Pattaya Beach during lockdown – Photo: Thailandblog
After two months of lockdown, street vendors are hoping that tourists will return to Pattaya now that the beaches are accessible again.
The beaches at Pattaya were once full of tourists from all over the world, but that suddenly seems to be far behind us. The number of jet skis, banana boats and sunbathers has been drastically reduced. Any hope of a quick return to the old situation had already evaporated on Monday when only two visitors had rented a boat.
“Foreign tourists – my main clients – will not be returning for a while,” Nantika Mesnukul, 53, the owner of a massage parlor on the southern end of Pattaya Beach, told the Bangkok Post. There are also vendors hoping to make some money from domestic tourists, who make up 45% of all visitors to Pattaya, but that's not realistic. “Because the bars and Walking Street are still closed, domestic tourists also stay away,” says Nantika.
Her massage parlor itself has suffered greatly due to the outbreak of the corona virus. The government's financial assistance has hardly helped. She took out a mortgage on her house to prevent her company from going bankrupt.
The closure of the beaches in Pattaya has hit booth vendors especially hard. Saichon Muanghong, 45, who rented beach mats and sold seashell ornaments, has lived in the area for seven years and used to earn at least 200 baht a day. He now depends on free food to survive.
Source: Bangkok Post
I fear that the misery will continue for a while and tourism in Thailand was no longer on the rise with cheaper countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos next door. I actually saw it after nine times….
Thailand was also the last time for us last March. After 12 years we went to changmai with great pleasure. Unfortunately, our last time was shorter due to the corona, there is nothing we can do about it unfortunately. The last week everything was closed and the only guests in our stay. The owner did everything she could to help us and to make the stay a little more pleasant. With great difficulty on March 26, we returned home with eva air. Too bad I always liked Thailand, but it has changed in the last few years .Although we personally have never had bad experiences.
Saichon Muanghong earned at least 200 baht a day, that's 5 € ? Type error I hope?
No.
200 baht per day is 6000 baht per month. That is an above average income. I wouldn't want to feed those who earn 5000 or less.
An average income is about 15000 baht per month. Maybe even a little more.
That's a bit broad, Eric. Minimum wages outside the big cities really don't have 10k a month and small farmers have even less. There they have to keep the stove burning with all family members.
It is an average income. Not about the minimum wage. I think a qualified nurse already has about 20000-25000 baht per month. Thailand is not such a poor country, but there is a very broad and poor substratum.
Thai wages are really not as low as many think. Minimum wage should be compared with our living wages. The average wages of reasonably educated personnel are much higher.
https://adecco.co.th/salary-guide
I think opening the borders works better than praying.
Last year I was 4 times in Thailand and Pattaya. Totally visited Thailand maybe more than 80 times since the 30's. As long as I see the Thai walking on the street with face masks, they won't see me again. Quite frankly surprised that they allow themselves to be so fooled by the WHO and Bill Gates. Fortunately, every reasonable place in the Netherlands has one or more Thai massage parlors. I wish them strength and wisdom