Thailand tourism situation

[Ratsima]

As noted previously, my wife and I flew to Phuket for a few days as she had work for a client there. We flew Nok which advised via their website that to get into Phuket we had to be fully vaccinated, have a Covid antigen test within 72 hours of arrival and complete a travel form at Go Phuget. We did all that but when we arrived at Phuket, no one checked anything. We didn't actually need the test or the online form.

We stayed at at Bang Tao Beach (Choeng Thale, Thalang District) in a small hotel not far from Villa Market on one of the tin mining ponds that have been transformed into "lagoons". Only one other guest at our hotel.This area is full of moderate and upscale restaurants. Most were fairly empty during the day, but a few were crowded in the evening. We dined at O'Hara's Pub one night. There were only two others besides us; neither of whom was dining.

I wandered into the Central Food Hall at Porto de Phuket one late morning. It is, by far, the largest supermarket that I have ever seen. There were only a handful of customers. Villa, by comparison, was quite a bit busier. I guess it's the place that locals know best.

It seemed that a vast majority of the non-Thai people we saw were Northern Europeans. My guess is that many reside there permanently or for part of the year. In any event, there weren't very many around. I walked down to the beach one day, but it was completely empty with most of the beach shacks completely shut.

The Phuket airport domestic terminal was quite empty with many of the shops and restaurants in the departure area still shut. The departures board showed that all Air Asia flights had been cancelled. Our Nok Air flight was on a prop-jet Dash 8. The downsizing continues.

It's hard for me to see how anyone could be the slightest bit encouraged by the imagined return of tourism.

[Dannie Boy]

When I flew back to Thailand at the weekend it was an Etihad flight which flew from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok via Phuket. The flight looked virtually full and I’d estimate that a good two thirds disembarked at Phuket and many of them looked like genuine tourists.

[PeteC]

Of 100,000 predicted for 2021, Hua Hin has seen 56 tourists

https://thethaiger.com/news/hua-hin/of- ... 6-tourists

The math doesn’t look good as tourism associates estimated that the last quarter of 2021 would bring 100,000 international tourists to Hua Hin, but so far only 56 have arrived. The Thai Hotel Association explains the disparity is due to the entry process being complicated, the quarantine and testing fees being expensive, and the ban on booze and entertainment venues and nightlife activities.

In the first 2 weeks of Thailand’s grand reopening plans, only 56 of the predicted 100,000 travellers expected over the next 2 months have arrived in the seaside resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. And they aren’t staying for long. A total of 112 hotel booking nights were reported for those foreign travellers, suggesting an average stay of just 2 nights.

16 of those who entered Hua Hin from international destinations have now travelled to other areas in the key tourist-designated Blue Zone, while the remaining 40 have ventured elsewhere around the country. To reach the goal of 100,000 tourists, the town would need to record over 2,300 arrivals per day until the end of the year.

The Vice President of the Thai Hotels Association who also serves as an advisor to the Hua Hin – Cha-am Tourism Association says that a surge in Covid-19 infections in the province is certainly a deterrent for travellers, as well as the complicated Thailand Pass application process and strict entry requirements which discourage potential tourists from trying to come to Thailand.

“Some arrivals do not understand how to fill out the information and think that they will face another lot of strict preventive measures and mandatory quarantine after going back to their country of origin as Thailand is still in risk country.”

Many other factors are also creating obstacles to tourism recovery in Hua Hin including the lack of flights coming into Thailand and Hua Hin, and the health measures and restrictions implemented to keep Covid-19 from spreading out of control as tourists return to the town. Even after applicants are successful in getting approved for a Thailand Pass, there are still frustrations with the cost of RT-PCR tests and waiting for test results up to 24 hours in what essentially amounts to a 1-day arrival quarantine, though a newly developed RT-LAMP test may reduce test costs up to 80% and minimise wait times with results in as little as 20 minutes.

And travellers are also keenly aware that the Hua Hin they once knew is not the same as the Hua Hin they are arriving into. The vibrant nightlife that was a big draw for expats looking to let loose and have a few drinks still remains closed in most of Thailand including the resort town.

It’s common knowledge that bars and clubs are still opening illegally in many areas, but a covert night out with the risk of legal punishment isn’t nearly as enticing. And unlike key Blue Zone tourist destinations like Phuket and Bangkok, tourists in Hua Hin are not even allowed to have a drink with dinner as alcohol in restaurants still remains banned as well, creating a less-than-friendly atmosphere for arriving tourists.

[buksida]

Delay risk to eased tests
The plan to allow international travellers to take an antigen test (ATK) instead of an RT-PCR test to enter the country might be put on hold over concerns surrounding the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Deputy Public Health Minister, Sathit Pitutecha said on Monday authorities are considering whether to delay the easing of testing requirements for travellers, which the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration had just announced on Friday.

