Phuket plays Russian roulette – an existential problem for the island's tourism
By
by Tim Newton
Whilst Phuket's tourism tzars are delighted with the surge of arrivals into Phuket in recent months, the statistics reveal some crucial warnings for Phuket's immediate tourism future. And, despite all the back-patting from the local Tourism of Thailand office, Phuket's total tourist arrivals are still below 50% of average pre-pandemic levels.
Still, Phuket's tourism stakeholders have been lapping up the surge of mostly Russian arrivals as hotels, restaurants and seats in tour boats have been filling up over the past two months.
Let's check out the actual statistics.
Since the middle of December, Phuket has been receiving an average of 10-13,000 visitors a day, a figure that seems to be flatlining lately, according to the arrival statistics. But the vast majority of the arrivals since November are from one country – Russia. In Phuket's entire tourism history, there has never been such a concentration of arrivals from one particular country, not even close. Even with Chinese mass tourism in the years before the pandemic, the highest proportion of Chinese arrivals only reached 28%.
To amplify the issue, if you add up the arrivals from the next five countries in the list, from November 1 – January 31, you arrive at a similar figure of current Russian arrivals.
GRAPH: Phuket immigration arrivals
To be clear, there is no slight intended with these figures, it's just statistics. Many of the Russian arrivals are families, either on holidays escaping the Russian winter or trying to get some reprieve from the current political situation. There are some younger Russian men who admit to fleeing the new conscription laws, enacted by President Putin in early September last year, but they are not the majority.
267,245 Russian citizens have arrived in Phuket since the start of November last year. Of course there were Russians in the tourism mix for the decade before Covid-19 but never in the numbers, proportionally, we are seeing now. Indians, too, are a relatively new addition to the 'top 5' arrivals list but have become an important staple for Phuket's tourism mix since borders progressively opened with fewer restrictions last year.
If we were to remove the 267,245 Russian arrivals from the arrival's list, Phuket's tourism situation would be dire, in anyone's estimation. Simply put, the situation with the Russia/Ukraine war, and the open door policy to Russian arrivals by the Thai government, has saved Phuket's tourism recovery.
PHOTO: Aeroflot flight arriving in Phuket yesterday
But whilst the hoteliers and restaurant owners are happily welcoming the surge of visitors, there are others who don't see the current trend as either sustainable or a useful long-term solution, calling instead for a more diverse mix of nationalities to visit Thailand in the future.
There has also been an enormous surge in property purchases from Russian citizens in the past 3 months, pushing up the prices in the island's turbulent property market. Rental prices for motorbikes, cars and villas are skyrocketing. And the impact on the immigration offices and new visa applications is being widely reported.
Just last week, Ho Ren Yung, the senior vice-president at the Banyan Tree Group, was calling for more diversity in tourism promotion.
"Before the pandemic, one-third of the Banyan Tree's guests were Chinese. We are anticipating rising bookings in February as the Chinese tourists return. But we will certainly retain our guest diversity."
Phuket has been caught with its pants down before, hitching their tourism wagon to the Chinese travel express during the 2010s. The focus on attracting Chinese visitors became an acute problem following the 2018 sinking of the 'Phoenix' and the drowning by 47 Chinese tourists, including many children (the bad PR would have been a lot worse worldwide if not for the concurrent story of the Thai Cave Rescue which was in full swing at the time).
The negative publicity from the story, and the lack of action from Thai authorities at the time (including some insensitive comments from the deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan), didn't travel well in Chinese social media, causing the tourism arrival figures in Phuket over the following year to plunge, for the first time in four decades. Tourism from China eventually recovered again but the lesson about reliance on one, single market had been learned.
Or had it?
Whilst market forces dictate, arrivals from some of the traditionally strong tourism markets, including many of the long haul feeder markets, are being hampered by both a lack and high price of flights, global economic challenges and a change in attitude towards Thai tourism. Whilst being the darling of world travel in the early 2000s, Thailand's 'bars, beaches and temples' tourism model is being overtaken by emerging tourism opportunities and a change in the post-Covid global travel demographics.
Phuket's tourism strength will always be providing a range of experiences to a diverse mix of nationalities and various budgets. The current focus on one nationality should be a concern for every person who derives a living from tourism in Phuket – the lessons of the past appear to be quickly forgotten.
