Lufthansa will fly the AirbusA380to Bangkok and Los Angeles.
This winter, Bangkok and Los Angeles are in, while JFK and Boston are out.
This winter, Lufthansa will operate flights on the Airbus A380 from Munich to Bangkok and Los Angeles. They can now be reserved. On June 1st, the carrier will resume utilizing the double-decker when it departs from Munich for Boston. On July 4th, it will depart for New York JFK. However, neither Boston nor JFK are prepared to see the type over the winter as on April 27th and susceptible to change.
to Los Angeles on a Lufthansa A380
From October 5 forward, Lufthansa will operate flights between Los Angeles and Munich, its second-largest hub. From March 2018 until October 2019, it last employed the double-decker on the 9,638-kilometer (5,989-mile) route. Funny enough, it was never used in the winter; always in the summer.more seats per flight by 74%
It will replace the non-first-class A350-900, which runs only during the summer, and operate daily. Of fact, Los Angeles is quite warm in the winter. By using the A380, each flight will have 509 seats instead of 293, a significant 216-seat increase (+74%). The A380s used by the carrier are set up as follows:
Eight first-class seats (arranged 1-2-1)
(2-2-2) 78 business class seats
(2-4-2) 52 premium economy seats
371 seats in the economy class (3-4-3)
For flights from Los Angeles to Munich, click here.
Eight first class seats are now available (new), along with 78 additional business, 52 additional premium economy, and 371 additional standard economy seats (all of which are up). Particularly noteworthy is the route's return of first class.
Bangkok via Lufthansa A380
Lufthansa will begin using the A380 on its flights between Munich and Bangkok on October 28, the final day of the northern aviation summer season (March 26–October 28). The inaugural flight from Thailand will therefore depart on the opening day of the winter season, which is the busiest travel season in Thailand. For flights from Munich to Bangkok, click here.
The A380 replaces the A350-900, much like Los Angeles. Although it did so from Frankfurt between 2017 and 2020, the German behemoth has never operated the A380between Munich and Bangkok.
Intriguingly, Lufthansa has never offered first class on flights from Munich to Bangkok, at least not in the previous 20 years.
A380's fourth flight to Bangkok
After ceasing service between Munich and Bangkok in 2006, Lufthansa resumed it in 2019. The following is the schedule for this winter, all timings are local:
LH773, 23:40-05:50+1 from Bangkok to Munich (12h 10m)
In addition to Asiana, Emirates, and Qatar Airways, Lufthansa will employ the double-decker to go to Bangkok starting on April 27. They will each have up to nine departures each day.
The latest Thailand Tourism Fee circular appears to contain ambiguities.
The latest notice from the Thai tourism ministry lists the exceptions to the rule that all foreigners must pay on arrival 300 baht at airports and 150 baht by land or sea. The fortunate ones are diplomats, infants under 2 years, those with work permits, single day and transit passengers and that famous expression: foreign residents in Thailand.
The latter phrase is optimistically being interpreted by some expats to include themselves as they see themselves as "residents" by virtue of their annual, renewable extensions of stay based on retirement or marriage or because they are learning Thai. But the contextual meaning of "resident" here is "permanent resident" or that category of foreigner who holds a red police residency book and has no visa expiry date in his or her passport. Needless to say, it is a much sought-after status with a complex application procedure which can take years.
The scheme has been delayed until September because of the publicized reluctance of airlines to include the tax in most airfares whilst skillfully excluding the 300 baht from the tickets of Thai nationals and the foreign exempt groups. It is not yet clear whether this dilemma will be resolved by taxing everybody and instituting a post-arrival refund policy, or by training travel agents what documentation to look for when deciding whether to include the tax. Of course, establishing a payment system on arrival at Thai airports would risk macro crowd control issues. Taxable foreigners arriving at land border crossings have their own issues such as needing change, paying in foreign currencies or offering online payments. How to avoid long queues of discontented travellers has not yet been resolved, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand. The proposed solutions have included advance payment online, cash booths at immigration checkpoints and, latterly, the establishment of a private company to sort everything out.
The Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF), according to the latest publicity circular, is to develop and keep up tourist destinations – presumably renovations and improvements – and "to provide medical insurance for tourists". Without clarification, this seems to suggest that tourists – whoever they are – are automatically covered for medical emergencies and do not need their own insurance cover. But previous announcements suggested that government cover would be restricted to discretionary help in mass accidents such as cremation costs and compensation to family members. A spokesman at the tourist ministry said further information on TTF might be delayed until after the general election in mid May. Can't come soon enough.
