Thailand's high unemployment: have you seen behavior change?

[Brunolem]

With international tourism in limbo, millions of Thai people are said to have lost their jobs.

 

Since the members of this forum probably cover most of the country, from big cities to small villages, it may be interesting to share our observations regarding local situations, in order to get a better picture of the economy.

 

In the small village where I live in Sisaket province, a few, mostly young, have lost their jobs, and come back to join their families.

 

Generally speaking, all the families depend on one or many members working outside Isaan, to send money every month, often to take care of children who have been left with the grandparents.

 

To this day, no family has been in financial trouble because of the fallout of the pandemic.

 

On the contrary, I have never seen such a vibrant cow business, with people from villages around showing up, their wallet full, to buy cows at inflated prices...mine included.

 

In the closest small city, Kanthararom, it is business as usual, with the local market operating normally, as well as all the minimarts and supermarkets.

 

In Ubon city, Central Festival is busy as ever.

 

After searching for a parking spot, especially on weekends, one will find all the restaurants, mostly Japanese and not cheap, full, even at 3 PM.

 

All this to say that, in this part of the country, there is no feeling of an ongoing economic crisis.

 

You are welcome to share your observations.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Brunolem

[Airalee]

Phra Khanong, BKK

2 friends owned restaurants in BKK.  One has closed down permanently, the other I expect to close down soon.  
 

W market, a popular eating and drinking place usually packed with foreign customers (200+) has about 25%-30% of the restaurants open.  Last time I walked through (2 weeks ago) there were no more than a couple dozen customers.  A month ago, there was half the amount of restaurants open and even fewer customers.  

 

Massage shops in the local area are virtually empty (at least for the visible foot massage chairs) every time I walk by.  
 

My barber moved shop as his landlord wouldn’t lower the rent and actually wanted to raise it from 30k to 35k (small one man operation in a 5sqm hole in the wall shop by the BTS).  He now rents a shop for 25k and says business is down.  

 

Restaurants in the Century Plaza (On-Nut) are mostly empty with maybe 4 customers when I recently ate there.  

 

KFC on Soi 71 had 2 people eating in it (and 2 at the register) when I walked by last week (6pm)  Never seen it so empty before.  MK in the same plaza was similar...usually had to wait for a table.  I ate at the Yayoi nearby and it had one other table seated other than myself.

 

Not looking very good IMHO

Edited August 3, 2020 by Airalee

[ravip]

It will take time to recover. This phenomenon is international, although some like to involve only Thailand.

[KhaoNiaw]

Here in Bangkok, the only person I know who was actually made unemployed by the pandemic was my daughter. She was out of work for just over 2 months but she's now found a new job.

I have friends who've worked on reduced salaries and hours and a few who are pub musicians and DJs have been hard hit. Some of them have taken the initiative and been selling food through Facebook and doing deliveries. One guy has done so well selling fruit, I think he's hanging up his guitar. When people see their friends selling food and know they haven't had any work, they'll buy from them and share with their own friends and that's really helped some people out. 

[Bangkok Basha]

Pattaya's tourist zones are like ghost towns. The many hotels- large and small- along Jomtien Beach Road and its side sois are mostly closed, and have been for months now. Many have For Sale signs. The only customers sitting in the cafes and small restaurants are tired old expats who evidently live here. Where the Thai workers all are is the question- presumably returned to their hometowns and villages where they have extended family support. Holiday weekends has seen packed crowds on the beaches- presumably visitors from Bangkok. Domestic tourism seems alive and well, at least on weekends, and that may be the future of tourism here. The backpacker hostels and cheap hotels may not survive with only weekend business. 

[MarkyM3]

Gf in Bangkok has been on half salary for a few months and it will continue until end of year. Company has laid staff off and others have been offered 3+ months unpaid leave. They are in an airline-related industry so no surprise there. 

Edited August 3, 2020 by MarkyM3

[LogicThai]

Here in Buriram province, it does not seem like there is all that much economic impact. I heard of one family offering some land for sale at a non-inflated rate, for a change, because they need money, and that's about all.