Two Thai workers pick berries in a forest in Europe. (Photo: Ministry of Labour)
The Ministry of Labour will start talks with the Swedish embassy in Thailand, after it threatened to suspend issuing seasonal working visas to Thai berry pickers following reports of unfair treatment by employers and job brokers, it said on Monday.
"Even though Sweden has every right to ban Thai berry pickers from entering the country, there must be a way to resolve the situation," said Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, urging stakeholders to sit down together to hash out a solution.
The minister was responding to a series of Twitter posts by Jon Åström Gröndahl, the Swedish ambassador to Thailand on Jan 13, which said, "Unscrupulous employment actors with shadow contracts and fake documents have no place in the labour market."
"The Swedish Embassy in Bangkok will not facilitate berry pickers until all employers guarantee fair recruitment, safety standards and decent working conditions," the tweet said.
Later on Jan 18, the ambassador tweeted again saying: "Sweden and Thailand (Ministry of Labour) working together on finding solutions and a way forward in ensuring the rights and decent working conditions for Thai berry pickers going to Sweden. Employers and recruitment agencies have key roles and must do their part."
Aside from the Swedish ambassador, the Finnish ambassador had also warned in a Facebook post on Jan 21 that Thai workers intending to go to Finland for a berry-picking job to research the actual costs and their potential income before they apply for the job and go.
Mr Suchart continued, "When problems arise, talks should be launched to clear it up. But if the problem really can't be solved, we're not going to send [Thai berry pickers to Sweden]."
Phairoj Chotikasatien, director-general of Department of Employment, who will work with the embassy on the matter, said the Swedish ambassador was concerned about the problems encountered by Thai berry pickers while working in Sweden.
Mr Phairoj said he met the ambassador around mid-December last year when they discussed working conditions among Thai berry pickers.
He said the problem is more complex than it seems, with more stakeholders involved than just the employers and employees, including brokers which supply these workers to Sweden, as well as companies which buy the berries from the farms that had hired the workers.
Many Thai workers are keen to go to Sweden or Finland to take up berry-picking jobs from July to September each year, in between the rice harvest season and the planting season.
That said, as the number of Thais keen to take up the job has increased over the past two decades, workers are making less money than before.
A source said the number of Thais who travelled to Sweden and Finland to take up berry-picking jobs rose to 6,000 last year, up from 5,000 in the previous year.
As a result, the number of disputes has also increased, with about 400 workers asking the Labour Ministry to act as a mediator between them and their employers and/or recruitment agencies.
About half of these cases have been settled successfully, said the source.
Samarn Laodumrongchai, an expert at the Institute of Asian Studies, said many Thai berry pickers ended up overstaying their visas to take up other jobs when they realised they haven't made enough to cover the debts they took up to secure the berry picking job.
Covid situation improves, low infection rate in outbound travellers
People wait for a Covid-19 shot at a vaccination centre managed by City Hall at the Thai-Japanese Youth Centre in Bangkok's Din Daeng district on Jan 8. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
The local Covid-19 situation is improving and the infection rate among outbound travellers is only about 4%, with vaccination stations for foreign tourists now open in 31 provinces, according to the Public Health Ministry.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary for public health, said on Monday that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continued to improve. In the fourth week of this year (from Jan 22 to 28) there were 472 Covid-19 inpatients (67 per day) and 29 fatalities (four per day).
During the previous week there were 627 inpatients (90 per day) and 44 fatalities (six per day).
"All the new fatalities were vulnerable people, most of them were never vaccinated or received only one shot," Dr Opas said.
Health officials remained prepared to handle the increasing number of arrivals. Workers in the service sector were undergoing antigen tests weekly.
From Jan 8 to 21, 828 outbound travellers took RT-PCR tests and 33 of them, 3.99%, tested positive for Covid-19 - 12 Chinese, nine Thais and 12 of other nationalities.
Dr Opas said the BA.2.75 subvariant of the Omicron variant was the dominant strain in the country, accounting for 90% of newly tested cases.
He also said there were now 128 Covid-19 vaccination centres for foreign tourists in 31 provinces. The Health Ministry had not authorised any vaccination centre in the private sector for the purpose yet.
Phuket is cheaper than the average city in Asia for international schools, ranking eighth cheapest out of 24 cities, according to the latest research released by International Schools Database (ISD).
International schools on the island also remain cheaper than their counterparts in Bangkok and Pattaya, ISD has reported.
China ranked the most expensive country in Asia for international education, with four Chinese cities in the top 10 most expensive locations across the continent, said a release announcing ISD's analysis for 2022.
