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- Eric Kuypers: René, has that changed? I believe that the passport should be valid for another six months from departure from TH.
- René: Is the double or often much higher entrance fee not enough for the foreigner? They know the ins and outs of discrimination.
- freddy: Book only on the official airline websites, to save a lot of hassle in case of rebooking, cancellation, etc.
- Rob: Wow, Thai people are quite friendly and helpful, but how on earth is it possible that there are always
- René: One more thing, if you are traveling as a single parent with a minor child, make sure you have signed permission on the form of the other person.
- Jacoba: That's right, I've been keeping track of it for years, as soon as the return flight can be booked, a ticket for 3 months is the cheapest. I don't know
- René: In addition, check the validity date of your passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival in Thailand. Tue
- Dirk Schilstra: Come on guys, you don't need visas anymore (some countries) and now this? Very strange
- C. Brinkman: But give Chinese and Russians a longer visa
- Jan: I always check many comparison sites and have to conclude that Skyscanner and https://www.goedkopevliegtickets.nl/ are often the better ones.
- tooske: Freddy, I don't know if there is a hospital in Kanchanaburi, but I always go to the local hospital where they
- Kris: The current inadequate public bus service from U-tapao Airport to Pattaya City is deterring new airlines
- Philippe: What is “overtourism”? I'm not with you! Take Samui for example, as far as I know this is not a one-day tourist destination
- Eric Kuypers: Ambiguous policy. People, come on, come on, come on, ... ho ho ho, not all boys! So pull the knee as punishment
- Cornelis: The 'growing problem of overtourism'? One day they take measures to attract more tourists, the next day
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Home » News from the Netherlands and Belgium » Thailand is less popular with tourists due to coronavirus
Thailand is less popular with tourists due to coronavirus
Posted in News from the Netherlands and Belgium
Tags: 2019-Ncov, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Travel, Holidays
It appears that Dutch holidaymakers are less inclined to book a holiday to Thailand now that the corona virus is in the news every day. That is the conclusion of several travel organizations, according to the NOS.
According to travel organization TUI Netherlands, existing bookings will not be cancelled. However, it appears that consumers first want to wait and see the situation before booking a trip to Thailand. Plenty of holidays are being booked, but according to TUI, people are opting for other destinations such as the Caribbean and Europe.
Tour operator Corendon also sees this trend. According to a spokesman, the enthusiasm for Asia has clearly diminished. Holidaymakers now prefer destinations around the Mediterranean Sea and Curaçao.
In fact, D-travel sees a significant drop in demand for travel to Asia. Holidays to Bali are still being booked, but then travelers do not want to transfer at an airport in Asia.
In Bali there are no infections with the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Thailand there are 33 confirmed infections.
I'll also keep an eye on things. I am saving fanatically for the fall, but with this situation I will stay in the Netherlands.
You don't want to think about being stopped on your return flight because you have a slight increase in temperature and a cough from the air conditioning. Then you fall from one problem to another. The visa that expires. Medical expenses. Perhaps a quarantine. Hassle with your own employer etc etc.
How unfortunate for Thailand. Although the minister of health won't exactly miss me.
Seems pretty logical to me. I also have no plans to book a holiday in Syria, Yemen or Venezuela.
However, tourists and certainly the tour operators have a very short memory. When the big news and fear hype is over, they come back in droves. And sometimes more than before because people have some catching up to do.
Wouldn't this have to do with the exchange rate, it seems that western holidaymakers are increasingly hearing that you get less and less Baths for your own currency, and that in many cases it is even more expensive than the home country.
That Baht rate forum complaining hype is nonsense. The rate may only be a real problem for expats. But the tourist? Whether a Dutch person now spends 100 euros or 110 compared to 3 years ago. For that reason, the Dutch tourist will not stay at home.
Well lessram, I 100% DISAGREE with you. Where do you get that wisdom from?
Thailand is now expensive, moreover long (also relatively expensive) flights. The exchange rate of the THB really makes people think/calculate. We are not talking about 100 euros either. For example, a 14-day holiday for 4 people costs 4 x 1500 = 6000 euros and is now 20% more expensive than 3-5 years ago. That family really takes those extra 1000+ euros into account.
With all the additional things, such as corona, poor safety, dangerous traffic, again an extreme amount of those dirty dogs, now also murders, and then the expensive THB, Thailand is simply completely out of favor. Incidentally good for us who live in Thailand, the farangs, including Russians, are becoming more important for the Thai again, the THB will lose its much too high value in the long term and that is good news for our wallet. Plus a bit quieter.
