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Phuket TV - PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Speed limits rise?! Phuket drug busts? Court clears Prime Minister! || December 2

Phuket TV - PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Speed limits rise?! Phuket drug busts? Court clears Prime Minister! || December 2

2020 has brought an upsurge in demand for renovation and refurbishment

2020 has brought an upsurge in demand for renovation and refurbishment

Financial Thaimes: Why are your investments not working for you?

Financial Thaimes: Why are your investments not working for you?

Long weekend generates B300mn for Phuket, says TAT

Long weekend generates B300mn for Phuket, says TAT

High season to push domestic trips to 70mn

High season to push domestic trips to 70mn

Phuket can reap huge rewards from the world’s biggest free trade agreement

Phuket can reap huge rewards from the world’s biggest free trade agreement

Thailand’s hotel industry is bleeding to death – demand govt action

Thailand’s hotel industry is bleeding to death – demand govt action
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2020 has brought an upsurge in demand for renovation and refurbishment
2020 has brought an upsurge in demand for renovation and refurbishment
Tuesday 1 December 2020, 11:57AM
Certainly 2020 has brought it’s challenges, but it has also brought opportunity.
Financial Thaimes: Why are your investments not working for you?
Financial Thaimes: Why are your investments not working for you?
Saturday 28 November 2020, 10:30AM
Even in these difficult times the world is facing, the fundamental rules of investing are constant and are unaltered by the severe economic conditions we are seeing.  Here are five possible reasons why your money might not be growing the way it should be. Investing is about sticking to simple rules.
Long weekend generates B300mn for Phuket, says TAT
Long weekend generates B300mn for Phuket, says TAT
Monday 23 November 2020, 12:05PM
PHUKET: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri has announced that the long weekend from last Thursday through to yesterday (Nov 19-22) has delivered a welcome boost to the island’s economy.
High season to push domestic trips to 70mn
High season to push domestic trips to 70mn
Friday 20 November 2020, 09:00AM
BANGKOK: The flow of tourists the last two months of this year should drive the number of domestic trips to 70 million this year, while the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans more campaigns next year
Phuket can reap huge rewards from the world’s biggest free trade agreement
Phuket can reap huge rewards from the world’s biggest free trade agreement
Thursday 19 November 2020, 05:35PM
Phuket can reap huge rewards from the world’s biggest free trade agreement. So says Gulu Lalvani, founder and chairman of the award-winning Royal Phuket Marina. No stranger to pushing hard for change, in 2004 he led the successful push to abolish Thailand’s import duty on yachts, giving the country’s marine leisure industry a massive boost and making sure Phuket emerged as the center of yachting in Asia.
Thailand’s hotel industry is bleeding to death – demand govt action
Thailand’s hotel industry is bleeding to death – demand govt action
Thursday 19 November 2020, 04:26PM
BANGKOK: Thailand has reported just 3,880 Covid-19 cases and 60 deaths since the start of the pandemic and is considered one of the lowest risk countries in the world. But travel and tourism is suffering. With no end in sight to the stifling government imposed travel restrictions, businesses large and small are haemorrhaging and struggling to survive. Hotel operators, according to the Nation, are pleading with the government to reopen the country and launch measures soon to help their businesses, which are bleeding to death, they claim. 
Tonino Lamborghini to launch luxury hotel in Phuket
Tonino Lamborghini to launch luxury hotel in Phuket
Thursday 12 November 2020, 02:25PM
PHUKET: Tonino Lamborghini, the Italian brand famous for its luxurious products and designs, has unveiled plans to launch its inaugural hotel project on Phuket as part of a landmark collaboration with Utopia Corporation. 
Tourism minister warns of domestic slowdown
Tourism minister warns of domestic slowdown
Thursday 12 November 2020, 10:16AM
BANGKOK: Thailand’s tourism minister has warned that local demand is expected to drastically slow amid a slumping economy if there is no proper plan to reopen to tourists next year.
COVID impacts expected to force hotel sales in 2021
COVID impacts expected to force hotel sales in 2021
Thursday 5 November 2020, 05:24PM
PHUKET: A member survey by the Hospitality Asset Managers Association (HAMA) in Singapore of the region’s hotel ownership has been just completed, and results confirm what many industry watchers have been whispering for months. Eric Levy, MD of Tourism Solutions International viewed the results of this survey and commented, “In my 30 years in the region, we have had many crises, this one is different. We will see more forced sales of hotels, some by owners freeing up cash to reduce debt, some pressured by lenders and some perhaps even pushed into foreclosure/receivership by impatient lenders… something that lenders in Asian have largely been allergic to do in the past.”
Low-cost flights may get cheaper
Low-cost flights may get cheaper
Thursday 5 November 2020, 09:38AM
BANGKOK: Low-cost carriers are ready to lower domestic airfares after the Cabinet approved the extension of jet fuel tax reduction.
Tourism and Sports Ministry targets 10mn high-season domestic trips
Tourism and Sports Ministry targets 10mn high-season domestic trips
Wednesday 4 November 2020, 11:53AM
BANGKOK: The Tourism and Sports Ministry has committed to pushing for 10 million domestic trips per month during high season following the Cabinet’s approval of more financial aid measures on Tuesday, reports the Bangkok Post.
Inequality on the cards after Thailand’s economic recovery
Inequality on the cards after Thailand’s economic recovery
Wednesday 4 November 2020, 10:33AM
