UK already issued travel advice for all Thailand since April 27.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/thailand

Posted by Claude on April 29, 2010 11:23

"Support from tourists..."

Phuket now sows what it reaped in the way of constant rip-offs, crime, drownings and other assorted tragic symptoms of a money-above-all-else obsessed culture. The goose is dead.

Editor: I see that as always, you do the easy criticism over and over again without offering up one single fresh, positive idea. You even failed to move to Malaysia.

Posted by Horse Doctor on April 29, 2010 11:59

Most of Phuket tourism related businesses must be worrying about the fighting by the Red Shirts with the Thai coalition Government as April-May is the period for the overseas tour-operators to plan marketing for next coming season (2010-2011).
As there is no end in view in the political struggle, many of them may reduce the advertising or scrap Thailand for the next coming season.
Euro lost nearly 20 percent of its exchange rate with Thai Baht since October 2009 and without a devaluation of the Thai Baht, Europeans may spend less money as well.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on April 29, 2010 12:40

"Support from tourists..."

Phuket now sows what it reaped in the way of constant rip-offs, crime, drownings and other assorted tragic symptoms of a money-above-all-else obsessed culture. The goose is dead.

Posted by Horse Doctor on Thursday April 29, 2010 at 11:59

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I wouldn't have to keep working.

Try actually reading the story. People are staying away and cancelling due to the travel warning advisories, not because of anything else.

Posted by Sir Burr on April 29, 2010 13:10

Ahhh Chicken Little is at it again - the sky's about to fall in!! The big thing that happens when a travel advisory goes out is that travel insurance is invalidated - this will be a big concern for more people planning to travel to Phuket than the activity 900km away. I know that embassies have to CYA but there should be a distinction made between Chiang Mai, Bankgok, Phuket and the Southern Provinces. The current litigation culture in many Western countries probably has a lot to do with this.

Posted by Mister Ree on April 29, 2010 13:52

Phaibul Kittisrikangwan, assistant governor for monetary policy at the central bank confirmed today that he expected the tourism sector would experience a contraction of seven per cent over the remaining three quarters, from a previous projection of a 4 per cent growth.

Let's expect it will not be worse.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on April 29, 2010 17:33

Maybe they could do 90 days visa on arrival, same as Malaysia, to attract more tourism.

Posted by Janne on April 29, 2010 18:44

Horse doctor, please move to KL and when you are driving your car late at night motorbike drivers throw rocks through your windows, steal all your money and your car, if you fight back you will probably be killed. Phuket is safer than KL.

Posted by Jamie on April 29, 2010 19:16

Nobody is going to travel to a country like Thailand, possibly on the brink of civil war. If it were to turn into a civil war all kinds of rioting, lynchngs and looting could start. Foreign Governments have to think about the safety of their citizens first. European currencies are suffering again, so Phuket is very expensive. The island's image is not exactly helping matters, either.

Posted by Mike Hunt on April 29, 2010 19:22

I think for the next week, starting on Saturday the 1st May, yes workers day, everyone in Thailnd WILL stop worrying about red, yellow, green, blue and black shirts, OK. Everyone to go topless until next Friday 7th May 2010. And I mean everybody.
I shall be watching Phuket, as I live here.
Thank you.

Posted by Robin on April 29, 2010 20:09

Yah should have figured the Canadians for a bunch of wimps !

But the Kiwis, good rugby players that they are, I am surprised.

Posted by Capt Canada on April 30, 2010 19:12

Sir Burr,

I was commenting on the "..support from Tourists," sentence within the article.

Phuket cannot expect support from those it has abused for so long in way of Tuk-tuk, taxi, tout rip-offs, drownings, etc.

I guess you have investments here and I sympathize but ...Thailand was a risk no matter what the vested interest newspaper and forum owners told you.

Posted by Horse Doctor on May 1, 2010 08:38

The main problem we are facing is firstly Travel Insurance is null and void if you come to LOS. Secondly, Tour Operators in Europe have not only cancelled trips leaving in the next 7-14 days but also have STOPPED selling Thailand completely for the rest of 2010. Canada and NZ tourists are probably two percent of business to Phuket if even. If Australia issues a warning for the south along with the UK who have already done so then the south is up the creek. Aussies are tough nuts, but ain't stupid. Sad times but lets pray that the Gov can sort soon. Come on Thailand!