The Thai Baht is manipulated, kept artificially high. Keeps rising which is incomprehensible.
The bath has been unfavorable for more than half a year. If the bath is the cause, then Vietnam or Cambodia seems the most logical alternative. Not the Caribbean or Europe.
Yes, of course it has to do with the rate of the Thai bath -34,00 / 1,00 euros Feb 2020, but mainly that the Thai government is linking itself to the Chinese. Size of the group of tourists in Thailand, but the least of all tourists spend on site for the small traders already pay for everything in China!! Now that this group is no longer allowed (corona virus), the tourist season has been disrupted, on February 1, 2020 1/2 of other years. And then a minister's statement that all white-nosed people without a face mask should be expelled from the country! This racist statement will certainly get a follow-up. (the land of smiles)
that's right, wanted to go for another 4 weeks in March, but we can't go because of the corona virus, I always stay in Bangkok for 4 weeks,
If there is also a minister wards off tourists with his statements. Does your sentence pass quickly
The bad exchange rate of the baht, the obstacles that immigration creates, the unfriendly treatment at immigration, the corruption at the police, the rising prices, and of course the corona virus are all reasons why tourists stay away and why so many expats already come to Thailand left to settle in other Asian countries.
Where do you get the knowledge that many expats have left the country?
Are there any figures on that?
Or 'hear say'?
It would be interesting to know how many "expets" or retired people have had to leave Thailand because of the current income requirement that they can no longer meet. Among the veterans, there are those who are now in trouble or are staying illegally, with all the stress that entails. This cannot be denied, even though there are no figures. An average pension for Jan Modaal from the Netherlands and Belgium does not meet the income requirement of around 1930 euros per month net, so without saved money or other additional income, it is simply an exit or one can forget about leaving for Thailand. At many sites, a significant number of people have already indicated that they no longer (can) stay in Thailand. Are these people just saying or writing something or is there some truth to be found in it? I am inclined to believe that many have left, although the 45.000 that often appears seems to me to be on the high side.
I am one of them and with me many others who do not read this forum. English, Americans, Australians etc etc. And many of them don't report that they are gone.
Dear Jacques, what you say is not correct. People with less than the amount you mention can easily stay in Thailand via a Thai marriage visa (ThB 40K on a monthly basis) or with ThB 400K in the bank. For unmarried people, the combination method is a way out: ThB 400K in the bank and the rest via AOW/(pension). There is no point in suggesting unrest. Those who say they want to leave Thailand are usually the biggest grumblers.
It is, for example, on Facebook that slightly more houses in Thailand are being offered for sale compared to previous years due to health problems that have occurred in old age. Whether that sale is perceived as forced is also not always an issue, because it can also be according to plan. My husband and I also intend to emigrate to live in Thailand one day, but will return if circumstances make it necessary. We are also elderly and if one of us dies, the other may want to return to the Netherlands.
In other words: a return is subject to so many factors and nuances that nothing can be said to put Thailand in a bad light. That's how I often read comments from your side. Shame. Maybe you should go back too.
I don't easily have numbers, but it's the talk of the day for a reason.
Expat? I don't believe any of it. Especially expats, seconded, hardly suffer from Immigration.
What remains are the pensioners, the long-stayers, who in many cases have a Thai partner and often still have young children. You can't just take it across the border with you. And that corona virus is really not just in this region; that is certainly elsewhere. You are nowhere safe from that and other viruses.
I repeat the Inquisitor's question: do you have a source?
I have a Thai wife and I live in Isaan.
Every 3 months I go to my wife and family for 3 months.
Now I want to wait and see how the situation will turn out…. my anxiety
Is the airport in Bangkok that is/could be the pool of contamination.
Don't worry about my family my wife is a pharmacist and works in a hospital.
Full control…. I hope they soon have a cure for this virus
@ robert,
Those will be lonely days for the next 1.5 years…
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-vaccine/vaccine-for-new-coronavirus-covid-19-could-be-ready-in-18-months-who-idUSKBN2051ZC
Could be… but not sure,
we are working hard on a solution
1.5 years who can calculate that… certainly none
statement of a clear-thinking expert.
There is no comparison material.
We have tickets for March 12. 3 Weeks of Changmai. We visit Thailand every year, but this time with mixed feelings. We can still cancel the hotel, but the tickets are a different story, then unfortunately we have lost our money. come and cross your fingers that everything goes well.
Take a VIP arrival if you need to transfer. is one less worry.
