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  1. #201
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    Ferk, I'm jealous. Australia has reverted to being a penal colony, and I can't travel.

  2. #202
    Thailand Expat raycarey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    There's more than enough bars and restaurants and shops open to cater to everyone, and they're really appreciative of what business they can get. All sorts of deals and specials going on that are almost too good to pass up, you really need to be a member of the various local food/entertainment groups at a time like this to be able to keep up. Haven't seen a BiB road-block since about February, traffic is so much lighter, have never see the beaches so clean and deserted, and the only time it gets a little busy is on long weekends when the Bangkok crowd saddle up for a 3-4 day road trip.
    this is also true by me, and i would think of most places in thailand at the moment.


    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    the financial burden Covid has created for so many people
    and i fear it's only going to get worse in the months ahead.
    more people are going to get laid off, businesses will shutter...and the inevitable social problems will follow.
    recovery is a long way off.

  3. #203
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    There's more than enough bars and restaurants and shops open to cater to everyone, and they're really appreciative of what business they can get. All sorts of deals and specials going on that are almost too good to pass up,
    How sustainable do you think that all is?

  4. #204
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    ^What happened once everywhere could open again without ridiculous restrictions is many places did reopen, but a lot of places didn't. An example of the latter category would be the large restaraunts, live theatres, and bars that catered pretty much exclusively to Chinese tour groups or well-heeled Asian visitors. Then after a few weeks, some of the places that did reopen closed again, while others adjusted their trading hours, pricing, staff levels, and in some cases their business model as well to more realistic levels once everyone got a grip on how big the remaining customer base was.

    So to answer your question, I now believe it's sustainable at current levels but nobody will be making pre-Covid money and businesses will need to be prepared to downsize (or even close if they decide the effort doesn't reflect the turnover) until International arrivals start again.

  5. #205
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    With it's resident population & weekenders, Pattaya scrapes by. Seems like it's worse in Phuket.

  6. #206
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    ^Similar situation here in PI, in the tourist areas. I follow a vlogger couple (Jumping Places) - they've been in El Nido (in Palawan island) the past 6 months. The girl has a Brazilian passport. Given the situation in Brazil now, they don't want to go back there, so they opted to wait it out in PI. In their latest vid, they showed that the McDonald's in El Nido had a sign that it was to remain closed for the next 6 months. They were surprised because only a few weeks before, they had a meal there. If McD folds, it's sure worse for small businesses. Also for the little people - boatmen, tour guides, hotel/ resort staff, etc. Difficult times, and it looks like PI won't be accepting foreign tourists until next year.

  7. #207
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    With it's resident population & weekenders, Pattaya scrapes by. Seems like it's worse in Phuket.
    Really ? I was just thinking that Phuket is the best of all worlds. Pattaya has too much dodgy men and women

  8. #208
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    ^Similar situation here in PI, in the tourist areas. I follow a vlogger couple (Jumping Places) - they've been in El Nido (in Palawan island) the past 6 months. The girl has a Brazilian passport. Given the situation in Brazil now, they don't want to go back there, so they opted to wait it out in PI. In their latest vid, they showed that the McDonald's in El Nido had a sign that it was to remain closed for the next 6 months. They were surprised because only a few weeks before, they had a meal there. If McD folds, it's sure worse for small businesses. Also for the little people - boatmen, tour guides, hotel/ resort staff, etc. Difficult times, and it looks like PI won't be accepting foreign tourists until next year.
    There is going to be a serious breakdown in the tourism sector if they go ahead with that plan. It's worse for the Philippines. The Philippines has far less going for it than Thailand.

  9. #209
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    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    Pattaya has too much dodgy men and women
    It does seem that way if you don't know any better, or think Pattaya is nothing more than Walking Street and Soi 6. With your own transport and a little knowledge, there's an entirely different side that tourists don't get to see.

  10. #210
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    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    There is going to be a serious breakdown in the tourism sector if they go ahead with that plan.
    There already is, but the question is about balancing opening the country with potentially tens and hundreds of thousands of deaths - not to mention the cost to the health sector.

    It isn't as easy as 'open up', as you can see by the US example. More infected than the population of NZ - 5 milion -

    200.000 deaths due to C-19.

    US World war I deaths 116.000
    US Vietnam War deaths 58.000

    Next up is the number of WWII deaths at 290.000


    It's not a simple matter of economy vs lives
    Last edited by panama hat; 15-09-2020 at 09:31 AM. Reason: edit sp.

  11. #211
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    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    Really ? I was just thinking that Phuket is the best of all worlds. Pattaya has too much dodgy men and women
    Hey thick boy, he is talking about the tourist trade. Bangkokians can simply drive to Pattaya for the weekend. Phuket is an air fight away so its harder hit. I was there in August and its simply dead. The locals are resigned to waiting on a vaccine for the virus.