Unless you want to land yourself a prison sentence and a hefty fine, there are three words you should avoid saying in Thai airports and during flights, warns Airports of Thailand (AOT).
AOT took to Facebookyesterday to remind passengers of their policy of what is unacceptable to say and do in an airport following the controversy caused by a Thai model on social media yesterday, who filmed herself intentionally repeating the word "bomb" (raberd) at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Nisamanee "Nut" Lertvorapong drew criticism online for sneakily fitting the word "bomb" into her sentences around the airport – e.g., "I want to eat noodles with fish ball bombs," "your dress is the bomb."
Some netizens said the model was only making a joke which shouldn't be taken so seriously. Others said that such stunts can cause the flight to be delayed if heard by staff, who have to offload all luggage to be checked via machine and conduct extra security checks.
According to AOT, three words are categorically forbidden to say in the airport or during a flight – 1) "bomb/explode" (raberd), 2) "terrorist attack" (kankorkanrai), and 3) "hijack" (jee khruangbin or plon khruangbin).
AOT warned that making false claims at the airport or aircraft which is likely to cause panic is a crime punishable by no more than five years and/or a fine of no more than 200,000 baht.
If a false claim or action causes danger to the aircraft during a flight then the offender is liable to be punished with a prison sentence between five and 15 years and/or a fine between 200,000 – 600,000 baht.
AOT's policy also forbids passengers to cause panic by making statements such as, "the aeroplane is going to crash," writing the word "bomb" on an aircraft window, or throwing your bag at passengers/staff and running away.
There are no reports to suggest that Nisamanee was arrested or summoned regarding her stunts at Suvarnabhumi yesterday.
According to the Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the starting date of the Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) has been postponed from June to 1 September 2023 to ensure that the TTF system will operate smoothly, while discussions are continuing with airlines to determine the appropriate collection method, in accordance with the rules of the International Air Transport Association.
Foreign arrivals by air will be charged 300 baht, while those who do so by land and sea pay 150 baht. One-day travelers will be exempted.
The ministry decided to impose a tourism fee for use in developing local destinations and infrastructure, as well as providing insurance coverage to foreign tourists.
However, the fee will not be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes.
En Novus-undersökning om flygresor och hållbarhet beställd av flygbolaget KLM, visar att 79 procent av svenskar att de inte är beredda att sluta flyga för att minska flygets klimatpåverkan. Men en betydande andel är beredda att betala mer för miljövänligare flyg. Text: Janne Sundling
79 procent av svenskar kan jämföras med att för norrmän och danskar är siffran närmare 90 procent.
– Människor kommer fortsätta att vilja flyga, särskilt som det för många destinationer inte finns några realistiska alternativ till flyget i dag. I stället behöver vi arbeta aktivt för att reducera flygets miljöpåverkan, säger Maria Hagelberg, marknadschef på Air France och KLM i Norden.
De vanligaste motiveringarna till att man inte kan tänka sig att avstå flyget är att reslusten är för stor, att man väljer att klimatkompensera på andra sätt, samt att man inte tycker att det är konsumentens ansvar att minska flygets miljöpåverkan.
En majoritet av de tillfrågade i de tre länderna som planerar att flyga under 2023 säger dessutom att de gärna vill flyga oftare under det kommande året. I Sverige är 53 procent sugna på fler resor, och i våra grannländer Norge och Danmark är det 6 av 10 som svarar att de vill flyga oftare än vad de gör i dag.
Samtidigt säger Novus-undersökningen att en betydande andel av de tillfrågade är beredda att betala mer för miljövänligare flyg. Men många tycker att det är krångligt att göra hållbara val när de bokar flygresor.
– Det finns redan i dag möjlighet för konsumenten att köpa till SAF vid sin bokning, men det har vi uppenbarligen inte nått ut med i tillräcklig utsträckning, säger Maria Hagelberg.
KLM köpte nyligen 2,4 miljoner ton hållbart flygbränsle (SAF) och investerar även i att modernisera sin flygplansflotta, och har i vissa fall minskat utsläppen med 25 procent per passagerare.