Look at fast track BKK
Costs 1500THB and you don't have to wait between the hundreds waiting in front of you behind you and to the side of you
Happy Holidays
Mary,
I have only been back since Sunday from 4 weeks in Thailand, of which we spent 1 week in Chang Mai. I have not seen anything in all of Thailand. Only at the airport in BKK were more people walking around with face masks. I think it's all not too bad. I wish you a very pleasant stay
Well, TH 69 million inhabitants, now 33 infections, fortunately another 12 recover from them.
Come on let's drive each other crazy?
And as Ton says, nothing found in TH
It prevails in China and the figures are slightly different there.
We can also say 16 infections in Germany and 11 in France, which is closer to NL than China / TH and you don't hear anyone about that.
We are also going to Thailand soon. On February 24 we leave for Hua HIn for 2.5 weeks. We have been going here for years for a warm break from the Dutch winter weather.
This year it feels different. How much is withheld by the government for fear of falling tourist numbers? When I hear what drastic measures have been taken in China, then we are dealing with something more than a simple virus.
I wonder if there are any readers of this forum who are currently staying in Hua Hin (or other tourist locations in Thailand) who can indicate whether they are currently experiencing anything locally. I am thinking here of closed restaurants, less occupancy rate in the hotels, (evening) markets where everyone has to walk with face masks, action by local authorities if people do not respond to wearing these face masks, reception and control at the airport, etc.
Everything that we may need to take into account during our holiday is welcome.
Thanks in advance and hopefully we can continue to enjoy our beloved Thailand for a long time.
We just booked a tour to southern Thailand just last weekend (we first had China in mind, but we decided against it after the outbreak of Corona, especially because of the many deaths there). Things seem to be going well in Thailand and we still wanted to make a nice trip in Asia. Of course we first kept an eye on things and when things didn't get any worse in Thailand, we took the plunge.
The fact that Thailand has been less popular in the West for some time has little to do with Corona. I understand the concern very well. To what extent are the figures reliable and the measures that the Thai government is now taking sufficient? Yet I doubt whether the outbreak of the Corona virus alone is inherent to the phenomenon that fewer and fewer Western tourists are choosing Thailand as their holiday destination. It is very easy to cite the unfavorable rate, the annoying immigration (never had a problem with them myself, but when I wanted to fly from Japan back to Thailand, the stupid Air Asia security guard thought I was not allowed to fly) or grumbling as the cause. I have been visiting Thailand for more than fifteen years and see very different causes. Of course I don't have any figures or sources. I don't care because I rely purely on my own experiences. In recent years I have sensed an increasing aversion towards the West. An aversion that I never saw before (maybe it was there but I didn't notice it). Unfriendly service, professional fawning, snarling in shops or in parks towards Farangs. Not that I was interested because those types of people give me a friendly smile and can do anything for me. Suppose I misbehave, I understand such behavior very well. But that's exactly what I avoid, knowing how unpredictably a Thai can react when you put him in a situation that involves loss of face. My experience taught me never to be direct or swear. If you have a problem, solve it by staying calm and showing a faint smile. That aside, xenophobic behavior (the Chinese factor) and especially the unwillingness to make a certain effort to attract as many tourists as possible is the main cause. Corona throws a spanner in the works. The underlying causes lie much deeper. Bali will take the credit where Thailand misses many opportunities. No grumbling just a personal impression.
Let me write it one more time and then I'll stop:
– the declining number of tourists (although that is true; the figures say something else, namely less growth) has little to nothing to do with the exchange rate of the Baht. Tourists do not look at the exchange rate of the local currency at all when choosing a holiday destination. In addition: everything that is booked in advance (and these are often the largest costs such as flight and accommodation; some even the entire package tour) is paid in Euros or Dollars and never in Bahts. The only ones trying to influence decisions with the price fluctuation are the tour operators;
– the corona virus stops some tourists who are late bookers or late decision makers, apart from countries that no longer let their people go. The rst has already been booked months in advance and no negative travel advice has been issued for Thailand. the fear of contracting the virus far outweighs the likelihood of it actually happening.
– the new generation of pensioners (the baby boomers) is the richest generation of elderly people ever in Dutch history: almost all of them state pension, a good pension and assets (own house, shares, second home, etc.).
dear chris, you are absolutely right, but what do you do with it? So much the better that you stop. It is true that figures do not indicate that the number of tourists is declining. But what matters is that sentiment towards Thailand has turned. Thailand is increasingly experienced as an annoying little country with an overly expensive baht compared to the dollar and euro, with unfriendliness and fraud, with violence and indifference. When a colleague says he wants to go on holiday to Thailand, he is immediately told that there are several alternatives. Thailand is more and more done with. And that's what you read between the lines in most comments. That is what makes whether or not Thailand is chosen, and when the choice is finally made, rational reasons are given. But meanwhile, emotions have won.
