Thailand tourism situation

[buksida]

Attacks and robberies targeting foreigners are only going to escalate as the economy tanks and the cost of living and poverty increases. Thailand will soon have the same reputation as the Philippines for violence.

[PeteC]

I'll post elsewhere when I see the article again and can confirm, but the Thai minimum wage is set to go to something like 496.00 Baht per day from what it is now.... 335? Quite a big jump. That may help at least a bit with the problems people are having due to Covid and inflation.

[PeteC]

I think the word "sluggish" is being generous.

First 10 days of February arrival figures for Thailand – Test & Go V2 “sluggish”

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... 2-sluggish

So who is travelling to Thailand at the moment, and how many are coming through the turnstiles?

For the first 10 days of February, there was a total of 55,823 travellers entering Thailand. 23,036 travellers entered on the Test and Go program, another 27,667 through the Sandbox scheme and 5,120 arrived to do the Alternative Quarantine program at a qualified hotel. 1,832 of those arrivals have tested Covid positive… that’s 3.3% of the total number of arrivals.

The Top 10 countries for arrivals are, in order…. Russia, Germany, UK, France, US, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Kazakhstan and Sweden.

The Test & Go program, also known as the Quarantine Exemption program (although you have a compulsory stay in a pre-paid SHA+ hotel on Day 1 and Day 5 of your arrival) was relaunched on February 1 when local tourism authorities expected a quick take up of the more popular of the three arrival schemes under the Thailand Pass brand.

On an average month, pre-Covid, there were 3.3 million arrivals (averaged out for the total year of 2019). That’s around 110,000 per day. The 56,823 arrivals between February 1 – 10 represents around 5% of the traffic that would have travelled at this time, 3 years ago. Of course the Government and TAT expect the arrivals to pick up as the year progresses and, hopefully, as the Covid situation continues to wane around the world.

Reports of the next period in February will be telling, to see if the numbers continue to steadily grow or if the first 10 days was an initial surge of travellers trying to get back to Thailand. The TAT have foreshadowed that up to 5 million travellers could enter Thailand throughout 2022, but the numbers from the first 10 days of February will have to ramp up quickly, by a factor of 5 x or more, if the TAT’s projections are to be met.

Much of the online chatter from the English-speaking community is complaining about the additional Day 5 ‘quarantine’, which has to be pre-paid, along with the Day 1 SHA+ accommodation and 2 PCR tests. That, and the continuation of an official ban on bars and nightlife, although many of the country’s hotspots are opening bars as ‘restaurants’ and serving alcohol until at least 11pm.

[Nereus]

This should help a lot, NOT! Some video there that shows some of these idiots up for what they are; belting a baby elephant around the head. ( who ever wrote this is obviously not an Australian: Adam Oswell has had roots in Thailand, where he now lives, since the 1980s )
.............................................................................................................
Selfie warning for Aussie tourists heading overseas: 'Brutal'

https://au.news.yahoo.com/selfie-warnin ... 31293.html

As tight Covid-19 restrictions ease, and Australians begin to travel overseas again, they’re being reminded to avoid animal exploitation.

Thailand’s multi-million dollar elephant tourism industry was impacted by a sharp decline in business when international flights were halted due to the pandemic.

As a result, many of their owners, known as mahouts, returned to their hometowns, allowing elephants to live a more natural existence.

Sydney-born photojournalist Adam Oswell has had roots in Thailand, where he now lives, since the 1980s and has documented elephant tourism for over 20 years.

While his images are used to spread a conservation message, he’s reminding tourists looking to take a happy snap with an elephant for their Instagram to do their research first.

That means not taking for granted that the elephant they’re paying to take an Instagram selfie with was sourced sustainably.

Brutal process once used to capture elephants for tourism

Despite their calm demeanour, many of the animals have been inflicted with “significant trauma”.

“In the 70s and 80s there was a huge demand for elephants, which drove the capture of wild elephants,” Mr Oswell said.

“It’s a very brutal process in itself. It involves pit traps and killing the mother and the family just to get a wild calf.

“It was then laundered through the system here with surrogate mothers to introduce them into the domestic population, and then they would be used in the tourism industry.”

Sustainable elephant tourism on rise in Thailand

While there are still many “cruel” operators, Mr Oswell, who was crowned 2021 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, believes the growth of social media is driving home the conservation message in Thailand.

The nation even adopted animal welfare laws in 2014, however domestic elephants are considered private property and categorised as “draught animals” along with donkeys, oxen and horses.

Visitors from China and Europe continue to indulge in exploitative elephant tourism, and Mr Oswell expects that to continue as the industry is worth “so much money”.

Giving him hope are more sustainable experiences that have flourished during the pandemic and continued to maintain popularity as tourists return.

He encourages visitors to investigate community-based projects where elephants are able to live sustainably alongside villages.

