Thai tourism: Bank of Thailand report proposes opening up to mass tourism, with safeguards

[webfact 82,283]

Thai tourism: Bank of Thailand report proposes opening up to mass tourism, with safeguards

 

File photo: REUTERS

 

A major Bank of Thailand report has suggested that a crucial way to stimulate the Thai economy is to open up the country to mass tourism. 

 

Reliance on improvements to the tourism sector from promoting domestic tourism are just not enough.

 

They are only a small proportion compared to foreign tourism potential and besides the effects of promoting the domestic market have been minimal, said a report.

 

Though they suggest that the opening of the country must be a balancing act between rescuing the economy and ensuring that there is not a resurgence of the pandemic in Thailand.

 

Thai media RYT9.com went with the headline that the Bank of Thailand was proposing "turning on the switch of foreign tourism" to boost the economy but in a way that the country's health measures would not be compromised.

 

They published an infographic called "Safe Opening of the Country" that highlighted this balancing act.

 

Image: RYT9

 

Green on the left were the advantages to opening the economy. Low was domestic tourism while medium was opening to high spenders, long term tourists and those coming for medical or beauty treatment purposes. High was open to all tourism.

 

On the right in red was the health risk potential. For the above groups it was low for domestic tourism but high for a full opening.

 

The Bank of Thailand report acknowledged that tourism is, or more accurately was, 20% of gross domestic product in Thailand. 

 

It brought in 2.9 trillion baht to the economy. 

 

Domestic tourism represented only a one in three part of this. 

 

Promoting the domestic market was not the answer as its effect was only being seen at certain resorts and at certain times.

 

This has principally been seen on the ground at places like Pattaya, with close proximity to Bangkok, where tourism has only been reignited by domestic tourism at weekends and long weekends. 

 

Places like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui are not seeing any of these benefits.

 

Even Pattaya is very quiet during the week as like everywhere else there are no foreign tourists in town.

 

The report from the economic arm of the bank further reported that 8.3 million Thais are employed in the tourism industry.

 

Many have lost their jobs already and there are fears that millions more could be made redundant if the government does not do something urgently to open the country up more realistically to foreign tourists.

 

Measures so far are seen as a drop in the ocean. 

 

Source: RYT9

 

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[NCC1701A 53,871]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Bank of Thailand report acknowledged that tourism is, or more accurately was, 20% of gross domestic product in Thailand. 

this is a good source of information. you often hear 11 or 12% as a figure tourism. 

[thaibeachlovers 33,454]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

A major Bank of Thailand report has suggested that a crucial way to stimulate the Thai economy is to open up the country to mass tourism. 

Is that code speak for saying bring back the Chinese?

[thaibeachlovers 33,454]

10 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

this is a good source of information. you often hear 11 or 12% as a figure tourism. 

It was reportedly about 6% when I first came to LOS. I don't know when it became 20%, if it did.

[NCC1701A 53,871]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It was reportedly about 6% when I first came to LOS. I don't know when it became 20%, if it did.

the Bank of Thailand says it is 20% so I'm going with that. 

[RotBenz8888 18,527]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

The report from the economic arm of the bank further reported that 8.3 million Thais are employed in the tourism industry

I read somewhere that Thailand has a workforce of 38 million people. That would mean that over 20% is (or was) in the tourist sector. 

[OumarhindaOunsingha 263]

10 days' quarantine and covid tests before departure, on arrival and after 10 days in quarantine at a cost of max. 25,000 baht and no paperwork would make me buy a plane ticket. And probably many others too that are waiting to be let in. And it should be enough to control the virus - why not?

 

I don't see why 14 days quarantine is necessary, and I most certainly do not see why it has to be so expensive. Many cheap places are surely ready to be used for quarantine purposes. Of course the whole procedure could be done for less than a thousand US dollars. If they wanted. So, why are they not doing it? 

[OumarhindaOunsingha 263]

26 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

this is a good source of information. you often hear 11 or 12% as a figure tourism. 

I would not be surprised if it was 30-40 percent, though. But no one really knows, very hard to calculate...

[thaibeachlovers 33,454]

1 minute ago, NCC1701A said:

the Bank of Thailand says it is 20% so I'm going with that. 

Perhaps, but I doubt if the numbers coming, if even allowed would return LOS to that figure. Unlikely westerners will return so long as they have to pay for 2 week quarantine on return to home country, IMO.

Also, weren't the numbers of westerners arriving decreasing before corona? IMO Thailand just wasn't good value anymore as a tourist destination, with so many Chinese creating congestion at tourist attractions. I visited the White Temple and the crowd of Chinese was so bad I left without going inside the temple. Koh Larn was awful, and we know what happened to Maya Bay.

[NCC1701A 53,871]

1 minute ago, OumarhindaOunsingha said:

I would not be surprised if it was 30-40 percent, though. But no one really knows, very hard to calculate...

well it could not include the boom boom industry as that is all off the books. 

 

[OumarhindaOunsingha 263]

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

The report from the economic arm of the bank further reported that 8.3 million Thais are employed in the tourism industry.

And at least 6 million of them have lost their job, I would think. Jesus, man, this is a lot!! The government - or whatever you wanna call it - must do something now that will enable international tourism to flower again. 

[thaibeachlovers 33,454]

9 minutes ago, OumarhindaOunsingha said:

10 days' quarantine and covid tests before departure, on arrival and after 10 days in quarantine at a cost of max. 25,000 baht and no paperwork would make me buy a plane ticket. And probably many others too that are waiting to be let in. And it should be enough to control the virus - why not?

 

I don't see why 14 days quarantine is necessary, and I most certainly do not see why it has to be so expensive. Many cheap places are surely ready to be used for quarantine purposes. Of course the whole procedure could be done for less than a thousand US dollars. If they wanted. So, why are they not doing it? 

Of course the whole procedure could be done for less than a thousand US dollars.

 

I doubt if many would be willing to add US$1000 to the cost of a holiday in LOS, and then add probably more expensive air travel plus extra insurance costs. More likely IMO they'll use the money to holiday at home, which is what is happening in NZ.

Edited October 28, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[pkrv 552]

I think Thailand has been realigning itself away from the historical Western tourists and seeking to gain more Asian visitors. Certainly the majority of Western tourists are not going to jump through 1001 hoops, sit in quarantine for 2 weeks, mandatory Thai insurance, be tagged or monitored, or any other of the craziness being suggested almost daily. And that's all without the crippling high THB rate.

Edited October 28, 2020 by pkrv

[thaibeachlovers 33,454]

4 minutes ago, OumarhindaOunsingha said:

And at least 6 million of them have lost their job, I would think. Jesus, man, this is a lot!! The government - or whatever you wanna call it - must do something now that will enable international tourism to flower again. 

and your suggestion for that is ...............................................?

 

Mine would be longer visa free entry and back to back entries allowed. Of course that would upset immigration which prior to corona was making it as hard as possible to stay longer than 60 days, and that included paying to extend beyond 30 days.

Edited October 28, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[JomtienRay 99]

One third of the 20% tourism figure is domestic tourism.. that leaves about 13% as international, so the normally reported 12% (approx) is close..

We keep hearing how this 12-13% is badly effecting the economy..

WELL.... 

what about the other 87%??

What is Thailand doing to protect and expand this major part of the economy?? Which is in their power to exert control..

the 13% international tourism business is largely out of their hands at the moment..!!