Popular Post snoop1130 Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 Flickr/Robbin Hood The foreign tourists are flocking back to Bangkok’s Khao San Road, but they may notice that service is a bit slower than normal. Businesses on the popular tourist thoroughfare, like just about all tourism destinations, are struggling to cope with staff shortages that are hampering their ability to cope at the busiest time of the year. Khao San’s hotels, bars, restaurants and other venues are once more open for business, following a closure of nearly 3 years, due to the pandemic. And the good news is that demand is almost back at pre-pandemic levels. The bad news is staff numbers are not. Thailand’s hospitality industry has been decimated by the pandemic, initially by all the hotels and tourism infrastructure being closed down, and now, because the former staff don’t want their old jobs back. The president of the Khao San Road Business Association points out that as most employees either left or lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic lockdown, businesses now face a real challenge. According to Sanga Rueangwattnakun, businesses on Khao San are reporting that demand is back to nearly 95% of pre-Covid levels. He adds that normally at this busy time of year, around 70% of tourists on Khao San Road are from Western countries. However, this year, he says nearly every tourist staying in the area is a Westerner. Sanga believes the cost-of-living crisis in Europe is behind the increase, as rising energy costs have made it too expensive for many Europeans to spend winter in their own countries. Spending the winter in more affordable accommodation, in a warmer climate, is an option that makes sense for many, and Sanga believes the numbers visiting Khao San Road will continue to rise in the lead-up to the New Year holiday period. It’s not just Bangkok facing a labour shortage, as Phuket has made no secret of the fact that it too is struggling. Tourism businesses on the island recently confirmed they have over 17,000 vacancies to fill. Meanwhile, the number of tourists returning to the island is rising and is expected to continue doing so during the first quarter of 2023. Full Story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/businesses-on-khao-san-road-struggle-to-serve-customers/ -- © Copyright Phuket GO 2022-12-21 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Elkski Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 Maybe many are now working online 3 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BritManToo Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 (edited) 56 minutes ago, snoop1130 said: Spending the winter in more affordable accommodation, in a warmer climate, is an option that makes sense for many, and Sanga believes the numbers visiting Khao San Road will continue to rise in the lead-up to the New Year holiday period. They still need to heat their homes and the air fares are very expensive. I can't see any saving to be made by a western foreigner coming here for two weeks unless they were homeless in the west. Edited December 21, 2022 by BritManToo 25 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Pique Dard Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 4 hours ago, snoop1130 said: the former staff don’t want their old jobs back. wrong! they want better pay! 18 1 8 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post timendres Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 As efficiently as Thais adapt, and it impresses me often, this is an organic problem that takes time to resolve. With the wages paid for these service workers, they cannot afford to be commuting across Bangkok for this job every day. They need to be in affordable accommodations near Khao San. When covid hit, most returned home to ride out the storm. The problem is that most of these folks went through their savings, and now they need to have a deposit and one month's rent to return, as well as the first month's expenses while waiting for a paycheck. Not easily acquired. 14 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Northstar1 Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 5 hours ago, BritManToo said: They still need to heat their homes and the air fares are very expensive. I can't see any saving to be made by a western foreigner coming here for two weeks unless they were homeless in the west. Yes, airfares are thru the roof compared to pre Covid. I can’t believe how much they have gone up. For Canadians the cost of airfare alone to Thailand gets me a direct flight and holiday to a much closer destination in the Caribbean or similar. 12 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jcmj Posted December 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2022 The Thais are very thrifty and most figured out a way to make it through Covid and now don’t want to go work 6 days a week for a <deleted>ty salary. If the owners want more staff then pay up. 7 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjakob007 Posted December 21, 2022 Share Posted December 21, 2022 10 hours ago, snoop1130 said: Sanga believes the cost-of-living crisis in Europe is behind the increase, as rising energy costs have made it too expensive for many Europeans to spend winter in their own countries Interesting hypothesis - Not Most of the travelers we get in Thailand have not been able to travel for 2-3 years and hence going all the way. This may not be sustainable due to loss of jobs in the west from recession, high airfares, travellers burning their savings during the past 2-3 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nobodysfriend Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 11 hours ago, snoop1130 said: Sanga believes the cost-of-living crisis in Europe is behind the increase, as rising energy costs have made it too expensive for many Europeans to spend winter in their own countries. Time for Immigration to create a new easy visa to attract those ' stay all winter ' long term tourists then . A 6 month stay without paperwork , just a criminal background check would certainly facilitate their decision to stay ( and spend ...) 6 winter month here . 8 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post runamok27 Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 Looks like enough of the service workers to hurt the industry figured out there is no benefit to travelling to tourist destinations and working for garbage wages. What I find strange is that, even with these crappy wages, Thailand is very expensive. Not to mention, most of the natural beauty of Thailand has been destroyed by too much tourism. 5 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mikeman Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 There is no shortage of workers. There is a shortage of young workers with degrees (a degree is necessary for most jobs). If a Thai is older than 35, they are unemployable. The idea is that young workers are easier to control. This is a slave economy. 9 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Dexxter Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 12 hours ago, snoop1130 said: rising energy costs have made it too expensive for many Europeans to spend winter in their own countries. But they can afford an expensive return airline ticket? 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyf Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 7 hours ago, Pique Dard said: wrong! they want better pay! Wrong. During the pandemic many returned home and either set up their own business or found other work. There was never any shortage of work, many factories were refurbished during that time. A town not very far from us doubled in size during the pandemic, bit of a pain about 15 minutes longer to get to the airport. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sandyf Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 12 minutes ago, Dexxter said: But they can afford an expensive return airline ticket? Not that expensive when the government pays a large chunk of it. In the UK pensioners were given £510. For someone living alone, not a bad idea to shut everything down for 3 months and go away. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiggo Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 2 hours ago, jcmj said: The Thais are very thrifty and most figured out a way to make it through Covid and now don’t want to go work 6 days a week for a <deleted>ty salary. If the owners want more staff then pay up. Which will be passed on to the customers via service charges.... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ikke1959 Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 who want to work for 350 THB a day of 12 hrs?? How much do the businesses earn??? They can afford more but the greed of the owners..........People can't live with 400 THB a day surely not in Bangkok 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom H Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 (edited) Thai Friendly more money????, less work, more sanuk and maybe find falang pay b(l)ocken washing machine and sick bufallo ho(s)pital. Khaaaaaab. Me keekiat mag mah tam ngahn too much. Edited December 22, 2022 by Tom H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyf Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 23 minutes ago, Jiggo said: Which will be passed on to the customers via service charges.... The same as everywhere else, almost unthinkable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas KH Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Hmmmm... slow business. Seems like nobody needs a Bachelor of Science from Harvard.. errr.. Oxford. Or an instant TEFL or that C-Card without ever having dived.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigStar Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 12 hours ago, BritManToo said: They still need to heat their homes and the air fares are very expensive. I can't see any saving to be made by a western foreigner coming here for two weeks unless they were homeless in the west. Aren't their parents heating their homes and helping with the air fares? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jack Hammer Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 8 hours ago, timendres said: As efficiently as Thais adapt, and it impresses me often, this is an organic problem that takes time to resolve. With the wages paid for these service workers, they cannot afford to be commuting across Bangkok for this job every day. They need to be in affordable accommodations near Khao San. When covid hit, most returned home to ride out the storm. The problem is that most of these folks went through their savings, and now they need to have a deposit and one month's rent to return, as well as the first month's expenses while waiting for a paycheck. Not easily acquired. A lot of former employees have not forgotten how former employers threw them on the scrap heap when the Covid first of all hit Bangkok. Also slave labour conditions, and paltry pay. 8 hours ago, timendres said: As efficiently as Thais adapt, and it impresses me often, this is an organic problem that takes time to resolve. With the wages paid for these service workers, they cannot afford to be commuting across Bangkok for this job every day. They need to be in affordable accommodations near Khao San. When covid hit, most returned home to ride out the storm. The problem is that most of these folks went through their savings, and now they need to have a deposit and one month's rent to return, as well as the first month's expenses while waiting for a paycheck. Not easily acquired. conditions, and paltry pay 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PingRoundTheWorld Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Complete nonsense - Bangkok is severely lacking tourists - nightlife venues are half-empty and nowhere near what they used to be in high season pre-Covid. The 2am curfew has decimated Bangkok nightlife tourism and it will never be back to what it used to be unless they relax this ridiculous curfew. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2here Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 3 hours ago, mjakob007 said: Interesting hypothesis - Not Most of the travelers we get in Thailand have not been able to travel for 2-3 years and hence going all the way. This may not be sustainable due to loss of jobs in the west from recession, high airfares, travellers burning their savings during the past 2-3 years. I agree.. I highly doubt that one of the leading drivers to travelers choosing to come to TH is, on large part, due to the much higher home heating and energy costs… I suspect that right now, we’re still seeing that “pent up travel demand” that’s finally been released… i suspect that’s more the driver that energy costs back home would be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 9 hours ago, Pique Dard said: wrong! they want better pay! Beat me to it. Given many will have found other work, they will need more than the pitiful wages they used to work for to return. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 27 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said: Complete nonsense - Bangkok is severely lacking tourists - nightlife venues are half-empty and nowhere near what they used to be in high season pre-Covid. The 2am curfew has decimated Bangkok nightlife tourism and it will never be back to what it used to be unless they relax this ridiculous curfew. No doubt they are all visiting temples, eating street food, having massages and tucked up in bed by 10 pm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargeezr Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 Yes folks it is December, and is usually considered to be the High of High tourist season. In mid January, there will be the long stayers that will be in Thailand until Spring, or March or April when their countries will have warmer weather. By February the number of the short stay tourists will have gone back home and only the expats and other long staying people will be in Thailand. This is a yearly event, so why are some people showing surprise? Just wondering? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RT555 Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 I think most all of you to LEAVE YOUR WESTERN THOUGHT PROCESS OUT OF THIS........ you know nothing unless you are working here. Well, I am and all of you need....well...... you know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kingstonkid Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 If Thai university students want to lower their loans why not get a job working as bar restaurant staff. That is what most in the west do. Wages are not an issue as much as people are at home in village and young people are too lazy and addicted to the phone 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post finnomick1 Posted December 22, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2022 Khao San Road, been there done that and it didn't take very long. I don't know what all the excitement is about it. If you are a bulk buyer of silver and jewelry fair enough but the rest I can leave. Overpriced and very mediocre, but that's my opinion. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeJayEm Posted December 22, 2022 Share Posted December 22, 2022 2 hours ago, Jiggo said: Which will be passed on to the customers via service charges.... Naturally. It's how inflation works. Nowhere is immune 1 hour ago, Jack Hammer said: conditions, and paltry pay Indeed - for any thinking tourist, this is big dilemma of conscience. Thailand operates like a slave economy with the people serving tourists paid a pittance. But the low cost / pricing is a large part of what keeps the tourists coming here. When it gets to the extent that migrant workers are needed to fill the low paid jobs - and many of these left during covid - then the model is broken and Thailand just becomes like Qatar and other M.E. countries - exploiting foreign workers with no rights whatsoever in order to generate industry to keep immigration officers and business owners nicely paid. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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