tourism

  • Economy NewsPhuket’s economy is more than just tourism

    Phuket’s economy is more than just tourism

    by Bill Barnett While Phuket’s brand and economic reality is that nearly half of its contribution to GPP (gross provincial product) comes from tourism is true, it’s important to understand that there are other generators that will aid in the island’s post-crisis recovery. The island’s real estate sector, that currently has a market value of over 100 billion baht (according…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism sector prepares to resume business

    Tourism sector prepares to resume business

    Businesses that have been battered by the Covid-19 outbreak, especially those in the Eastern Economic Corridor (straddling Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao provinces) that rely mainly on tourism, are in desperate need of support. But the vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says it’s still too early to predict when tourism will recover, as it largely relies on arrivals…

  • World NewsFewer Chinese tour groups, more independent travellers to reboot SE Asia travel

    Fewer Chinese tour groups, more independent travellers to reboot SE Asia travel

    Hoping that Chinese tourism is going to ride magically back into Thailand on the back of a gleaming red dragon and save the tattered tourism sector may be precipitous. Of course there are so, so many unknowns even the regular travel writers and consultants are scrambling to forecast a way forward. For Thailand, the ban on international flights hasn’t even…

  • World NewsRegional travel bubbles, the short-term tourism solution

    Regional travel bubbles, the short-term tourism solution

    As nations slowly get their heads around the first outbreaks of Covid-19, the attention is now pivoting to re-opening businesses. And re-opening borders for tourism. But, at least for the short term, the future of tourism will probably be regional travel bubbles – loose agreements between neighbouring nations to allow (reasonably) free travel between two or three countries. Staying isolated…

  • Covid-19 NewsMajor slump in tourists expected this year

    Major slump in tourists expected this year

    It’s not looking to good for Thailand’s tourism industry. This year will have the lowest numbers the country has seen in over a decade, and that’s assuming there’s some reopenings for international travel sometime later in the year. With the coronavirus pandemic freezing up international travel, the number of foreign tourists are expected to fall by 65% this year, according…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Monday, May 11

    Thailand News Today – Monday, May 11

    Thailand national figures for Covid-19 – May 11 This morning 6 new cases of the Covid-19 cases have confirmed across the country, bring the total in Thailand to 3,015 cases. Of the 6 cases, 4 were reported in Phuket yesterday afternoon but were not included in yesterday’s national tally of 5 cases. Today Phuket has announced no new cases. The…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket’s tourist-driven economy faces crisis – Phuket Chamber of Commerce

    Phuket’s tourist-driven economy faces crisis – Phuket Chamber of Commerce

    Phuket’s tourism-driven economy is facing what one city official calls a crisis, comparing the economic impact to what it was after the 2004 tsunami. Phuket’s economy has become increasingly focused on tourism and hospitality over the past 2 decades. The Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Thunusak Phungdet said at a meeting last Thursday that Phuket has no income right now.…

  • Business NewsBusiness recovery in the Covid-19 era

    Business recovery in the Covid-19 era

    As some countries begin to tentatively look to reboot their economies in a Covid-19 world, what does the future hold for business? Nation Thailand reports today on an extensive Bank of Thailand survey that examined the impact of the pandemic on four business sectors and what might happen next. Things are looking a bit brighter for the manufacturing and retail…

  • Covid-19 NewsPM seeks compensation packages for tourism operators

    PM seeks compensation packages for tourism operators

    PM Prayut Chan-cha, today posted a picture of himself in a meeting with the Thai Tourism Business Association on his official Facebook page, with the following message… “The other day, I had a meeting with small and medium sized business associations to listen to the situation they are in and asked them to give suggestions to me directly. In addition…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus damage to Thai economy estimated at 1 trillion baht

    Coronavirus damage to Thai economy estimated at 1 trillion baht

    A trillion baht: that’s the estimated damage to Thailand’s national economy, from the COVID-19 pandemic, while business confidence for the first quarter has dropped to 47.2%, the lowest in nearly 2 years. This according to the report by the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasts of the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce. The centre did a survey of businesses…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today – Thursday, April 30

