Thai Economy Faces Turbulence From China Ban on Group Tours

[webfact]

Thai Economy Faces Turbulence From China Ban on Group Tours

By Suttinee Yuvejwattana

 

Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg

 

-- Chinese account for more than a quarter of tourism receipts

-- Ban is part of China’s efforts to limit coronavirus spread

 

Thailand’s economy faces fresh turbulence after China banned outbound group tours to try and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus that’s sickened thousands.

 

Chinese holidaymakers -- many on group tours -- spent almost $18 billion in Thailand last year, more than a quarter of all foreign tourism receipts, government data show. The industry as a whole contributes 21% to gross domestic product, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

 

Both tourism and exports were already under pressure from a surge in the Thai currency. Disarray over the annual budget is another obstacle for growth. The government has rolled out more than $10 billion of stimulus steps in the past few months to cushion the economy, which the Bank of Thailand estimates expanded at the weakest pace in five years in 2019.

 

Full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-26/thailand-s-economy-facing-damage-from-china-s-ban-on-group-tours

 

-- Bloomberg 2020-01-27

[PatOngo]

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chinese holidaymakers -- many on group tours -- spent almost $18 billion in Thailand last year, more than a quarter of all foreign tourism receipts, government data show.

How good does their money smell now!?

[webfact]

Coronavirus: Groups tours from China to Thailand suspended, screening of Chinese arrivals to be stepped up

FILE PHOTO: Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand August 19, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

China has ordered travel agents in the country to suspend sales of all international tours from Monday (26 Jan) in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

 

The Chinese government has also requested agents suspend the sales of hotel packages and international flights for the foreseeable future.

 

On Friday, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued an urgent order to ban the sale of domestic group tours.

 

That order has now been extended to international group tours. It is not clear for how long the measures will be in place.

 

The move is likely to send shockwaves through Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly in locations popular with Chinese tourists, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

 

On Saturday, Thai media reported a Chinese tourist in Hua Hin was confirmed as Thailand’s 6th case of coronavirus, while district officials later said that despite the tourist being in quarantine, they were only to be regarded as a ‘Patient Under Investigation’. 

 

However, on Sunday reported that Thailand now has eight cases - the highest number of cases outside of China. 

 

The news comes after health officials in Thailand on Sunday announced that it will step up the screening of passengers arriving from China.  People arriving from cities near Wuhan, the source of the outbreak, including Guangzhou, will undergo thermal screening. Those showing signs of symptoms associated with coronavirus will be sent for treatment, officials said. 

 

In December, 20,000 thousand people travelled from Wuhan to Thailand. In January, almost 7,000 passengers from Wuhan arrived at Don Mueang alone between Jan 3-24. Prior to the outbreak of coronavirus, Thailand was anticipating a surge in arrivals from China during the Chinese New Year celebrations. 

 

Meanwhile, China's National Health Commission warned on Sunday that the coronavirus has the ability to spread, get stronger and that infections could continue to rise.

 

National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei, said that the incubation period for the coronavirus can be up to 14 days and that the virus is infectious during the incubation period, which was not the case during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002, which was another form of coronavirus that also originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-27

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[smedly]

screening is no good if people infected and spreading are not showing symptoms

 

this needs a different approach otherwise it will spread across the world (and into Thailand unabated)

 

 

Urgent rethink needed

[URMySunshine]

There is a hidden cost usually of a "we wanted cheap we got cheap" policy and think Thailand has just 'checked bin'. Might lead to a weaker baht though. 

[davehowden]

Plus, how many people from countries not affected with the virus will want to holiday in an "at risk' country like Thailand ?

[SkyFax]

Maybe the MODS should set up a special topic for the recommendations of the ThaiVisa Public Health Advisory Board so the powers-that-be can conveniently monitor such recommendations all in one place.

[edwinchester]

8 minutes ago, davehowden said:

Plus, how many people from countries not affected with the virus will want to holiday in an "at risk' country like Thailand ?

Good question. My daughter and her family back in the UK are having doubts about coming here in a purple of weeks.

[LomSak27]

 

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

The move is likely to send shockwaves through Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly in locations popular with Chinese tourists, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

Lunar New Year was supposed to rescue a dismal high season. ????  Dark Days for TAT.

[ExpatOilWorker]

[davehowden]

11 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 

The Chinese government has also requested agents suspend the sales of hotel packages and international flights for the foreseeable future.

I think i can safely predict a TAT 10% rise in Chinese tourists tomorrow

[RotBenz8888]

12 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I think i can safely predict a TAT 10% rise in Chinese tourists tomorrow

If there's something TAT is spending time on now, it's how to twist this crisis into something positive...for the arrival numbers.

[onekoolguy]

58 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Good question. My daughter and her family back in the UK are having doubts about coming here in a purple of weeks.

Same here. My brother and his wife have a long planned trip to Bangkok for mid February but may cancel depending on how this plays out?

[roo860]

11 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

Same here. My brother and his wife have a long planned trip to Bangkok for mid February but may cancel depending on how this plays out?

They've more chance of being hit by a motorbike driving on the footpath than catching coronovirus.