– SAF skulle kunna drastiskt minska flygets miljöpåverkan i dag. Utmaningen är att det är dyrare än traditionellt flygbränsle och produceras i begränsade mängder. Om vi tillsammans ökar efterfrågan kommer mer SAF att produceras och priset kommer att sjunka, säger Martin Kotte, försäljningschef för Sverige på Air France och KLM.
KLM.
Undersökningen består av intervjuer med individer som planerar att resa utomlands i år och visar bland annat:
● Bland de svenskar som uppger att de inte kan tänka sig att sluta flyga säger drygt en tredjedel att de kompenserar för flygets påverkan på andra sätt i vardagen
● En av fem svenskar (20 procent) gör hållbara val när de flyger utomlands – kvinnor mer än män
● Svenskar bryr sig mest om flygets klimatpåverkan (46 procent), medan 34 procent av danskarna och 35 procent av norrmännen anser att det är viktigt.
● Danskar säger sig vara mest beredda att betala mer för hållbara flygalternativ (68 procent) jämfört med 47 procent av norrmän och 56 procent av svenskar
● 44 procent av svenskarna kan inte tänka sig att sluta flyga helt och hållet på grund av flygets klimatpåverkan, och 34 procent svenskarna kan inte tänka sig att sluta flyga helt men kan tänka sig att avstå kortare flygresor (mindre än 3 timmar)
Undersökningen genomfördes i februari i år av Novus, på uppdrag av KLM. Drygt 1000 webintervjuer med allmänheten 18-79 år genomfördes i respektive land.
Prisen på flybilletter overgår ikke stigningen i inflationen i OECD-landene, viser data fra IATA. Og flybilletpriserne er stadig et godt stykke under inflationen i brændstofpriser.
For mange flyrejsende kan priserne på flybilletter virke til at have steget kraftigt. For nogle rejsende måske endda også mere end den generelle prisudvikling i samfundet.
Den generelle mediedækning kan nemlig have givet en forståelse af, at...
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The US Navy's aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its carrier strike group arrived in Thailand Monday on a week-long visit after crossing the South China Sea.
Fitch Ratings already downgraded projected GDP growth for Thailand to 3% this year due to a sharp contraction in exports but even this was dependent on the country welcoming 27 million tourists this year. Based on the latest figures to April 18th, the final tally is now likely to be something like 24 million although there is hope with more flights coming on stream in the months ahead.
Thailand is struggling to achieve the foreign tourism numbers targeted by the government and economic planners this year according to the latest arrival numbers up to mid-April. The figures, although on course for a three-year high in April 2023 for Chinese visitors and showing a marked recovery in foreign tourism, appear to indicate that growth is slowing from the key market with tourist industry leaders blaming higher airfares and a complicated visa process for the lower than expected growth in numbers. There is also a nagging concern about an ongoing social media campaign in China and reports spreading in that country about the potential danger posed to Chinese tourists in Thailand.
Foreign tourist arrival growth from China appears to have slowed in April with only 177,758 visitors recorded from the Communist Country in the first 18 days of April despite a rise in flights being made available.
At the same time, the month looks set to show another record number for Chinese arrivals in 2023 although not enough to meet buoyant expectations at the beginning of the year and some economic projections as the Thai economy this year finds itself at the mercy of achieving a powerful return of pre Covid era foreign tourism numbers, something that now looks unlikely to be achieved this year if ever.
Figure so far in 2023 from the Chinese market is only 14% of the numbers targeted by the tourist industry with Thailand on track for 24 million visitors
Over the weekend, the President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Mr Sisadiwat Cheewaratanaporn, warned that it looked like Thailand would not be able to hit its target this year of attracting 5 million Chinese visitors with a figure up to mid-April of only 14% of the projected target with a total number of arrivals coming in at 695,00o tourists.
At the beginning of the month, the rating agency Fitch downgraded Thailand's GDP growth outlook to only 3% this year after a sharp slowdown in exports but made even this prediction conditional on the country achieving 27 million foreign tourists for 2023.
This now appears unlikely with the latest figures to April 18th showing only 6.5 million visitors for the year which is only 60.7% of the number seen in 2019.
This would suggest that Thailand can expect to welcome somewhere in the region of 24.2 million visitors in 2023.
Some grounds for optimism and hope with more flights slots and connections due to come on stream holding out the prospect of lower fares for visitors
There are, however, grounds for optimism with more flight slots coming on stream but it may be countered by a rapidly weakening world economy, elevated inflation in Western economies and rising geopolitical tensions.