The database, launched in 2019, allows parents to find, research and compare international schools around the world. The latest release uses all price data available to the organisation as of Dec 31, 2022. "There may be additional schools and prices not included in each city, because they do not make their price data available or it is unknown to us," ISD noted in its release.
Phuket was included in the analysis of international schools in 24 cities in 13 Asian countries, in graph and table forms.
"Similar to last year, China continues to dominate as the most expensive country in Asia for international schools. The top four most expensive cities are all located in China – Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. This order also remains the same since last year, however, median prices have increased in all four cities (although only slightly in Shenzhen)," the release noted.
Ipoh, in Perak, Malaysia, is a new city included in the research this year and has taken the title of the least expensive location in Asia for international schooling. Following it is Phnom Penh, which was 2021's least expensive city.
"Prices in Ipoh range from US$2,316 to $3,065 per year, which is a stark contrast to Asia's most expensive city, Beijing. Prices in this Chinese metropolis range from above $10,000 to almost $40,000 per year, ISD reported.
Despite the high prices seen in China, elsewhere in Asia median prices were more affordable than most people might think.
"Of the 24 cities included in our analysis of Asia, 14 had median prices of under $15,000 per year. These were Taipei, Yangon, Bangkok, Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Manila, Johor Bahru, Bali, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh and Ipoh – Perak," ISD explained.
Malaysia and Thailand are the most affordable countries in Asia when it comes to the cost of international education, while Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket along with four Malaysian cities (Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh) are included in the 10 least expensive locations in the continent. Other countries include Indonesia (Bali), Philippines (Manila), and Cambodia (Phnom Penh).
"This year we have added Bali to our analysis for the first time, and it is the fifth least expensive destination overall in Asia. This should be good news for many people, since the Indonesian island is becoming increasingly popular as an expat destination," explained ISD Co-Founder Andrea Robledillo.
Of note, Phuket ranked fifth cheapest international school in Asia in the study in 2020.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation and currency value fluctuations across the region, Ms Robledillo offered different reasons for Phuket's slide down to eighth place.
"The main reason why it moved from the fifth cheapest in Asia for international education to the eighth cheapest is because this year we were able to extend our research to include two new cities/areas in Asia that are cheaper than Phuket: Bali and Ipoh - Perak. This made Phuket move up two positions in the ranking," Ms Robledillo explained.
"Additionally, Phuket also moved up one position because this year Manila's median international school price became slightly cheaper than Phuket, instead of slightly more expensive as it was in 2021," she added.
A breakdown of exact prices for each Asian city in the study, and comparable price data for other regions and cities around the world as well as additional research at International-schools-database.com. Each school's listing includes full contact details, school policies, nationality information, extra-curricular activities, and more.
Heinecke uneasy about vaccines offered to visitors
A hotel tycoon is disappointed with the government's tight control over Covid vaccinations, suggesting more tourists coming to Thailand aren't comfortable visiting public healthcare centres.
William Heinecke, chairman and founder of Minor International Plc, said the government moved quickly in reopening the country, but the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines was disappointing.
He said the government kept tight control over vaccines, with distribution restricted to government centres, rather than being freely available throughout the country.
Some foreign tourists don't feel comfortable visiting government clinics, preferring private hospitals or clinics, said Mr Heinecke.
The Public Health Ministry started a pilot vaccination project this month for tourists in popular provinces, but it only allows public hospitals and healthcare centres to serve as vaccination centres.
The private sector was not permitted to join the project.
Speaking at an NH Hotel Group press conference, related to one of the company's major investments, Mr Heinecke said as Covid infections ease, Minor plans to focus on growth this year, expanding its hotel and food portfolio, both in terms of owned equity and management deals.
Brands under NH would be among the firm's key businesses to grow globally, he said.
"Hopefully the general election this year will be handled smoothly and the Thai recovery will continue with the government's support," said Mr Heinecke.
He said tourism rebounded strongly during the New Year and the Chinese New Year, even without Chinese market.
A more diverse range of nationalities helped raise room rates in all markets, as the industry is not currently overly reliant on a specific market, said Mr Heinecke.
This balance should persist because the Chinese market only started to return this month and will take until the fourth quarter to post a significant recovery, he said.
Dillip Rajakarier, group chief executive of Minor International and chief executive at Minor Hotels, said the company is still looking for joint ventures with sovereign wealth funds to add hotels in Thailand and globally after it secured an agreement with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) in December last year.
