COVID 19 Related to THAILAND Posts

[Stillearly]

2 minutes ago, tko said:

Um.  Lots of beaches never closed.  The ones in Rayong didn't.

 

Same in Samui 

[Evil Penevil]

My bold highlights.  Link. The sign for Duck Noodle Soup at 50 baht in the first pic triggered some horrible associations for me.  

Evil

 

'Business is virtually dead': 
Thai market reopens but few tourists in sight

The sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok's northern suburbs would host 200,000 people over a busy weekend, but it's been a month since it reopened and it is now a shadow of its former self.

The market shut on March 21 as Thailand went into lockdown and the coronavirus spread, and is now opening only during the day and with strict screening measures in place.

In addition to being a big part of the beating heart of Thai food culture, Chatuchak sells clothing, furniture, antiques, books and more. But with next to no foreign tourists, the more than 11,000 vendors must rely only on local trade.

Screening checkpoints have been set up at all six entry gates, visitors have their temperature checked and are given hand sanitiser. They must also check in on the government’s "Thai Chana" contact-tracing app or write down their names and contact numbers.

The measures were put in place as Thailand began to wind back strict lockdown measures. Shopping centres are now allowed to stay open until 9pm and beauty clinics, hairdressers, fitness clubs, massage parlours and theatres are reopening.

But foreigners are still not allowed to enter the country, other than in exceptional circumstances, as it tries to keep a lid on the virus. Thus far it has done a good job, with 3084 infections reported but only 58 deaths recorded.

For all the precautions being taken, Nipa Puaksawad, owner of accessories shop Din, said the absence of tourists meant "business is still very slow".

"My target group is foreigners, not Thais. Without tourists, our business is virtually dead. I must say that it is not returning to normal. Sales are much lower compared to what we used to get," she said.

"We have got roughly five per cent of our normal sales — about 2000 to 3000 baht [$100-150] a day. Normally, we [make] around 50,000-80,000 baht a day. We’ll survive only when foreign tourists return. I hope Thailand opens for tourists in June or July."

Nipa's wholesale customers from all over the world, including Greece, Spain and Australia, have stopped ordering trinkets too.

"I've followed COVID-19 news so that I could learn about my customers outside Thailand. A few customers including one in Australia have ordered lots of goods but they haven’t claimed them."

The Thai economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which accounted for around 17 per cent of GDP in 2017, and about 800,000 Australians head to Thailand every year, making it one of our top 10 tourist destinations.

The country's finance ministry is planning to launch a major package to bolster domestic tourism from July. It will hand free trips to 1.2 million local medical personnel and travel vouchers worth 2000-3000 baht to millions more people.

[Evil Penevil]

This is a thought-provoking opinion piece from the Post Magazine, a supplement to The South China Morning Post of Hong Kong.  I don't think it will happen before I'm making my excuses to St. Peter,  but I can envision a day when plain-vanilla farang tourists will be told by door staff that WS go go bars are for members only.

It's hard for me to put myself outside of my own skin, but if I were a Thai and read hundreds of posts on the Internet that state Thailand is a "third-world shith*le'" and the only reason to visit is because f*cking 18-year-old girls is cheaper than at home,  I'd get fed up and pissed off as well. It's would also be very insulting to read that every time Thais raise prices or want more for services than they got 20 years ago, it's a scam. fraud, cheat, rip-off, etc. that should be resisted by foreign tourists.

Is it possible to get more disrespectful than that?

Evil

Thailand needs tourism. The industry that brings travellers to the country’s beaches, back alleys and Buddhist temples employed almost 6 million people, raked in US$109.5 billion and accounted for one in every five baht spent in 2018, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. But, according to a recent post on the website Pattaya Unplugged, which claims to be “the Number One Tourist info source in Pattaya”, the Land of Smiles is faking its warm welcome when it comes to visitors from the West.

The snappily titled opinion piece (“Ten reasons why Western foreign tourists are not wanted as badly by the Thai Tourism Ministry versus Indians, Chinese, Russians, Koreans, etc.”) catalogues why the Southeast Asian nation doesn’t care for Western visitors – understood here to mean those hailing from Europe, North America and Australia. Compiled by an American living in Pattaya, those reasons were gleaned from “many talks with people from many different backgrounds and cultures [...] not just the view from a barstool”.

Some points the writer makes are close to correct, if horribly elucidated. Ignoring the subtext of in-group superiority in the statement, “There are simply more of them then [sic] us”, statistics show that Thailand does receive significantly more non-Western arrivals than Western ones. According to Ministry of Tourism & Sports data, 27.3 million of the nation’s visitors in 2019 came from East Asia (including Southeast Asia), with 2.4 million from South Asia, while Europe, the Americas and Oceania accounted for 6.7 million, 1.6 million and 900,000, respectively.

