Quake Jolts Thai Tourism: Rising Concerns Over Safety

[webfact]

Rescuers use a heavy duty machine to clear the rubble in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, March 29, 2025, as they search for victims at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after Friday's earthquake. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

 

The recent 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar has shaken up Thailand's tourism, already wobbling under safety concerns.

 

The quake, which rocked buildings in Bangkok and other hot spots, may cause a drastic 10%-15% drop in international tourist arrivals over the next fortnight, according to the Thai Hotels Association. Concerns over safety have already led 10% of foreign tourists to check out early, though some returned due to lack of alternatives.

 

The tourism sector, vital to Thailand's economy, is bracing for a short-term impact as Minister of Tourism Sorawong Thienthong assured tourists of their safety. Meanwhile, an audit of hotels and tourist attractions is underway to ease fears.

 

 

 

 

The economy, where tourism fuels employment for about 20% of the workforce and accounts for 13% of GDP, is already striving for a 3% growth amid trade export challenges.

 

While Bangkok faced structural damage, most notably the tragic collapse of a high-rise construction site leading to fatalities, the swift assurance from Thai authorities aims to bolster tourism confidence.

 

Although the bustling Songkran festival approaches, current bookings are below pre-pandemic levels, reflecting persistent safety concerns. Chinese tourists, a significant demographic, remain hesitant due to past regional safety issues.

 

Despite the tremors, the year-to-date figures show a slight increase in tourism numbers, reaching 8.9 million, yet challenges remain with falling numbers since February's Lunar New Year surge.

 

Experts predict a potential decline from the forecasted 38.1 million arrivals this year, highlighting the urgent need to address safety perceptions. For Thailand, known for its enchanting beaches and cultural sites, the quake is yet another bump on an already rocky road in tourism recovery.

 

Based on a story by Bangkok Post

 

-- 2025-03-31

 

 

[Tropicalevo]

Surely the solution is simple.

The government should just ban earthquakes.

They usually ban or gaol anything/anyone that they perceive as a threat. 

[MalcolmB]

Thailand always bounces back.

Barely a year after the tsunami the planes and hotels were full again.

This will blow over in a couple of weeks.

[CallumWK]

14 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Surely the solution is simple.

The government should just ban earthquakes.

They usually ban or gaol anything/anyone that they perceive as a threat. 

 

I guess instead they will promote disaster tourism

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Good luck getting the Chinese back.

[1happykamper]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the swift assurance from Thai authorities aims to bolster tourism confidence

... assurance based on what exactly? A crystal ball! They have no idea. 

 

Many think twice about driving via Rama 2. How about a nice Sunday brunch on a bkk rooftop to celebrate your success at arrival?! No thanks. Pass 

[factual monk]

To be honest... thai government government/ authorities are hiding the fact that numerous buildings or say many many of the buildings have got cracks. Also, Any hotel or mall will never openly admit that they have suffered cracks in buildings because it will lead to big loss for a long time to them. If you see on X or insta... it's flooded with clips of the damaged buildings... I pray for the people of Thailand and non thais residing their or working... 

God bless all... safety for all🙏 

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Thailand always bounces back.

Barely a year after the tsunami the planes and hotels were full again.

This will blow over in a couple of weeks.

Thailand may bounce back, but may take more than a few weeks. Especially if there are more quakes or aftershocks.

 

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

... assurance based on what exactly? A crystal ball! They have no idea. 

 

Many think twice about driving via Rama 2. How about a nice Sunday brunch on a bkk rooftop to celebrate your success at arrival?! No thanks. Pass 

Simply not rational. The only building that collapsed was of tofu Chinese construction.

[Guderian]

Missing an opportunity - they should try promoting the country as a hub of earthquakes! After all, they want to be a hub of everything else, lol

[blazes]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Surely the solution is simple.

The government should just ban earthquakes.

 

 

No, it will require a "crackdown" on earthquakes....

 

[proton]

8 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

... assurance based on what exactly? A crystal ball! They have no idea. 

 

Many think twice about driving via Rama 2. How about a nice Sunday brunch on a bkk rooftop to celebrate your success at arrival?! No thanks. Pass 

 

We have been thinking twice about driving down Rama 2 for a few years, but have no choice. Luckily the mrs has an amulet!