The deal enables ADFD to jointly hold a 40% share in four hotels in Thailand -- Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort, Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort and Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui -- as well as the mall Riverside Plaza Bangkok.
"We're in talks with the top 10 funds in Europe and look forward to using those investments in new hotels for expansion," said Mr Rajakarier.
"There will be at least two more joint ventures with leading funds this year."
He said Minor has more than 70 properties in the pipeline.
With the strong recovery in tourism building up since last year, the revenue contribution from hotels for the group increased to 75% in 2022 from 68% in 2021, which is the same proportion recorded before the pandemic.
A long history of unfortunate deaths on a small island with a tightly knit community and a comparatively huge number of annual visitors may not be as sinister as it sounds but the 2014 murder of two British tourists Hannah Witheridge and her compatriot David Miller continues to haunt Ko Tao. It certainly requires more sensitivity from authorities to protect Thailand's tourism reputation which is suffering.
International media reports in the last 48 hours circulating about the sudden death of a UK diving instructor on Ko Tao are giving rise to speculation regarding the southern island's sinister reputation in part created by the 2014 horrific murders of UK tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller but also related to an unfortunate string of suicides and deaths of foreigners linked with misadventure on the paradise island. On Tuesday, the Thai government earmarked nearly ฿4 billion to promote Thailand as a top-class tourist destination and brand it positively to potential international travellers abroad while international news outlets, at the same time, painted a negative portrait in respect of Ko Tao. Whether it be simply an unfortunate coincidence or an island myth, the ongoing unease about the tourist hotspot is a somewhat disturbing one.
48-year-old Neil Giblin was a popular, respected and well-liked diving instructor on the once-in-vogue tourist island of Ko Tao. His sudden death, last Wednesday, has again sparked speculation about the island linked forever with the horrific murder of young UK tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller there in September 2014 (inset left) and a long list of sudden deaths and suicides questioned by the families of those involved living outside Thailand. This has led to a sinister myth and reputation developing concerning Ko Tao, inspiring online websites and best-selling books which is damaging Thailand's efforts to promote its tourism brand abroad.
The death of a UK diving instructor on the idyllic island of Ko Tao has resurrected the island's sinister reputation outside of Thailand despite the efforts of police and officials in recent years to robustly assure the public that the island, which remains a popular destination for foreign tourists with tourism at the heart of its economy, is safe for visitors.
Last week, on Wednesday the 18th of January, the body of 48-year-old Neil Giblin was found at a rented property on the island after he failed to turn up for an appointment.
Police officers on Ko Tao treat death of UK man last Wednesday so far as nothing out of the ordinary
Details of the local police response to the deaths are still sketchy although reports suggest that police were satisfied, last Wednesday, that there was no sign of a struggle or anything untoward within the bungalow where the body of Mr Giblin was found.
He was reportedly lying in his underwear covered by a blanket on a sofa.
The UK man hails from Birmingham in the British Midlands and was thought to be 'fit and healthy' by all those who knew him. He was 48 years of age.
A friend of Neil's speaking about his death to the media after his death indicated that medical experts responding to the incident were quick and adamant that the death of the British man was nothing out of the ordinary as he queried whether an autopsy on his friend's body would be performed.
It is thought that he is the fifth foreign diving instructor to have died suddenly on the island since it became an attraction for foreign visitors over two decades ago.
'The medical professionals who arrived said there was nothing suspicious. I was informed that the police declared there was nothing to investigate right away. It took place so quickly. I don't even believe an autopsy was performed. In our conversation, I brought up a few of the local fatalities,' his friend disclosed to the UK tabloid, The Sun.
Post mortems on Ko Tao for suspicious cases take two weeks to complete and are carried out in Bangkok
Post mortems into deaths on Ko Tao are ordered by police in circumstances which appear suspicious. They can take up to two weeks to perform with the body of the deceased having to be preserved and transported to the Police General Hospital in Bangkok.
However, Mr Giblin's friend on the island says he has been told that police are satisfied that there is no need to investigate his death any further.
He suggested that one of the emergency responders at the scene of his friend's death has told him that he should not raise any questions concerning the death of the diving instructor.
He added that he had also received the same response from others on the island.
'He informed me that I shouldn't be bringing up that subject around here, as everyone else does when I do. This doesn't make sense to me at all. No one is willing to challenge the police's account,' the friend explained.