“They’re becoming very popular now, which is great,” Mr Oswell said.

“I think we're seeing a good transformation of the industry… hopefully.”

[Big Boy]

Stories like this aren't going to help either. Yes, it's always happened, but combined with everything else, it will not help the country's image, especially as Phuket has been the front door in to Thailand for so many visitors recently.

Pearl loses its lustre

Phuket, as does any attraction, relies on having a positive image among potential visitors. However, such an image is always vulnerable to being sullied by high-profile crimes as well as a perceived lack of safety.

Recent news reports of crimes on the island have put the reputation of the "Pearl of the Andaman" on the line. And they've come at the least opportune time given the island province has been positioned as a prime driver to revive the country's tourism sector battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.............

"Since the middle of last month negative publicity has been hitting the headlines, ranging from the overcharging of taxi fares, the €5,000 (around 200,000 baht) theft against a family of Greek tourists, and a call-centre scam that preyed on a Swiss man who lost 57,000 baht."

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/sp ... its-lustre

[PeteC]

I think they forgot the one about the German filmmaker woman who got hit over the head on the beach and her cell phone stolen.

[bigston]

and the drug dude murdered the other day

[HHTel]

and ... and .. and .......... the list is endless. Does it cause people to rethink a visit to Thailand? Proabably not.
The main reason visitors, rethink or cancel is the ridiculous covid requirements to enter the country. The majority of tourists don't give a damn about how animals are treated here, or thefts etc. "It won't happen to me!"

[bigston]

and when something goes wrong they cry innocent, the i didn't know caper,, and get a go fund me page set up so the brain dead like themselves can bail them out
well they are humans after all.

[caller]

and ... and .. and .......... the list is endless. Does it cause people to rethink a visit to Thailand? Proabably not.

Maybe not, but it might deter them from visiting Phuket.

On my 1st ever trip to this area in 2000, I knew nothing of Hua Hin or Cha am and had only once visited Thailand previously in 1992. I decided to stay for a week at Cha am, for a weeks doss on the beach, at the end of a 2-month trip in Asia and Oz. Simply as it was nearer than Hua Hin and seemed a better beach.

Just as I was about to book my trip, I read in the UK media that an off duty squaddie on holiday in Cha am, had been caught up in a shooting incident between locals. Okay, no problem, I simply switched to Hua Hua.

I sometimes wonder whether I would be here now if I had only visited Cha am?

The irony being that only later did I learn that this incident took place at the Regent something hotel, opposite Thai Watsadu, so neither here nor there really!

[Ratsima]

My wife had work in Rayong a couple of weeks ago. I was anxious to go because there is a delightful little craft beer bar called Kuad on Yomjinda Road. It was closed when we visited last April. My wife sent them a message and found that they are now open.

When we checked in to the hotel (Madina) they were quick to tell us that their bar was open and serving alcohol.

Kuad Beer was indeed open, but the front was covered with "take home only" notices. However, they let us in anyway. and were happy to serve us draft beer. Unfortunately, only two of their ten taps were flowing and they had only about a dozen bottled beers. They explained that this was because of the "uncertain situation". We were there well over an hour and were the only customers. We enjoyed the beer very much. (Put On A Happy Face IPA by Behemoth of New Zealand. 340 Baht for 250ml.)
.

kuad.jpg (81.05 KiB) Viewed 281 times

.

From Kuad we went to Wooden Spoon for dinner. It was bustling, but not serving alcohol at all.

So, we've got three hospitality businesses with three very different interpretations of the alcohol rules:

• The hotel was openly serving any alcohol you wanted.
• The craft beer bar was serving, but seemed uncertain about whether or not they could.
• The restaurant was not serving booze at all.

Is it any wonder that tourists are avoiding the place when even those involved in the hospitality industry don't have a clear idea of what the rules are?

[Dannie Boy]

As much as you may have enjoyed the beer, 340 Baht for 250ml is incredibly expensive?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bigston]

you wouldn't want to know how much i charge for an ice cold Stella Artois....
overlooking the pineapple fields

[Ratsima]

As much as you may have enjoyed the beer, 340 Baht for 250ml is incredibly expensive?

It’s certainly not something I would do every day. But, I do enjoy drinking something other than the insipid but affordable mainstream Thai lagers.

At the moment I’m enjoying a Mahanakhon Hazy IPA, brewed in Thailand. I think it’s about 70 Baht for a 500ml can.

[Dannie Boy]

As much as you may have enjoyed the beer, 340 Baht for 250ml is incredibly expensive?

It’s certainly not something I would do every day. But, I do enjoy drinking something other than the insipid but affordable mainstream Thai lagers.

At the moment I’m enjoying a Mahanakhon Hazy IPA, brewed in Thailand. I think it’s about 70 Baht for a 500ml can.

That’s more like it, double the quantity for almost a fifth of the price!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk