Thailand tourism situation
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I thought it was a very amusing article, with a sad bite of reality of Thai life thrown in. The author lives in Bkk and travelled to Phuket for a reunion with his girlfriend who had escaped from Oz. She tested positive and ended up at the hotel, he soon followed.
Talk is cheap
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Better than my quarantine experience, couldn't get together with anyone!! No alcohol (except the bottle I snuck in)
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Thailand set for tourist rush with quarantine-free visas
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/22 ... free-visas
Thailand expects to welcome hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers a month with the kickoff of a quarantine-free visa program that is set to serve as a model for tourism-reliant countries balancing safe border reopenings with economic revival.
Starting Tuesday, visitors of any nationality can apply for quarantine-free entry into Thailand, provided they are fully vaccinated. The government expects between 200,000 and 300,000 travellers to take advantage of the so-called Test & Go programme in February alone, with the numbers expected to swell in the following months.
The wider reopening - a previous quarantine-free program was restricted to visitors from only about 60 countries - is part of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's push to adopt a 'living with the Covid' strategy to rescue the pandemic-battered economy. About a fifth of gross domestic product before the virus came from tourism-related activities.
Thailand moved up 18 places in Bloomberg's latest Covid resiliency ranking with its ramp-up in vaccinations and taming of the omicron-fuelled outbreak.
"It's a fine balance between tourism recovery and public health,” said Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association. "We have to create confidence among the Thai society as there's still a large group of people hesitant about foreign travellers. If other nations are still hesitant they can come and look at the Thai Test & Go model."
The government expects 5 million foreign visitors this year, with the majority of arrivals expected from Europe and the United States, and the numbers may reach 9 million if Chinese and Indian tourists return, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
The outlook will remain hazy for the next few month, especially in terms of attracting travelers from China, the biggest group of visitors to Thailand before Covid, according to Tim Leelahaphan, a Bangkok-based economist at Standard Chartered. Still, the reopening should help Thailand swing back to a current-account surplus of about 1.5% of GDP this year, although the level will be below the average before the pandemic, he said in a report.
Thailand has experimented with several plans over the past two years to revive the travel sector, which attracted 40 million foreign tourists and generated more than $60 billion in 2019. About 350,000 visitors took advantage of the first phase of the Test & Go program before it was suspended in late December to prevent the spread of omicron variant.
"Thailand is among the world’s top tourist destinations because of all the beautiful attractions and the value for money," said Burin Adulwattana, chief economist at Bangkok Bank. "But the government should try to instill confidence among travelers that the policies won’t change again."
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/22 ... free-visas
Thailand expects to welcome hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers a month with the kickoff of a quarantine-free visa program that is set to serve as a model for tourism-reliant countries balancing safe border reopenings with economic revival.
Starting Tuesday, visitors of any nationality can apply for quarantine-free entry into Thailand, provided they are fully vaccinated. The government expects between 200,000 and 300,000 travellers to take advantage of the so-called Test & Go programme in February alone, with the numbers expected to swell in the following months.
The wider reopening - a previous quarantine-free program was restricted to visitors from only about 60 countries - is part of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's push to adopt a 'living with the Covid' strategy to rescue the pandemic-battered economy. About a fifth of gross domestic product before the virus came from tourism-related activities.
Thailand moved up 18 places in Bloomberg's latest Covid resiliency ranking with its ramp-up in vaccinations and taming of the omicron-fuelled outbreak.
"It's a fine balance between tourism recovery and public health,” said Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association. "We have to create confidence among the Thai society as there's still a large group of people hesitant about foreign travellers. If other nations are still hesitant they can come and look at the Thai Test & Go model."
The government expects 5 million foreign visitors this year, with the majority of arrivals expected from Europe and the United States, and the numbers may reach 9 million if Chinese and Indian tourists return, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
The outlook will remain hazy for the next few month, especially in terms of attracting travelers from China, the biggest group of visitors to Thailand before Covid, according to Tim Leelahaphan, a Bangkok-based economist at Standard Chartered. Still, the reopening should help Thailand swing back to a current-account surplus of about 1.5% of GDP this year, although the level will be below the average before the pandemic, he said in a report.
Thailand has experimented with several plans over the past two years to revive the travel sector, which attracted 40 million foreign tourists and generated more than $60 billion in 2019. About 350,000 visitors took advantage of the first phase of the Test & Go program before it was suspended in late December to prevent the spread of omicron variant.
"Thailand is among the world’s top tourist destinations because of all the beautiful attractions and the value for money," said Burin Adulwattana, chief economist at Bangkok Bank. "But the government should try to instill confidence among travelers that the policies won’t change again."
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
It's all nonsense numbers without Chinese tourists, who aren't coming anytime soon.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
If they had 350,000 in November/December, I suppose 200-300,000 visitors for February is not completely unrealistic. At least they're not expecting millions like some predictions in the past.
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Tourism sector frustrated over reopening policies
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme re-opens for registration today and has been given a cautious welcome by tourism operators.
Businesses are unsure about the additional rules of Test & Go “Version 2”, including the requirement for an additional PCR test on day 5, which involves a second mandatory hotel stay until a negative result is obtained. This is despite the fact that on days 2 to 4, travelers are free to wander where they like after receiving a negative result on day 1.
The tourism sector has expressed frustration at the number of steps operators have to go through in order to comply with the latest orders from the CCSA. ธเนศ ศุ-ภร-สะ-หะ-รังสี from Chon Buri Tourism Council says that allowing each province to introduce its own additional disease prevention measures is confusing for both tourism businesses and international tourists.
He said besides on-and-off reopening over the past few months, there are always inconsistencies in our regulations. For example, even though the CCSA lifted the alcohol ban in restaurants for blue zone provinces late last year, provincial governors and communicable disease committees can have different orders based on each situation.
Thanet also points to the efforts Chon Buri officials had to go to in order to be included in the sandbox scheme once the government shut down Test & Go in late December, as opposed to Phuket, which was permitted to be the sole operator of the sandbox entry scheme for a brief period, a decision that left other provinces frustrated and mystified.
And by the time the government relented allowing Chon Buri and other provinces to return to a sandbox model, the return of Test & Go was back on the table and the efforts of the preceding weeks to restore sandbox status were largely a waste of time.
Meanwhile, the head of the Hua Hin sandbox scheme and president of the Thai Spa Association has also expressed exasperation at the government’s back-and-forth approach to re-opening.
He said “The government should not twist and turn the re-opening programme once again. If we want to make Covid endemic, we should start learning to live with it now.”
Authorities are warning the public that Thailand’s face mask mandate is still in effect with a maximum fine of 20,000 baht.
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/th ... g-policies
If something can be done easily and efficiently, you can be sure Thailand will complicate the shit out of it. Good luck with those stupid numbers TAT.
Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme re-opens for registration today and has been given a cautious welcome by tourism operators.
Businesses are unsure about the additional rules of Test & Go “Version 2”, including the requirement for an additional PCR test on day 5, which involves a second mandatory hotel stay until a negative result is obtained. This is despite the fact that on days 2 to 4, travelers are free to wander where they like after receiving a negative result on day 1.
The tourism sector has expressed frustration at the number of steps operators have to go through in order to comply with the latest orders from the CCSA. ธเนศ ศุ-ภร-สะ-หะ-รังสี from Chon Buri Tourism Council says that allowing each province to introduce its own additional disease prevention measures is confusing for both tourism businesses and international tourists.
He said besides on-and-off reopening over the past few months, there are always inconsistencies in our regulations. For example, even though the CCSA lifted the alcohol ban in restaurants for blue zone provinces late last year, provincial governors and communicable disease committees can have different orders based on each situation.
Thanet also points to the efforts Chon Buri officials had to go to in order to be included in the sandbox scheme once the government shut down Test & Go in late December, as opposed to Phuket, which was permitted to be the sole operator of the sandbox entry scheme for a brief period, a decision that left other provinces frustrated and mystified.
And by the time the government relented allowing Chon Buri and other provinces to return to a sandbox model, the return of Test & Go was back on the table and the efforts of the preceding weeks to restore sandbox status were largely a waste of time.
Meanwhile, the head of the Hua Hin sandbox scheme and president of the Thai Spa Association has also expressed exasperation at the government’s back-and-forth approach to re-opening.
He said “The government should not twist and turn the re-opening programme once again. If we want to make Covid endemic, we should start learning to live with it now.”
Authorities are warning the public that Thailand’s face mask mandate is still in effect with a maximum fine of 20,000 baht.
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/th ... g-policies
If something can be done easily and efficiently, you can be sure Thailand will complicate the shit out of it. Good luck with those stupid numbers TAT.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
And the requirements to enter the UK are as follows:
Vaccination.
THAT'S IT!
Vaccination.
THAT'S IT!
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Test & Go 'cumbersome', says hotel tycoon
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... tel-tycoon
Thailand should look to the more liberal reopening policies of Europe and travel hot spots such as the Maldives to revive its tourism industry, says Bill Heinecke, the founder and chairman of Minor International Plc.
Current entry requirements for vaccinated foreign travelers are too “cumbersome”, the Bangkok-based billionaire said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
“If you’re vaccinated and tested you must be allowed to travel without so much paperwork,” said Mr Heinecke, who heads one of Asia’s largest hospitality, restaurant and lifestyle companies.
Tourism numbers in Thailand are “going to be tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”, he said.
While Thailand this month resumed its Test & Go programme, Mr Heinecke labelled the requirements — multiple Covid tests, the need to use an online registration system and having an insurance policy with at least $50,000 cover — as “cumbersome”.
“The US remained open through all this period pretty much and Europe has also handled it pretty well,” he said. “These are the bright spots — we don’t see difficulties or roadblocks stopping tourism from the rest of the world.”
SET-listed Minor, which operates more than 520 hotels and resorts in 56 countries and over 2,300 casual dining and quick-service restaurants, reported a loss of 435.6 million baht in the third quarter ended Sept 30, an improvement on a loss of 5.6 billion in the same period of 2020.
The improvement was driven by a rebound of its hotel business in Europe and the Maldives, and the recovery in those markets is expected to have continued in the fourth quarter.
Most of Minor’s business in Europe is through NH Hotel Group, which it acquired in 2018. The region contributed 79% to the company’s overall hotel business revenue, versus just 3% for Thailand, Minor’s home base.
Mr Heinecke said countries in Europe, as well as island destinations such as the Maldives and popular stopover cities like Dubai, will see a stronger tourism rebound because of their governments’ more liberal approach to reopening after the pandemic, which is entering its third year and saw international travel all but cease in early 2020.
“When you look at a place like the Maldives, China was the biggest supplier of tourists,” he said. “Today it’s setting new pre-Covid highs and they’re doing that without the Chinese. Dubai is also seeing higher hotel rates. These are the places you should look at.”
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... tel-tycoon
Thailand should look to the more liberal reopening policies of Europe and travel hot spots such as the Maldives to revive its tourism industry, says Bill Heinecke, the founder and chairman of Minor International Plc.
Current entry requirements for vaccinated foreign travelers are too “cumbersome”, the Bangkok-based billionaire said in an interview with Bloomberg News.
“If you’re vaccinated and tested you must be allowed to travel without so much paperwork,” said Mr Heinecke, who heads one of Asia’s largest hospitality, restaurant and lifestyle companies.
Tourism numbers in Thailand are “going to be tough and challenging for a while until the government changes its position”, he said.
While Thailand this month resumed its Test & Go programme, Mr Heinecke labelled the requirements — multiple Covid tests, the need to use an online registration system and having an insurance policy with at least $50,000 cover — as “cumbersome”.
“The US remained open through all this period pretty much and Europe has also handled it pretty well,” he said. “These are the bright spots — we don’t see difficulties or roadblocks stopping tourism from the rest of the world.”
SET-listed Minor, which operates more than 520 hotels and resorts in 56 countries and over 2,300 casual dining and quick-service restaurants, reported a loss of 435.6 million baht in the third quarter ended Sept 30, an improvement on a loss of 5.6 billion in the same period of 2020.
The improvement was driven by a rebound of its hotel business in Europe and the Maldives, and the recovery in those markets is expected to have continued in the fourth quarter.
Most of Minor’s business in Europe is through NH Hotel Group, which it acquired in 2018. The region contributed 79% to the company’s overall hotel business revenue, versus just 3% for Thailand, Minor’s home base.
Mr Heinecke said countries in Europe, as well as island destinations such as the Maldives and popular stopover cities like Dubai, will see a stronger tourism rebound because of their governments’ more liberal approach to reopening after the pandemic, which is entering its third year and saw international travel all but cease in early 2020.
“When you look at a place like the Maldives, China was the biggest supplier of tourists,” he said. “Today it’s setting new pre-Covid highs and they’re doing that without the Chinese. Dubai is also seeing higher hotel rates. These are the places you should look at.”
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
That's it in a nutshell really, no matter how you paint it, Thailand is still effectively in lockdown.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
I think as you’ve mentioned many times, it’s more about controlling the masses than controlling Covid. Still it could be worse, the junta just across the border would be much, much worse!!
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Indeed, they're shooting the masses - but I wouldn't put that past this lot either.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
What's next, a plague of locusts? 
Forest fire in Phuket, tourists rescued
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ts-rescued (More photos at link)
PHUKET: A group of tourists have been evacuated to safety after a forest fire broke out near Krating Cape and Pha Hin Dam in tambon Rawai, Muang district, on Saturday night.
Phuket governor Narong Woonciew said the blaze spread quickly around 7.50pm.