Over the weekend, Mr Sisadiwat of the ATTA attributed the falloff in demand from China to a bottleneck in issuing e-visas and a complicated process for processing visas in China for potential travellers meaning more are operating to use the visa-on-arrival regime.
However, visitors are also being put off by stubbornly high flight costs which have not come down despite more seats being made available.
'Given visa obstacles and gradual flight resumption, it might be difficult to achieve 5 million Chinese visitors this year unless we have a dramatic surge in the second half,' the industry boss told the Bangkok Post newspaper.
Thailand's image in China is suffering from unprecedented and ongoing reports of crime and abduction cases linked to Chinese nationals
It is understood that the outgoing Director-general of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Yuthasak Supasorn is working with tourism industry agencies and business groups to try to find a solution relating to snags being encountered by tourists in China seeking visas but there is, as yet, no breakthrough.
In the meantime, Thailand's image in China is taking a beating from continuous and unprecedented reports detailing the abduction of Chinese nationals and tourists in the kingdom with monies being paid over in extortion.
The latest case is that reported by a Chinese woman to police at Huai Khwang on Police Station on Wednesday the 19th, just hours after police at Bang Phong Phang Police Station had solved a case in which another Chinese national was held hostage by a gang and ฿1.8 million paid over after he was reported by his family as having been taken from the Sathorn area of the city.
Police arrest 12 in a plot to extort money from a Chinese man where ฿1.8 million was paid, while a solo Chinese female traveller is the latest victim
Police arrested 12 people involved in the plot with one reported to have fled the country while police at Lumpini Police Station on the 17th announced the arrest of a six-member Thai gang who had kidnapped a Chinese fraudster and extorted ฿2.92 million from him, something the detained suspects facing charges saucily claimed later was carried out in the national interest.
The number of high-profile cases that have been reported since the start of the year involving Chinese nationals being abducted, extorted and even murdered comes to over a dozen while the crimes committed against Chinese people in Thailand have given rise to a sensational online campaign in China discouraging Chinese people from travelling to the country on holidays out of fear of falling victim to such exploits and other scams.
This took hold in March and went viral with tens of millions of views.
Chinese woman held at 35th floor Rama 9 condo, stripped and bound as men extracted ฿427,000 from her account, complaint filed with Huai Khwang police
The latest abduction involved a Chinese woman named only as Ms Lin who reported to police that she met a Chinese man in the Wang Thong Lang area of Bangkok on April 13th last and later befriended him on the chat application Telegram.
This individual has been identified by police as Mr Zhang Ji Ling who Ms Lin described as slim, apparently good-natured and who communicated well online.
She arranged to meet him on Monday, April 17th at a condominium complex on Rama 9 in Bangkok.
The Chinese woman brought a bottle of alcohol and water to the rendezvous.
Ms Lin arrived at the Rama 9 apartment complex and was taken by her would-be suitor to a 35th-floor apartment whereupon, on entering, she was attacked by him and an accomplice named Mr Su Wei.
The woman was stripped and bound by her legs and hands as her captors went to work forcing her to pay out the money she had access to in the amount of ฿427,000 to accounts controlled by them.
Reports suggest the men fled to Cambodia
By the time the woman freed herself on Tuesday, April 18th and reported her ordeal to police at Huai Khwang Police Station on Wednesday, April 19th, responding officers found that her two attackers had left Thailand from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
It is understood, from some reports, although not confirmed, that the pair may have travelled to Cambodia.
Police in Huai Khwang, who reported the incident to Deputy National Police Chief General Surachate Hakparn, are pursuing an Interpol Red Notice against the men seeking their extradition back to Thailand.
Locals and tourists in Chon Buri noticed an oil spill on Bang Saen Beachyesterday and urged the Marine Department to locate the source of the spill. Residents speculated that the oil was released from an irresponsible cargo ship.
Many travellers, both Thai and foreigners, had to abandon swimming in the Bang Sean Sea yesterday due to the oil spill. Officers from the Mueang Saen Suk Municipality tried removing the oil strain over 2 kilometres along the shoreline. Unfortunately, a large amount of oil remained in the water and on the beach, discouraging people from going into the water. Tourists who did venture into the water returned with the smell of oil and oil stains on their clothing.
A 29 year old Thai visitor, Thotsapon Phonmee, spoke to KhaoSod about the issue.
