Just an observation about this long weekend we are apparently into?
The news is filled today about throngs of Thais and foreigners filling up resort destinations for this 4 day holiday.
Today was meant to be for government workers only, but apparently others have decided to take it as well.
Koh Larn off of Pattaya currently has 10,000 people on it with all of the 2,000 hotel rooms on the island booked. Indications are that Pattaya in general is filling up at present.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... as-koh-lan
Waiting to see photos later on showing percent wearing and not wearing masks?
I would expect that some kind of mass influx to Hua Hin is in progress.
Surat Thani in the news as well.
"SURAT THANI: The four-day government weekend that began on Friday was expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors to this southern province, with spending forecast at 484 million baht, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)."......
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ay-weekend
Thailand tourism situation
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I think every weekend in May is a long weekend. This country is an enigma, the economy is battered, inflation is rampant, prices are soaring, and debts are epic, yet they all have coin to go on holiday several times a month. 
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I can't say for Central or South Pattaya but yesterday I stayed at the Marie Celeste err Holiday Inn North Patts, pretty much had the swimming pool, club lounge and restaurant all to myself. Top end of 2nd Road was pretty much all derelict bars. Not so many "long noses" but more from the Indian Sub-Continent.PeteC wrote: ↑Fri May 13, 2022 4:05 pm Just an observation about this long weekend we are apparently into?
The news is filled today about throngs of Thais and foreigners filling up resort destinations for this 4 day holiday.
Today was meant to be for government workers only, but apparently others have decided to take it as well.
Koh Larn off of Pattaya currently has 10,000 people on it with all of the 2,000 hotel rooms on the island booked. Indications are that Pattaya in general is filling up at present.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... as-koh-lan
Waiting to see photos later on showing percent wearing and not wearing masks?
I would expect that some kind of mass influx to Hua Hin is in progress.
Surat Thani in the news as well.
"SURAT THANI: The four-day government weekend that began on Friday was expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors to this southern province, with spending forecast at 484 million baht, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)."......
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ay-weekend
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
― George Carlin
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” -George Orwell.
― George Carlin
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” -George Orwell.
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Is that not the point? Yes, there may be throngs of Thais, but their idea of a holiday is different to a Westerner's holiday. Especially in Pattaya. The last time I went drinking there, many signs said Thai men were not welcome in those areas.
Japanese and Koreans used to pack Walking Street giving the illusion of busy, but most were playing follow the flag, glaring at the sights, but never stepping across the threshold of any said establishment.
So yes, some hotels may be busy, as may a few Thai style eating places, but the type of places Westerners may frequent will remain quiet.
Japanese and Koreans used to pack Walking Street giving the illusion of busy, but most were playing follow the flag, glaring at the sights, but never stepping across the threshold of any said establishment.
So yes, some hotels may be busy, as may a few Thai style eating places, but the type of places Westerners may frequent will remain quiet.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Hoteliers downbeat over long weekend
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... ng-weekend
Tourism operators received a lukewarm response to the four-day holiday this weekend as the economic downturn derails travel decisions, prompting operators to rely on the gradual return of international arrivals.
Economic concerns are weighing on potential domestic travellers, led by surging prices of fuel and consumer goods, said Phisut Sae-Khu, president of the Thai Hotels Association's eastern chapter.
Hotel occupancy in Pattaya remains at only 60% as locals already spent their budget during Songkran and Labour Day, said Mr Phisut.
The domestic meetings and seminars market is slowly improving, starting with groups of 100-150 guests, as local Covid infections start to wane, he said.
"Operators expect a weaker domestic market in the second quarter, but there are positive signs from the international market to help support business in June, mostly from Vietnam, Malaysia and India," Mr Phisut said.
He said if the country announces Covid-19 as endemic and allows night venues in Pattaya to reopen, the destination will attract more international tourists.
Wassana Srikkanchana, president of the Hua Hin-Cha Am Tourism Association, said small and medium-sized hoteliers reported around 60% occupancy this weekend.
The rate is lower than usual because families are preparing their budget for a new school semester starting from May 17, while higher living costs have hurt their purchasing power, she said.
Only four- and five-star hotels in Hua Hin reported occupancy rates of more than 80%, said Mrs Wassana.
She said the government must find a practical travel stimulus campaign to allow smaller hotels to gain more benefits than the current scheme.
