The end of tourism for Bangsaphan?

[buksida]

The government's plans to revive tourism could spell the end of it in Bangsaphan. The regime wants to target the wealthy tourists only, in limited numbers, and restrict them to the likes of Phuket and Samui where the 5* resorts are.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... he-wealthy

Full and free travel should become a “thing of the past.”

This practically means that tourists, if they ever come back to Thailand, will not be allowed to travel to BS.

BS is too far away from Bangkok to benefit from domestic tourism, so it could be the end of it totally for this area.

Thoughts?

[bsb]

Hard to imagine this thoughtless idea working. All of the places Phuket ,Samui and the other islands are so full of mafia and ripoffs. The biggest thing that this government does not seem to understand is the internet, people come here get ripped off and report it on the internet. I think just another half baked idea that will go by the wayside. A high end tourist will not go for the 14 day lock down on one island before they are permitted to travel else where. In reality what does Thailand have to offer high end tourists? 5 star motels and really nothing else.

[Mike Parker]

Sadly the Thai Gov is stumbling around with no idea what direction they should take for the benefit of the whole country.I take anything they say with a pinch of salt but it is sending a clear message to the former backbone of tourism that you are not really welcome here.

We got out of lock down here in CM and went to our favourite resort just north of CM.The owner has kept all his staff albeit on half wages and the only thing that is keeping him afloat is CM locals that stay on weekends.We went on a Friday, we were the only visitors.4 housemaids ,I garden & swimming pool worker, 1 chef and 1 waiter.

He has very high ratings on all tourist sites and has made a huge investment in buying the land ,building 12 cabins and spending a fortune on the gardens and pool.He was adamant that he now regrets his project but no one could have predicted this virus and its long term effect. www.monocerosresort.com

All the elephants have gone back home, a 180 m trek as they eat 300 kg of food a day. 20+ Elephant camps have closed. The 5 star 4 Seasons Resort is closed, they employed 100's of staff and many cafes /restaurants, hotels,GH & Hostels in the old city have closed as it is more expensive to actually open.Many have called it a day. CM is now reduced to viewing temples.

Bangsaphan for the time being will have to hope that Thai locals will find the jewel in the crown but as Buksida posted getting people from Bangkok is a step to far or it would have already happened.

[buksida]

It does all reek of another stupid idea from another unqualified minister trying to make a name for himself. When they realise that the billionaires won't be flocking here to get ripped off in Phuket, they'll open the flood gates to the Chinese budget hordes again and turn the other way while they're climbing on statues or stealing coral.

I do feel for the people that have made big investments in tourism-related businesses recently. There will be no return on that for a long time.

[buksida]

No tourists for Prachuap province ...

A travel bubble plan for leisure travellers has been drafted with three phases for opening, starting with a mere 1,000 tourists per day across five provinces.

Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, said the ministry already asked the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to design 6-7 day tour packages in five areas that are ready to join the pilot project, comprising Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket and Pattaya.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/19 ... n-3-phases

[buksida]

This would certainly add to the demise of tourists in BS ...

swimming.jpg (66.77 KiB) Viewed 3746 times

[bsb]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe it says in Thai "dangerous to swim in this area".

[buksida]

Looks like there will be no tourism for the entire country until next year ...

Thailand’s international borders not re-opening for tourists until 2021 – TAT
Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international tourists before the end of the year – the prediction from a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Speaking at yet another webinar, this time hosted by Mekong Tourism and TravelMole, the deputy governor for international marketing at TAT, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, noted that there has been “no talk of a timeline issued for reopening the country to inbound or outbound leisure travel during weekly Covid-19 national meetings”.

He spoke of the Thai government’s “very, very cautious” approach to reopening borders and said he doesn’t expect Thailand to welcome tourists until at least 2021.

“I see no signal from the government that the country will open this year. That’s putting lot of pressure on the tourism industry. The Christmas period, usually the high season, is in jeopardy and I’m looking horribly even to Chinese New Year in February, which is an iffy proposition at best now. Unfortunately, this is not a rosy picture.”

Discussions about the creation of travel bubbles have also stalled.

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thai ... l-2021-tat

[bsb]

I think after they see this is just another failed half baked plan, things will get back to normal.
Hard to imagine billion and millionaires flocking to this country If ever things get back to some kind of normal you will see domestic tourism pick up, for the same reasons as before Hua-hin prices are out of this world. Just my thoughts