The fact that the “Westerdam” was not allowed to dock in Bangkok, after an initial permission, and was welcomed very welcome by Phnom Phenh, is such a reinforcement of the negative sentiment.
Except for your comment about the rate of the Baht, you're absolutely right. That was also nicely stated in an article in the Bangkok Post from a few weeks ago. I've already referred to that. The image is still very strong, by the way. And let's be. As an experienced traveler you know that there can be some shortcomings in service, price, etc. Thailand, however, remains the Asia for beginners for many Westerners. This does not apply to the Chinese, but there are more and more Chinese (especially young people) who travel independently and spend a lot of money here. The main market for jewellery, precious stones, other luxury goods (such as fashion and watches) and apartments (in Bangkok) is the Chinese market. We will see many more Chinese holidaying in their own accommodation in Bangkok in the coming years. (Now their children who study in Bangkok live there due to a lack of places at Chinese universities.) They no longer need a hotel and therefore spend less on average. One then conveniently forgets the millions of Baht that one has paid for a condo. This trend is comparable to the thousands of Dutch people who bought a second home in Spain or Portugal, Aruba or the Netherlands Antilles roughly 30 to 40 years ago.
Last week I went to the embassy in The Hague for my visa and yesterday I picked it up.
Was very quiet at the embassy.
That was another advantage.
Isn't it awful so much nonsense and untruths / fake news?
And complain about Thailand
I have lived here for 12 years, never had a problem with immigration, handled correctly.
Police ? Its ok , I shoot with them regularly at the shooting range.
More expensive in Thailand, ? Yes, but it is not too bad, much is also cheaper.!
Traffic can be busy and more unsafe on certain days, but I've been driving here for 12 years now without an accident, same for my wife, you just have to adapt and keep paying attention.
Here in isaan we don't notice the Corona virus, hardly anyone with face masks, or just for the pollution.
No face mask needed at the night market and no action by local governments
My son works in the tourist sector, also with Chinese tourists. No problem at all.
There are less tourists but it is also out of season
Adapting to the culture of Thailand seems to be a problem for many Dutch people.
Is it actually safe in the Netherlands? Crime many drugs, discrimination, theft, robberies, etc
A strong baht, you can also say a weak euro
A little less nonsense or complaining would be nicer
Holidays in Thailand are good, living even better
Dear Wayan, the same applies to you as what I said in @chris's response from 02.09:2014 am. Thailand has been sending the wrong signal for years. The coup of May 2015, the attack on the Erawan monument of August 2019, the developments surrounding the formation of a government in spring XNUMX: all of this will not escape the attention of Thailand enthusiasts. For those who want to stay (a little) longer in Thailand, the stricter Immigration requirements, the unfriendliness at the Thai embassy, the declining Euro-Baht ratio, the stories about violence, fraud and arrogance that keep popping up in the media. The way "Corona" is communicated by the Thai government is disastrous. So the sentiment turns. That has nothing to do with how you experience Thailand on an individual level. Be happy with it and enjoy it while it happens. The culture of Thailand: friendly people, exotic food, many sights, "Asian experience" can also be experienced elsewhere. Thailand is not unique in this. Plus that in Thailand (quote) “crime, drugs, discrimination, theft, robberies” are much more prominent on the agenda than in the Netherlands. If Thailand does not repent and does not reduce its arrogance, it will take a lot of beatings.
We have lived in Thailand for 20 years with great pleasure, I have never experienced anything unpleasant, you normally have to pay close attention when purchasing in every country, right? Traffic, yes, busy here but also in the Netherlands. Course….so what? that is also the case in every country, the Dutch are known for complaining...
Greetings, from a country where it is a wonderful temperature for 12 months.
Peter.
A rather strange reaction from you, all the more so because you also immediately compare it with the Netherlands.
-Traffic, yes, busy here but also in the Netherlands. –But the number of accidents with injuries and fatalities in the Netherlands is only a fraction of that in Thailand.
-Course…so what? — Why now? Do you think that the exchange rate (and not only for the Euro) does not matter to the tourist?
-The Dutch are known for complaining… Have you ever looked at English-language forums or, for example, the Bangkok Post? Here too you will read that the Americans, Australians, Europeans etc etc complain just as much as the Dutch about anything and everything that is currently happening in and around Thailand. And yes, there are also sometimes commenters with rose-colored glasses when it comes to Thailand.