Similarly, “We often don’t spend as much as people think” has some truth to it. In 2017, Chinese tourists each spent US$192.84 per day in Thailand. The next most extravagant visitors hailed from the Middle East, who dropped US$190.60 on average in a day. Taking up the rear as the tightest tourists were those from Europe, who each parted with just US$125.47 per day. However, Western tourists do tend to stay for significantly longer – Europeans for 17 days versus eight for the Chinese – and it all adds up.

Although it is not easy to quantify whether Western tourists do, indeed, “tend to complain more online, troll, write negative reviews and feedback and bicker”, it is possible that “Western foreigners are more demanding in person” with “more of a sense of entitlement than many other countries”. Certainly, beleaguered Barcelonans, who have been overwhelmed by travellers streaming in from France, America, Britain, Italy and elsewhere in Spain, can empathise. It is not the Chinese who have caused “touristphobia” in the Catalan capital, but an unsustainable influx of Westerners.

However, “They still like package tours” is not only ignorant, it is wrong. “Most of us westerners [sic] grew out of package and group tours decades ago,” explains the writer. “The Chinese, the Indians and some Russians have not. This makes them easy to bring from one high profit tourist attraction to another.” 

A recent Bangkok Post article reported that 60 per cent of Chinese visitors to Thailand are independent travellers; the image of a flag-following flock is becoming increasingly outdated (not to mention xenophobic). Similarly, Indian travellers, 67 per cent of whom choose to make their own way rather than participate in group tours, according to another Bangkok Post report, are courted precisely for their autonomy. Package deals might get the people in but they do not generate as much for the local economy as solo sightseers, something that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been aware of for some time. In 2016, TAT launched a campaign aimed at shifting the emphasis away from mass tourism to what it called “quality” experiences.

The 10th point on the Pattaya Unplugged list contends that most non-Western visitors are not sex tourists, which is not to say that all Westerners are, but, according to the writer, “Most Russians and Chinese have zero interest in the red light district and come with families”, a fact that apparently “angers many of the long standing visitors and fans of the red light district”.

“Some western [sic] foreigners would prefer to come and sit in a bar for two weeks s**tfaced [...] The tourists coming here for family activities and businesses are generally wanted much more then [sic] the barstool crowd.” Finally, some sense!
Ultimately, however, there is little value in applying an us-versus-them mentality to Thailand’s international arrivals, or indeed to weighing the worth of one nationality against another. In times like these, when the coronavirus outbreak is crippling Asia’s tourism industry, surely every visitor should be given a big, authentic smile.

Edited June 3, 2020 by Evil Penevil

[Krapow]

Bangsaen today apparently. 

[grayray]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2020 at 5:18 AM, Evil Penevil said:

This is a thought-provoking opinion piece from the Post Magazine, a supplement to The South China Morning Post of Hong Kong.  I don't think it will happen before I'm making my excuses to St. Peter,  but I can envision a day when plain-vanilla farang tourists will be told by door staff that WS go go bars are for members only.

It's hard for me to put myself outside of my own skin, but if I were a Thai and read hundreds of posts on the Internet that state Thailand is a "third-world shith*le'" and the only reason to visit is because f*cking 18-year-old girls is cheaper than at home,  I'd get fed up and pissed off as well. It's would also be very insulting to read that every time Thais raise prices or want more for services than they got 20 years ago, it's a scam. fraud, cheat, rip-off, etc. that should be resisted by foreign tourists.

Is it possible to get more disrespectful than that?

Evil

 

EP,

thanks for what you write EP,

it is without doubt the best I've read on this forum,what you have wrote is forsure NOT fake looney left rubbish.

THANK YOU

regards

grayray

[Jambo]

It has been a month since I last returned to our house in Bangsaray and this morning I visited Jomtien for a full English breakfast with my mate John and then a haircut at "Hair to Hair" in Pattaya from my stylist "Da".   Enjoyed John's company but unfortunately "Da" had gone to visit family. Another of the girls did a good enough job but only received half of the normal 100 baht tip as she rushed at bit. 

We eat in one of the Bar/restaurants on the ground floor of John's Condo complex. The relevance to this topic is that John tells me that ALL the bars in this condo complex are now serving alcoholic drinks in the evening! No passing trade here so I suppose that they feel that it is a chance worth taking. Dangerous, I would have thought.

I rode my Honda from Bangsaray to Pattaya this morning to give it a run as we only used the car last month. One very obvious difference between motorbike riders in Pattaya to Mae Sot is the many on the Sukhumvit Road not wearing a helmet but nevertheless sporting a face mask. Is there anything much more rediculous than that?

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Jambo

[Toy Boy]

2 hours ago, Jambo said:

It has been a month since I last returned to our house in Bangsaray and this morning I visited Jomtien for a full English breakfast with my mate John and then a haircut at "Hair to Hair" in Pattaya from my stylist "Da".   Enjoyed John's company but unfortunately "Da" had gone to visit family. Another of the girls did a good enough job but only received half of the normal 100 baht tip as she rushed at bit. 

We eat in one of the Bar/restaurants on the ground floor of John's Condo complex. The relevance to this topic is that John tells me that ALL the bars in this condo complex are now serving alcoholic drinks in the evening! No passing trade here so I suppose that they feel that it is a chance worth taking. Dangerous, I would have thought.

I rode my Honda from Bangsaray to Pattaya this morning to give it a run as we only used the car last month. One very obvious difference between motorbike riders in Pattaya to Mae Sot is the many on the Sukhumvit Road not wearing a helmet but nevertheless sporting a face mask. Is there anything much more rediculous than that?

 

If you know the right crappy bar in the right crappy condo, some of them never stopped serving to their regulars who live there.

[KWA]

18 hours ago, Jambo said:

The relevance to this topic is that John tells me that ALL the bars in this condo complex are now serving alcoholic drinks in the evening!

Certainly dangerous in my complex.  Many places serving drink almost all the way through, but it's thought someone reported them and there's been a couple of visits from the authorities and hefty fines handed out.

My local had a new rule yesterday that we could only drink until 6:00pm as any raids have been after that time.

[Krapow]

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2. Posted at 7:017:01

   Thailand reports zero cases, zero deaths

   

   ReutersCopyright: Reuters

   Thailand says it had no new virus infections or deaths over the past day - the first time in almost three weeks there were no new cases.

   It's also been 17 days since a local transmission was recorded. All other recent cases had been imported by people returning from abroad.

   The country's total stands at 3,125 confirmed infections, while 58 deaths have been linked to Covid-19.

[Ivan the terrible]

On 6/4/2020 at 5:18 AM, Evil Penevil said:

This is a thought-provoking opinion piece from the Post Magazine, a supplement to The South China Morning Post of Hong Kong.  I don't think it will happen before I'm making my excuses to St. Peter,  but I can envision a day when plain-vanilla farang tourists will be told by door staff that WS go go bars are for members only.

It's hard for me to put myself outside of my own skin, but if I were a Thai and read hundreds of posts on the Internet that state Thailand is a "third-world shith*le'" and the only reason to visit is because f*cking 18-year-old girls is cheaper than at home,  I'd get fed up and pissed off as well. It's would also be very insulting to read that every time Thais raise prices or want more for services than they got 20 years ago, it's a scam. fraud, cheat, rip-off, etc. that should be resisted by foreign tourists.

Is it possible to get more disrespectful than that?

Evil

Thailand needs tourism. The industry that brings travellers to the country’s beaches, back alleys and Buddhist temples employed almost 6 million people, raked in US$109.5 billion and accounted for one in every five baht spent in 2018, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. But, according to a recent post on the website Pattaya Unplugged, which claims to be “the Number One Tourist info source in Pattaya”, the Land of Smiles is faking its warm welcome when it comes to visitors from the West.

The snappily titled opinion piece (“Ten reasons why Western foreign tourists are not wanted as badly by the Thai Tourism Ministry versus Indians, Chinese, Russians, Koreans, etc.”) catalogues why the Southeast Asian nation doesn’t care for Western visitors – understood here to mean those hailing from Europe, North America and Australia. Compiled by an American living in Pattaya, those reasons were gleaned from “many talks with people from many different backgrounds and cultures [...] not just the view from a barstool”.

Some points the writer makes are close to correct, if horribly elucidated. Ignoring the subtext of in-group superiority in the statement, “There are simply more of them then [sic] us”, statistics show that Thailand does receive significantly more non-Western arrivals than Western ones. According to Ministry of Tourism & Sports data, 27.3 million of the nation’s visitors in 2019 came from East Asia (including Southeast Asia), with 2.4 million from South Asia, while Europe, the Americas and Oceania accounted for 6.7 million, 1.6 million and 900,000, respectively.

Similarly, “We often don’t spend as much as people think” has some truth to it. In 2017, Chinese tourists each spent US$192.84 per day in Thailand. The next most extravagant visitors hailed from the Middle East, who dropped US$190.60 on average in a day. Taking up the rear as the tightest tourists were those from Europe, who each parted with just US$125.47 per day. However, Western tourists do tend to stay for significantly longer – Europeans for 17 days versus eight for the Chinese – and it all adds up.

Although it is not easy to quantify whether Western tourists do, indeed, “tend to complain more online, troll, write negative reviews and feedback and bicker”, it is possible that “Western foreigners are more demanding in person” with “more of a sense of entitlement than many other countries”. Certainly, beleaguered Barcelonans, who have been overwhelmed by travellers streaming in from France, America, Britain, Italy and elsewhere in Spain, can empathise. It is not the Chinese who have caused “touristphobia” in the Catalan capital, but an unsustainable influx of Westerners.

However, “They still like package tours” is not only ignorant, it is wrong. “Most of us westerners [sic] grew out of package and group tours decades ago,” explains the writer. “The Chinese, the Indians and some Russians have not. This makes them easy to bring from one high profit tourist attraction to another.” 

A recent Bangkok Post article reported that 60 per cent of Chinese visitors to Thailand are independent travellers; the image of a flag-following flock is becoming increasingly outdated (not to mention xenophobic). Similarly, Indian travellers, 67 per cent of whom choose to make their own way rather than participate in group tours, according to another Bangkok Post report, are courted precisely for their autonomy. Package deals might get the people in but they do not generate as much for the local economy as solo sightseers, something that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been aware of for some time. In 2016, TAT launched a campaign aimed at shifting the emphasis away from mass tourism to what it called “quality” experiences.

The 10th point on the Pattaya Unplugged list contends that most non-Western visitors are not sex tourists, which is not to say that all Westerners are, but, according to the writer, “Most Russians and Chinese have zero interest in the red light district and come with families”, a fact that apparently “angers many of the long standing visitors and fans of the red light district”.

“Some western [sic] foreigners would prefer to come and sit in a bar for two weeks s**tfaced [...] The tourists coming here for family activities and businesses are generally wanted much more then [sic] the barstool crowd.” Finally, some sense!
Ultimately, however, there is little value in applying an us-versus-them mentality to Thailand’s international arrivals, or indeed to weighing the worth of one nationality against another. In times like these, when the coronavirus outbreak is crippling Asia’s tourism industry, surely every visitor should be given a big, authentic smile.

I wish I only spent 125US per day 😞 

[nampla69]

News from Thai Air just now ............................. clear as a muddy buffalo swamp.

 

เรียน ท่านลูกค้าผู้มีอุปการคุณอย่างสูง        ตามที่ท่านได้ทราบแล้วว่า ปัจจุบัน บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) ได้เข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการ และศาลล้มละลายกลางได้มีคำสั่งรับคำร้องขอฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ แล้ว บริษัทฯ จึงใคร่ขอเรียนว่า ท่านอาจได้รับหนังสือ เอกสาร หรือข้อความจากศาลล้มละลายกลางเกี่ยวกับการขอฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ ผ่านทางระบบ E-mail และ SMS อันเป็นผลมาจากการเข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการดังกล่าว        ทั้งนี้ บริษัทฯ ขอเรียนว่า แม้บริษัทฯ จะมีความจำเป็นต้องเข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการ แต่บริษัทฯ ยังคงมีความมุ่งมั่นและตั้งใจอย่างดีที่สุดในการดูแลลูกค้าทุกท่านที่ขอคืนค่าบัตรโดยสาร (Refund) รวมถึง ในเรื่องสิทธิประโยชน์ของสถานภาพสมาชิกและไมล์สะสมที่มอบให้กับสมาชิกรอยัล ออร์คิด พลัส ที่มีคุณค่าและมีความสำคัญอย่างยิ่งกับบริษัทฯ ภายใต้กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการนี้ บริษัทฯ จึงขอให้ลูกค้าทุกท่านมั่นใจและเชื่อมั่นว่าบริษัทฯ จะสามารถก้าวผ่านวิกฤตและอุปสรรคครั้งใหญ่นี้และกลับมาเป็นองค์กรที่ให้บริการด้านการบินที่แข็งแกร่ง เพื่อให้บริการแก่ท่านในฐานะลูกค้าผู้มีอุปการคุณอย่างสูงของบริษัทฯ ได้ต่อไป ในการนี้ บริษัทฯ จะแจ้งให้ท่านทราบถึงสิทธิของท่านและความคืบหน้าเกี่ยวกับคดีฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ ตามช่องทางต่างๆ ต่อไป        อนึ่ง บริษัทฯ ขอขอบพระคุณลูกค้าทุกท่านที่มีความเข้าใจและให้การสนับสนุนกิจการของบริษัทฯ มาโดยตลอด และบริษัทฯ หวังเป็นอย่างยิ่งว่าจะสามารถกลับมาให้บริการแก่ลูกค้าทุกท่านได้ในอนาคตอันใกล้นี้ ขอแสดงความนับถือ  บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) Dear Valued customers,        We would like to inform our valued customers that certain letters, documents, or notifications may be delivered to you via E-mail or SMS in accordance with the business reorganization process of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited consequent to the relevant business reorganization petition filed with and found for by the Central Bankruptcy Court.        During the period where the company undergoes the business reorganization, which plays a significant role to its survival, the company remains resolute to ensure our customers are provided with the best care within its current capability, especially for those whose airfare refunds are pending as well as honor certain benefits for our Royal Orchid Plus members, including membership status and miles being the most important . Please rest assured that the company shall overcome this crisis, albeit great magnitude, and be ‘Airline of Pride’ which offers the best on-flight services for our valued customers once again. Any update and progress will be further communicated to you via various channels.        On this occasion, please allow us to express our gratitude for your kind understanding and patronage through these years. It is our greatest hope to be able to serve you again in the near future. Best regards,  Thai Airways International Public Company Limited

[Evil Penevil]

Full list of Phase Four venues opening in Thailand

By

 Adam Judd

 -

Friday, 12 June 2020, 13:45

 

Bangkok-

Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, the spokesperson for the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration in Bangkok, also known as the CCSA, confirmed the announcements made by the Thai Government for reopening closed businesses in Thailand affected by the Covid19 Coronavirus.

Dr. Taweesin stated that nearly 95 percent of restrictions were now unlocked with only a few exceptions still closed, notably bars, pubs, karaoke lounges, nightclub, massage parlours (soapies) and nightlife related venues. He did not specifically state when these venues would be considered for opening or state if there would be a Phase Five in the immediate future for these venues.

 

The venues that will be allowed to reopen effective from Monday, June 15, most with strict new rules on social distancing and hygiene:

-Schools with less than 120 students, school buildings for activities and informal learning. Most Government schools scheduled to open on July First.

-Government buildings for trainings, learning, conferences, etc. With social distancing rules in effect

Activities like conferences, training, seminars, exhibitions, ceremonies, banquets, music, dance, concerts and various other activities held in hotels, convention centers, exhibition centers, cinemas and other locations that use the criteria of 24 square meters per person. Also, catering events, product launches, competitions and sporting events can be done, but must sit at least 1 meter apart.

For concerts, must have five meters of space per person and not allow a sense or packed area.

Restaurants, Hotels, food courts, markets, etc may sell alcohol. However, bars, pubs, night clubs, karaoke lounges, soapie massages and nightlife specific entertainment venues must remain closed. Social distancing rules must be followed and no special promotions or events. Beer girl style hostesses are prohibited at restaurants, and other similar promotions.

Playgrounds, water parks, amusement parks may open except for ball pits and inflatable houses.

Arcades can open in malls but not stand alone locations. He added these could actually open from today.

Airplanes are not required to social distance and all seats can be used if everyone is wearing masks.

Bus transport can be full up to 70 percent of capacity now.

Sports stadiums and all sporting event fields can open, can be broadcast on tv, but no audiences at this time. Competitive events are ok.

Dr. Taweesin noted that all this would go into a final official order and the Government Gazette “soon”. He also stressed that governors of provinces may release individual orders and to keep an eye out for them.

 

[tko]

On 6/2/2020 at 10:47 AM, tko said:

Um.  Lots of beaches never closed.  The ones in Rayong didn't.

 

I'm disappointed to report I was incorrect.  We had been going to the beaches in Muang Rayong.  Today we went to our favorite seafood place on the beach in Ban Phe.  It turns out the entire Mae Ramphueng beach has been closed and is still closed. 

[Ivan the terrible]

On 6/12/2020 at 3:39 PM, nampla69 said:

News from Thai Air just now ............................. clear as a muddy buffalo swamp.

 

เรียน ท่านลูกค้าผู้มีอุปการคุณอย่างสูง        ตามที่ท่านได้ทราบแล้วว่า ปัจจุบัน บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) ได้เข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการ และศาลล้มละลายกลางได้มีคำสั่งรับคำร้องขอฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ แล้ว บริษัทฯ จึงใคร่ขอเรียนว่า ท่านอาจได้รับหนังสือ เอกสาร หรือข้อความจากศาลล้มละลายกลางเกี่ยวกับการขอฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ ผ่านทางระบบ E-mail และ SMS อันเป็นผลมาจากการเข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการดังกล่าว        ทั้งนี้ บริษัทฯ ขอเรียนว่า แม้บริษัทฯ จะมีความจำเป็นต้องเข้าสู่กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการ แต่บริษัทฯ ยังคงมีความมุ่งมั่นและตั้งใจอย่างดีที่สุดในการดูแลลูกค้าทุกท่านที่ขอคืนค่าบัตรโดยสาร (Refund) รวมถึง ในเรื่องสิทธิประโยชน์ของสถานภาพสมาชิกและไมล์สะสมที่มอบให้กับสมาชิกรอยัล ออร์คิด พลัส ที่มีคุณค่าและมีความสำคัญอย่างยิ่งกับบริษัทฯ ภายใต้กระบวนการฟื้นฟูกิจการนี้ บริษัทฯ จึงขอให้ลูกค้าทุกท่านมั่นใจและเชื่อมั่นว่าบริษัทฯ จะสามารถก้าวผ่านวิกฤตและอุปสรรคครั้งใหญ่นี้และกลับมาเป็นองค์กรที่ให้บริการด้านการบินที่แข็งแกร่ง เพื่อให้บริการแก่ท่านในฐานะลูกค้าผู้มีอุปการคุณอย่างสูงของบริษัทฯ ได้ต่อไป ในการนี้ บริษัทฯ จะแจ้งให้ท่านทราบถึงสิทธิของท่านและความคืบหน้าเกี่ยวกับคดีฟื้นฟูกิจการของบริษัทฯ ตามช่องทางต่างๆ ต่อไป        อนึ่ง บริษัทฯ ขอขอบพระคุณลูกค้าทุกท่านที่มีความเข้าใจและให้การสนับสนุนกิจการของบริษัทฯ มาโดยตลอด และบริษัทฯ หวังเป็นอย่างยิ่งว่าจะสามารถกลับมาให้บริการแก่ลูกค้าทุกท่านได้ในอนาคตอันใกล้นี้ ขอแสดงความนับถือ  บริษัท การบินไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) Dear Valued customers,        We would like to inform our valued customers that certain letters, documents, or notifications may be delivered to you via E-mail or SMS in accordance with the business reorganization process of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited consequent to the relevant business reorganization petition filed with and found for by the Central Bankruptcy Court.        During the period where the company undergoes the business reorganization, which plays a significant role to its survival, the company remains resolute to ensure our customers are provided with the best care within its current capability, especially for those whose airfare refunds are pending as well as honor certain benefits for our Royal Orchid Plus members, including membership status and miles being the most important . Please rest assured that the company shall overcome this crisis, albeit great magnitude, and be ‘Airline of Pride’ which offers the best on-flight services for our valued customers once again. Any update and progress will be further communicated to you via various channels.        On this occasion, please allow us to express our gratitude for your kind understanding and patronage through these years. It is our greatest hope to be able to serve you again in the near future. Best regards,  Thai Airways International Public Company Limited

coroporate gobbledegook

[Horizondave]

 

I suppose this is also a bit confusing but it was received after the previous post at 1589, it obviously is important though and does mean something to those that it probably affects.

 

[dcfc2007]

[Krapow]

Hull now changed to 'No flights until further notice'. 

Not looking good. Maybe they're looking at what's happening in Beijing. 

[Zeb]

Bad news if the follow through with this -

Thailand Aims to Turn Away From Mass Tourism and Target the Wealthy

Thailand’s tourism-revival strategy is to target big spenders seeking privacy and social distancing in the Covid-19 era, rather than try to attract a large number of visitors.

The pandemic provides an opportunity to reset the sector, which had become reliant on Chinese groups and backpackers. Once the country’s borders are reopened and so-called travel bubbles are agreed upon, marketing efforts will be geared toward wealthier individuals who want holidays with minimal risks, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said in an interview.

The government will initially allow a small number of arrivals, such as some business executives and medical tourists. It is also working with the travel industry to identify and invite individuals in target demographics, which will probably include previous visitors to luxury resorts in the islands of Phuket, Samui, Phangan and Phi Phi, the minister said. Phuket is “a prototype” because it has all the needed facilities.

People may be required to pass Covid-19 screenings before traveling and upon arriving, choose a single resort island and remain for a minimum period of time.

Thailand had no foreign tourists in April after closing borders

The “high-end visitors” will be able to travel freely while they’re on the island and be allowed to leave for home or other destinations in Thailand once the minimum 14 days have passed. The country plans to court such visitors, possibly during the winter months of November-February when European and American travelers seek out warmer climates, Phiphat said.

“One person can easily spend as much as five by staying at the finest hotels,” he said, adding that full and free travel should become a “thing of the past.”

Thailand isn’t the only country grappling with the question of how and when to reopen for visitors. Across Southeast Asia -- one of the most tourism-reliant regions in the world -- hotels and travel businesses are slowly kicking into gear as countries that have succeeded in flattening their virus curves ease lockdown restrictions.

Thailand’s first few travel-bubble pacts, with nations such as Japan and Australia, probably won’t be ready until at least August, Phiphat said. Thailand also is mulling a program to allow visitors from specific Chinese cities and provinces, he said.
 

Thailand’s borders are currently locked to all but essential travel through June 30. Most restrictions on domestic travel were lifted this month.

The goal is for Thailand to have 10 million foreign arrivals this year -- one-quarter of the 2019 tally -- Phiphat said. Total tourism revenue is forecast at 1.23 trillion baht ($39.6 billion) this year, down 59% from last year.

The tourism sector will account for about 6% of gross domestic product in 2020, down from 18% last year, Phiphat said. The dearth of travelers is one reason Thailand’s economy is forecast to contract as much as 6% this year. The government is rolling out stimulus worth 15% of GDP, according to World Bank estimates.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-19/thailand-aims-to-turn-away-from-mass-tourism-target-the-wealthy?srnd=premium-asia

I hope this is just a brain fart - but its not going in the "right" direction.

Their Country all all that - Still ?

[Krapow]

That's 99% of this board f***d!

Myself excluded obviously, as I'm proper hiso!

[Toy Boy]

1 hour ago, Krapow said:

That's 99% of this board f***d!

Myself excluded obviously, as I'm proper hiso!

And a lot more Thais f***d as well, all those working in the cheap hotels, bars and restaurants frequented by the wife-beater vest brigade.

[Krapow]

23 minutes ago, Toy Boy said:

And a lot more Thais f***d as well, all those working in the cheap hotels, bars and restaurants frequented by the wife-beater vest brigade.

Yea, was thinking that as well, lack of tourist numbers will obviously mean less jobs, how ever way you look at it. 

[Evil Penevil]

Tourists banned from first wave of ‘travel bubbles,’ says Anutin

Jun 19. 2020

The “travel bubble” scheme will open first to business groups and international-school teachers who can be easily tracked, not general tourists, said Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday (June 19).

He was speaking after meeting with Japanese ambassador Nashida Kazuya. Japan is among the countries deemed at low risk for Covid-19 contagion that are being considered for the “travel bubbles”.About 20,000 foreign businesspeople, Thai work permit holders, and international-school students and teachers have registered to return to Thailand, according to the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

Meanwhile, Anutin said he was ready to be injected with a prototype vaccine for Covid-19 as part of medical trials. Several Thai research programmes are currently seeking a vaccine for the virus.

(LINK)

[Evil Penevil]

5 hours ago, Zeb said:

Bad news if the follow through with this -

Thailand Aims to Turn Away From Mass Tourism and Target the Wealthy

...

“One person can easily spend as much as five by staying at the finest hotels,” he said, adding that full and free travel should become a “thing of the past.”

I hope this is just a brain fart - but its not going in the "right" direction.

Their Country all all that - Still ?

That's pretty chilling reading, particularly the bolded sentence.  The final paragraph of the article is perhaps the scariest of all:

"“If we don’t use this chance to create the most benefit for the industry, Thailand will lose out,” he (Phiphat) said. “This is an opportunity to reset the entire tourism system.”

 It's not encouraging for those who visit Thailand as, shall we say, non-luxury tourists and proudly proclaim they're only interested in cheap pussy and cheap booze. Thailand is apparently not interested in them. Guys who chase 29-baht meals at Kiss and buy their beers at 7-11 aren't high on the list of desired tourists. Beggars won't be choosers, at least when it comes to choosing Thailand as a holiday destination.  If the Thai authorities want to put a dent in the farang-oriented commercial sex business, now is the time to do it.

However,  TAT has been targeting "quality tourists" since at least the 1990's, so there may continue to be a gap between policy goals and practice. It hangs on whether Thailand can attract enough wealthy visitors to offset the decline in the number of Cheap Charlies. Thailand's ability to create enough jobs to replace those lost due to a permanent contraction in mass tourism is also a factor.  Pre-corona, the tourism sector provided millions of jobs to Thais who had little education and low skill sets.