BANGKOK: Inequality will be a prime concern for Thailand once the economy recovers from the pandemic, although a return to full health is not expected for another two years, according to Bank of Thailand (BoT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput.
COVID impact may still affect Thailand property market through Q3 2021: Knight Frank
COVID impact may still affect Thailand property market through Q3 2021: Knight Frank
Friday 30 October 2020, 12:11PM
PHUKET: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to affect the Thai property market through to the third quarter next year (Q3 2021), a senior executive at Knight Frank Thailand has warned.
TAT: Building Chinese market part of STV
TAT: Building Chinese market part of STV
Wednesday 28 October 2020, 09:29AM
BANGKOK: As the majority of foreigners signing up under the special tourist visa (STV) are from China, Thailand may gradually build up this market for a healthier rebound of around 7.4 million arrivals next year, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Agility key to business survival, warns expert
Agility key to business survival, warns expert
Monday 26 October 2020, 02:40PM
PHUKET: The pandemic and economic crisis have pushed businesses to the absolute limit of their endurance. For a great number of companies, survival has meant severe cost-cutting and on-the-fly adjustments to stay relevant in a heavily disrupted market, reports Chris Cracknell, Chairman of international accounting and business consultants Grant Thornton.
Job woes add to swelling debt load
Job woes add to swelling debt load
Friday 23 October 2020, 03:04PM
BANGKOK: A rising under-employment rate driven by the COVID-19 crisis will further aggravate the country’s swelling household debt and borrowers’ debt-servicing struggles, says the Bank of Thailand chief.
Bangkok Airways to resume Phuket-Samui, Hat Yai, Pattaya flights
Bangkok Airways to resume Phuket-Samui, Hat Yai, Pattaya flights
Friday 23 October 2020, 12:16PM
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways will resume its Samui-Phuket, Phuket-Hat Yai, Phuket-Utapao (Pattaya) flights, starting this Sunday (Oct 25).
New BOT Governor advises government to offer more direct assistance
New BOT Governor advises government to offer more direct assistance
Friday 23 October 2020, 10:02AM
BANGKOK: The new Governor of the Bank of Thailand (BOT), Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, has expressed confidence that Thailand will be able to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, thanks to the government’s measures to help those affected, but it has to offer more direct assistance from now on due to limited resources.
Weighing the consequences
Weighing the consequences
Monday 19 October 2020, 09:56AM
What is the real cost for tourists when planning an outbound trip to Thailand in the COVID-19 era? Apart from sufficient budget for a quarantine facility, which for the most luxurious trip can be as high as B300,000 per person, tourists must consent to dedicated extra time for a 14-day quarantine – a condition that only allows people who don’t have time and money constraints to visit the country. While high-net-worth travellers may agree to spring for vacation here, their visits will be just a drop in the ocean when compared with B1.9 trillion Thailand recorded last year from foreign tourist receipts, reports the Bangkok Post. According to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the upscale market or those earning over US$60,000 a year made up less than 20% in the past five years as officials struggled to generate a healthier portion of high-end travellers. In the past, the TAT avoided mentioning the targeted number and stressed the importance of the revenue goal instead, but volume was always in the limelight. Last year, when foreign tourist arrival numbers nearly hit 40 million, major revenue sources came from short-haul markets in Asia. Since the strict lockdown was eased in the second quarter, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) has repeatedly called for a shorter quarantine period or, ideally, no compulsory quarantine to attract intra-regional travellers who don’t want to spend two weeks in confinement for their four- or five-day trip. To be specific, the association pointed to a few potential markets, the likes of China and Taiwan, that are considered low-risk countries. If applied, the scheme would draw 100,000 travellers a month and help repair the broken tourism engine with at least B5 billion in revenue, Atta said. Tour operators pledged to be responsible for those tour groups to calm public concerns. “With mandatory quarantine in place, nobody wants to visit Thailand. But if the government allows tour operators to cater those guests, I’m confident that we can contain the virus spread and reignite our economy at the same time,” said Atta president Vichit Prakobgosol. REGIONAL BUBBLES Hong Kong and Singapore recently reached agreement on a travel bubble policy, which will soon let people from those two countries travel back and forth without being quarantined. Mr Vichit said the decision is unavoidable for any tourism-led country that wants to save itself from peril. During the crisis, businesses that could redirect to domestic customers tended to have a better recovery pace than those heavily reliant on international guests. Some 62.5% of travel companies have reopened, but that rate pales compared with the overall average of 78.2%, according to the latest statistics from the TAT. A poll of 682 tourism-related operators found that 100% of car rental services have resumed business as people avoiding public transport in the wake of the pandemic, followed by restaurants (89.2%) and hotels (81.6%). Due to international travel restrictions still in place, most (93%) tourism customers are Thais, up 31% from the pre-COVID period. Mr Vichit said local communities should accept that special international groups allowed in earlier and those applying for a special tourist visa (STV) are not enough, as the expected number is just 1,000 per month, a far cry from the monthly figure of 3 million last year. “The STV