  12. #212
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    It does seem that way if you don't know any better, or think Pattaya is nothing more than Walking Street and Soi 6. With your own transport and a little knowledge, there's an entirely different side that tourists don't get to see.
    i dont think that at all. I just meant compared to Phuket. I think Pattaya is one of the most enjoyable places in the world. I spend most of my time defending Pattaya

  13. #213
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Hey thick boy, he is talking about the tourist trade. Bangkokians can simply drive to Pattaya for the weekend. Phuket is an air fight away so its harder hit. I was there in August and its simply dead. The locals are resigned to waiting on a vaccine for the virus.
    do you live in Thailand full time ?

  14. #214
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    31 years.

  15. #215
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    This is a 1 in 50 years opportunity to pick up assets in the tourism sector as covid culls the weak. Some lucky cvnts are going to stumble in at the right time. I wont be one of them because i wont bother. Ive never been anywhere at the right time so why should i try

  16. #216
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    With it's resident population & weekenders, Pattaya scrapes by. Seems like it's worse in Phuket.
    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    Really ? I was just thinking that Phuket is the best of all worlds. Pattaya has too much dodgy men and women
    What you think of Phuket is quite irrelevant for the survival of its tourist business.
    There are no international tourist arrivals, the only tourists are local tourists and most of them comes from Bangkok and surrounding areas, Phuket is too far away for most of them so they holiday on the eastern seaboard or in national parks.
    If they go in the other direction then they seldom get further south than Hua Hin.
    The recent five day songkran substitute holiday didn't do much for the tourist industry in Phuket or Koh Samui..

  17. #217
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    31 years.
    Do/did you work in Thailand ?

  18. #218
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    Of course.

  19. #219
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    It does seem that way if you don't know any better, or think Pattaya is nothing more than Walking Street and Soi 6. With your own transport and a little knowledge, there's an entirely different side that tourists don't get to see.
    Agreed. The same misconception of many is that Phuket is Patong. The reality is that Phuket has a healthy resident expat population outwith the core tourist resort towns of Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala etc. Certainly the places I use for dining are trading well, though some that cater for certain expat groups may struggle in the medium term (I'm thinking particularly of a Korean place where we'll be lunching with friends today. This place has a large Korean customer base, most of whom I guess are working in the tourist sector so their ability to remain here is obviously in doubt).

    Phuket Town has many good restaurants particularly for Thai food, that are on a wholly different level to those found in the tourist towns. My own area of Chalong is largely unaffected, though near to me is an area largely devoted to Muy Thai/fitness where many of the peripheral businesses (sport clothing/food/laundries/pharmacies etc) are shuttered.

    Those Thais previously working in the hospitality sector who've been made redundant largely seem to have relocated back to their home provinces.

  20. #220
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    Kata, Karon Aug 11-16

    Is anybody happy in Pattaya?-img_20200811_165850-jpg

    Restaurant row Karon, closed and boarded up.

    Is anybody happy in Pattaya?-img_20200811_171014-jpg

    Hilton Arcadia, closed.

    Is anybody happy in Pattaya?-img_20200815_125024-jpg

    Kata nightlife center at 5pm, closed.

    Is anybody happy in Pattaya?-img_20200812_120359-jpg

    Beach front hotel southern end of Karon

    Is anybody happy in Pattaya?-img_20200811_172529-jpg

    More closed restaurants beachfront Karon.

    Its simply sad. Notice the lack of traffic and cars. This should be jammed its the main road to Kata from Karon beach,

  21. #221
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    Agreed. The same misconception of many is that Phuket is Patong. The reality is that Phuket has a healthy resident expat population outwith the core tourist resort towns of Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala etc. Certainly the places I use for dining are trading well, though some that cater for certain expat groups may struggle in the medium term (I'm thinking particularly of a Korean place where we'll be lunching with friends today. This place has a large Korean customer base, most of whom I guess are working in the tourist sector so their ability to remain here is obviously in doubt).

    Phuket Town has many good restaurants particularly for Thai food, that are on a wholly different level to those found in the tourist towns. My own area of Chalong is largely unaffected, though near to me is an area largely devoted to Muy Thai/fitness where many of the peripheral businesses (sport clothing/food/laundries/pharmacies etc) are shuttered.

    Those Thais previously working in the hospitality sector who've been made redundant largely seem to have relocated back to their home provinces.
    Over at the other channel, smeg has recommended Phuket town and Nai Harn beach to me.
    Last edited by Backspin; 15-09-2020 at 09:14 AM.

  22. #222
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    Yeah listen to him he is the Thailand expert.

  23. #223
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    ^He is if you need tips on how to turn English lessons into a free Big Mac

  24. #224
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    ^ Kata, Karon. For some reason i thought that area was more developed than that. That's some fairly low overhead there.

  25. #225
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    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    Over at the other channel, smeg has recommended Phuket town and Nai Harn beach to me.
    Rawai (of which Nai Harn is part) and Chalong have significant resident expat populations, hence the popular venues doing OK. Other clusters of expats are scattered around the island, though in places like Bang Tao, although quite residential, tend to be holiday homes and hence very quiet.

    Nai Harn beach is one of the best on the island. A fairly sheltered bay, at this time of year it's largely sheltered from the current westerly monsoon that in previous years caused so many drowning deaths on the west coast.

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