Firefighters together with personnel from Tambon Rawai Municipality and the navy had been deployed to put out the fire and evacuate all tourists in the area, said Mr Narong.
No casualties were reported.
Forest fire in Phuket, tourists rescued
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ts-rescued (More photos at link)
PHUKET: A group of tourists have been evacuated to safety after a forest fire broke out near Krating Cape and Pha Hin Dam in tambon Rawai, Muang district, on Saturday night.
Phuket governor Narong Woonciew said the blaze spread quickly around 7.50pm.
Firefighters together with personnel from Tambon Rawai Municipality and the navy had been deployed to put out the fire and evacuate all tourists in the area, said Mr Narong.
No casualties were reported.
- phpi6aFAyAM.jpg (51.01 KiB) Viewed 850 times
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Re: Thailand tourist slump continues
Is there a curse on this place? 
Police net cast for thief who attacked visiting German TV presenter
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -presenter (Her photo at link)
Police have thrown a wide net in the search for a man who assaulted and robbed a German TV presenter, the wife of a prominent German footballer, on a beach in Phangnga province.
Pol Lt Gen Amphon Buarabporn, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said on Thursday that the robbery occurred in Khokkloi area of Phangnga province, not in neighbouring Phuket province as incorrectly reported in foreign media.
He said Phangna provincial and local police were cooperating in swiftly hunting down the assailant.
According to media reports in Germany, Cathy Hummels, a German TV presenter and the wife of German International and Dortmund centerback Mats Hummels, was assaulted and robbed while walking on a beach at night in Phuket.
Pol Lt Gen Amphon stood firm in saying the investigation would be swift and thorough and the thief would be brought to justice. The incident had tarnished Thailand's tourism image. He also said the victim had left without giving a statement to police.
Ms Hummels was in Thailand to film her TV show Battle of the Reality Stars. The attack occurred while she was relaxing after completing production last week.
According to German newspaper Bild, the attacker hit her on the head several times before stealing her mobile phone. She ran back to the hotel, with her injuries. She told her team members and filed a complaint with local police before leaving the country the next day.
She said the attack occurred in Phuket. Police said this was not correct.
The assault happened at Na Tai beach, about 800 metres from Aleenta Hotel in tambon Khokkloi of Takua Thung district in neighbouring Phangnga province, about 9pm on Feb 5.
Ms Hummels was walking along Na Tai beach when an unidentified man hit her from behind until she fell down. The attacker ran off with her iPhone 12 pro max.
The victim sustained bruising to her left arm.
According to the police report, the victim could not describe her attacker as there was not enough light to see him well. She said it was not convenient to give a statement to police investigators because she had to board a flight back overseas.
Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikhong also confirmed the attack did not occur in Phuket province.
Police net cast for thief who attacked visiting German TV presenter
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -presenter (Her photo at link)
Police have thrown a wide net in the search for a man who assaulted and robbed a German TV presenter, the wife of a prominent German footballer, on a beach in Phangnga province.
Pol Lt Gen Amphon Buarabporn, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, said on Thursday that the robbery occurred in Khokkloi area of Phangnga province, not in neighbouring Phuket province as incorrectly reported in foreign media.
He said Phangna provincial and local police were cooperating in swiftly hunting down the assailant.
According to media reports in Germany, Cathy Hummels, a German TV presenter and the wife of German International and Dortmund centerback Mats Hummels, was assaulted and robbed while walking on a beach at night in Phuket.
Pol Lt Gen Amphon stood firm in saying the investigation would be swift and thorough and the thief would be brought to justice. The incident had tarnished Thailand's tourism image. He also said the victim had left without giving a statement to police.
Ms Hummels was in Thailand to film her TV show Battle of the Reality Stars. The attack occurred while she was relaxing after completing production last week.
According to German newspaper Bild, the attacker hit her on the head several times before stealing her mobile phone. She ran back to the hotel, with her injuries. She told her team members and filed a complaint with local police before leaving the country the next day.
She said the attack occurred in Phuket. Police said this was not correct.
The assault happened at Na Tai beach, about 800 metres from Aleenta Hotel in tambon Khokkloi of Takua Thung district in neighbouring Phangnga province, about 9pm on Feb 5.
Ms Hummels was walking along Na Tai beach when an unidentified man hit her from behind until she fell down. The attacker ran off with her iPhone 12 pro max.
The victim sustained bruising to her left arm.
According to the police report, the victim could not describe her attacker as there was not enough light to see him well. She said it was not convenient to give a statement to police investigators because she had to board a flight back overseas.
Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikhong also confirmed the attack did not occur in Phuket province.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source