News Forum - Is Thailand Tourism going to Boom or Bust? | GMT

[Thaiger]

Thailand Pass Updates – Tourists can apply for the pass starting 29th April. Tourist arrivals to Thailand have surged during the first quarter of 2022. Anzac Day and Thailands soft power is sweet. All this and more coming up on todays Good Morning Thailand

The story Is Thailand Tourism going to Boom or Bust? | GMT as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Dr.Sivada]

Neither. 

In certain aspects the sector will have to start from scratch all over again due to rebuilding all the small medium businesses that bankrupted during the two years. The process can take years. Unfortunately they are the foundation of an economic entity, meaning the entire country will not likely do that great over the next several years. The sector of the businesses that are backed by major international chains will do just fine. They will be the primary beneficiary to the immediate post pandemic demand surge. For tourists, everything will be more expensive for a period of time than pre pandemic. 

[Steve65]

Thank you Tim for your words for Anzac Day. I was at kanchanaburi recently to pay my respects at hellfire pass. I was surprised how little my Thai wife knows about this part in Thailand history.

[Ramanathan.P]

Kanchanaburi is a nice place and if one has to really know what happened during the "Death Railway", then have to see it all in person...you need at least a week to visit all those places as they are many around. I had goose bumps at some of the sites which I can recollect the stories told by my late father and uncle who had some experiences over there under the Japanese.... I do agree with Tim and Natty that it is not well know among the Thais except the steel bridge across the river Kwai....

[Henry]

I’m more optimistic regarding Thailand’s bounce back. The proposed changes on May 1st allowing vaccinated travellers to enter without testing or quarantine will be a game changer. There is a massive pent up desire to travel and visit Thailand.

As for small / medium business re-birth the one thing visiting Thailand has taught me is the resilience and ingenuity of it’s people. You don’t need to show opportunity to a Thai person twice. As soon as footfall increases they will emerge like flowers in a desert after the rain.

I also think that travellers will be supportive in much the same way they were after the 2004 tsunami. Everyone knows the industry has been starved, they will have seen Thai friends and businesses they follow on social media struggling so be generous when on holiday.

i predict that the upcoming low season will prove to be much better than normal as people keen to return travel out of season.

Edited April 25, 2022 by Henry

[TheDirtyDurian]

1 hour ago, Dr.Sivada said:

Neither. 

In certain aspects the sector will have to start from scratch all over again due to rebuilding all the small medium businesses that bankrupted during the two years. The process can take years. Unfortunately they are the foundation of an economic entity, meaning the entire country will not likely do that great over the next several years. The sector of the businesses that are backed by major international chains will do just fine. They will be the primary beneficiary to the immediate post pandemic demand surge. For tourists, everything will be more expensive for a period of time than pre pandemic. 

Disagree about the more expensive part. There are great deals on accommodation right now. Likewise vehicle rentals etc. Many businesses chasing a small pool of customers. 

Anything that is more expensive will likely have nothing to do with being a tourist, high gas prices being passed on, and higher business costs related to that. 

And what's not getting more expensive in the tourists' home countries anyway. 

Food and fuel has gone up across the board everywhere pretty much. Why should Thailand be any different. 

[Dr.Sivada]

4 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Disagree about the more expensive part. There are great deals on accommodation right now. Likewise vehicle rentals etc. Many businesses chasing a small pool of customers. 

Anything that is more expensive will likely have nothing to do with being a tourist, high gas prices being passed on, and higher business costs related to that. 

And what's not getting more expensive in the tourists' home countries anyway. 

Food and fuel has gone up across the board everywhere pretty much. Why should Thailand be any different. 

I’m in Bangkok and booking the same hotel I’ll stay when I return in June is about 30% more in cost, just a small example. The supply stays the same (or increase slowly as it takes time)c but the demand is going to surge in short term. That will inevitably drive up the price short term as well. 

[Guevara]

1 hour ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Kanchanaburi is a nice place and if one has to really know what happened during the "Death Railway", then have to see it all in person...you need at least a week to visit all those places as they are many around. I had goose bumps at some of the sites which I can recollect the stories told by my late father and uncle who had some experiences over there under the Japanese.... I do agree with Tim and Natty that it is not well know among the Thais except the steel bridge across the river Kwai....

4 of us visited Hell Fire Pass a few years ago. I can't recall any one of us uttering a word during out trek or in the museum. I still find it difficult comprehending the conditions the POW's endured.

As for Kanchanaburi, we enjoyed our 4 nights there. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

1 hour ago, Dr.Sivada said:

I’m in Bangkok and booking the same hotel I’ll stay when I return in June is about 30% more in cost, just a small example. The supply stays the same (or increase slowly as it takes time)c but the demand is going to surge in short term. That will inevitably drive up the price short term as well. 

Just one hotel in fact ...

[Dr.Sivada]

2 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Just one hotel in fact ...

Sure. Basic econ 101. 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

News Forum - Is Thailand Tourism going to Boom or Bust?

Its a hard call …. With the reportedly lack of bar girls, lack of Boom Boom or Busts May limit certain tourism here.  

