Thailand tourism situation

[Big Boy]

I've just been sat having lunch on Soi 94, and I actually mentioned to my son how nice it is to see so many tourists going up and down the Soi. It really gave Hua Hin the feeling of having been reinstated as a holiday town again.

OK, I liked it very quiet, but we all know quiet is not good for the town.

[ianc66]

Ahem.

Throughout this topic under 18 year olds are exempt. Why? They can be infectious can get ill.

[joelle]

In the last few days at Krabi and Khao Lak it was very very crowded, shops, restaurants full, hotels fully booked, nowhere to park. Mixed nationalities, Russians, Germans, French, Brits, etc... no Thais and no Chinese.
Made a change from the ghost towns of 2 months ago !!

[wenshidi]

More crowded than usual?

Older Europeans who are likely to be retirees or younger folks who are more likely to be genuine tourists?

Plenty of Chinese as well?

[buksida]

Spent a weekend at Tung Wua Laen beach in Chumphon which was pretty busy but I'd say 90% were locals (Thai). There were a few farangs around though, but nothing like pre-pandemic levels.

It seems that only the major tourist hubs such as Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, and Chiang Mai are benefitting from the revival - the more obscure off the beaten track places are still pretty dead.

[wenshidi]

Flights are at least twice the price that they were pre-pandemic. The younger generations were hammered financially by the lockdowns, and only a small few still have the money to afford what is now an expensive long haul holiday. Retirees did not feel the economic pressure so much, thanks to their fixed incomes, but even this is starting to change with rising living costs.

Thailand has long been popular because it is a cheaper option. It will be difficult to return to pre covid levels if trips to Thailand remain at twice their orginal cost.

[handdrummer]

Flights are at least twice the price that they were pre-pandemic. The younger generations were hammered financially by the lockdowns, and only a small few still have the money to afford what is now an expensive long haul holiday. Retirees did not feel the economic pressure so much, thanks to their fixed incomes, but even this is starting to change with rising living costs.

Thailand has long been popular because it is a cheaper option. It will be difficult to return to pre covid levels if trips to Thailand remain at twice their orginal cost.

Rising living costs.

[STEVE G]

I know it's a holiday weekend but this is the fifth time I've been back since the Covid lockdown and the first it's looked anything like the old times.
I walked through the centre of town and along the beach and restaurants were busy and just about every sun lounger occupied. Hopefully the local economy is finally able to get back on its feet.

[lindosfan1]

Tourism up last year. To enter Thailand from June this year it will cost £7.40 or $9.20

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64369279

[Dannie Boy]

Tourism up last year. To enter Thailand from June this year it will cost £7.40 or $9.20

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64369279

That cheap - it costs £25 (B1,000) to leave!!

[HHTel]

I believe it's 700 baht airport tax, but whose counting. Airport tax at Heathrow is £30.19.

[Dannie Boy]

According to this article, there are more Europeans in HH to Han Chinese!!

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... icials-say


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[PeteC]

Not surprising IMO. The Chinese have never seemed too keen on Hua Hin. Perhaps not enough all you can eat buffets.

[buksida]

Hua Hin was the busiest I've seen it since pre-Covid years this weekend. Our hotel was pretty full, traffic was hellish as usual, you couldn't get a seat at the MV food court, Tesco (Lotuss) was more farangs than Thais, and bars and restaurants were heaving Friday night.

I think I miss the lockdown times ...

[buksida]

Thousands of Russians Flee to Thailand to Escape War
Russian tourists are fleeing to Thailand to escape the war in Ukraine or look to move to the Southeast Asian country.

Thailand has become a haven for Russian visitors who are looking to escape Moscow’s war in Ukraine that has now entered its second year.

Visitors are in Thailand but are they fleeing Russia too.

Since Thailand fully reopened its borders and dropped COVID-19 restrictions in October, Russian arrivals have made up the third-largest group of visitors, only behind Malaysia and India, according to government data.

Now thousands of Russians are looking for a new home, fearing economic woes in Russia and a military draft because of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

Thailand has long been a popular holiday destination for Russian tourists. Thailand and Russia are close trading partners and, in 2019, Russia was Thailand’s seventh-largest market for tourism. Thailand has not followed the lead of Western countries and banned Russian visitors.

Russian tourists have taken advantage of that. For the months of October, November and December, Russian arrivals into Thailand were more than 331,000, according to data released by Thailand’s Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

Thousands of those arrivals also have been investing, buying property, or renting long term in Thailand. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a war mobilization in September, so for many wealthy Russians, the sunny shores of Thailand are an easy swap for the prospect of being drafted into the Ukraine conflict.

https://www.voanews.com/a/thousands-of- ... 79011.html