 

Supermarkets seem relatively busy, as is Makro. Not so many people last Saturday at Home Depot, but it is rarely busy (too expensive and too fancy for local taste). More staff than customers, it seemed. Robinson Mall was quite normal (minus the movie theatres, that normally attract lots of people and are still closed). The weekend before that, Terminal 21 in Korat was very empty for a Friday night. Ample parking space, sparse crowd, restaurants mostly empty or with few tables busy.

 

Village life seems pretty unchanged, as far as I can say (but what do I know?). No obvious economic refugees from Pattaya and other tourist spots that I can see.

[loong]

I am not sure if the Pullman hotel in Khon Kaen has re-opened yet.
Other hotels that re-opened last month, many staff have had their days cut so they are effectively on half salary.

[Katipo]

Greater Bangkok. Manufacturing/Production

 

Not tourism, but I work in a factory and much of my wider social network do also. It seems many factories have been hit to varying degrees, with layoffs of indirect and direct labourer, and especially subcontractors. Certainly much more than usual.

Publicly listed companies are asking staff to resign, as opposed to officially laying them off, so as to avoid raising concern with shareholders. 

I think many of these people will have more difficulty than normal finding new jobs, so when their redundancy payment has been exhausted (usually 3 to 12 months depending on length of service), they might very quickly find themselves moving back with their parents 'upcountry'.

As car payments and mortgages begin to default, we are going to see things getting worse. With the knock-on/residual effects being felt for years.

[Bender Rodriguez]

corona did one thing:  show how many fluff jobs there out there, not needed in a zombie apocalypse situation where real things matter:  food, water, shelter

[scoupeo]

Let's hope that with 10 millions jobless Thai will learn how to do their job correctly...

It's a unique chance for them to improve !

 

[phantomfiddler]

The tourism industry has been destroyed, and since it appears the prime minister has deemed it his mission to also destroy the entertainment industry, it does not look like the tourism business is going to bounce back any time soon, if ever. Very sad, and since the general infrastructure standard is not conducive to clean beaches there is very little left here to attract ????

[ChakaKhan]

42 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

corona did one thing:  show how many fluff jobs there out there, not needed in a zombie apocalypse situation where real things matter:  food, water, shelter

And sangsom...lots and lots of sangsom..and manao   

 

Talked to a thai friend--says her plant shop is very slow....velly slow..no hab no hab cus-tah-muhr   

[Logosone]

Chiang Mai, August 2020.

 

I went to Central Festival, it is still difficult to get a parking place on the weekend however you do notice the absence of tourists  during a weekday.

 

Driving around rush hour the place is still packed with cars. Having said that some restaurants have closed and will not open.

 

 A Thai friend asked me to invest 10 million Baht into a business as he tries to start a new business. But then I got that before Corona as well. He did tell me his business, real estate was virtually dead.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Logosone

[Grusa]

A lot of pickups and samlors have set up food stalls along roads which never had any, or very few, before: this Pattaya darkside.

There is a HUGE increase in numbers of mad GrabFood, FoodPanda, etc delivery motos, and a lot more courier bikes.

There is always a seasonal trade in roadside fruit, but vastly greater numbers, higher heaps and lower prices than before Covid.

Open air markets are springing up in unlikely places, those already in place are developing rapidly.

[Stocky]

Hat Yai is pretty much back to normal. But there are many closed businesses in town, shuttered with for sale or let signs. It's now also common to see people sleeping rough in the town centre at night. 

[Jack Hna]

I've never seen them working so hard. Someone comes past our house everyday to steal some fruit outside the house. When those food cupboards were out people were moving quickly and stalking the moo bahn entrance. 

[scammed]

the offers of being taken out to dine & wine at their cost

has seen a sharp decline since covid-19

[karunasup]

Appearances can be misleading, and data on unemployment, bankruptcies, business closures  in Thailand is not easily available.However with over 1/3  of tourism business related companies expected to close by 3rd quarter, and slowing retail sales, the economic impact is real. ALso keep in mind Thais have the highest personal debt/income ratio in ASEAN.