Negative publicity fears on Ko Tao stem from adverse coverage the island received in the aftermath of the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller
The response of locals on the small island and fear of negative publicity stems from the high-profile murder of UK tourists, 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller whose bodies were found on Sairee Beach in the early hours of the 15th September 2014.
This led to an intensive murder investigation after the revelation that Ms Hannah Witheridge had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death while her compatriot was beaten and drowned.
In an intensive investigation in which the Royal Thai Police worked closely with Scotland Yard in London focusing on a mobile phone and other evidence found at the same time as the murder suspects, two Burmese men, Zaw Lin and Wei Phyo, were arrested and charged.
In December 2015, both were convicted and sentenced to death. The sentences handed down were later commuted to life imprisonment.
In the aftermath of the murders, tourist concerns and local representatives on the island appealed for more balanced and responsible media coverage given the island's dependence on foreign tourism and the livelihoods of its residents.
Nevertheless, both the incidents and the rumour mill continued.
First suspicious death occurred in early 2014 with the demise of 25-year-old Nick Pearson found at sea
Even before the murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, on the opening day of 2014, another British national, 25-year-old Nick Pearson was discovered floating in water close to the Hillside Resort on Ko Tao.
Police suggested he had fallen from a 50 ft height before ending up dead in the water.
His family in the UK were not satisfied with the conclusions of local police enquiries into Mr Pearson's demise.
In Derby, a city in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom, after an inquest into his death found it to be suspicious, the Derby Coroner, Ms Louise Pinder, recorded an open verdict.
A year later, on the same day, the 1st of January 2015, a 29-year-old French man Dimitri Povse was found hanging in another bungalow located on the island.
French man's suicide came with a suicide note in a country which sees countless suicides by foreigners
His hands were found to be tied behind his back but police officers nevertheless were satisfied that it was a case of suicide. He left a suicide note.
It should be noted that the rate of suicide among foreigners living in Thailand is extraordinarily high and many go to great lengths to carry out their deaths, often taking precautions to make sure they are not in a position to change their minds during the act itself.
In the same month, a 23-year-old UK woman Christina Annesley was found dead at a resort on the island. Police who responded to the death at the In Touch Resort initially noted no signs of a struggle or violence.
The death was pronounced as caused by drug and alcohol-induced heart failure.
Russian disappeared leaving her mobile and passport, she was never seen again and presumed drowned
Two years later, on 6th January 2017, another 26-year-old British visitor to Ko Tao, Luke Miller, was found dead in a swimming pool in the Sunset Bar on the island while in February 2017, a 24-year-old, Russian diving enthusiast, Valentina Novozhyonova, went missing.
She had been staying at a hostel on the island and disappeared after checking in on February 11th 2017. She was due to check out on February 16th but never did.
Police found her mobile phone, passport and other items and concluded that she had drowned while diving as her diving gear was not found.
Two months later, in April 2017, a 30-year-old Belgian woman was found hanging from a tree on Ko Tao. Her family in Belgium were sceptical when told the police on the island had concluded that Elise Dallemagne had committed suicide saying there were no signs of a struggle associated with her body when it was found.
Several deaths not included as the list is long but it includes a German and former longtime resident of Ko Tao, Bernd Grotsch found dead in June 2018
There are several more cases not mentioned involving western and European travellers to Thailand which have been catalogued by a growing number of sources outside Thailand including a British visitor who died on Sairee Beach in 2018 or a Swiss man, 44-year-old Hans Peter Suter whose body was found washed up in November 2014.
In June 2018, the body of a German man, Mr Bernd Grotsch was found.
He had lived on the island, also known as Turtle Island, for 20 years approximately up to 2016 but left for another island complaining about hostility towards foreign businessmen.
He returned in March 2018 to settle up his affairs.
The German had been in a relationship with a local from the island and had a two-year-old daughter who lived in Germany with his family.
He was found dead at his property located within the jungle of Ko Tao and some reports suggested he may have died as the result of a snake bite as the German was known to have kept snakes at one point.
Otherwise, police concluded, it was simply a case of heart failure.
Police investigation of sexual assault claims by a UK teenager found no basis for the complaints and led to the prosecution of various media outlets
In September 2018, Thai authorities sent then Deputy Tourist Police Chief Surachate Hakparn, now Deputy National Police Commissioner General Surachate or 'Big joke' to the island to investigate the case of claims by a UK teenager that she had been sexually assaulted and robbed on the island in June that year.
The result of the police investigation refuted the claims which had gained traction on social media and particularly in the UK tabloids.