[sahibji]

This collapse is really tragic. Could it be  a structural engineering miscalculation?

[DjSilver08]

The largest thing of my concerns are actually the buildings with cracks in them. I wouldn't stay or uphold myself in any of them, because they could fall down any day now.

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Thailand always bounces back.

Barely a year after the tsunami the planes and hotels were full again.

This will blow over in a couple of weeks.

 

Totally different scenario. The tsunami devastated the coast, they carted off the bodies, cleared away the wreckage and built a whole new bunch of high/er end, low rise resorts with a 'tsunami warning system' to tempt people back.

 

Dozens if not hundreds of structurally compromised buildings, with gaping cracks in them, facing weeks of aftershocks is not a tempting scenario. Even I'm reconsidering my Bangkok travel plans.

 

Problem is I don't trust the authorities to be competent or efficient enough, or uninfluenced enough, or well enough staffed with the right training, to be making unbiased decisions about widespread building safety when they urgently want to tempt the punters back.

 

Bit of wait and see how they perform here.

[factual monk]

7 minutes ago, DjSilver08 said:

The largest thing of my concerns are actually the buildings with cracks in them. I wouldn't stay or uphold myself in any of them, because they could fall down any day now.

And in rainy season the erosion will deteriorate further

[Rolo89]

21 minutes ago, factual monk said:

To be honest... thai government government/ authorities are hiding the fact that numerous buildings or say many many of the buildings have got cracks. Also, Any hotel or mall will never openly admit that they have suffered cracks in buildings because it will lead to big loss for a long time to them. If you see on X or insta... it's flooded with clips of the damaged buildings... I pray for the people of Thailand and non thais residing their or working... 

God bless all... safety for all🙏 

Tourism will be fine, the condo market in BKK is going to have serious issues with how many earthquake proof structures had a lot of damage - the new buildings in the last 20 years were the worst effected. The older ones had next to no damage. 

 

No one will be putting their money in expensive condos in BKK with how poorly they delt with that quake. Several buildings are not allowing anyone in.

[mikeymike100]

5 minutes ago, BusyB said:

 

Totally different scenario. The tsunami devastated the coast, they carted off the bodies, cleared away the wreckage and built a whole new bunch of high/er end, low rise resorts with a 'tsunami warning system' to tempt people back.

 

Dozens if not hundreds of structurally compromised buildings, with gaping cracks in them, facing weeks of aftershocks is not a tempbuilding collapseting scenario. Even I'm reconsidering my Bangkok travel plans.

 

Problem is I don't trust the authorities to be competent or efficient enough, or uninfluenced enough, or well enough staffed with the right training, to be making unbiased decisions about widespread building safety when they urgently want to tempt the punters back.

 

Bit of wait and see how they perform here.

Yes indeed, if there are any more quakes or aftershocks, its going to be a very quiet low season in Thailand.

Watching that half constructed building collapse, in Bangkok was shocking, how many more have been built to the same low 'standard'?

[kwan]

Tourism drops . . In just a couple of days ??

[Rolo89]

9 minutes ago, BusyB said:

Dozens if not hundreds of structurally compromised buildings, with gaping cracks in them, facing weeks of aftershocks is not a tempting scenario. Even I'm reconsidering my Bangkok travel plans.

Anyone working in property is going to have serious problems. And the whole Thai economy is tied to the property market and constantly selling condos. This could be far worse for the economy than the tsunami

[BusyB]

1 minute ago, mikeymike100 said:

Yes indeed, if there are any more quakes or aftershocks, its going to be a very quiet low season in Thailand.

Watching that half constructed building collapse, in Bangkok was shocking, how many more have been built to the same low 'standard'?

 

Half-constructed buildings collapsing worries me less than completed buildings with cracks and bulges all over the place. How long will it take to seriously assess the structures? How many qualified  people will it take and do they even have them?

 

As pretty as the city looked, I'm convinced those bright buildings weren't constructed to 7.7 standards like in Taipei or Tokyo. Noone ever expected something like that, especially at the brown envelope contracting stage.