Editor: The British actually followed Australia's lead on blanket warnings, as we reported. The alerts are non-specific and ill-conceived. Those who know Thailand will come, but thousands of innocent will suffer because of this thoughtless behavior. It's a man-made tragedy that will actually lead to increased crime, and more deaths and suffering than has been caused by the current stand-off. Aussies and Britons should be complaining loudly.

Posted by lantawan on May 1, 2010 10:01

Well, it seems the red shirts have finally succeeded where the tuk-tuk drivers and jet ski hustlers have failed in scaring off the tourists.

Posted by Cat on May 1, 2010 11:27

Actually my comment should have read; "reaps what it has sown..."
Can't believe my head didn't get bitoff for that gaffe and goes to prove the online editor isn't a native English speaker.

Editor: What it goes to prove, Horse Doctor, is that Phuketwan is not here to correct your errors of syntax and judgement. And your remark is a sign of your enduring, uncorrectable bigotry.

Posted by Horse Doctor on May 1, 2010 13:31

lantawan is right on the money

Even though there are probably a majority of potential tourists that are not scared at all to go to Phuket, if they can't buy a travel insurance, then they won't go. Of Course.

So, Phuket can forget about "support" from tourists... I mean, this means that any Brit for example takes a HUGE risk in going to Phuket, if he/she ends up in any sort of accident they would/could be financially ruined.

Not to mention that Phuket is increasingly a destination for families and middle age and older people.

Editor: I suspect you will find that more people travel without insurance than with it.

Posted by christos on May 1, 2010 17:30

And that is also why tour operators immediately cancel all their flights. If the tourists can't buy travel insurance, trips to Thailand is out of the question.

Editor: If motorcycle crashes are any guide, the vast majority of visitors travel without insurance. People take insurance on group tours only if it is mandatory. Tours are severely affected, individual travellers are not.

Posted by christos on May 1, 2010 17:32

I work for the largest tour operator in the world. Our customers are mainly families with children and middle age couples. Also some younger people, of course. Almost all of the "quality" tourists that are really driving Phuket have insurance these days.

We have a large number of insurance cases every week, everything from illness to theft. Its extremely rare that any of our customers are uninsured. If there is an official travel warning from the government, we are obliged to heed it, and will have to cancel our flights.

The people you see driving around without helmet and end up in accidents are absolutely NOT the bread and butter of the tourism industry here. They are not the "quality tourists" that are so important to the industry these days.

They are mostly young, drunk men, who buy an Only Flight ticket and stay in some guest house in Patong or Rawai. And even those people won't be able to book a cheap charter flight ticket with any tour operator soon. And they usually don't have the budget to splash out on an expensive regular flight ticket with Thai, for example.

Posted by christos on May 2, 2010 11:08

I am a complete devotee of Thailand, particularly Phuket. The people, culture and paradise are the tourism industry and give westerners a sense of freedom and happiness away from their over regulated homelands.

Why not promote alternative routes via Singapore or KL avoiding Bangkok and show business as usual.....and get rid of those UK time-share sales sharks! Remember the web is a powerful communication medium. Returned to Australia last Thursday from Phuket and had no issues with getting travel insurance for the trip. Good luck, Phuket!

Posted by Pe-terrr on May 4, 2010 18:29

Forget about Bangkok, Phuket has enough problems as it is, be it the taxi M*****, the daylight robbery or the consistent overcharging. I for one will not go back to Phuket until all this problems are fixed, which most properly will never ever happen.

So for me, goodbye Phuket.

Posted by Rob on May 10, 2010 17:01

UK has lifted warning on the south. Operators allowing people to travel with full insurance cover to LOS as long as BKK not visited for overnight and transit at airport only.

German Operators have same in place
Australian Operators have not put any blanket stops on trips to Thailand.

Editor: We reported the lifting of the British advice some time back

Posted by lantawan on May 11, 2010 13:11

is there any chance of civil war in thailand? Hope not. If so there will be nowhere safe in Thailand, not even Phuket.

Posted by chai Niratpattanasai on May 12, 2010 14:13

Hi I have recently had my holiday cancelled to Pattaya for May this year,I was so disappointed. Now I booked again to go to Phuket Karon beach 7th June, I live in the UK and like other countries we have been warned about going to the Kingdom,They do however do tell me that Phuket is quite safe to go to, so I would advise people to look at other parts of Thailand if at all worried, So I Say go for it if you love the Kingdom as much as I do, I have been many times I love the country and its people

Posted by john theobalds on May 14, 2010 02:51