To drive demand in the low season, the association plans to host a business-to-business event with tourism operators in Chiang Mai, led by the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, to create a tourism exchange, said Mrs Wassana.
She said locals in the North want to visit beach destinations, particularly when convenient air transport is available from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai from Thai AirAsia.
Charintip Tiyaphorn, president of the Tourism Council of Krabi, said the occupancy rate during the first half of May was 50-60%, driven by the long holidays and privileges from the "We Travel Together" subsidy campaign.
However, business after May 15 remains hazy as bookings from the local market would drop, she said. Ms Charintip said even though the foreign market improved from the same period last year, bookings haven't surged dramatically and hoteliers may have to wait for last-minute bookings.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... ng-weekend
Tourism operators received a lukewarm response to the four-day holiday this weekend as the economic downturn derails travel decisions, prompting operators to rely on the gradual return of international arrivals.
Economic concerns are weighing on potential domestic travellers, led by surging prices of fuel and consumer goods, said Phisut Sae-Khu, president of the Thai Hotels Association's eastern chapter.
Hotel occupancy in Pattaya remains at only 60% as locals already spent their budget during Songkran and Labour Day, said Mr Phisut.
The domestic meetings and seminars market is slowly improving, starting with groups of 100-150 guests, as local Covid infections start to wane, he said.
"Operators expect a weaker domestic market in the second quarter, but there are positive signs from the international market to help support business in June, mostly from Vietnam, Malaysia and India," Mr Phisut said.
He said if the country announces Covid-19 as endemic and allows night venues in Pattaya to reopen, the destination will attract more international tourists.
Wassana Srikkanchana, president of the Hua Hin-Cha Am Tourism Association, said small and medium-sized hoteliers reported around 60% occupancy this weekend.
The rate is lower than usual because families are preparing their budget for a new school semester starting from May 17, while higher living costs have hurt their purchasing power, she said.
Only four- and five-star hotels in Hua Hin reported occupancy rates of more than 80%, said Mrs Wassana.
She said the government must find a practical travel stimulus campaign to allow smaller hotels to gain more benefits than the current scheme.
To drive demand in the low season, the association plans to host a business-to-business event with tourism operators in Chiang Mai, led by the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, to create a tourism exchange, said Mrs Wassana.
She said locals in the North want to visit beach destinations, particularly when convenient air transport is available from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai from Thai AirAsia.
Charintip Tiyaphorn, president of the Tourism Council of Krabi, said the occupancy rate during the first half of May was 50-60%, driven by the long holidays and privileges from the "We Travel Together" subsidy campaign.
However, business after May 15 remains hazy as bookings from the local market would drop, she said. Ms Charintip said even though the foreign market improved from the same period last year, bookings haven't surged dramatically and hoteliers may have to wait for last-minute bookings.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I can't see there be any chance of a recovery of tourism from the West until all Covid restrictions are lifted.
You can go to just about any tourist resort in Europe without any restrictions at all and people are sick of wearing masks, taking tests etc. Having just escaped two years of all that stuff, no one wants to go on holiday and start doing it all again.
You can go to just about any tourist resort in Europe without any restrictions at all and people are sick of wearing masks, taking tests etc. Having just escaped two years of all that stuff, no one wants to go on holiday and start doing it all again.
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Dannie Boy
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I think you’ve hit it on the head Steve; after 2+ years of Covid restrictions, the last thing holiday makers want are more restrictions/hoops to jump through, so will choose destinations where all they have to do is pay they’re money and turn up!!STEVE G wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 2:25 pm I can't see there be any chance of a recovery of tourism from the West until all Covid restrictions are lifted.
You can go to just about any tourist resort in Europe without any restrictions at all and people are sick of wearing masks, taking tests etc. Having just escaped two years of all that stuff, no one wants to go on holiday and start doing it all again.
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usual suspect
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Steve/Dannie Boy..Yes..you're both correct IMO.
I've a group of friends from my home-village area all wanting to come here..BUT after discovering they would have to jump thru hoops, fill in forms, then get 'accepted'... even before boarding the plane kinda had them stalling somewhat.
THEN to find out they would have to still wear masks everywhere in public swung their decision, so bye-bye Thailand, hello southern Spain...Sun, beach, cheap food & beer, all of them bookied into the same hotel on a half-board basis, plus the cost..it was a no-brainer they said.
(When a member of this group asked me when Thailand would be dropping the mandatory mask-wearing? I told him possibly never!..Once they implement new ruling they are always very,very slow to change/go back)
I've a group of friends from my home-village area all wanting to come here..BUT after discovering they would have to jump thru hoops, fill in forms, then get 'accepted'... even before boarding the plane kinda had them stalling somewhat.
THEN to find out they would have to still wear masks everywhere in public swung their decision, so bye-bye Thailand, hello southern Spain...Sun, beach, cheap food & beer, all of them bookied into the same hotel on a half-board basis, plus the cost..it was a no-brainer they said.
(When a member of this group asked me when Thailand would be dropping the mandatory mask-wearing? I told him possibly never!..Once they implement new ruling they are always very,very slow to change/go back)
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
They can forget about Chinese tourists for the rest of this year, and probably well into 2023.
China tightens curbs on overseas travel as part of Covid battle
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... vid-battle
HONG KONG: China has said it will impose tight restrictions on "non-essential" overseas travel for its citizens to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak the country has seen in the past two years.
The immigration authorities said the curbs were designed to stop infections crossing the border and would include a more rigorous approval process for passports and other travel documents and a crackdown on illegal border crossings.
A meeting of the National Immigration Administration on Tuesday heard that China's Covid-19 situation is at a "significant and urgent point" and that the city of Beijing is the "most important of the important".
A statement on the agency's website said the meeting had been called to relay the decisions taken at a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee chaired by President Xi Jinping last Thursday, where the leadership doubled down on China's zero-Covid policy saying it "will stand the test of time".
Chinese health authorities have repeatedly pointed at the overseas origins of outbreaks in the country, in some cases blaming letters and packages from abroad - a theory that has prompted widespread scepticism internationally.
China's immigration authorities have already restricted approvals of travel documents for its citizens since the beginning of the pandemic, and Chinese citizens have complained of being unable to renew passports.
In the first half of 2021, China only issued 335,000 passports, mainly for studying abroad, business trips and employment, 2% of the total for the same period in 2019, the NIA said last year.
A Guangzhou resident surnamed Xu said he tried to renew his passport in 2020 to see his son who is studying in the United States, but was turned down. He was told if he was not studying abroad, had business or had an invitation letter, he should not travel abroad.
"I cannot understand this, even if it's for outbreak prevention," he said.
He is not counting on his son coming home for the summer this year, due to strict restrictions.
Despite the restrictions, demand to travel continues. On popular forum Xiaohongshu, users listed creative ways to get a passport, including travelling abroad for a Chartered Financial Analyst test or hiring agents to vouch for job or school offers.
One post said that it was going to be the "new normal" to find it hard to get a passport, adding: "The more materials you can prepare, the earlier you can get it, the better. It's only going to get stricter from here."
In March, the Ministry of Public Security said there would be stricter rules on approving entry-exit permits and a crackdown on illegal activities.
While the capital resorts to drastic measures to try and stop infections in the city at an early stage, its financial heart Shanghai has been in lockdown for more than a month. At least 15 Chinese provinces have also recorded local infections in recent days.
China tightens curbs on overseas travel as part of Covid battle
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... vid-battle
HONG KONG: China has said it will impose tight restrictions on "non-essential" overseas travel for its citizens to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak the country has seen in the past two years.
The immigration authorities said the curbs were designed to stop infections crossing the border and would include a more rigorous approval process for passports and other travel documents and a crackdown on illegal border crossings.
A meeting of the National Immigration Administration on Tuesday heard that China's Covid-19 situation is at a "significant and urgent point" and that the city of Beijing is the "most important of the important".
A statement on the agency's website said the meeting had been called to relay the decisions taken at a meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee chaired by President Xi Jinping last Thursday, where the leadership doubled down on China's zero-Covid policy saying it "will stand the test of time".
Chinese health authorities have repeatedly pointed at the overseas origins of outbreaks in the country, in some cases blaming letters and packages from abroad - a theory that has prompted widespread scepticism internationally.
China's immigration authorities have already restricted approvals of travel documents for its citizens since the beginning of the pandemic, and Chinese citizens have complained of being unable to renew passports.
In the first half of 2021, China only issued 335,000 passports, mainly for studying abroad, business trips and employment, 2% of the total for the same period in 2019, the NIA said last year.