"I travelled here with my family. After seeing the oil spills, I ordered my children not to swim or play on the beach."
The leader of the Mueang Saen Suk Municipality's field team, 59 year old Suwan Chuychoo, said that he believed the oil came from a huge cargo ship, definitely not a local fishing boat. Suwan said…
"Sometimes, the cargo ships dispose of their motor oil by dumping it into the sea. The oil spills then end up on the beach due to the wind. We tried to get rid of the oil stains on the beach as much as we could, but I do not know how long it would take to completely eliminate them and I also do not know the amount of oil that still remained in the sea."
Suwan and tourists urged the Marine Department and other relevant authorities to track down the ship that released the oil into the sea and hold them accountable for their actions.
This incident is similar to an oil spill in the eastern province of Rayong last year. The oil, at least 20,000 litres, leaked from the underwater pipeline of the petrochemical firm, Start Petroleum Refining Company, and the company found the issue on January 25 of last year.
The oil then covered about 3-5 metres of Mae Ramphueng Beach on January 28. The oil spill was believed to be the cause of the death of a dolphin and a sea turtle, but the authorities denied this was the case.
Residents, fishers, and sellers on Mae Ramphueng Beach requested compensation from the company after the beach was closed, no tourists visited the beach, and fishing businesses could not operate. Locals are still seeking justice and compensation from the company and relevant government departments.
Weekly COVID-19 Situation in Thailand 16 - 22 April 2023.
Number of confirmed infected cases admitted to hospitals 1,088 (155 per day on average),
Number of fatalities 5 (1 per day on average),
Cumulative infected cases (since 1 January 2023) 6,571,
Cumulative number of fatalities (since 1 January 2023) 288.
People get Covid-19 vaccination at the Thai-Japanese Youth Center in Din Daeng district in January. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
About 52% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand are being caused by the XBB sub-strain of the Omicron variant, according to the Centre for Medical Genomics, with a top doctor calling on the public to get a booster shot before the rainy season arrives.
Sub-strains of the XBB variant have been blamed for the recent spikes of Covid-19 cases across the globe, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to reclassify the XBB.1.16 sub-substrain from a "variant under monitoring" to "variant of interest".
In Thailand, there are 34 current cases caused by the XBB1.15 sub-strain, or about 15% of all Covid-19 cases in the country, according to Ramathibodi Hospital's Centre for Medical Genomics.
The centre is developing a test kit which targets the XBB sub-variant using the mass array genotyping technology.
It is also working to improve its antigen test kits so they could determine which sub-strain is behind a patient's infection.
The work is expected to be completed within two weeks.
According to the centre's genomic analysis of XBB.1.16, the sub-variant will become the dominant sub-strain in Thailand in the next few months.
Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said on his Facebook page on Sunday that Covid-19 vaccinations should be given annually, similar to influenza shots.
He emphasised the Covid-19 vaccine does not prevent a person from being infected.
Rather, it prevents the recipient from developing severe symptoms, hospitalisation and death, especially among patients in vulnerable groups.
"The outbreak of infections usually starts at the beginning of the rainy season or the beginning of the school semester. Therefore, the timely period to receive booster shots is during May to June," he wrote.
Both Covid-19 and influenza vaccines will be available at hospitals across the country from May 1 onwards.
Vaccination against both diseases is encouraged for people in the so-called "608" vulnerable group, which includes senior citizens and those with underlying diseases, as well as medical personnel and frontline workers.
Covid-19 vaccines are also available at hospitals and medical centres registered with the National Health Security Office.
A list of such hospitals in can be found on the Pao Tang mobile app.
Advanced booking for vaccine in Bangkok can be arranged via the app as well during April 17-Aug 31.
BANGKOK Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said today (Apr. 22) that a post-Songkran festival Covid spike has led to the number of in-patients in the capital jumping from around 300-400 cases day to maximum 700 and if those who are infected but have not reported their condition to the monitoring system are added it is likely thousands are getting infected everyday, TV Channel 7 said.
However Dr. Wantanee Wattana, BMA's deputy permanent secretary, urged the public to not panic because the new Omicron subvariant XBB. 1.16, which may cause conjunctivitis – red and itchy eyes, especially in babies and young children, has not started spreading with those who fall sick catching the previous variants.
She urged people at risk and those in the vulnerable groups, among whom are people over 60 years of age and those who have congenital diseases, to stay safe and if they have not been vaccinated for four to six months then they should get another jab.