[Pinetree]

23 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Its a hard call …. With the reportedly lack of bar girls, lack of Boom Boom or Busts May limit certain tourism here.  

So you think a large section of Thai tourism is all about girls and shagging? What  a pathetically narrow view of the vast majority of visitors to Thailand and of course, totally wrong.  Its not a hard call at all.  Tourism here will recover quickly, as a most popular destination for those visiting Asia and for Regional visitors.  . 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 hours ago, Pinetree said:

So you think a large section of Thai tourism is all about girls and shagging?

Least they are practicing safe sex.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/residents-call-for-action-after-finding-used-condoms-at-pattaya-public-park

[Vigo]

9 hours ago, Steve65 said:

Thank you Tim for your words for Anzac Day. I was at kanchanaburi recently to pay my respects at hellfire pass. I was surprised how little my Thai wife knows about this part in Thailand history.

Worst of all, the typical Japanese school kid knows nothing of the Japanese colonial past and the atrocities committed during the Japanese occupation of SE Asia.

[Tim_Melb]

I think if hotel operators and tour operators offered discounts to get the tourists coming back then there could be a slow boom. However my experience of Thai tourism operators has been that as soon as they see the beginning of an influx of foreign tourists they will put their prices up to try and make back the money they have lost over the last two years and in doing so they will kill the golden goose. The number of seats available on planes right now are low and airlines will not put on more flights unless the planes are full so by putting prices up they will kill the demand and interest. So a very very slow recovery is on the cards. 

[Grumpish]

Boom? Compared 2021, yes, but compared to 2019 - probably not, even once the Chinese are able to travel again it is likely to take a very long time to ramp back up to those levels, if it ever does. The constant flip-flopping on the various Test & Go and Sandbox schemes has done the Thai tourist industry no favours  either, it is going time to rebuild any kind of confidence. 

[koute]

13 hours ago, Pinetree said:

So you think a large section of Thai tourism is all about girls and shagging? What  a pathetically narrow view of the vast majority of visitors to Thailand and of course, totally wrong.  Its not a hard call at all.  Tourism here will recover quickly, as a most popular destination for those visiting Asia and for Regional visitors.  . 

 

yay its all about temple and buddhism... lol

i visit japan only for sakura festival you think... grew up 

not girls dude.. ladyboys cuz farangs like them a lot.

 

[Mazz11]

19 hours ago, Guevara said:

4 of us visited Hell Fire Pass a few years ago. I can't recall any one of us uttering a word during out trek or in the museum. I still find it difficult comprehending the conditions the POW's endured.

As for Kanchanaburi, we enjoyed our 4 nights there. 

I visited Hellfire Pass in 2011 and it was a very emotional experience. I struggle to imagine how human beings can treat others so badly. 

Then I went to the Killing Fields in Cambodia and was absolutely stunned by the brutality. When I mentioned that I was going to visit this place to locals they couldn't understand why I wanted to go to such a bad place. 

We need to experience these places and learn what happened because if we don't remember such brutal events there is a risk of history repeating itself. Unfortunately I fear that humanity does not learn as we have seen in the Ukraine and Kosovo.

[TheDirtyDurian]

19 hours ago, Dr.Sivada said:

Sure. Basic econ 101. 

Think you're missing the point buddy...

[Marc26]

55 minutes ago, Mazz11 said:

I visited Hellfire Pass in 2011 and it was a very emotional experience. I struggle to imagine how human beings can treat others so badly. 

Then I went to the Killing Fields in Cambodia and was absolutely stunned by the brutality. When I mentioned that I was going to visit this place to locals they couldn't understand why I wanted to go to such a bad place. 

We need to experience these places and learn what happened because if we don't remember such brutal events there is a risk of history repeating itself. Unfortunately I fear that humanity does not learn as we have seen in the Ukraine and Kosovo.

Yeah I did not feel good when I left the Killing Fields

 

Happy I went solo and could take it all in

[Pinetree]

2 hours ago, koute said:

yay its all about temple and buddhism... lol

i visit japan only for sakura festival you think... grew up 

not girls dude.. ladyboys cuz farangs like them a lot.

Ignorance and a lack of any perspective, or reality must be comforting mate. 

[Dr.Sivada]

41 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

Think you're missing the point buddy...

Nope, as I recall, one example is > zero example provided by you.

[TheDirtyDurian]

4 minutes ago, Dr.Sivada said:

Nope, as I recall, one example is > zero example provided by you.

Sorry, I didn't realise we were in a contest. 

I also can't be bothered to provide screenshots from multiple booking sites showing the massive discounts available right now. 

BUT THEY'RE THERE!

[Dr.Sivada]

Just now, TheDirtyDurian said:

Sorry, I didn't realise we were in a contest. 

I also can't be bothered to provide screenshots from multiple booking sites showing the massive discounts available right now. 

BUT THEY'RE THERE!

If you are unable to reply to a discussion on the price of goods in basic logic and econ terms…keep going, what more do you have to say? 

[TheDirtyDurian]

4 minutes ago, Dr.Sivada said:

If you are unable to reply to a discussion on the price of goods in basic logic and econ terms…keep going, what more do you have to say? 

That you're wrong. You don't dictate the terms of my posts.