Thai Govt: Floods Swept Away Bt50 Million In Tourism Income

[webfact]

Govt: floods swept away 50 million in tourism income

BANGKOK, 24 October 2010 (NNT) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has assessed the damage from floods at 50 million baht; the number could reach 200 million this week.

From the initial 50 million baht assessment, the Ministry said it had not included the costs of repairs for damaged infrastructure yet. Moreover, most Thai tourists have canceled practically all their bookings in Nakorn Ratchasrima, Lopburi, and Phra Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya provinces.

The Ministry has set up a crisis management center to provide preliminary assistance to flood victims. Officials are also ready to be deployed if any areas experience heavy flooding.

In the meantime, the Ministry has earmarked 45-million-baht budget for tourism campaigns in the remaining two months of the year; the campaigns will focus on the Father’s Day, the Loy Kratong, and the New Year celebrations.

Rehabilitation will begin right after water levels recede in order to restore tourist sites that are in ruins from floods. The Ministry plans to use the budget of 1 billion baht, left over from the rehabilitation funds for entrepreneurs affected by the 2008's airport closures, to help tourism operators affected by the recent devastating flood.

-- NNT 2010-10-24

[hayden5650]

Nana better be okay

[Thai at Heart]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

[mommysboy]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Well most posts get at least a few notches before they get diverted, distracted or fragmented, or derailed.

Thai at Heart should be coingratulated----- I guess!

[dru2]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Absolutely spot on !

[whybother]

The Ministry of Tourism put out a statement about the effect of the floods on Tourism.

What did you expect the Ministry of Tourism to say?

[rubl]

The Ministry of Tourism put out a statement about the effect of the floods on Tourism.

What did you expect the Ministry of Tourism to say?

With all of the extra watersports arranged we expect we can top about 16M tourist this year

[george]

Thailand flooding: Call Centre 1784 reports that officials have run out of sandbags to be given away /via @tulsathit

[moe666]

This is more about the Thai tourist not farange or other asian folks. When I was in Chiang Mai in April the Thai people I talked to were worried about a down turn in Thais coming to visit, which is a big business for them.

[Skywalker69]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Good post.....thanks!

[tomyummer]

Thailand tourism will adapt. We'll see resorts on stilts in no time. Real eco tourism.

[rreddin]

This is more about the Thai tourist not farange or other asian folks. When I was in Chiang Mai in April the Thai people I talked to were worried about a down turn in Thais coming to visit, which is a big business for them.

This section of the OP "From the initial 50 million baht assessment, the Ministry said it had not included the costs of repairs for damaged infrastructure yet. Moreover, most Thai tourists have canceled practically all their bookings in Nakorn Ratchasrima, Lopburi, and Phra Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya provinces." makes it clear that this is about internal tourism.

The damaged infrastructure will have to be repaired to enable those internal tourist to return once the flood waters have receded. I somehow doubt those repairs will be done in time to salvage what is left of this tourist season.

Edited to correct typo

Edited October 25, 2010 by rreddin

[rubl]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Good post.....thanks!

Irrelevant post, sorry.

When you start making paddies along the river without an infrastructure to prevent flooding, you know what will happen. EVERY year. To hand out THB 100k would be an irresponsible waste of taxpayers money. We need proper plans to control water levels and flow, and a consistent execution.

[Thai at Heart]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Good post.....thanks!

Irrelevant post, sorry.

When you start making paddies along the river without an infrastructure to prevent flooding, you know what will happen. EVERY year. To hand out THB 100k would be an irresponsible waste of taxpayers money. We need proper plans to control water levels and flow, and a consistent execution.

You miss my point.

Already there is some kind of government plan to compensate hotel owners, and as yet, there has been no concrete plan announced for farmers other than charitable donation so far.

I didn't say 100k was a practical number, as yet they haven't (or will take their time to) announced concrete plans for the rural areas where thousands of people may have lost everything. It isn't wrong that they compensate hotel owners, it is just that it can misrepresent your priorities when you announce compensation for hotel owners before you announce compensation for the most needy.

Is compensation for hotel owners any better spent than giving money/compensation to farmers? If so, why so?

Edited October 25, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[rubl]

In the grand scheme of things, if the lost tourism revenue is 50mn, how do you calculate devastation of farm produce and washed out houses and their possessions?

500mn, 1bn, 5bn

I guess the hotel owners should be happy that the government has apparently so quickly devised a plan to solve their hardship. As if a few more empty days in a hotel up country is the pinnacle of suffering in the country right now.

