The coronavirus pandemic effectively stopped the flow of visitors to Chiang Mai, Thailand, forcing many businesses to close. Photograph: Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock

 

Chiang Mai tourism slowly picks up after two years of despair, though some call for more relaxed Covid entry rules to entice visitors

Andrew Nachemson in Chiang Mai

 

After months of absence, Chiang Mai’s waterfalls, night markets and hostels are once again filling up with a familiar sight: backpackers.

 

While Thailand was once a haven for budget travellers, Covid-19 devastated the tourism industry, which is only now starting to take tentative steps towards reopening.

 

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People familiar with Chiang Mai at its tourism peak will still find the city relatively quiet, but those in the travel industry are seeing glimmers of hope after two years of despair.

 

“We can see the number slowly increase,” said Palakorn Viriya, owner of Deejai Backpackers hostel. Speaking to the Guardian from the hostel lobby, he described the previous two years as a “struggle”.

 

Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/backpackers-return-brings-glimmer-of-hope-for-thailand-tourism-revival

 

-- © Copyright The Guardian 2022-03-12

 

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All having backpacks full of cash, spending billions of baht like the millionaires they are.

Tourism is saved!

The well heeled tourists TAT has been boasting about.

Backpackers return?   Surely thats not good news   as far as TAT are concerned, they were looking fofor the HI-SO  kind of tourists..

Having spent some time around the CM area I always thought that they were a bit smarter than the dreamers in Bangkok, making a few baht now from the likes of backpackers and retirees is better than sitting around having brain farts daily about the rich Chinese, Indian, Saudi hordes that might show up one day.

1 hour ago, Gold Star said:

All having backpacks full of cash, spending billions of baht like the millionaires they are.

Tourism is saved!

I knew someone will come out with that one, at least backpackers cash helps small family Thais business directly, going to guest houses, laundry's, eatery's etc. and not into big business consortium's only interested in profit margins and paying minimum salary's. 

1 hour ago, actonion said:

Backpackers return?   Surely thats not good news   as far as TAT are concerned, they were looking fofor the HI-SO  kind of tourists..

But it is good news, think back, most of us started as backpackers. This is how we learn about countries and they learn about us. It is not just about money it's about sharing friendship in this crazy world.

So backpackers are spending increased airfare and also  Thailand pass  expenses that involve one day quarantine and a PCR-test. Great. What incentives they have now to remove the the Thailand pass. 

Finally, the high quality big spenders have returned. Another notch uo for TAT. 
now where are all those Indians ?

 

????????

TAT say money will be pouring in with these rich backpackers … 5 million expected to arrive on go karts for Songkran …. Result

3 hours ago, webfact said:

After months of absence, Chiang Mai’s waterfalls, night markets and hostels are once again filling up with a familiar sight: backpackers.

I guess the trillionaires didn't take the bait?

29 minutes ago, Millcx said:

TAT say money will be pouring in with these rich backpackers … 5 million expected to arrive on go karts for Songkran …. Result

Spending a million each

3 hours ago, Gold Star said:

All having backpacks full of cash, spending billions of baht like the millionaires they are.

Tourism is saved!

Two week millionaires.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

After months of absence, Chiang Mai’s waterfalls, night markets and hostels are once again filling up with a familiar sight: backpackers.

I'd say this was a plain and simple lie.

Can't imagine any backpackers doing the 'Thai pass' nonsense, paying the extra insurance, risking 100kbht COVID prison when there are other countries easier to enter.

 

There's trillions of baht in them thar backpacks!

I'm no expert like TAT???? regardless if one just deal with the pandemic and set a date like June 1st for Endemic, as stated by expert the leaders had 2years get all your medicals needs and procedure in place have a real plan not as you go!  

Open the place up as before with required vaccination, even a PCR,  drop all the corrupt nonsense I take a guess isn't this how it is done by these leaders???? Within two weeks the airport would be packed it would be so crowded if not prepared you would have a shortage of workers and hotel rooms. ????

We've had schemes to attract millionares, Indians, and Saudis. Hand wringing over the loss of Chinese tour groups. Bailouts and encouragement for Russians, and now celebration of the "return" of backpackers. 

 

I wonder if it will ever occur to this government to give some token of appreciation to European/American/OZ-NZ tourists and retirees? 

 

Is our value to Thai tourism really as worthless as they seem to perceive?

29 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

 

There's trillions of baht in them thar backpacks!