 

Apparently though the Sagaing fault is expected to shift dramatically every 30-50 years, with a few smaller shocks between. The last major shift was 1956 so a big one's been expected (by geologists) for a while.

 

Wonder how LA will stand up when the San Andreas fault finally gives.

[samtam]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Rescuers use a heavy duty machine to clear the rubble in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, March 29, 2025, as they search for victims at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after Friday's earthquake. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

 

The recent 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar has shaken up Thailand's tourism, already wobbling under safety concerns.

 

The quake, which rocked buildings in Bangkok and other hot spots, may cause a drastic 10%-15% drop in international tourist arrivals over the next fortnight, according to the Thai Hotels Association. Concerns over safety have already led 10% of foreign tourists to check out early, though some returned due to lack of alternatives.

 

The tourism sector, vital to Thailand's economy, is bracing for a short-term impact as Minister of Tourism Sorawong Thienthong assured tourists of their safety. Meanwhile, an audit of hotels and tourist attractions is underway to ease fears.

 

 

 

 

The economy, where tourism fuels employment for about 20% of the workforce and accounts for 13% of GDP, is already striving for a 3% growth amid trade export challenges.

 

While Bangkok faced structural damage, most notably the tragic collapse of a high-rise construction site leading to fatalities, the swift assurance from Thai authorities aims to bolster tourism confidence.

 

Although the bustling Songkran festival approaches, current bookings are below pre-pandemic levels, reflecting persistent safety concerns. Chinese tourists, a significant demographic, remain hesitant due to past regional safety issues.

 

Despite the tremors, the year-to-date figures show a slight increase in tourism numbers, reaching 8.9 million, yet challenges remain with falling numbers since February's Lunar New Year surge.

 

Experts predict a potential decline from the forecasted 38.1 million arrivals this year, highlighting the urgent need to address safety perceptions. For Thailand, known for its enchanting beaches and cultural sites, the quake is yet another bump on an already rocky road in tourism recovery.

 

Based on a story by Bangkok Post

 

-- 2025-03-31

 

 

 

The impact on tourism always the main priority of the Thai government. Those that live and work and service that mammon, not so much.

[Jiggo]

Wondered when the "Tourist" figure's would start from TOT and the ministry, please let the victim's be put to rest first.

And for the other a lot of concerns for the people who want to escape Songmadness especially from Pattaya 

[bkk6060]

The hub of earthquakes.  

[spidermike007]

There's always an inherent obsession with growth, but the reality is that a bit of a pause in the tourism sector might not be such a bad thing. If they did indeed get 9 million tourists already this year perhaps that's simply too many, many places that have been have been quite crowded with tourists and maybe a few less tourists won't hurt that much. 

[terryofcrete]

1 hour ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

Good luck getting the Chinese back.

Every cloud has a silver lining 

[kuzmabruk]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

audit of hotels and tourist attractions is underway to ease fears

I am confused.    I thought the audit was completed on Saturday along with a green light for all buildings in Bangkok and the rest of the country 

[geisha]

I have never liked skyscrapers. A fourth floor is ok for me. You can’t compare the tsunami ( I was there looking on) with an earthquake. The tsunami in Phuket, was on the beach obviously. It did damage a few buildings on beach road, but nothing was collapsing around you from above . It was tragic and there were  a few hundred dead and missing. Myanmar has 1700 dead and they say it will rise to 8 or 10 thousand. From this morning’s news there are lots of reports of cracked buildings in Bangkok,  which is very very worrying. 
Cracks in high rise hotels and condos are not reassuring at all. There was another 5. aftershock in Myanmar yesterday. I’m sure many tourists will avoid high rise hotels because what we’ve seen is shocking.  

[oustaristocrats]

1 hour ago, sahibji said:

This collapse is really tragic. Could it be  a structural engineering miscalculation?

 

No it was a top - down brown envelope card game from ministry to builders, to turn a blind eye on safety standards, like it always the same in THL, if you give me this, you will get that, i will tell them this, but we all know the truth is that. The source is the top of the piramide, they benefit most, but are exposed least. 

Important technical structural reports have already 'vanished', unfindable.

[Purdey]

At least we can work from home while we wait for a civil engineer to give the all clear.

 

Hope it isn't the same civil engineer who said our building is earthquake proof.