This led to prosecution proceedings against local media outlets and Facebook pages and brought representations from local business owners on Ko Tao rejecting the 'distorted' nature of media reporting of the island.
Thai authorities have in recent years been more vigilant and sensitive to reports of death on the island to allay public concerns about its safety
Since then, the island and the sinister reputation it holds has been the subject of best-selling books and a plethora of websites often featuring the doubts and claims of families who have had loved ones who died there.
Ko Tao is a very small island of 21 square kilometres situated off the southern Thai province of Surat Thani with a population of just under fourteen hundred people with many business activities on the island controlled by key families.
A common theme is that there is on the island, as with many islands worldwide, a tightly knit community which coupled with Thailand's ongoing reputation for corruption, has amplified external concerns about fatal incidents there.
This has caused Thai authorities to be more vigilant and sensitive when cases arise.
Bangkok-based industrialist and property tycoon found dead with his wife in a hotel swimming pool in June 2021, elite police unit dispatched to Ko Tao
For authorities, however, the problem about Ko Tao came closer to home in June 2021 as the country began again to reopen to both foreign and domestic tourists when a Thai Indian industrialist and commercial property tycoon and his wife were found dead at an exclusive hotel on Ko Tao.
The bodies of 59-year-old Rakeshwar Sachathamakul and his 55-year-old wife Anshoo were found by their son after returning from a walk on the beach.
The death of the pair led to an elite Crime Suppression Division (CSD) team being flown to the island with CCTV equipment and key evidence taken from the scene for forensic examination including beer bottles used by the deceased just before they died.
Police conducted reenactments of what may have happened at the scene but the case remains open with one theory being that one of the spouses had encountered difficulty in a deep area of the pool and that the other had also drowned when rendering assistance.
Tributes pour in for Mr Giblin after his death
In the meantime, the British press and foreign media have been reporting this latest death on Ko Tao of a foreigner on the island with acquaintances and colleagues eulogising Mr Giblin as a supportive friend and good man.
One associate, Mr Darren Schlotter said this: 'My heart is broken. Words cannot describe the pain I feel. The most positive person in my life, always there for me no matter what.'
Paul Shane Latham who described Mr Giblin as a mentor said: 'My heart is totally broken right now by the news that one of my past diving instructors and mentors has passed away in Ko Tao.'
His friend on the island, who was at the scene on Wednesday and has raised the need for an enquiry into his death, recalled that he had originally spoken of the rumours concerning Ko Tao with Mr Giblin before he died last week.
'I talked to Neil about some of the deaths that happened here. He told me what everyone tells me when I mention it, that you shouldn't be talking about that stuff around here.'
Thailand's tourism recovery is both lagging and fragile as it earmarks nearly ฿4 billion to promote the country and its brand to would-be visitors
Thailand, on Tuesday, revealed that 11.15 million visitors had arrived in the kingdom in 2022 which is only 29% of what it saw in 2019. At the same time, many of the arrivals in 2022 were from Asia with an absence of more high spending long haul foreign tourists as seen before.
The kingdom lags far behind other significant national tourist economies in rebounding after its sudden total closure in April 2020 with even Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha's, as he put a positive spin on matters last week, suggesting that based on the latter months of 2022, the kingdom's tourism industry is now only 50% recovered with Thailand welcoming 2.24 million visitors in December last, at the peak of its current high season.
On Tuesday, the Thai government, at cabinet, earmarked ฿3.95 billion for marketing and branding Thailand's tourism industry worldwide in 2023 as it accounts directly for 12% of GDP, is indirectly responsible for 20% of the economy and contributes 25% of employment.
It is targeting 25 million visitors in 2023 with plans in June to finally introduce a tourist tax at $9 approximately or ฿300 which will provide free basic medical insurance or emergency cover for holidaymakers while in the kingdom.
For foreigners from the so-called 'global north' traveling to Thailand, for the most part, they can just come whenever they please without the need of a visa for stays ranging from 45 to 90 days.
Yes, this includes travelers from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Schengen member states, whose governments all make it an ordeal for Thais to get a visa to go the opposite direction. The European Union claims that its policy is to achieve full reciprocity with non-EU countries so that citizens of both parties can travel easily.
While EU citizens have been able to travel to Thailand visa-free for as long as I can remember, there has been absolutely no signs that the EU intends to begin liberalizing visa requirements to the Schengen area for Thai nationals.
Why are some people more privileged than others simply based on their passports?