Doesn't the government realise that by putting out such ludicrous statements as these, that they instantly play in the red shirts hands? How about 100k compensation to every rural household which has been inundated for lost crops and damage to their possessions?

Good post.....thanks!

Irrelevant post, sorry.

When you start making paddies along the river without an infrastructure to prevent flooding, you know what will happen. EVERY year. To hand out THB 100k would be an irresponsible waste of taxpayers money. We need proper plans to control water levels and flow, and a consistent execution.

You miss my point.

Already there is some kind of government plan to compensate hotel owners, and as yet, there has been no concrete plan announced for farmers other than charitable donation so far.

I didn't say 100k was a practical number, as yet they haven't (or will take their time to) announced concrete plans for the rural areas where thousands of people may have lost everything. It isn't wrong that they compensate hotel owners, it is just that it can misrepresent your priorities when you announce compensation for hotel owners before you announce compensation for the most needy.

Is compensation for hotel owners any better spent than giving money to farmers? If so, why so?

This topic is on help for the tourist sector. the THB 50M is from the Ministry of Tourism. As such help to farmers is off topic.

It would be another ministry which would help the farmers, Ministry of Interior or so. Help for farmers is a continuous plan, like the (twice) yearly rice price pledging scheme, and the loan reduction scheme, etc., etc. Not sure a separate, new plan is necessary. Lots of farmer help seems to help local middlemen, rather than the farmers.

[rubl]

begin removed ...

Already there is some kind of government plan to compensate hotel owners, and as yet, there has been no concrete plan announced for farmers other than charitable donation so far.

... end removed

The PM had a meeting with his cabinet on the 23rd 'The prime minister wants to discuss flood relief measures with relevant state agencies to effectively help the flood effected people'. Probably no time yet to formulate plans and announce them.

[Thai at Heart]

begin removed ...

Already there is some kind of government plan to compensate hotel owners, and as yet, there has been no concrete plan announced for farmers other than charitable donation so far.

... end removed

The PM had a meeting with his cabinet on the 23rd 'The prime minister wants to discuss flood relief measures with relevant state agencies to effectively help the flood effected people'. Probably no time yet to formulate plans and announce them.

Well, we must congratulate the Tourism Ministry for acting so swiftly in such a unilateral matter to take care of hotels then.

[rubl]

begin removed ...

Already there is some kind of government plan to compensate hotel owners, and as yet, there has been no concrete plan announced for farmers other than charitable donation so far.

... end removed

The PM had a meeting with his cabinet on the 23rd 'The prime minister wants to discuss flood relief measures with relevant state agencies to effectively help the flood effected people'. Probably no time yet to formulate plans and announce them.

Well, we must congratulate the Tourism Ministry for acting so swiftly in such a unilateral matter to take care of hotels then.

The MoT was already in full swing of operations. The low season was a bit low and the high season doesn't want to start yet. They're probably improving their calculations to reach the 14-15M tourist target for this year.

The PM and MoInterior have been very busy this year with protests, reconciliation plans, an opposition in obstruction mood, effect of outside economies still barely recovering, THB rising. I'm sure a 'help the farmers' plan will emerge in time. The PM only needs to formulate it very carefully else the PTP will accuse him of vote buying

[Thai at Heart]

The MoT was already in full swing of operations. The low season was a bit low and the high season doesn't want to start yet. They're probably improving their calculations to reach the 14-15M tourist target for this year.

The PM and MoInterior have been very busy this year with protests, reconciliation plans, an opposition in obstruction mood, effect of outside economies still barely recovering, THB rising. I'm sure a 'help the farmers' plan will emerge in time. The PM only needs to formulate it very carefully else the PTP will accuse him of vote buying

Indeed, so much to do and so little time.

I would think that using the "flood" to flood the countryside with redevelopment funds, compensation, a lick of paint on the school, maybe even a new road or two and the such would be a rather timely political move. As for actual cash in hand compensation to farmers, why not? It is better than compensating the agricultural export companies with subsidies isn't it or letting it get lost in the wonderful cash consuming leviathan called local government.

OFOC (Excuse pronunciation) - One Flood One Cheque

He can be accused of vote buying till the cows come home, they can hardly deny that the floods happened can they?

[jayjay0]

Have to agree with rubi.

I have to agree with you it is not the ministry of Tourism's job to give money to farmers. For all we know it is already happening by the ministry set up to handle those things. That would be another thread.

Can you imagine the tourism ministry fumbling around in some thing they know nothing about. Look at there inept attempts in Tourism. Give me a break.