Views & News

The land of smiles no more

| Asian Equities
Samir Mehta
23 Dec 2021

The land of smiles no more

No words can describe the devastation communities have endured as a result of the pandemic. I thought these two charts best encapsulate the turmoil we face in December 2021 as we look at the effects in Thailand.  

From pillars to rubble: tourist arrivals (mn)

The new way to stay in the know about your investment

Source: Thailand Ministry of Tourism; Credit Suisse 

In a similar vein to my previous #TAO on Hallyu – the Korean Wave, the Thai government and businesses had prepared Thailand as a destination for travel. Great hospitality, warmth of people and climate, subtle and delicious food, pristine beaches and so many tourist attractions at a reasonable cost. A couple films have enhanced and cemented Thailand's reputation as a holiday destination.

In 2011, the American film, The Hangover 2: The Wolfpack is back, and not to be outdone, a Chinese film was released in 2013, Lost in Thailand.
 

Devastation: tourism receipts in Thailand

The new way to stay in the know about your investmentSource: Thailand Ministry of Tourism; Credit Suisse 

The boom resulting from China’s tourist arrivals was especially beneficial as Chinese tourists were typically big spenders. All of this came to a virtual halt in 2020. This year has been no better. Vaccinated, no quarantine travel was just starting to take baby steps forward, but the Omicron variant has thrown a spanner in the works.

Stay safe and take comfort in the company of your loved ones over the holiday season. This could have been worse; vaccines have certainly helped. We still need to endure more pain; tourism is not the only industry that will need to take it on the chin but for now it is the face of the pandemic.

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