It's not as if travelers with powerful passports never violate their entry conditions. Every year tourists in Thailand overstay their visa-free entry stamps, even if their governments have explained that there are consequences, and Thai authorities have reminded them that they cannot do so with impunity.
Of course, some tourists are a little smarter and choose to extend their stay through the well-known process of "visa runs"instead of overstaying. It would be simply too much to apply for a proper longer-term visa. This is in stark contrast to what Thais endure when they travel to the countries these overstayers and "visa-runners" are from.
The privileged stance with which some foreigners exhibit towards Thailand having the audacity to enforce some rules even include long-term residents who are perplexed to have to pay for a re-/multiple-entry visa or even something as minor as adeparture tax—a 700 Baht fee levied on all travelers, not just foreigners, which is nothing compared to the United Kingdom's 82 Pounds (~3,400 Baht) for long-haul flights.
Despite all this, Thailand has no intentions to curtail its liberal visa-free program and probably never will. Our economy is too dependent on tourism to impose stricter requirements for foreign travelers.
In other words, the Thai government cannot afford to reciprocate to their citizens similar draconian visa regimes that Global North countries impose on us. For what it's worth, keeping the visa-free system is the right thing to do.
I believe that we should have the doors to our beautiful country as wide open as possible to share our culture, our beaches, our mountains, our food, and even our traffic, with the world. Perhaps eventually the foreign ministry will figure out how to negotiate better traveling conditions and visa-free agreements for Thais, which is difficult as Thailand has already given up its bargaining chip. In the meantime, we can hope that Fortress Europe, the British, Americans, and others, will one day live up to promises that they will review visa requirements regularly with some sense of respect and common humanity.
Expats say the queues at immigration are a bugbear of living in contemporary Pattaya.
A random survey of 100 Pattaya expats has thrown up suggestions to reduce overcrowding at immigration offices and transportation offices. The questionnaire survey was conducted publicly in Jomtien, and also with members of local expat clubs, during the period January 18-20. The research arose after many expats complained about the surge in international tourist arrivals, partly due to increased flights landing at neighboring U-tapao airport, which has resulted in complaints about the ability of local bureaucracies to handle the tourist boom.
Almost all those surveyed were dismayed by the ongoing queues at local immigration every workday, and especially on Mondays. They claimed that the majority of those queuing were new arrivals reporting their local address on the infamous TM30 forms which require proof of residence such as a hotel receipt, a rental agreement and even a 'tabean bahn' or property ownership booklet. Alan Greene, a long term Pattaya resident, said, "The paperwork and inconvenience far outweighs any advantages and I very much doubt if foreign criminals or undesirables would give their real address anyway."
In response, immigration officers said the TM30 reporting could indeed be done online by hotels or condominiums, but some hosts were not conscientious about their duty or failed to tell customers they had done so, or did not give them the official receipt to place in their passport. They also stressed that the separate 90 days reporting by expats was now done in the carpark booth rather than in the immigration building to reduce queuing pressures. A scheme to allow online registration and online payment for some visa extensions of stay or renewals was currently being piloted in the Bangkok area with results and recommendations expected later in the year.
Foreigners begin queuing at the land transportation office to renew their driving licence as early as 6.30 am to ensure they get a ticket.
Expats also complained that they were being fined for not having earlier reported on the TM30 form when they wanted a further service such as a visa extension or a certificate of residence to open a bank account or to apply for a driving licence. To these points, immigration responded that the land transportation office and the banks require recent proof of residence with supporting documentary evidence. A general finding of the expat survey was that there is need for an online reporting system for all, with the initial address remaining correct until the foreigner changes it electronically. Some well-informed expats referred to the Foreigners in Cambodia Database which allegedly has these merits across the border.
Those questioned in the survey also referred to the long queues for driving licence renewals at the land transportation office. Appointments can be made online, but a waiting period of several weeks is allegedly the norm. Staff at the bureau said some testing and training functions had been delegated to approved and registered driving schools, but it was still necessary for all applicants physically to appear at the center. This was to enable any checks, if thought necessary, and to take a head and shoulders photo which was then embossed onto the plastic driving licence card. Under the current national rules, a Thai driving licence or renewal cannot be issued without the candidate being present at the final stage of authorization.
