Will tourism in Thailand bounce back from Covid differently?

[billd766]

4 hours ago, LivingNThailand said:

Phuket has had 2 full years to fix the roads, sidewalks and traffic problems with motorbikes driving crazy, wrong way, running lights, etc.  Also tear down the abandoned buildings and clear out the debris. Just those 4 things would improve the quality for the tourists (and locals).   Instead they have food festivals to "lure" the tourists.   I don't get it.  It's not rocket science guys.  It could have been done in months.   I was a "tourist" 3 months after the Tsunami.  I was amazed how fast they fixed up the tourist areas, fixed the roads and sidewalks.    The government has completely lost sight of a real plan.  It's too bad.

Ah but for the tsunami in 2004 and for several years after, Thailand was under a democratically elected  government and it was led by Prayuth's favourite bogey man. One Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

Whether he was a good or bad PM depends on your personal point of view. Was he corrupt? Probably but under his guidance, Thailand prospered and was a happy place for Thai's and farangs to live and work.

[Tropposurfer]

7 hours ago, heybuz said:

Fabulous beaches,I don't think so.

You don't live where I do obviously. The local beach is (thanks to covid) glorious, quiet, almost pristine and the Andaman teaming with wildlife.

[MrJ2U]

They've got to revamp the entire visa system.

 

It's stuck in the 70's and thought out by over beaurocratic governments.

 

Cambodias e-visa is a classic example of the ease to enter.

 

So many Minister's and generals adding rules that you don't need in this day and age.

 

Great country.

Terrible governance.

[Scouse123]

42 minutes ago, MrsTnews said:

There is nothing wrong in giving Thailand a good scrubbing to encourage better quality tourism rather than sex tourists. Infact, it might drive the tourism spend up as families will be more open to coming to Thailand, lower crime, better image. 

1. Thailand can never keep to any rules that it makes. They wither and die within weeks of being announced and get forgotten or ignored.

2. The sex scene is exaggerated by many and takes up only a tiny fraction of the things available in Thailand but the bad publicity is always there, in abundance. All big cities and tourist areas will attract the opportunist crooks and undesirables that live in Thailand looking for easy pickings.

3. If the want better quality tourists, stop the ridiculous cheating scams from everything from motorbike hire to jet skis to the taxi mafias.

4. They have had two years with minimal tourism to focus on cleaning their beaches, installing underground cables instead of the unsightly and dangerous overhead cables, fixing the pavements and sidewalks, etc and what have they done???......nothing but blame everything on Covid as a reason for doing nothing and they still are!!........................   Cambodia meanwhile, in this last 2 years, has transformed Siem Reap into a state of the art city with mass communication, new IT systems, new sidewalks, new roads a completely new infrastructure in the inner city.

5. Another favorite trick of Thailand is to try to get less out of more which seems to make sense to them. That includes fleecing and cheating the few tourists that are here, and the threat of violence if anybody queries a bill!......... This doesn't go down well at all and certainly doesn't show the country in a positive light.

6. There are way too many targeted attacks and, on occasions murders, that takes place against tourists in this country and not enough is done by the authorities to root out this problem once and for all.

7. This country has earned enough from tourism over many years to have cameras that work on every street corner and plenty left over to ensure facilities at tourist sites are of a decent standard.

However, it never happens. Instead, the come up with additional fees for the tourist to pay on entry to allegedly ' upgrade and maintain these services '.

 

You cannot blame all the above on the sex industry. It's a failure by those in charge to manage their tourist industry.

 

Not exactly a family friendly destination in my book.

[Pimoo2]

Once all the current restrictions are dropped and the country goes back to visa on arrival, no quarantine. No PCR. No insurance.etc. The tourists will come back...until then ....very slim pickings for the tourism businesses.

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, Donga said:

Risk of being hauled off to quarantine if contracting Covid here? How would that happen unless you got ill and went to hospital? I got Covid from stepdaughter 4th day back, and one week later was negative. Being triple vaxed obviously helped, and there was never any risk of quarantine. 
 

You obviously are not aware of Thai government health regulations. Present at any hospital and test positive to COVID, you will be hauled off to quarantine.

Clinics outside the hospital system are also obliged to report COVID-positive clients. Some do, some don't. That is one part of the lottery.

The second part of the lottery is whether you then become part of the public or private hospital system. In the private system, you have to pay for the 14 days, in sometimes eye-watering amounts. The public hospital system is free, but take it from someone who has been in it, very spartan. I like scrambled eggs, but not cold and 13 days in a row for breakfast. Sleeping on a 2" thick mattress was no fun either.