model with a 14-day quarantine is only a minor remedy to the large-scale devastation of the tourism industry,” he said. The Atta president insisted that achieving 100,000 tourists is not a far-fetched goal, given that in a normal situation tourists from low-risk countries total at least 1 million per month. “If just 10% of them return, the tourism industry and overall economy will rebound,” Mr Vichit said. “At present, there are many cities that are free from the virus for longer than 60 days, so why can’t we start with a few of them.” He said there’s also pent-up demand from Chinese tourists who have been travelling domestically – a noticeable trend shown during this month’s Chinese National Holidays, which spurred 650 million trips on the mainland. TESTING THE WATERS There were positive signs for tour operators last week when the Public Health Ministry floated the idea to shorten the standard quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for visitors from low-risk countries, including China, Taiwan, New Zealand and Australia. The risky attempt is seen as an effort to drive the tourism engine amid negative factors awaiting this quarter, such as the end of the first-phase debt moratorium period for small and medium-sized enterprises on Oct 22. Tony Fernandes, chief executive of AirAsia Group, said keeping borders closed is not a solution in a globalised world, as Thailand and most countries in Asean depend on tourism. Testing on arrival without a mandatory 14-day quarantine is the preferred solution for post-outbreak travels. A strong contact tracing app is also important to detect people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients, in case the number of cases started to flare up. “At some point, countries have to take a little bit of risk to reopen, as we cannot live in a cave for the rest of our lives,” Mr Fernandes said. Moreover, vaccine development and distribution will take time. “We have to live with this virus as we have with others before like the common cold or dengue,” Mr Fernandes said. While the airline waits for borders to reopen after the outbreak, AirAsia has to focus on the domestic market as demand for short-haul work and travel still persists. Mr Fernandes said air travel will not change much relative to the impact of the 9/11 attacks, which demanded airlines adapt to new strategies. Still, there are a lot more health-related regulations to be added to deal with the situation, he said. CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC Opening the country to foreign visitors may not necessarily be an economic booster, but it is an attempt to learn how to deal with Covid-19 risks that transcend frontiers, said Tanit Sorat, vice-chairman of the Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry (EconThai). The relentless spread of COVID-19 in many countries, including the US, India and Myanmar, and the revival of the disease in European countries like Britain, makes it hard to predict if this is the right time for international tourism. Mr Tanit said he is “not confident” tourists will enjoy a trip to Thailand while businesses in their countries are slammed by the pandemic. The number of foreign travelers is likely to be small relative to pre-COVID figures. Arrivals will stimulate the economy only for some local business operators and in certain areas, Mr Tanit said. “Opening the country to thousands of tourists cannot immediately restore the Thai economy, as we usually welcome 3 million tourists on average per year,” he said. But this does not mean the entry for foreign visitors should remain shut. The government should open the country as an “experiment” to see how it can manage risks, he said. “But they must be quarantined for 14 days,” Mr Tanit said. For foreign businessmen who only come to Thailand for errands or contract signing, the government should hold business meetings for them inside state quarantine venues, he said. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) agrees that the 14-day quarantine is appropriate if the government allows international arrivals to resume. “Opening the door to foreign tourists will put Thailand at risk of a second outbreak, but the economy needs restoration,” said Kriangkrai Tiannukul, the FTI’s vice-chairman. “The B1.9-trillion stimulus programme to help the economy is not enough.” Analysis from health experts at the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) are needed to help the government strike a balance between disease prevention and economic rehabilitation. “The government cannot listen only to the CESA,” said Mr Kriangkrai, referring to the Center for Economic Situation Administration. “They need to heed facts and recommendations presented by both groups.” Authorities must make careful decisions because some business people are calling on the government to relax measures to screen foreigners. Harald Link, chairman of B.Grimm Group, Thailand’s oldest trading conglomerate, suggests the government relax the measures so that Thailand can remain attractive to foreign businessmen planning to invest in the country. These investors are looking for new locations to set up their production bases in Asean, so “if the measures are too stringent, our economic development may be affected”, he said. Flights to Thailand have become scarcer compared with those to Vietnam, not to mention the cheaper electricity rate in the neighbouring nation catching investors’ eyes, Mr Link said. If lenient measures lead to another domestic outbreak, it should not be difficult to curb the problem, he said. – Narumon Kasemsuk, Dusida Worrachaddejchaiand Lamonphet Apisitniran
Phuket Vegetarian Festival hoped to generate more than B350mn
Phuket Vegetarian Festival hoped to generate more than B350mn
Thursday 15 October 2020, 03:42PM
PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is expected to attract some 60,000 people to take part in the festivities, altogether generating a projected more than B350 million in revenues for local businesses, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn has announced.
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