Thailand prepares for influx of Chinese tourists

[ThailandTimeZone]

China's covid cases are at a record high since the start of the pandemic. It's difficult to understand how covid will not be traveling to Thailand with them.

- image from worldometers info site.

[ukrules]

They should do nothing, absolutely nothing, just allow them in the same as everyone else.

 

I've already read articles over the last few days which mention the exact same variants inside China have already been detected in Europe, etc which means they are going to be here as well.

 

There's nothing to 'keep out' and keeping it out clearly doesn't work, there's also no need to 'slow it down' as covid is raging all over the world right now.

 

If another variant comes then so be it, new variants are the way out of this.

 

 

[ThailandTimeZone]

Thailand's covid cases...

[jacko45k]

56 minutes ago, John Drake said:

According to The Thaiger, Indian tour groups are cancelling "in their droves."

In every cloud there is a silver lining!

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, newnative said:

   Yes, it's less per person than other groups.  For example, European tourists spent, if I remember correctly, around 68,000 baht per tourist.  Tourists from the Middle East spent the most with around 72,000 baht.  So, why does Thailand want Chinese tourists if they don't spend as much?  Well, if you're Thailand, heavily dependent on tourists, would you want:

    10.9 million Chinese tourists spending 532 billion baht, or:

    857,000 Germans spending 59 billion

    100,000 from the Middle East spending 7.2 billion

532 billion baht might not 'seem that much' to you but it sure beats 59 billion, or 7.2 billion.

So that 'high dollar' tourists target market we heard of in the past was a load of nonsense, or it failed completely..... back to scraping barrels or less discerning tourists?

[gearbox]

5 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

Many Indians are cancelling due to testing upon return to India because of Thais allowing Chinese in without testing. May have to choose between the Indians and Chinese

The Indians announced their PCR screening requirements for Thailand and a few other nations before China announced their reopening. This fake news now is getting rehashed and retold in this thread, soon to become a "truth" as one hundred people repeated it.

The Indians now started considering other countries like Vietnam, as they don't need a PCR test there when returning. However Vietnam is also not going to screen the Chinese.

[vandeventer]

7 hours ago, whiteman said:

you will be sorry when you let them in

No, We will be sorry when you let them in!!!

[geisha]

6 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

They love the Chinese. If they come, no more emphasis on Indian visitors.

I could understand the governments fondness  of Chinese visitors, but the ones you see all over Thailand are rude, noisy, filthy habits and pushy ! These are cheap tours that stink out Thai towns with tour buses , and crowd the airports , pavements and malls, even the 7/11s.  They are not the ones that go to my local designer shops and spend 4000€ on a handbag. They do not get carried round in stinking buses ( which are not allowed in urban areas anyway) and in general behave . Groups are often refused in nice restaurants , I always remember a table of 6 Chinese in a good restaurant where the “ guide” asked the proprietor for a tip for bringing them there. They were quickly shown the door. 
I for  one will keep out of their way if they return to a mass tourist invasion of Thailand or elsewhere. 

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

(...) travelers to be vaccinated at least twice and have health insurance (...)

Are these the latest requirements to enter Thailand?

[newnative]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

So that 'high dollar' tourists target market we heard of in the past was a load of nonsense, or it failed completely..... back to scraping barrels or less discerning tourists?

     If you're a very small, very upmarket tourist destination like Monaco, the target would definitely be your 'high dollar' tourists.  With a large country like Thailand, with a huge variety and number of hotel rooms to fill all over the country--from budget hostels to 5-star resorts and everything in-between--you need a wide variety of tourists at all budget points.   

    Certainly, going after just one market was, indeed, a 'load of nonsense', in my book.  If only 5-star tourists come, where does that leave all the non-5-star hotels, restaurants, etc.?  It's just common sense. 

    Nissan sells the March model for around 420,000 baht.  It also sells the GT model for around 10 million baht.  And, a number of models in-between the two price points.  Have we seen Nissan's CEO make an announcement that Nissan now only wants 'high dollar' customers for its GT model, and never mind everything else?   Of course, not.  Thailand Tourism, like Nissan, is a business, plain and simple, with a broad product line, needing a broad customer base at all economic levels.  I suspect the whole 'high dollar' thing was just a "Look, we're working!" TAT exercise; that days blah, blah, blah publicity handout.  

[mania]

Quote

Thailand prepares for influx of Chinese tourists

 

We are also preparing for influx of Chinese.... we are leaving next week 555

Just a lucky coincidence but happy to have it

[whiteman]

We are also preparing for influx of Chinese.... we are leaving next week 555

Just a lucky coincidence but happy to have it

 

 

Do not get spat on at the airport when you are leaving and take it back to your own country.

[ThailandTimeZone]

Vaccinated people can still be infected, carry and spread the virus?

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, ThailandTimeZone said:

Vaccinated people can still be infected, carry and spread the virus?

Yes, apparently that is possible. If you thought otherwise you have not been paying attention. 

[daveAustin]

Yuck! They will come here and do their thing. These a holes in gov will profit, as will a few others, but Thailand will be all the poorer for it. They are not wanted.  

[newnative]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Yuck! They will come here and do their thing. These a holes in gov will profit, as will a few others, but Thailand will be all the poorer for it. They are not wanted.  

     They spent over 500 billion baht all over Thailand in 2019, with the majority of them traveling independently and not in tour groups.  How did just the 'gov' and 'a few others' benefit and not all the hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, entertainments and amusements, shops, etc. that they dropped the 500 billion+ baht on?

[placnx]

On 1/4/2023 at 6:22 PM, geisha said:

I could understand the governments fondness  of Chinese visitors, but the ones you see all over Thailand are rude, noisy, filthy habits and pushy ! These are cheap tours that stink out Thai towns with tour buses , and crowd the airports , pavements and malls, even the 7/11s.  They are not the ones that go to my local designer shops and spend 4000€ on a handbag. They do not get carried round in stinking buses ( which are not allowed in urban areas anyway) and in general behave . Groups are often refused in nice restaurants , I always remember a table of 6 Chinese in a good restaurant where the “ guide” asked the proprietor for a tip for bringing them there. They were quickly shown the door. 
I for  one will keep out of their way if they return to a mass tourist invasion of Thailand or elsewhere. 

Maybe the sensible solution is only to allow individual travelers from China. Also, if there is any faking of vaccination certificates, that would be in the tour groups.