I'm not saying everyone will go into quarantine, it is like Immigration where it depends on the province, and who is running the system. But why come here as a tourist for a two week holiday, and risk having it completely ruined?

[Chiang Mai Will]

9 hours ago, heybuz said:

Fabulous beaches,I don't think so.

I disagree. There are some beautiful beaches. Some of the beaches in the islands can compare with the best in the world!

 

Yes, the more popular ones that are crowded with tourists jumping off the tourist boats then cramming the beach, bars, and tat stalls wouldn't come under the 'best beaches' category but not all are like Pataya, Samui, and Phuket!

 

What tends to spoil many of the beaches is when you come off the beach and see the piles of roadside rubbish left by the locals -- those that rely on tourism! I suppose that is what some call "the charm" of Thailand?

[fxe1200]

8 hours ago, actonion said:

Fabulous beaches ..where? .......I've seen better, cleaner beaches  in south west UK  than Thailand..

..

As for over rated Thai restaurant food, that has too much sugar and salt added , cooked in the cheapest oil, in very un hygienic  conditions 

Besides 80% of the oranges sold in Thailand are not suitable for human consumption due to the extensive use of pesticides/herbicides, 64% of the vegetable sold as well, 80% of the sausages contain unhealthy amounts of nitrates, not to mention the amount of antibiotics in chicken meat. Bon appétit!

[RobU]

Mass tourism is the little people. The workers , paying mortgages and taxes at home, employed trying to save a little and spending some of their earnings on holidays, holidaying to a budget especially in the current climate of increased living expenses worldwide.. They are not going to eat into their savings to go on holiday they have to make sure they can pay the bills at home. Increasing the cost of holidaying in Thailand is counter intuitive and counter productive. Also creating unnecessary barriers and hoops to jump through, in order to be allowed to enter, is counter productive added to the increased (potential) cost and the high risk of being financially penalised and not allowed to actually have a holiday, once they have arrived, just incarcerated in an expensive hotel or some weird barracks for the duration at their expense, then packed off home (all done with a smile of course) and asked to please visit again is highly insulting. The people who own Thailand are naive and childlike in their thinking. The small number of so called wealthy cannot spend the amount that the large number of "commoners" spend they will only go to one Restuarant, stay in one (expensive) hotel per night and only visit one "sight of interest" at a time. They can't split themselves into a thousand different clones visiting multiple restuarants at the same time staying in a thousand different rooms at the same time and visit a thousand different places (or the same place a thousand times) at the same time and spending a thousand times the amount. For every dollar they spend Thailand loses 999 dollars in revenue from the little people who now can't afford to visit.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

.

 

You cannot blame all the above on the sex industry.

 

 

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but about 98% of the sex industry clients in Thailand are Thai.

IMO excessive regulation is the problem, many countries that make it much easier for tourists.

[Shocked farang]

11 hours ago, blazes said:

Things are not looking rosy.  Almost nowhere in the world will life quickly return to "normal."

Perhaps Thailand will have to begin a new "cycle"....going back 20 or more years to the days when it was mainly backpackers that dominated the "tourist" trade.

 

In other words, taking the past as a guide, it may be two or three decades before Thailand gets back to what it was in 2019.

What happened to the "high quality" tourists that were coming in droves?? 

[morrobay]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

1. Thailand can never keep to any rules that it makes. They wither and die within weeks of being announced and get forgotten or ignored.

2. The sex scene is exaggerated by many and takes up only a tiny fraction of the things available in Thailand but the bad publicity is always there, in abundance. All big cities and tourist areas will attract the opportunist crooks and undesirables that live in Thailand looking for easy pickings.

3. If the want better quality tourists, stop the ridiculous cheating scams from everything from motorbike hire to jet skis to the taxi mafias.

4. They have had two years with minimal tourism to focus on cleaning their beaches, installing underground cables instead of the unsightly and dangerous overhead cables, fixing the pavements and sidewalks, etc and what have they done???......nothing but blame everything on Covid as a reason for doing nothing and they still are!!........................   Cambodia meanwhile, in this last 2 years, has transformed Siem Reap into a state of the art city with mass communication, new IT systems, new sidewalks, new roads a completely new infrastructure in the inner city.

5. Another favorite trick of Thailand is to try to get less out of more which seems to make sense to them. That includes fleecing and cheating the few tourists that are here, and the threat of violence if anybody queries a bill!......... This doesn't go down well at all and certainly doesn't show the country in a positive light.

6. There are way too many targeted attacks and, on occasions murders, that takes place against tourists in this country and not enough is done by the authorities to root out this problem once and for all.