The relaxed requirements, which were supposed to kick in on Dec 16, would have applied to travellers from 63 countries and territories who are allowed to enter under the test-and-go scheme.

Mr Sathit said the CCSA made the decision to facilitate the entry of foreign tourists, as antigen tests only take a couple of hours. At present, travellers must take an RT-PCR test upon arriving in Thailand, and they must quarantine at a hotel for a night until the result comes back negative.

"RT-PCR tests are more accurate than ATK tests, which is important to help prevent an Omicron outbreak in Thailand," he said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ased-tests

You know this is exactly the excuse the junta wanted to extend restrictions.

[Dannie Boy]

Maybe, although in all honesty they’re only following the example being set by other countries - the UK has been criticised in the past for being slow off the block, but they’ve reintroduced PCR testing too!!


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[buksida]

The restrictions I was referring to were a nightlife/entertainment blockade during peak season in a country that is renowned for its nightlife and entertainment.

Not sure travellers would be that put off by having to take a different test, but they will if everything is shuttered here!

[Dannie Boy]

The restrictions I was referring to were a nightlife/entertainment blockade during peak season in a country that is renowned for its nightlife and entertainment.

Not sure travellers would be that put off by having to take a different test, but they will if everything is shuttered here!

That’s a fair comment - I don’t often venture into some of the more “touristy” areas of HH but I did the other day looking for a jewellery repairer and my gut feeling was “why would anybody want to come here - so many shops closed for good or temporarily shuttered up, whether you’ve been here before or not, it would be an unpleasant shock to any tourists”.

[buksida]

Right, most of the center of town is boarded up so unless you like browsing shutters, there is nothing for anyone to see or do there.

Was in town for the weekend and the bar/restaurant area around 94 was in total darkness after 10pm. Recent police raids have got everyone paranoid - its just the same as the curfew, great fun for your couple of week annual vacation.

[Big Boy]

Yet they come. Our first visitor last week from the US wasn't put off at all. He liked it so much, he'll be back next week. Next week, we have our second visitor from the US arriving, followed in quick succession by 2 separate visits from the UK. Yes, it's great to see people coming, but even better to have couriers to bring a few essentials from the UK .

On another note, I drive past 2 'breakfast' places on the way to the lake each day. For the first time in a couple of years, both places were very busy this morning. Either a lot of resident expats fancied a full English at the same time, or people are arriving.

According to today's stats (if my translator is correct), 85 visitors have arrived in Hua Hin since Recharge.

[buksida]

Yes, of course there will be one or two lunatics that are so sick of their own countries that they'll go anywhere regardless, but 85 is a far cry from the thousands that came before the lockdown.

Aside from the likes of Tesco (MV) and Makro, which were largely populated by expats doing their shopping, the town was as dead as a dodo over the weekend from what I saw of it.

[Big Boy]

Against advice from me, we have more visitors booked for the coming months than we have seen since we moved here, with the exception of when my son got married. For some strange reason, they are desperate to come. I, like you, do not see the attraction.

Out of interest, is anybody else seeing a massive upturn in the numbers of people desperate to visit Thailand, or are they just coming for my charm and charisma?

[PeteC]

I don't think it's anywhere in particular. Just away from where they've been locked up and restricted for the better part of 2 years, and a place that's warm.

[buksida]

Out of interest, is anybody else seeing a massive upturn in the numbers of people desperate to visit Thailand, or are they just coming for my charm and charisma?

Must be you. Not one of the regulars that come every year has returned here yet, and there are certainly no new faces on our beach. I think the 85 figure says it all.

[Motyduke]

i talked with an owner of many condos and houses in HH area. Before covid his prperties were rented at 85 % . Now it is only 25 %. He try to sell some properties but seems that demand is very low and price has fallen. He rented almost only to tourists

[buksida]

Foreign demand still tepid
The country's reopening on Nov 1 marked the first step towards rebuilding the battered tourism industry, but the process will likely take several years as international demand is still sluggish and a new Covid variant just emerged.

According to the Department of Disease Control, Thailand had 133,061 arrivals from Nov 1-30, far below the pre-pandemic level of around 3 million tourists per month.

Phangnga didn't see a spike in tourist numbers during country's reopening, but operators are hoping for better momentum in the first two months of next year as forward bookings have already reached 30%, said Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn, president of the Tourism Council of Phangnga.

Of the 12,000 available rooms in the province, there is an occupancy rate of 20% this month, up from 10% in November, mostly driven by local guests, who account for 60-70%.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/22 ... till-tepid

I wonder why ...