Evil

 

Edited June 19, 2020 by Evil Penevil

[Evil Penevil]

I read on another forum that the cops had been tipped to this party by real-time posts to social media.  How dumb can some people be?  That's a rhetorical question; I already know the answer.

Evil

Nearly one hundred arrested at illegal party in 
Bangkok, charged with violating emergency decree

Almost a hundred party goers were busted at a pub on Bangkok’s Pradit Manutham Road for violating the emergency decree that prohibits public gathering during the Covid-19 situation.  

At 12.30am on Friday (June 19), 50 police officers from Khok Khram Police Station raided an entertainment business named "Fake Illusion" on Pradit Manutham Road in Beung Kum district after they were tipped off about an illegal party with the use of alcohol and drugs.

At the two-storey pub located over 1 rai of land, officials found 96 partygoers -- 64 male and 32 female -- dancing to loud music and drinking. Four were underage, aged 16-17. Officials conducted urine tests at the scene and reportedly found 23 revellers -- 11 males and 12 females -- had purple urine, indicating the use of narcotics. Police also reportedly found over 20 zip-lock bags containing a substance that looked like methamphetamine and sent them to a lab for detailed examination. Police also reportedly found a 9mm Beretta handgun and 10 bullets in one of the cars that were parked in front of the club.

All 96 revellers were charged with violating the emergency decree, while those who tested positive for narcotics will be sent to a hospital to confirm the results before being charged with drug use. Police will also hold the car owner in custody while the gun’s origin is being inspected.

[dcfc2007]

11 hours ago, Zeb said:

Bad news if the follow through with this -

Thailand Aims to Turn Away From Mass Tourism and Target the Wealthy

Thailand’s tourism-revival strategy is to target big spenders seeking privacy and social distancing in the Covid-19 era, rather than try to attract a large number of visitors.

The pandemic provides an opportunity to reset the sector, which had become reliant on Chinese groups and backpackers. Once the country’s borders are reopened and so-called travel bubbles are agreed upon, marketing efforts will be geared toward wealthier individuals who want holidays with minimal risks, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said in an interview.

The government will initially allow a small number of arrivals, such as some business executives and medical tourists. It is also working with the travel industry to identify and invite individuals in target demographics, which will probably include previous visitors to luxury resorts in the islands of Phuket, Samui, Phangan and Phi Phi, the minister said. Phuket is “a prototype” because it has all the needed facilities.

People may be required to pass Covid-19 screenings before traveling and upon arriving, choose a single resort island and remain for a minimum period of time.

Thailand had no foreign tourists in April after closing borders

The “high-end visitors” will be able to travel freely while they’re on the island and be allowed to leave for home or other destinations in Thailand once the minimum 14 days have passed. The country plans to court such visitors, possibly during the winter months of November-February when European and American travelers seek out warmer climates, Phiphat said.

“One person can easily spend as much as five by staying at the finest hotels,” he said, adding that full and free travel should become a “thing of the past.”

Thailand isn’t the only country grappling with the question of how and when to reopen for visitors. Across Southeast Asia -- one of the most tourism-reliant regions in the world -- hotels and travel businesses are slowly kicking into gear as countries that have succeeded in flattening their virus curves ease lockdown restrictions.

Thailand’s first few travel-bubble pacts, with nations such as Japan and Australia, probably won’t be ready until at least August, Phiphat said. Thailand also is mulling a program to allow visitors from specific Chinese cities and provinces, he said.
 

Thailand’s borders are currently locked to all but essential travel through June 30. Most restrictions on domestic travel were lifted this month.

The goal is for Thailand to have 10 million foreign arrivals this year -- one-quarter of the 2019 tally -- Phiphat said. Total tourism revenue is forecast at 1.23 trillion baht ($39.6 billion) this year, down 59% from last year.

The tourism sector will account for about 6% of gross domestic product in 2020, down from 18% last year, Phiphat said. The dearth of travelers is one reason Thailand’s economy is forecast to contract as much as 6% this year. The government is rolling out stimulus worth 15% of GDP, according to World Bank estimates.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-19/thailand-aims-to-turn-away-from-mass-tourism-target-the-wealthy?srnd=premium-asia

I hope this is just a brain fart - but its not going in the "right" direction.

Their Country all all that - Still ?

They've been talking about attracting 'quality tourists' for a decade. Instead we have seen the arrival of budget tourists from China, Russia and India. Thailand as a tourist destination has a lot to do before it can think about attracting more wealthy tourists.