7. This country has earned enough from tourism over many years to have cameras that work on every street corner and plenty left over to ensure facilities at tourist sites are of a decent standard.

However, it never happens. Instead, the come up with additional fees for the tourist to pay on entry to allegedly ' upgrade and maintain these services '.

 

You cannot blame all the above on the sex industry. It's a failure by those in charge to manage their tourist industry.

 

Not exactly a family friendly destination in my book.

 

12 minutes ago, Shocked farang said:

What happened to the "high quality" tourists that were coming in droves?? 

See above it's all talk and no walk. The only tourists that will put up with the general environment are those here for the girls and the oblivious mass tourism sectors. Take the promenade at Pattaya beach . Low life locals on motorbikes. I made a complaint at city hall when they had posted that was illegal. How can they go on and on about high quality visitors and do nothing to correct the problems that deter those visitors ? Especially these days . 

 

 

 

[ThailandGuy]

Quote

The TAT now has a huge job of attracting visitors who now have a wider choice when coming to SE Asia.

Stop with the ThailandPass, the PCR test 72 hours and or on arrival, the 20K usd insurance idiocy and they will soon come by the millions.

If they maintain the ThailandPass and the 20k insurance people will visit another country.  It is really that simple.  Covid is not longer life-threatening. So act upon this.  In June until October Thailand will face a large number of covid infections because of the winter season. Be prepared and deal with it like they now do in Europe. Just open up and let the immune system take care of it. Start boostering people and stop the contstant panic mode when infections happen.

[Spamdemic]

4 minutes ago, ThailandGuy said:

Stop with the ThailandPass, the PCR test 72 hours and or on arrival, the 20K usd insurance idiocy and they will soon come by the millions.

If they maintain the ThailandPass and the 20k insurance people will visit another country.  It is really that simple.  Covid is not longer life-threatening. So act upon this.  In June until October Thailand will face a large number of covid infections because of the winter season. Be prepared and deal with it like they now do in Europe. Just open up and let the immune system take care of it. Start boostering people and stop the contstant panic mode when infections happen.

insurance scam is more succinct

[heiri007]

It's simple and anyone with a bit of brain knows: drop all Covid restrictions.

 

Thailand, known for its bureaucratic hassles, is not worth these hassles.

 

Am currently in Europa. No more masks, no more restrictions, life back to normal.

 

Of course Thailand could do the same without risking any death wave.

 

But as long as the brains-in-charge can't differentiate between mild and severe cases, well...

 

Just as a reminder: pre-Covid there were some 45k flu death victims yearly in LOS. 

 

Of course, our control freaks in Thailand won't let go easily of this chance to control us.

 

 

[Goldpanner]

The OP stated. 

"The bar girls headed back to their families long ago, and may have settled back into country life, so will they be tempted back?"

I think the adulterated words of a famous song relates here.

"How ya gonna keep them down on the farm.....after they've seen the farm"

[geisha]

12 hours ago, actonion said:

Fabulous beaches ..where? .......I've seen better, cleaner beaches  in south west UK  than Thailand..

..

As for over rated Thai restaurant food, that has too much sugar and salt added , cooked in the cheapest oil, in very un hygienic  conditions 

Beaches were good due to Covid. I spent a few months in Phuket, weather was a bit iffy, but the beaches were lovely. Once mass tourism starts up then the jet skis , long tails, plus the fully booked hotels pumping their waste into the sea, etc will pollute the water again. Thailand has no infrastructure. Whereas in western countries we do all we can to preserve the beautiful coast lines and beaches are checked regularly, waste does not go in the sea. I’ve been on Phuket and the other smaller islands when they were quiet, and when they were full, and the latter is not pleasant ! 
The people who I saw the last two months were quite disappointed, the villages looked a mess, signs hanging swaying in the breeze and filthy streets.. all locked up and abandoned. The quality of restaurant food has also fallen drastically. The fish comes from Makro, even the vegetables and fruit ! As mentioned above, the food has become hardly acceptable. I did stay 10 days in Bangkok though, where I was quite impressed with the efforts made . Enjoyed Bangkok more. 

[bkk6060]

3 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

What happened to the "high quality" tourists that were coming in droves?? 

They are here.  Saw at least 10 big buses full of India tourists this week in Pattaya. Boat loads coming back from Koh Larn. The typical India hotels are filling up.  Also, groups of men walking Soi Buakhao.  All seemed high quality.

[Orinoco]

2 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Also, groups of men walking Soi Buakhao.  All seemed high quality.

