LOL

same time

The weary cynic in me says those in charge are still working out how best to maximise financial returns for themselves in the vaccine process, the amounts involved are likely to be eye-watering. CP Group bought 20% of Sinovac early on, and the odious Health Minister pushed the partnership from the outset between Astra Zeneca and SiamBioscience and Siam Cement Group, ( No prizes for guessing who is the principal beneficiary in those companies ). We then go down to the next level in the food chain, regional governers from key political establishment families appointed by the current junta as opposed to democratically elected. Allowing them to be part of a high value procurement process whilst trumpeting the need for transparency is beyond a joke, but all the vested interests need to get their share of this lucrative goldmine. It's how the system works for them but not the public interest.

Relating the delay in the vaccination process highlighted ^ to the business/tourism impact affecting millions of ordinary Thais and 20% directly/indirectly of the economy, the Bank of Thailand is currently forecasting tourist arrivals of 5 million this year and 23 million in 2022. A quick look at 2019 and March 2020 arrivals suggests to me that given where we sit now in Thailand and with Thailand's potential customers elsewhere in the world, those numbers look significantly over-optimistic. If they get 50% of those numbers I think they will be doing well, let's call in 2 million 2021 and 10 million 2022.

IF things get better and IF they can someone do away with the 14 days quarantine by oct, it still wont mean that millions of tourists well buy tickets and come here
who is going to have the $$ to travel and the time?

I'd imagine the numbers are just as bad if not worse in Cambodia as Cambodia does have have as much domestic tourism as Thailand (at least what i think, i could be wrong but.....)

As the devastating economic effects of Covid-19 restrictions persist, a record number of Thai tourism operators are quitting the sector for good. The number of tourism firms surrendering their licences peaked last month, and around 70% of outbound agents have shut up shop indefinitely. The final nail in their collective coffin has been the Covid-19 resurgence, which originated in a seafood market in the central province of Samut Sakhon and has now spread to over 60 provinces.

The president of the Thai Travel Agents Association says around 10% of outbound tour operators have returned their licences to the Tourism Department. Suthiphong Pheunphiphop says 2,598 tourism operators have left the sector for good, unable to survive having no international tourists for nearly a year now. He says the last quarter of 2020 saw the highest number of companies de-registering, at 765. Of those, 293 quit last month.

Suthiphong says domestic tourism may pick up again by April, but this depends on how effective the government is at bringing the second wave of the virus under control. He adds that with the arrival of spring in many parts of the world in the coming months, global infections may fall, but it’s still a waiting game.

The TTAA says that in 2019, 11 million Thai tourists spent 430 billion baht on overseas trips. Last year, that plummeted to 1 million spending 50 billion baht.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... r-for-good

^ Agreed Richard, I don't think I'm being unfair to Thailand in saying that those running the show have a naturally insular perspective, " if we do this everything will be hunky-dory again". They don't seem great at factoring in those things outside of their control but which they are to a great extent dependent on. I think it has been one of their failings in recent years when it comes to tourism and how they are perceived.

sorry still no bars, clubs

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Tue Jan 19, 2021 1:28 pm IF things get better and IF they can someone do away with the 14 days quarantine by oct, it still wont mean that millions of tourists well buy tickets and come here
who is going to have the $$ to travel and the time?

I'd imagine the numbers are just as bad if not worse in Cambodia as Cambodia does have have as much domestic tourism as Thailand (at least what i think, i could be wrong but.....)

As the devastating economic effects of Covid-19 restrictions persist, a record number of Thai tourism operators are quitting the sector for good. The number of tourism firms surrendering their licences peaked last month, and around 70% of outbound agents have shut up shop indefinitely. The final nail in their collective coffin has been the Covid-19 resurgence, which originated in a seafood market in the central province of Samut Sakhon and has now spread to over 60 provinces.

The president of the Thai Travel Agents Association says around 10% of outbound tour operators have returned their licences to the Tourism Department. Suthiphong Pheunphiphop says 2,598 tourism operators have left the sector for good, unable to survive having no international tourists for nearly a year now. He says the last quarter of 2020 saw the highest number of companies de-registering, at 765. Of those, 293 quit last month.

Suthiphong says domestic tourism may pick up again by April, but this depends on how effective the government is at bringing the second wave of the virus under control. He adds that with the arrival of spring in many parts of the world in the coming months, global infections may fall, but it’s still a waiting game.

The TTAA says that in 2019, 11 million Thai tourists spent 430 billion baht on overseas trips. Last year, that plummeted to 1 million spending 50 billion baht.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... r-for-good

Of course Thailand has a far larger domestic market than Cambodia. Even though it's far from enough to rescue the sector. Cambodia's domestic market is tiny. It consists of a few middle class Phnom Penh residents.

The problem this latest outbreak highlighted again is the risks even associated with internal travel. You plan a little getaway to an island or even a few days in Bangkok and then find you're in a red zone or your home is in a red zone and you are stuck unable to get home. I don't particularly want to be going on a mini break and possibly be reliant on paperwork, dodging road blocks and the discretion of officialdom to get home. Comes back to the point that discretionary travel is something we are supposed to enjoy and a not a logistical worry.

New zones an Conditions

Positive steps forward



https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... -WX1r1hunQ