A Guangzhou resident surnamed Xu said he tried to renew his passport in 2020 to see his son who is studying in the United States, but was turned down. He was told if he was not studying abroad, had business or had an invitation letter, he should not travel abroad.
"I cannot understand this, even if it's for outbreak prevention," he said.
He is not counting on his son coming home for the summer this year, due to strict restrictions.
Despite the restrictions, demand to travel continues. On popular forum Xiaohongshu, users listed creative ways to get a passport, including travelling abroad for a Chartered Financial Analyst test or hiring agents to vouch for job or school offers.
One post said that it was going to be the "new normal" to find it hard to get a passport, adding: "The more materials you can prepare, the earlier you can get it, the better. It's only going to get stricter from here."
In March, the Ministry of Public Security said there would be stricter rules on approving entry-exit permits and a crackdown on illegal activities.
While the capital resorts to drastic measures to try and stop infections in the city at an early stage, its financial heart Shanghai has been in lockdown for more than a month. At least 15 Chinese provinces have also recorded local infections in recent days.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Going back to yesterday's theme about domestic tourism, I was a little late with my daily trip to the lake this morning.
It took 5 minutes to be able to pull onto Petchkasem from Soi 94, and twice as long to do the u-turn at Soi 88. Traffic was nose to bumper in both directions.
When we got to the Khao Tao junction, we had to queue to get off Petchkasem Road and parking at Khao Tao was almost at Loy Krathong levels.
So, the point I'm making is people are here in large numbers. However (list follows for Tapatalk users):
What I think I'm saying is these tourists are spending plenty on fuel and accomodation, but very little else.
It took 5 minutes to be able to pull onto Petchkasem from Soi 94, and twice as long to do the u-turn at Soi 88. Traffic was nose to bumper in both directions.
When we got to the Khao Tao junction, we had to queue to get off Petchkasem Road and parking at Khao Tao was almost at Loy Krathong levels.
So, the point I'm making is people are here in large numbers. However (list follows for Tapatalk users):
- We didn't encounter another person walking around the lake.
- There was one other person in the little cafe we use at midday.
- The poser's cafe on the opposite side of the lake was heaving, but full of people taking selfies, not buying coffee.
What I think I'm saying is these tourists are spending plenty on fuel and accomodation, but very little else.
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Points 51; Position 21
Consolidated - Championship Next Season
Points 51; Position 21
Consolidated - Championship Next Season
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
All the more reason for the goombament to pull out their collective fingers and fully open to other markets.PeteC wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 1:01 pm They can forget about Chinese tourists for the rest of this year, and probably well into 2023.
China tightens curbs on overseas travel as part of Covid battle
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... vid-battle
“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
― George Carlin
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” -George Orwell.
― George Carlin
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” -George Orwell.
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Probably beyond 2023.sateeb wrote:All the more reason for the goombament to pull out their collective fingers and fully open to other markets.PeteC wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 1:01 pm They can forget about Chinese tourists for the rest of this year, and probably well into 2023.
China tightens curbs on overseas travel as part of Covid battle
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... vid-battle
China's zero covid policy is not being followed in other countries. Therefore any Chinese traveler risks contracting covid and taking it back to the motherland. This will lead to quarantine for returning travelers for the foreseeable future. Even one or two cases found in the general population could lead to lockdown. Better to vacation domestically.
China has given up hosting the Asian Cup football competition. This was due to be held middle of 2023. So not much optimism there.
The other problem for tourism might well be a cost of living "crisis" in the west. Food and energy prices could become be a major factor when it comes to what holidays people can afford.
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handdrummer
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Zero covid is an impossible goal, that's like zero flu but it's a great reason to increase control over the population. No one gets in or out or moves around. Makes surveillance much easier.
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I honestly don't think Thai people would want or accept that. I don't think the majority want mass tourism yet.usual suspect wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 4:16 am (When a member of this group asked me when Thailand would be dropping the mandatory mask-wearing? I told him possibly never!..Once they implement new ruling they are always very,very slow to change/go back)
Talk is cheap
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handdrummer
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Not unless their livelihood depended on tourism.caller wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 8:07 pmI honestly don't think Thai people would want or accept that. I don't think the majority want mass tourism yet.usual suspect wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 4:16 am (When a member of this group asked me when Thailand would be dropping the mandatory mask-wearing? I told him possibly never!..Once they implement new ruling they are always very,very slow to change/go back)