  

[bkk6060]

32 minutes ago, geisha said:

The fish comes from Makro, even the vegetables and fruit

?

What is the problem many restaurant owners shop at Macro.  The fish and other foods are kept in proper environments to maintain freshness.  Better then the outdoor Thai markets with everything sitting in the hot sun for days.

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, fxe1200 said:

Besides 80% of the oranges sold in Thailand are not suitable for human consumption due to the extensive use of pesticides/herbicides, 64% of the vegetable sold as well, 80% of the sausages contain unhealthy amounts of nitrates, not to mention the amount of antibiotics in chicken meat. Bon appétit!

I occasionally wonder how I got to be 78 yo, with all the sausages I have eaten over the decades.

Local growers in the Thai villages don't use pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics. They can't afford them.

[geisha]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

?

What is the problem many restaurant owners shop at Macro.  The fish and other foods are kept in proper environments to maintain freshness.  Better then the outdoor Thai markets with everything sitting in the hot sun for days.

In the small sea side villages and islands, you’d buy your fish fresh off the boats as they came in. Of course inland you go to a Makro etc.  On Kata beach, I’d wait till Kata mamas boat turned up, choose my fish or whatever for the evening. Wow. Fresh veg straight from the local markets and fruit often from the back of a truck.  I know things change, but mass tourism has greatly affected the quality of food, it also changes and affects the locals  income. They earn less money !!!! Not all Thais live on the waters edge, in the hills behind phuket and the islands there were chicken farms, fruit, coconuts etc..

Now,,no more fresh chicken, it comes frozen from a supermarket. Easier, stick it in a freezer. I’m lucky, I live somewhere famous for its food and we are spoilt for choice. Give your clientele a lower quality, that’s it, you’re out of business. I must say I have much better and healthier Thai food in Europe than in Thailand, and that makes me sad.

[Scouse123]

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I am not sure if you are aware of this, but about 98% of the sex industry clients in Thailand are Thai.

IMO excessive regulation is the problem, many countries that make it much easier for tourists.

I agree!

[LaosLover]

I like to buy a little bit of handicraft/home decor when I visit. And a bit of tat like fake designer tote bags at MBK Mall for friends.

 

Will it be the same dusty leftovers from 2019? Probably. Without capital to restock, most of night market offering are going to be spare and worn.

 

Also, a lot of woodcarvers etc. will have given up by now -and they were just holding on before.

 

So: Less shopping to go with less nightlife, less good food as they try to maximize profit, and higher prices. Will def. hurt my return visit habit. 

 

On the other hand, I can't wait to go back and have already downscaled my expectations. 2nd rate Thailand will still be a draw for Thai-ophiles like myself, but if it's more than 20% more expensive and 20% less good, I will def. be spacing out the  return visits.

 

[farangnomore]

19 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

I’m sure Thailand is devastated by this news.

For one person, of course not, but Thailand is on its knees because most people feel the same way.  Keep Thailand for Thais ????

[MrNatural]

As this obvious click bait thread generates endless and clueless conjectures, i just realize I could not care less. I don't miss the herds of tourists or backpackers (if there is a difference). They are annoying, unaesthetic and have no positive impact other than spending their money. Keeping visitors to the low numbers we have today is quite relaxing actually

 

[garyk]

More like will Thailand bounce back after Covid, war in Ukraine, and possible war in Taiwan. 

You could not ask for a more perfect storm for tourism disaster in Thailand.

[Fairynuff]

21 hours ago, mikecha said:

Nonsence

?

[jerrymahoney]

4 hours ago, garyk said:

More like will Thailand bounce back after Covid, war in Ukraine, and possible war in Taiwan. 

You could not ask for a more perfect storm for tourism disaster in Thailand.

Sure you could and some would be delighted

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by jerrymahoney

[Lacessit]

7 hours ago, MrNatural said:

As this obvious click bait thread generates endless and clueless conjectures, i just realize I could not care less. I don't miss the herds of tourists or backpackers (if there is a difference). They are annoying, unaesthetic and have no positive impact other than spending their money. Keeping visitors to the low numbers we have today is quite relaxing actually

 

It may be relaxing for you. I know half a dozen Thais whose livelihoods have been destroyed by the downturn in tourism. For example, caddies at one of the golf courses I play were earning 9K - 10K baht per month. Now, they are lucky to be taking home 3K.

 

How would you like it if your income was suddenly reduced by two-thirds?

 

You may think it does not affect you. It does. Restaurants close, there is less choice. The ones that stay open put their prices up, less competition. Fewer bus services scheduled due to lack of demand, the same with air travel.