ATTA urges govt to consider Chinese tourists or risk 2 million people being left jobless

[webfact]

ATTA urges govt to consider Chinese tourists or risk 2 million people being left jobless

By THE NATION

 

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) believes some 2 million people in the tourism industry will end up being unemployed if foreign tourists do not return to Thailand in huge numbers.

 

ATTA president Wichit Prakobkosol submitted a petition with the Tourism and Sports Ministry, asking for the government to allow the entry of travellers from 22 provinces in China that are safe from Covid-19.

 

The provinces eyed by ATTA include Zhejiang, Anhui, Chongqing, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, and Fujian.

 

Wichit added that once the government opens borders, these 22 provinces alone will provide 300,000 tourists monthly, who should generate more than Bt15 billion revenue per month, he added.

 

He said 150,000 workers in tour businesses have been laid off by more than 10,000 firms. However, this job loss is temporary for 90 per cent of workers, while the remaining 10 per cent have lost their jobs permanently. He also said tour business operators should be given access to soft loans.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn was scheduled to meet 15 hotel operators on Monday. He said these operators wanted to know what kind of assistance they can expect from the government.

 

Separately, the Tourism Authority of Thailand will meet next Tuesday to come up with a tourism recovery plan for 2021 and 2022, which will then be proposed to the Cabinet for approval.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398032

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-16

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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[Justgrazing]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Separately, the Tourism Authority of Thailand will meet next Tuesday to come up with a tourism recovery plan for 2021 and 2022, which will then be proposed to the Cabinet for approval.

 

so for the next week they'll carry on churning out more nuttiness like above as a dry run ..

[vivananahuahin]

If the Chinese authority gives the green light,i don't think so.

[Cake Monster]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

ATTA president Wichit Prakobkosol submitted a petition with the Tourism and Sports Ministry, asking for the government to allow the entry of travellers from 22 provinces in China that are safe from Covid-19.

 

The provinces eyed by ATTA include Zhejiang, Anhui, Chongqing, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, and Fujian.

Now I dont live in China, but unless inter Provincial Travel is banned there, and people are tested on a routine basis 100% of population, then there are no safe provinces.

What nonsense.

[JusticeGB]

Get rid of the crazy red tape to come to Thailand and then tourists will come back. A covid19 test and covid19 insurance should be enough. Expensive enforced imprisonment in a hotel room for a week followed by being limited to the hotel grounds for a further week is plainly not an enticement to visit Thailand. 

[RotBenz8888]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

2 million people in the tourism industry will end up being unemployed i

I read that tourism employ more than 10m people. So what will the other 8m do? 

[Traubert]

18 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Now I dont live in China, but unless inter Provincial Travel is banned there, and people are tested on a routine basis 100% of population, then there are no safe provinces.

What nonsense.

You want to test 1.4bn people on a 'routine basis?'

 

I agree. Nonsense.

[Oldie]

I don't understand all these discussions anymore. In the meantime they even allow tourists from high risk countries to travel to Thailand. And these countries - as reported for instance about Austria today - drown in Covid cases at the moment and are not blocked. 

[crazykopite]

It’s already way over the 2 million unemployed mark I only have to look at the island I live on total devastation 

[rupert the bear]

14 hours ago, Oldie said:

I don't understand all these discussions anymore. In the meantime they even allow tourists from high risk countries to travel to Thailand. And these countries - as reported for instance about Austria today - drown in Covid cases at the moment and are not blocked. 

its about whether or not you have the virus not where u come from,so all people except thais coming into the country need a negative covid test,the virus doesnt discriminate,china and here does!lies too.but then we test on arrival too so......follow the train of thought and we get people who are tested twice .before and after entry so theyre free of virus.they can then go and spend their money freely.this is the answer,they should be allowed to quarantine in their own apts or houses if they have access. they are in most countries with in the region,if thats available to them,if not a reasonably priced hotel,the marriotts offering rooms at 1000 b night now so.....the cost of the tests is small .the kits cost 10 bucks each.the service should be provided free as these people are coming here to spend,quit the crazy racist rip offs thailand is so well known for .it will harm the long term nos that i think will never ever recover,why come here really when theres so many other cheaper friendlier options!?

[MasterBaker]

What's the tourist/service ratio for 2 mln people to have a job? Are you kidding me? 20 agents for 1 Chinese tourist. Get a real job, guys, time to crop the rice

[nobodysfriend]

Ok , let's be realistic :

Will the virus just disappear forever with newly developed medications or vaccines ?

Probably not . A lot of people won't even take vaccines , and the virus is constantly mutating , ( the protein the virus uses to invade human cells has already changed in the latest strains ) , what will make an potential vaccine less effective , may be even useless . 

It will stay , it shows no sign of fading away , only the treatment of infections has improved .

The next mutations or new viruses are ready to appear and they will , as long as their reason to appear is not eliminated . ( zoonotic infections )

 

In the long run , there will be no other way , than to go back to business as it once was before the virus appeared .

Only this time people will need to wear masks and do the maximum to limit the further spread of it .

If not , they will be fined .

 

All countries will need to open their economies again , if they want to keep the population calm .

 

The lifestyle of people will need to change considerably . ( no more full moon parties etc .)

People will get used to this , as long as their income is acceptable . No other way anyway ...

 

So , later , even Thailand will open it's borders again to welcome foreign tourists . ( with restrictions in place ) .

 

 

 

 

[kaneko86]

I own a condo, a new royal enfield bike and usually spend 6 months a year in thailand spending about 100.000 baht/month.

 

I would love to come back even with the 2 weeks quarantine but the 500.000 baht in bank nonsense makes it impossible... ???? instead I am holidaying in mexico right now.

 

They need to stop the crying about no tourist and just let ALL people who can afford the quarantine in. There is no difference between someone who has 500.000 baht in the bank and quarantines and who doesn't.

 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by kaneko86

[sydneyjed]

Agree and why would anyone want to come on holiday and have to quarantine for 14 days..then returne to Australia(for example)and  be forced to quarantine again for 14 days at their own expense costing $3000 AUD?Bloody crazy logic this even by Thai standards and that's saying something!

Edited November 17, 2020 by sydneyjed

[adam1]

There is a reason we are treated to a non-stop flow of nonsense. The whole world-wide covid response is fully overblown and the narratives are being controlled very tightly by centralised organisations. When you try to control and suppress, sooner or later you end up with absurdity.  I have no idea when any of this will cease,  and what's to stop them pulling another corona out of their asses and repeating the whole shebang?   A situation we all thought would last a few months is now clearly going to last more than one year and beyond...   The possibility that this may go on for years without end does not sit well with me.  How long will you, personally, tolerate the nonsense? 

[dave moir]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

ATTA urges govt to consider Chinese tourists or risk 2 million people being left jobless

By THE NATION

 

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) believes some 2 million people in the tourism industry will end up being unemployed if foreign tourists do not return to Thailand in huge numbers.

 

ATTA president Wichit Prakobkosol submitted a petition with the Tourism and Sports Ministry, asking for the government to allow the entry of travellers from 22 provinces in China that are safe from Covid-19.

 

The provinces eyed by ATTA include Zhejiang, Anhui, Chongqing, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, and Fujian.

 

Wichit added that once the government opens borders, these 22 provinces alone will provide 300,000 tourists monthly, who should generate more than Bt15 billion revenue per month, he added.

 

He said 150,000 workers in tour businesses have been laid off by more than 10,000 firms. However, this job loss is temporary for 90 per cent of workers, while the remaining 10 per cent have lost their jobs permanently. He also said tour business operators should be given access to soft loans.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn was scheduled to meet 15 hotel operators on Monday. He said these operators wanted to know what kind of assistance they can expect from the government.

 

Separately, the Tourism Authority of Thailand will meet next Tuesday to come up with a tourism recovery plan for 2021 and 2022, which will then be proposed to the Cabinet for approval.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30398032

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-16

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

It's not just the tourist industry! There's a lot more than 2 million suffering!

[smudger1951]

16 minutes ago, adam1 said:

There is a reason we are treated to a non-stop flow of nonsense. The whole world-wide covid response is fully overblown and the narratives are being controlled very tightly by centralised organisations. When you try to control and suppress, sooner or later you end up with absurdity.  I have no idea when any of this will cease,  and what's to stop them pulling another corona out of their asses and repeating the whole shebang?   A situation we all thought would last a few months is now clearly going to last more than one year and beyond...   The possibility that this may go on for years without end does not sit well with me.  How long will you, personally, tolerate the nonsense? 

Adam1, do I have a choice ? here in the UK I heard they may even push to extend our lockdown measures expiring 2nd Dec, before the vaccination programmes start.

[Henryford]

Do the Chinese spend any money? or just walk around on pre paid tours.

[Geoffggi]

17 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I read that tourism employ more than 10m people. So what will the other 8m do? 

They are only interested in the ones who stay in the Chines/Thai owned hotels and who are ferried about to other hiso related places - The normal class Thais are not their problem .....!!!!

[ChakaKhan]

17 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

enforced imprisonment in a hotel room for a week

Depends on how cute the maids are..   ????

[ChakaKhan]

37 minutes ago, dave moir said:

It's not just the tourist industry! There's a lot more than 2 million suffering!

Bringing Happiness to the People.....

[JAS21]

A post in which only 50% of it was written in the English language has been removed.

 

Poster please read forum rules.

[ChipButty]

It's got to be a lot more than 2 million, some of you guys are brilliant with facts and figures, How many workers would it take to service 40 million tourist? A lot!

[mrfill]

Let's see....  300K visitors produce Bt15bn in a month - that is 50000Bt each per month.

Put another way, about 1600Bt a day (which presumably includes the cost of a hotel)

 

The elite of modern travellers...... ????

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn was scheduled to meet 15 hotel operators on Monday. He said these operators wanted to know what kind of assistance they can expect from the government.

I could give you the answer to that now.... zero.

Tourism isn't going to happen until a vaccine comes along and is proven to be effective, as for letting in "certain Chinese cities" that appear to be safe is just plain ridiculous.

[Cali farong]

A couple weeks ago they reported twenty million out of work.

since China is who unleashed the virus they should be held responsible 

why do no media or government call China out for what they intentionally did

Now Thailand know tows and begs for they’re rude tourists.  Good luck with that 

[Showtime]

Another politician who thinks revenue rather than profits....expense mean nothing.

 

Sounds like a brilliant idea.  Have Thais risk their lives and work their ask off to net 0

[dallen52]

18 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I read that tourism employ more than 10m people. So what will the other 8m do? 

Go home to village and buffalo...

[rocketdave]

I'm a Brit retired (71) expat living here now in Pattaya. With all the shutters I see pulled down daily (and it's more and more) there must be more than 2,000,000 unemployed in Pattaya alone!

[robertson468]

This is classical Thai Government thoughtlessness.  How do they prove that Tourists come from these areas only, also that they have not travelled through areas that are still infected by the Virus?  The reason Thailand favours the Chinese so much, apart from the volume of tourists that come here, is that many of them have their roots in China.