BMA has an adequate stock of vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Long Acting Antibody (LAAB) for those suffering from immunodeficiency disorders. People can get a jab at all 69 public health centres every Friday afternoon, at 11 hospitals linked to the medical office and Vajira Hospital. Should they want to make an appointment they could do so via QueQ app.
Importantly, people should again adopt preventive measures, particularly wearing a face mask, keeping a distance from others and washing hands frequently.
Those in the risk group should only go out when necessary and wear both a surgical face mask with a cloth one on top, not touch their mask, face, nose, eyes and mouth when outdoors, wash their hands often, clean and disinfect various surfaces frequently, separate their personal belongings and not share them with others, eat freshly cooked food and make sure serving spoons are used.
Those who develop some symptoms should take an ATK test and if positive isolate themselves and work from home while also wearing a face mask at all times. If their condition worsens they should contact a doctor.
Should your condition not be severe no antiviral medicine is necessary just take ordinary medicine according to the symptoms and rest a lot. Stay isolated for five to seven days and then screen again to see if you have cleared the infection and if so return to work.
Dr. Wantanee added that BMA has enough medicine and sufficient hospital beds for Covid patients but most people currently infected are only lightly so but if they need advice they could contact a public health service centre and all Bangkok hospitals to get help.
The law says standing passengers are a threat to public safety.
Formally introduced nationally last February, the law banning upright passengers on baht buses has been skillfully ignored. Pattaya baht bus collective spokesman Katee Bangprapa said his colleagues were under a legal obligation to pick up passengers on request and risked being assaulted if they refused. He also pointed out the high cost of fuel which meant that maximum capacity, especially at rush hours, was just common sense.
The police stress that the legal contradictions have not yet been resolved by superiors. One unusually-cognizant Pattaya expat was bold enough to complain to City Hall the ban wasn't working, but was advised to wait for the next available vehicle to come along. Some passengers allegedly prefer standing for assorted reasons such as less likelihood of being pickpocketed or because the view is better.
Pattayans in any case are very good at circumventing legal obligations. Since 2018 smoking on beaches in the kingdom has been outlawed to protect the environment, but the only known prosecution occurred when a hapless drunk set fire to a no-smoking sign. A local ordnance for Pattaya in 2017 restricted the number of recruiter-ladies standing outside beer bars to two, but the news never arrived at Sexy Soi Six.
Pattaya's Sexy Soi Six hasn't heard about the limits on ladies standing outside.
Prosecutions are not always successful. A Pattaya go-go dancer was accused of indecent display under the old Entertainment Venue Act by provocatively dancing totally nude on a club stage, but the charge was dismissed after her lawyer provided evidence she was wearing a top hat. However, she was found guilty of the use of ping pong balls and live goldfish in a lewd cabaret act which was a breach of animal welfare legislation.
According to The Lawyer Portal, there are thousands of unenforceable laws all round the world. In Scotland it is still an offence to refuse to let anyone use your home toilet if he or she asks, whilst a bye-law still demands the death penalty for anyone reckless enough to walk through the streets of Cambridge with a crossbow. Perhaps we shouldn't be too harsh on the Pattaya baht buses.
Zero dollar tourism looms again as Chinese return to Thailand
By
Peter Roche
Thailand's tourism industry has long relied on Chinese visitors, and Thailand could welcome at least 25 million foreign tourists in 2023, with a solid 5 million from China alone. However, this promising recovery has triggered concerns over the return of so-called "zero-dollar tours", which are known for their unusually low prices, pre-paid budget accommodation and tours, and little money going to Thai tourism businesses.
While these tours have been around for years, they have become particularly problematic over the last decade, causing many issues for the Thailand's tourism industry and its reputation.
These tours are named as such because their package prices start at below cost. Some local tour operators offer these tours to Chinese tourists, seeking to earn a profit by sending groups to local Thai agencies without paying any tour fees. The tourists are then forced to visit places and spend their money on goods and services at a higher price than the market rate, often Chinese owned.
In the worst-case scenario, tourists could be left behind without notice if operators are unable to make a profit or if tourists refuse to spend money or visit scheduled destinations. This scenario occurred many times before the pandemic, with tourists seeking help from the authorities. There were also reports of tourists even being assaulted by their tour guides for not wanting to go on the lucrative price-gouging tours.