    Thailand News Today – Thursday, April 30

    Thailand Covid-19 update: 7 new cases, no new deaths The CSSA has announced this morning that Thailand had only 7 new cases of the Covid-19 nationwide in the previous 24 hours. 3 of the new cases were imported, meaning that they came from Thai nationals returning to the country from overseas. All were immediately quarantined. Only 4 cases came from…

  • Covid-19 News6 million unemployed in tourism alone – a stark outlook for Thailand’s tourist industry

    6 million unemployed in tourism alone – a stark outlook for Thailand’s tourist industry

    More accurate predictions are starting to emerge as the full impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand start to become clearer, and we still don’t have the shops open yet. Reports from the UN’s International Labour Organisation, in collaboration with the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, have already made stark predictions about the problems that lay ahead for…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand turns to China to revive post-Covid tourist economy

    Thailand turns to China to revive post-Covid tourist economy

    The Covid-19 pandemic has crushed Thailand’s tourism sector, long considered a lifeline for the nation’s already battered economy, as numbers of foreign visitors have dropped below even the worst predictions plunging 76.4% in March from last year after a 42.8% drop in February. For an economy that derives 12-14% of its gross domestic product from tourism, receipts, the impact of…

  • Phuket NewsEthical sanctuaries looking after over 250 elephants in southern Thailand

    Ethical sanctuaries looking after over 250 elephants in southern Thailand

    The Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, and elsewhere in Thailand, have been forced to close their doors in late March. As people around Thailand been hunkering down in our houses waiting for the virus outbreak to pass, some of the country’s elephants are suffering? As mentioned in the original story, Lek had been in touch with camps from all over…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism minister, TAT hope for a return of limited domestic travel

    Tourism minister, TAT hope for a return of limited domestic travel

    For weeks, interprovincial travel has been heavily restricted if not outright banned due to the Emergency Decree announced on March 24 to combat the spread of Covid-19. And although the National Security Council is expected to present a proposal on Monday to extend the Decree, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan expects the government to ease some measures and allow…

  • Covid-19 NewsMarch tourist arrival numbers worse than predicted

    March tourist arrival numbers worse than predicted

    It’s no secret that the Covid-19 outbreak has been disastrous for Thailand’s tourism sector, long considered a vital lifeline of the nation’s already battered economy. Data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports today showed foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand slumped 76.4% in March compared to a year earlier. This follows a 42.8% drop the previous month, as the…

  • Tourism NewsBack to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready

    Back to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready

    OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Tourism is a vital part of Thailand’s economy. And as the country emerges into the post-Covid world, getting tourists back to the country will be an essential springboard to the rest of the Thai economy. None of that will be automatic or easy as international travel has been severely disrupted and will take months,…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourist numbers and revenue expected to plunge, exceeding worst predictions for 2020

    Tourist numbers and revenue expected to plunge, exceeding worst predictions for 2020

    It’s no secret that the Covid-19 outbreak has been disastrous for Thailand’s tourism sector, long considered a vital lifeline of the nation’s already battered economy. Now the Tourism Authority of Thailand is projecting that Thailand is likely to close the year with only 16 million international tourists and 60 million domestic trips, far below the pre-virus targets of 40 million…

  • Covid-19 NewsTravel and tourism in the Land of Smiles – 12 predictions

    Travel and tourism in the Land of Smiles – 12 predictions

    OPINION by Andrew Wood Casting our eyes into the crystal ball has never been so difficult with so many varied issues clouding the post-coronavirus future. For Thailand, the future of world and domestic travel has never been so critical as tourism drives much of the Thai economy. Will the tourists come back? Will they be allowed back? When? And under what…

  • Covid-19 NewsCurrency will be a key driver in Phuket’s (eventual) tourism recovery?

    Currency will be a key driver in Phuket’s (eventual) tourism recovery?

    OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com In the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis one constant complaint by Thailand’s hotel sector has been the strength of the Thai Baht. Zeroing in specifically on the Mainland Chinese market, the rapid demise to the island was in part triggered by the tragic boat accident in mid-2018, along with a number of other country-wide negative…

  • Covid-19 NewsChinese tourist packing their bags to come back to Thailand

    Chinese tourist packing their bags to come back to Thailand

    Some groups of Chinese say they’re ready to pack their bags and start travelling again. And, astonishingly, Thai tourism officials say they they’re preparing for a return of Chinese tourists! Chinese tourists groups say they expect to resume their travels in April as the novel coronavirus (Covid19) infections start to subside in China. Thai tourism officials say they are aiming…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai tourism minister plans help for tourists stranded and worried about overstaying visas

    Thai tourism minister plans help for tourists stranded and worried about overstaying visas

    There are a growing number of tourists who are becoming stranded in Thailand as their home countries raise the drawbridge and lockdown their borders. Many European countries have started sealing their borders to deal with the Covid-19 coronavirus and other countries, closer to home, are starting to act as well. Last weekend Malaysia virtually locked down its borders. Thailand is…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket Covid-19 ‘updates’

    Phuket Covid-19 ‘updates’

    The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus prompted tourism industry leaders in Phuket this week to support moves to cancel or postpone mass events across the island. All official Songkran Thai New Year festivities in the southern resort island’s Patong district have already been cancelled, along with the annual Phuket Bike Week, usually the biggest motorcycle event in Asia. Even the…

  • Covid-19 NewsThe Thai Tourism Ministry hopes for Covid-19 to abate

    The Thai Tourism Ministry hopes for Covid-19 to abate

    Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday that if the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus continues, it will be a “big issue” nationally not only in terms of public health but also the tremendous loss of tourism revenue. However if the outbreak can be contained by then end of next month, the ministry expects more than 36 million tourists…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism officials ponder moving Songkran to July, boosting domestic tourism

    Tourism officials ponder moving Songkran to July, boosting domestic tourism

    Joint ventures with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) are trying to solve worst case scenarios of losing over 1 trillion baht in revenue and 10 million in inbound guests to celebrate Songkran. The TAT has set a optimistic target of 172 million domestic trips this year, generating 1.13 trillion baht in revenue.…

  • Covid-19 NewsWorst case scenario – Thailand loses 10 million tourists this year

    Worst case scenario – Thailand loses 10 million tourists this year

    Thailand’s tourist industry could be decimated in the wake of the world coronavirus outbreak. Tourism accounts for an estimated 16% of Thailand’s total GDP. The Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Yutthasak Supasorn, says that, in a worst case scenario, Thailand could bleed 10 million of it’s projected 40 million tourist arrivals this year. He says his estimates were based on…

  • Covid-19 NewsTourism Authority of Thailand clarifies “self quarantine” situation

    Tourism Authority of Thailand clarifies “self quarantine” situation

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand has posted a notice to clarify the “self-quarantine requirements” of all visitors coming to Thailand from “risk area” countries, relating to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. The clarification comes after two days of confusing announcements coming out of the Thai Public Health Department. On Tuesday night a document was released on the Thai Public Health Minister’s…

  • Tourism NewsThai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages

    Thai tourism ministry proposes 5 billion baht in tourist stimulus packages

    Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says he will propose new domestic travel stimulus packages valued at 5 billion baht this Friday. The Minister says the aim is to cushion the impact of the coronavirus for the tourism service sector across the country. The Minister says that domestic tourism is “the priority during this difficult time. The government should implement…

  • Tourism NewsChiang Mai to see passenger numbers fall by 40% in wake of virus fears

    Chiang Mai to see passenger numbers fall by 40% in wake of virus fears

    The numbers at Chiang Mai’s international airport will fall 40% to 3.5 million in the first six months of this year if the outbreak of Covid-19 coronavirus drags on until the middle of the year. Chiang Mai airport deputy director Thananrat Prasertsri said late last week that flights to the airport during the period January 1 to February 25 dropped…

  • Tourism NewsLegend Siam, major Pattaya tourist attraction, closes its doors

    Legend Siam, major Pattaya tourist attraction, closes its doors

    The Legend Siam, a major cultural amusement park in Pattaya with shows and cultural attractions about Thailand, has closed and laid off all workers. A statement yesterday said the move was due to the current economic situation in Thailand caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The announcement, in English, read: “Due to the economy in Thailand last year and the COVID…