[rtco]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

China has ordered travel agents in the country to suspend sales of all international tours from Monday (26 Jan)

Duuurrrgggghhhhh ...there isn't a Monday 26th!!! Today is the 27th

[ChipButty]

14 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

Same here. My brother and his wife have a long planned trip to Bangkok for mid February but may cancel depending on how this plays out?

I know one guy here in Phuket 40% cancellations already

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Chinese government has also requested agents suspend the sales of hotel packages and international flights for the foreseeable future.

At least the Chinese government are taking concrete steps even if a little late in the day which cannot be said for others.......

[TheAppletons]

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

 

  Pretty chilling numbers, if accurate.  That would make the mortality rate somewhere around 63%.  

 

  Yes, there are thousands more still infected but since one can't predict whether they will live or die.....still, it makes for a more reassuring outlook for the general public if the government states that "only" 76 deaths have resulted from 2,000+ infections.  

 

  The death rate certainly seems to be outpacing the recovery rate if these numbers have any validity.  

[holy cow cm]

What does Thailand think, don't ban the tour groups because an epidemic will be cheaper because everyone is supposed to have insurance and this boosts the economy? As another poster stated, this will trickle down to world cancelations coming here as Thailand ranks second behind China with infections now. So doom and gloom for the TAT. Keep on kicking the expats and it will hurt more.. And just heard from family in USA that most are deciding to not travel there unless have to. 

Edited January 27, 2020 by holy cow cm

[Oziex1]

Let them in just dress them in bio suites, and ankle bracelets of course. 

[Assurancetourix]

42 minutes ago, roo860 said:

They've more chance of being hit by a motorbike driving on the footpath than catching coronovirus.

But as the 100% chance does not exist, the best will be to postpone their trip

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

If there's something TAT is spending time on now, it's how to twist this crisis into something positive...for the arrival numbers.

Probably - Come to Amazing Thailand - where only 3% of visitors die from Chinese flu !

[Assurancetourix]

42 minutes ago, rtco said:

Duuurrrgggghhhhh ...there isn't a Monday 26th!!! Today is the 27th

Because they did not specify the year ..
Maybe next year or even later?
Who knows ? 

[wendyfromoz]

2 hours ago, davehowden said:

Plus, how many people from countries not affected with the virus will want to holiday in an "at risk' country like Thailand ?

Australia is already warning people about the risks of travelling to asian countries at the moment.  It wont just be the chinese not arriving but those from other countries as well.

[Puchaiyank]

Have you noticed that most of these viruses that plague the world originate in China or Hong Kong?  Maybe all that debris from 25 million Chinese defecating in the streets and sidewalks everyday create a toxic environment...ripe for disease creation.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Have you noticed that most of these viruses that plague the world originate in China or Hong Kong?  Maybe all that debris from 25 million Chinese defecating in the streets and sidewalks everyday create a toxic environment...ripe for disease creation.

I always wondered why no diseases ever originate in India?

[ivor bigun]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I always wondered why no diseases ever originate in India?

Its so filthy there the diseases cant survive ,????

[30la]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Coronavirus: Groups tours from China to Thailand suspended, screening of Chinese arrivals to be stepped up

FILE PHOTO: Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand August 19, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

China has ordered travel agents in the country to suspend sales of all international tours from Monday (26 Jan) in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

 

The Chinese government has also requested agents suspend the sales of hotel packages and international flights for the foreseeable future.

 

On Friday, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued an urgent order to ban the sale of domestic group tours.

 

That order has now been extended to international group tours. It is not clear for how long the measures will be in place.

 

The move is likely to send shockwaves through Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly in locations popular with Chinese tourists, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

 

On Saturday, Thai media reported a Chinese tourist in Hua Hin was confirmed as Thailand’s 6th case of coronavirus, while district officials later said that despite the tourist being in quarantine, they were only to be regarded as a ‘Patient Under Investigation’. 

 

However, on Sunday reported that Thailand now has eight cases - the highest number of cases outside of China. 

 

The news comes after health officials in Thailand on Sunday announced that it will step up the screening of passengers arriving from China.  People arriving from cities near Wuhan, the source of the outbreak, including Guangzhou, will undergo thermal screening. Those showing signs of symptoms associated with coronavirus will be sent for treatment, officials said. 

 

In December, 20,000 thousand people travelled from Wuhan to Thailand. In January, almost 7,000 passengers from Wuhan arrived at Don Mueang alone between Jan 3-24. Prior to the outbreak of coronavirus, Thailand was anticipating a surge in arrivals from China during the Chinese New Year celebrations. 

 

Meanwhile, China's National Health Commission warned on Sunday that the coronavirus has the ability to spread, get stronger and that infections could continue to rise.

 

National Health Commission Minister Ma Xiaowei, said that the incubation period for the coronavirus can be up to 14 days and that the virus is infectious during the incubation period, which was not the case during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002, which was another form of coronavirus that also originated in China and killed nearly 800 people globally.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-27

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

Good news for Minister Pipat, another proof that he is not incompetent! ????

[Mac98]

You can gamble with your life against coronavirus but you can't bet 20 baht on a game of 4x4.