With double the number of overseas visitors to Pattaya expected in 2023 compared with 2022 – thanks mainly to many extra daily flights to U-tapao from Russia and Dubai – and the resumption of charter flights from China scheduled to re-commence early next month, the city's boom in international tourist numbers is set to increase month by month. The positive features of merrily-ringing cash registers are well-publicized. According to the expat survey, the downsides of overloaded bureaucracies, as well as traffic-jammed polluted roads and labour shortages, should also be addressed as a matter of urgency.
A shootout between groups of Thai forest rangers and illegal hunters ended with one casualty of an officer and two arrests.
The forest rangers were on a routine patrol in the Khao Khiao-Khao Chomphu Wildlife Sanctuary in Chonburi's Sri Racha district on Thursday night, January 19th, when they stumbled upon a group of poachers.
As the rangers attempted to arrest the poachers, the suspects suddenly opened fire and exchanged shots with the rangers, resulting in one officer being shot in the forehead.
The injured officer, Mr. Thanongdet Sunthornworachan, 59, was rushed to the nearest hospital but later passed away after he arrived.
Two suspects, identified only as Mr. Teerawat, 38, and Mr. Wasil, 31, were arrested in possession of many wildlife parts, including a palm civet (Paradoxurus) and squirrels.
The suspects admitted that they crept into the forest to check the traps they had previously laid to catch animals.
The rangers also arrested the suspects with two CZ rifles, knives, and several bullets.
The suspects were charged with murder and illegal hunting in the protected area.
Chinese New Year is coming up, and while you may be thinking, "I'm in Thailand, why are we celebrating Chinese New Year?", Chinese Thais actually make up approximately 14% of the population (more than 10 million people).
Additionally, with China having just recently reopened its borders after years of restrictions due to the Covid pandemic, Chinese are returning to Thailand. China is roughly thirty percent of Thailand's overall tourist arrivals, the largest piece of the overall pie, and critical to the overall Thai tourism industry.
With such a large population of Thais that are also Chinese, it makes for rather large Chinese New Year celebrations in the land of smiles. This year the New Year falls on Sunday, January 22nd. The date varies annually based on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, it is the year of the rabbit.
While it is not an official holiday in Thailand, you will no doubt see countless red decorations strewn about in celebration of the holiday. There are also many festivals and events across the country, including right here in Pattaya.
This will be a time for Chinese and Thai Chinese families to spend with their loved ones and to pay respect to their ancestors.
Every year Thailand sees thousands of visitors coming to take part in the festivities that surround the Chinese New Year celebration. This year officials expect that the turn-out will far exceed the previous years, due to Covid-19 stopping anything other than small traditional celebrations for THREE YEARS!
If you are in Pattaya this weekend, be prepared for throngs of people who are here to celebrate the holiday and to give and receive good fortune and luck to everyone for the next year.
Only 203 MPs took part in Wednesday's vote on Section 11 of the cannabis and hemp control bill, less than the required quorum of 216.
The House of Representatives set a record on Wednesday when a meeting was adjourned after just 22 minutes due to a lack of quorum, stalling consideration once again of the contentious cannabis and hemp bill.
Deputy House speaker Suchart Tancharoen called a quorum check before a vote on Section 11 of the cannabis and hemp bill that was being examined in the second reading.
It took 17 minutes for the MPs to declare themselves present and make the quorum.
The quorum required for a House meeting on Wednesday was 216, following the resignation of Pheu Thai MP Natthawut Kongjandee and Action Coalition for Thailand (ACT) MP Khetrat Laothamatas.
Mr Suchart ended the vote after just three minutes, which prompted Sathit Prasertsak, deputy secretary-general of the House secretariat, to rush to him. Mr Suchart appeared alarmed and they talked for a minute.
Mr Suchart asked if any MPs had not cast a vote and told the House that their votes could not be counted as he had already closed the voting. However, their votes would appear on the record.
He told the House to display the vote result, which showed only 203 MPs took part in the vote. Of the total, 174 MPs voted in favour of Section 11, four against with 24 abstentions.
Mr Suchart then declared the meeting adjourned, saying the number of MPs taking part in the vote was lower than the required quorum. It was the shortest meeting to date.
Meanwhile, Panthep Phuapongpan, a vocal supporter of cannabis-based medicine, said there had been a deliberate attempt to stall the examinationof the cannabis and hemp control bill.
He said some politicians did not want the bill passed into law so that they could politicise the issue and use it in their election campaigns. He called on the House to reveal the names of MPs who did not attend the vote and caused the meeting to be adjourned.
Many MPs believe the bill is unlikely to be passed by the Senate even if it clears the House.
