdom per day prior to the Omicron outbreak but that figure has fallen to less than 3,000 per day since Dec 8.

Dropped 50% since December 8th?

I find that hard to believe, that would mean around 9 Omicron confirmations in Thailand are scaring off tourists who would have already passed all the hurdles & booked flights etc... then canceled.

Or, people are saving money for Christmas at home an never intended to travel as much as TAT predicted.

 

[Isaan sailor]

TAT blames Omicron—easy target.  Rising Baht probably a better explanation.  Higher the Baht goes—less money comes in, TAT.

[Jaxxper]

Just my feeling, but it could be that the initial surge (if you can call it that) was people who live here, run businesses here or have family here wanting to get back in without the quarantine period. I think those numbers are starting to decrease now, thus the reduction in overall numbers.

[tomazbodner]

28 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Dropped 50% since December 8th?

I find that hard to believe, that would mean around 9 Omicron confirmations in Thailand are scaring off tourists who would have already passed all the hurdles & booked flights etc... then canceled.

Or, people are saving money for Christmas at home an never intended to travel as much as TAT predicted.

 

No, it's countries shutting down over Omicron, so either they can't leave, or are afraid they could not return. Some people have jobs, you know... Can't stay on forced vacation somewhere for a year or 2 because borders are closed or flights cancelled.

[Letseng]

3 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Saw the airport bus arriving in Jomtien yesterday,  If you doubled the number of passengers, and then doubled it again, the answer is four.

 

The world of observable reality is a cruel place.

Not all arrivals will go to Jomtien I guess. 

[ikke1959]

Hua Hin seems to become a ghost town, with many shops closed and for sale and rent. We walked yesterday around in the city and it lost its glamour... Very sad to see...And with the new strain and the lockdowns in Europe it will not be better soon

[Tropicalevo]

3 hours ago, kelboy said:

Maybe everyone can see the news that there's no fun to be had in Thailand. No drinking no dancing no everything, so why come?

Spot on. That and all of the aggro and cost of getting 'permission' to come.

We are busy here but the guests all complained about the 'jumping through hoops' and the additional costs of tests etc.

[Tropicalevo]

4 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Hua Hin seems to become a ghost town, with many shops closed and for sale and rent. We walked yesterday around in the city and it lost its glamour... Very sad to see...And with the new strain and the lockdowns in Europe it will not be better soon

On the other side of the coin, a friend came home yesterday after a week in Hua Hin and said that the bar areas/restaurants were very lively and that the hotels that he stayed in were all fully booked.

He did say that the guests did not look like International tourists.

He thought ex-pats and domestic tourists.

[Robs5ct]

3 hours ago, kelboy said:

Maybe everyone can see the news that there's no fun to be had in Thailand. No drinking no dancing no everything, so why come?

That's not true.

In Pattaya all the beer bars on the beach road are open. Also nearly everything in Soi Buakhao. Even some lady bars in Soi 6 are open now.

Everywhere you can get alcohol, masks and social distancing are not required. You can party till late, Just ask residents / expats where to go after 11pm.

Come and get your free Omicron ????

[Cake Monster]

It cant have

Its not possible

How can that be ?

Unbelievable

We ordered it not to affect Tourism

[Stephen55]

I (fully vaccinated )have just postponed indefinetly my visit to Thailand I was arriving 3 Jan.Bangkok

I am not prepared to risk the situation of spending 10 days in a hospital or hotel room There are so many tests you have to take

1.before leaving Australia

2.arriving Thailand

3.departing Thaiand

and with omicron so virulent what tourist would risk it, its like playing Russian roulette

Until all governments drop the tests tourist's won't be coming and governments won't do that for obvious

reasons

¹

 

[Stephen55]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Dropped 50% since December 8th?

I find that hard to believe, that would mean around 9 Omicron confirmations in Thailand are scaring off tourists who would have already passed all the hurdles & booked flights etc... then canceled.

Or, people are saving money for Christmas at home an never intended to travel as much as TAT predicted.

 

I was coming 3 Jan I told my travel on Friday to cancel we'll holiday here in Australia too risky to come to Thailand and go through the constant testing

[Caldera]

Is that really due to Omicron already, or more due to the fact that all those Thais and expats who wanted to return to Thailand have done so in the meantime?

 

Seriously, how many of those arrivals were real tourists? Half of them, at best?

[smiggley]

What a lot of rubbish but they have to blame something to save face so lets blame Omicron for no tourists. Open all bars and nightlife and see how many tourists come. 

[brucegoniners]

What tourist numbers?

 

Did it go down from 10 to 8?

[DefaultName]

Sorry, but most tourists - not returning expats or business - finalised their travel arrangements months before Omicron reared its head.  I doubt if it's affecting tourist numbers much at all.

 

Quarantine, bar closures and no nightlife, now that has definitely affected tourist numbers.

 

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, internationalism said:

they are foreigners, thai on foreign passports (for easy return to their departure country), but majority are not tourists.

 

they are expats, traders, businessmen or working thais taking their holidays and visiting family.

Maybe only 10-20% are genuine tourists coming for just  a few weeks. 

Sounds like you have not been to Phuket.

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, DefaultName said:

Sorry, but most tourists - not returning expats or business - finalised their travel arrangements months before Omicron reared its head.  I doubt if it's affecting tourist numbers much at all.

 

Quarantine, bar closures and no nightlife, now that has definitely affected tourist numbers.

 

The world is slowly locking down again, people can't return. Many are forced to cancel their holiday plans.