All in all, the hapless tourists end up spending more than they expected and have a poor experience of Thailand along the way.
Similarly, unwanted "kickback tours" are when Thai agencies pay a fee per person to Chinese tour operators in exchange for a commitment to send large groups to them, sometimes a commission of 50% or more is paid.
Local tour operators earn a profit by taking tourists to visit pre-arranged shops or attractions. This method is akin to buying a "head count" from Chinese tour operators. In many cases, these operators are also involved with nominee businesses, referring to companies legally owned by Thai nationals that have foreign operators, including Chinese, funding them or directing them behind the scenes.
As an organised network, the profit for these tours tends to be limited to certain operators in a closed-loop supply chain. The impact harms Thailand's tourism reputation, particularly when tourists encounter distorted fees or policies while travelling with a tour group escort who keeps them in "the loop", including hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions.
Zero-dollar tours actually force tourists to pay a higher price during the trip, while the quality of products and services are mostly sub-standard, which can, again, create a negative impression of Thailand's tourism industry.
In some cases, these tour operators also hired Chinese nationals as their tour guides to save on costs. This practice is illegal as the tour guide is a protected occupation under labour law reserved solely for Thai nationals.
As a result, a significant amount of money flowed out of Thailand, with the government was unable to collect as much tax revenue as it should have. These tours and other illegal activities have caused many issues for the country's tourism industry, particularly in terms of reputation. The Thai government has made efforts to crack down on these tours, but the problem persists.
These tours remain a concern for local Thai operators, who fear these tours will lead to even larger systematic crimes. Many operators are worried shady businesses will return and have a greater impact, with even larger systematic crimes, which the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has dubbed "closed-circuit tours."
A closed-circuit tour is run exclusively among a network served by specific nationalities, with more systematic management and working divisions. For example, tour agencies can take groups to eat at their own restaurants and shop at stores run by operators of the same nationality
Since Thailand reopened to tourists last year, related authorities are starting to receive complaints regarding "irregular" tours, including zero-dollar tours.
In 2016, the Thai government imposed regulations to crack down on these types of tours. These measures included imposing a minimum price for tour fees of at least 1,000 baht per person per day and an optional tour of no more than 3,000 baht per trip to prevent overcharging. These measures helped Thailand earn about 10 billion baht more in revenue from tax collection in 2017 than the previous year. Now Thailand's tourism officials plan to sign an MoU with China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism to address these issues on a long-term basis.
The department has already compiled a list of 189 legal Thai operators who partnered with Chinese companies.
Tourists walk through the airport upon arrival in Phuket. Achadthaya Chuenniran
Tourism operators are calling for clearer measures regarding the 300-baht tourism fee after the tourism and sports minister said levy collection will be delayed from June to September because of issues with its implementation.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said fee collection from foreign arrivals by air must be postponed because the airlines could not adopt a selective approach between foreign tourists, Thais and expatriates.
The airlines insisted that all passengers must be treated similarly for regulations.
Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, said if the collection is postponed for air travellers, it should also be pushed back for arrivals by land and sea for consistency.
Instead of relying on airlines, there should be a central organisation solely responsible for fee collection and management for arrivals by air, sea and land, he said.
Mr Bhummikitti said he agrees with a tourism fee systematically collected and managed to help develop tourism destinations and communities, as well as cover the medical expenses of tourists in public hospitals.
Unpaid medical bills of tourists in Phuket amount to more than 10 million baht a year, he said.
In terms of the 150-baht tourism fee collection for entry via land, Mr Bhummikitti said the measure might affect the volume of cross-border visitors, such as Malaysian tourists in Songkhla, as they are mostly frequent travellers who visit Thailand every month for weekend breaks.
He said the government should take into account the different contexts and adjust measures to accommodate short trips within a certain period.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the delay would help ease the burden for tourists to some extent as other travel costs surge.
The country's tourism sector is still in the recovery phase, still lagging the level of arrivals recorded in 2019, she said.
Mrs Marisa said transparency in fee collection and fund management are paramount for this scheme.
Earlier, Mr Phiphat said 60-70% of the fee will be earmarked for a tourism fund, as stated in the 2009 National Tourism Policy Act, while 17% will be used for medical insurance for tourists.
Some suggestions called for hotels to help collect the fee, but Mrs Marisa said it would be unfair for tourists as Thailand still has many unregistered hotels and those operators might not apply the same rules to their guests.