[Dumbastheycome]

19 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Here in Bangkok, the only person I know who was actually made unemployed by the pandemic was my daughter. She was out of work for just over 2 months but she's now found a new job.

I have friends who've worked on reduced salaries and hours and a few who are pub musicians and DJs have been hard hit. Some of them have taken the initiative and been selling food through Facebook and doing deliveries. One guy has done so well selling fruit, I think he's hanging up his guitar. When people see their friends selling food and know they haven't had any work, they'll buy from them and share with their own friends and that's really helped some people out. 

I agree. Thai do demonstrate that ethic quite often especially.

[Kinnock]

Central Bangkok - the BTS is noticably less busy - it's atill at capacity at the peak times, but no queues on the platform, and able to board first train at Asoke when used to have to let a few go before able to board.

 

Dine in restaurants very quiet, some once-popular bars not reopened (Titanium, Apoteka Blues Bar) Some great deals on hotels - full availability any time.

 

Malls appear busy, but few people actually buying.

 

I think the more 'self contained' economies in Issan may be more insulated from the impacts on the tourism and leeisure sectors?

 

Chatting to Thai friends, all know of people made redundant in last month, and many on reduced salaries.  One friend working in car finance on 2 day week due to limited  business.

 

I noticed at the Bangkok Motor Show that the Mercedes and BMW stands were as busy as ever, but apart from Toyota (new Corolla Cross) and Nissan (New Kicks) most stands were unusually quiet.

[Peterphuket]

As I mention before, last week I was in Chinatown, BKK, and of course I suspect the people comes there with a special reason , but is was quite busy, contrary the way back to the south was quiet without any traffic jam.

[Saltire]

Small village in Kanchanaburi Province, near the Sangkhla Buri border with Myanmar. 3 hours from Kanchanaburi City 6 hours from Central Bangkok.

 

My main observation here in the village is the number of new faces, mostly young people in there 20s and 30s who have returned between jobs.

 

It seems very fluid - the daughter of my neighbour is now on her 3rd job since she lost her initial one. Her siblings and her are all cooks, mainly in the mall food courts, and all have been home for a week or 2 before going back to Bangkok. Wife says their biggest problem is accommodation as they have to keep giving it up then finding a new place. Rents are not reducing according to them.

 

The closest market town to me is Thong Pha Phum, an hour away and I have not seen any changes. Nothing is shut down, the market is as busy as ever. Price of pork is on the up. No shortage of produce.

 

Was in Kanchanaburi city yesterday, again nothing obvious although friends tell me the bar street has been hit hard and not fully open, and few customers for those that are now open again.

 

I conclude from my own observations that the biggest hit has to be in the tourist areas, but life seems to be going on as before here, or maybe it just hasn't hit yet.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Saltire

[smiggley]

Great news for me, before covid I could not get anyone to help me on the farm at 500baht a day now they come ask me if I have any work. I live just outside Chaiyaphum.

[SteveK]

Small village in Isaan - most people now not bothering to wearing masks, all shops open as usual. None of the wife's extended family seem to be struggling. I know of one young lady forced to come back from Pattaya, but that's it.  To be honest it seems like most have just ignored the entire debacle anyway.

[Ireland32]

I don’t see any problem in Isaan I think more people are moving to Udon Thani to get away from Tourist Zones 

[Ireland32]

37 minutes ago, smiggley said:

Great news for me, before covid I could not get anyone to help me on the farm at 500baht a day now they come ask me if I have any work. I live just outside Chaiyaphum.

500 too much, but nice gesture 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Ireland32

[sandy102uk]

22 hours ago, ravip said:

It will take time to recover. This phenomenon is international, although some like to involve only Thailand.

It seems strange to complain about posts about Thailand in a Thailand forum.

[sandy102uk]

22 hours ago, ravip said:

 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by sandy102uk
Double post

[ravip]

Just now, sandy102uk said:

It seems strange to complain about posts about Thailand in a Thailand forum.

No, no. Not strange at all.

Just that the times are a little bit out of the normal, I think...