Diethelm Travel Thailand releases non-core staff to find other jobs until business returns

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Diethelm Travel Thailand releases non-core staff to find other jobs until business returns

By Anne Somanas

 

Diethelm Travel Thailand team in front of Royal Garuda

 

Diethelm Travel Thailand has signed an order to release all non-core staff indefinitely from January 2021 until business returns, in a move to give staff legal opportunities to find other jobs while borders remain closed.

 

According to an internal memo given to staff, that was released on November 16, 2020 and signed by Diethelm’s top executives, all staff will receive a 50 per cent salary in December 2020. After which, from January 2021, all non-core local staff will still get to keep their employment contract with Diethelm, and will be paid a salary of 10,000 baht (US$328) per month, along with health insurance and other applicable benefits.

 

Stephan Roemer, CEO of Diethelm Travel Group, told TTG Asia that the move frees up the staff to legally seek for other, additional work. “(Many) staff have asked us if they could accept other jobs legally. We want to give them the legal possibility to accept temporary jobs, and we encourage them (to do so),” he stated.

 

Releasing the staff in this manner will also allow Diethelm to reduce its cash flow while keeping the employment contract with all staff, as the travel giant is not banking on international tourist arrivals resuming in any substantial capacity before the summer or fall of 2021.

 

Full story: https://www.ttgasia.com/2020/11/19/diethelm-travel-thailand-releases-non-core-staff-to-find-other-jobs-until-business-returns/

 

-- © Copyright TTG ASIA 2020-11-23

 

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[Kadilo]

“We said goodbye to our last international customer at the beginning of April and since then, we have had almost no income… The new Special Tourists Visa was and is completely useless, the new 60-day visa will only help to a very limited extent. As long as there is still a quarantine and a lot of bureaucracy to be done, the tourists will not return.”
 

Spot on. 
 

This will be only the start of the lay offs and many won’t be temporary. 

[Flying Saucage]

"The new Special Tourists Visa was and is completely useless"

 

The STV is just another useless move of a completely useless and inept government. 

[madmitch]

Seems about six months too late!

[sungod]

2 hours ago, Flying Saucage said:

"The new Special Tourists Visa was and is completely useless"

 

The STV is just another useless move of a completely useless and inept government. 

 

Alot of Europe is in complete lock down, Thailand is not.

[boonrawdcnx]

5 hours ago, Kadilo said:

“We said goodbye to our last international customer at the beginning of April and since then, we have had almost no income… The new Special Tourists Visa was and is completely useless, the new 60-day visa will only help to a very limited extent. As long as there is still a quarantine and a lot of bureaucracy to be done, the tourists will not return.”
 

Spot on. 
 

This will be only the start of the lay offs and many won’t be temporary. 

Agree  - same here if they do not simplify the process nobody will come. Quarantine is necessary yes but the rest should be as simply and straight forward as possible. But they have fooled around for too long now and this years “high season” is not going to happen which will be devastating for the tourism industry. They can forget regular tourists. No tourist will go through this process and into quarantine spending their short holiday mostly in quarantine. The worst is the government’s flip flopping for months and total absence of a plan they have lost the long stay tourists now who usually spend the winter here. Losing us all our regular long stay guests- who are mostly retirees-they say they understand the need for the quarantine but can’t be bothered with the rest- all the red tape, conflicting and constantly changing information from Thai consulates and arrogance at embassies - leaving us without income after having invested millions over the last few years. Our last international guests left in April - no bookings since then. The biggest resort / retreat in the area which was busy all year round has closed down 4 months ago and laid off 160 employees - a devastating blow to many families and other small businesses in the surrounding villages.   

[SomchaiCNX]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Seems about six months too late!

Some companies actually care for their staff even we are capitalists we are still human.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

6 hours ago, Kadilo said:

“We said goodbye to our last international customer at the beginning of April and since then, we have had almost no income… The new Special Tourists Visa was and is completely useless, the new 60-day visa will only help to a very limited extent. As long as there is still a quarantine and a lot of bureaucracy to be done, the tourists will not return.”
 

Spot on. 
 

This will be only the start of the lay offs and many won’t be temporary. 

Exacerbated by political unrest which will no doubt continue or worsen, a global recession or depression, fear of air travel, being locked away for weeks in a hospital if you test positive on arrival in Thailand, ridiculous new visa requirements, etc...

 

It's all over, Red Rover.

 

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

10 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Some companies actually care for their staff even we are capitalists we are still human.

 

Probably more to do with the fact that there are laws that mandate minimum employee compensation, that are dependent on salary and time served when a person is made redundant in Thailand, and employees have a prompt and robust system to challenge any unfair dismissals or inadequate or missing compensation payments through the courts, and they usually win.

[hotchilli]

Wait for the start of 2021... the lay-offs will come thick and fast.

[Mr Meeseeks]

29 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Wait for the start of 2021... the lay-offs will come thick and fast.

They will all have to be compensated by their employers which will result in loads of companies going bust. 

 

The courts will be busy though.

[from the home of CC]

I haven't needed a travel agent since the internet arrived, don't understand how these companies survive..

[SpanishExpat]

Diethelm....thats a common name in Germany in the age group above 60.  So as there are no Diethelm`s traveling to Thailand right now and they just support their teeraks by Transferwise, no wonder they released their staff. 

Edited November 23, 2020 by SpanishExpat

[Operator2002]

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

I haven't needed a travel agent since the internet arrived, don't understand how these companies survive..

These incoming companies work b2b with outgoing agents in other countries. They usually offer much better rates for packages including transfer airport-hotel-airport, accommodation at a popular hotel, extra services like excursions. They have allotments/commitments of rooms in hotels at much lower rates than in open sale (for example online travel agents like booking com etc have higher/much higher rates or no availability for some high dates).