Try dirty clothes and rolls of toilet paper.

Backpackers have always made up the lion's share of the Thai tourism market's GDP.  the idea of replacing millions of small spenders with a few big spenders is and always has been a silly pipe dream.  Why would a super well heeled individual want to visit Thailand more than once just to see it?  It is the backpackers that return again and again that have always provided the most revenue (and the most jobs).   There are much better places for the rich to vacation.  Some of you are probably thinking, "Well what about the easy sex here?"  My answer to that is that if you are well-heeled, you never have to go looking for sex unless you are a total social misfit.

 

This ain't no Monte Carlo and it never will be.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I'd say this was a plain and simple lie.

Can't imagine any backpackers doing the 'Thai pass' nonsense, paying the extra insurance, risking 100kbht COVID prison when there are other countries easier to enter.

It’s not a lie. My girlfriend runs a small travel agency in the center of Chiang Mai; she reopened her office four months ago and has seen increasing business, mostly backpackers, though of course not what she had before the pandemic. Just walking around downtown, you see lots more budget travelers than last year.

3 hours ago, Jiggo said:

I knew someone will come out with that one, at least backpackers cash helps small family Thais business directly, going to guest houses, laundry's, eatery's etc. and not into big business consortium's only interested in profit margins and paying minimum salary's. 

Thank you. (1) Backpackers do spend some money, and it tends to help smaller, local businesses, as you point out. (2) Backpackers who have a good experience in Thailand might come back later in their life, when they have more money to spend. Catering to backpackers is a good investment.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

night markets and hostels are once again filling up with a familiar sight: backpackers

But they didn't talk about filling Thailand with just billionaires, they even destroyed historic areas like Khaosan Road to make room for new centers for rich people, and now it seems that backpackers will save Thai tourism

In the before times, young backpackers were often uni kids on a gap year. They'd go en masse to Thailand, have a great time and go back to uni fulfilled. They graduated, got good jobs, started earning lots of money and then thought about where to go for a nice holiday... and then they recalled the great time they had in Thailand and go again as big spenders.

By trying to eliminate the backpackers, they spoil the chances of getting the repeat traffic - the visitors who come every year, spend a few thousand baht and then leave to repeat the process the next year.  Its bread and butter business and much easier than trying for the gold decorated croque monsieur business TAT dreams about.

5 hours ago, Gold Star said:

All having backpacks full of cash, spending billions of baht like the millionaires they are.

Tourism is saved!

Hmm, I am thinking there is something to the Cartier store model and the Tesco store model. Attract the few wealthy or the masses of the middle classes? Ah, ... go after both markets?

"Backpackers’ return brings glimmer of hope for Thailand tourism revival"

 

What, all 2 of them?

Until some  Somchai chooses to kill some of them !! 

4 hours ago, harada said:

Having spent some time around the CM area I always thought that they were a bit smarter than the dreamers in Bangkok, making a few baht now from the likes of backpackers and retirees is better than sitting around having brain farts daily about the rich Chinese, Indian, Saudi hordes that might show up one day.

"better a quick dime then a slow quarter..."

Chiang Mai isn't cheap like the old days.

 

In the center of the old town rates are comparable to Beach Front Resorts.

 

Nice city with quaint cafe's and the usual boring temples.

 

Ideal time to visit now with smog 2.5 levels topping the filthiest top 10 in the world.

 

4 hours ago, Jiggo said:

I knew someone will come out with that one, at least backpackers cash helps small family Thais business directly, going to guest houses, laundry's, eatery's etc. and not into big business consortium's only interested in profit margins and paying minimum salary's. 

And not a single TAT initiative for this one.

This is the way of things to come.

Tourists will choose where they spend their Money - not TAT

2 hours ago, Joules said:

Backpackers have always made up the lion's share of the Thai tourism market's GDP.  the idea of replacing millions of small spenders with a few big spenders is and always has been a silly pipe dream.  Why would a super well heeled individual want to visit Thailand more than once just to see it?  It is the backpackers that return again and again that have always provided the most revenue (and the most jobs).   There are much better places for the rich to vacation.  Some of you are probably thinking, "Well what about the easy sex here?"  My answer to that is that if you are well-heeled, you never have to go looking for sex unless you are a total social misfit.

 

This ain't no Monte Carlo and it never will be.

Monte Carlo is beautiful, but not as interesting.