Hopes For Pattaya High Season Sinking

[christianpfc]

...the ASQ scheme was a Covid profiteering scam that (I think) grossly overestimated the number of tourists who would put up with it.

Covid profiteering, that's a good way to put it!

...accept that there will be some cases and some deaths but that life has to get back to normal.

Exactly! The cat is out of the sack and Covid will get everywhere and will get everyone. With lockdowns and curfews this process can be dragged out and make peoples' lives uncomfortable, or we can get over it quick.

...not least because many have spent far less than usual during lockdown and are now flush with cash.

Thailand just needs to go the extra mile and ditch the quarantine requirements and other restrictions that are messing up the tourist scene, which could happen as soon as Nov 1st, but more likely Dec 1st I suspect; and see tourism from europe back to full strength after Xmas.

That varies widely. One of my acquaintances lost a lot of money due to Covid and has to postpone his retirement for years.

Flights have to be arranged, package trips organized. It might already be too late to take advantage of this High Season, and all the improvements too late, too little.

[gerefan2]

I think it's very premature to call that. Europe is rapidly getting over Covid, and people will be itching to fly off to the sun this winter as much as they ever did before, not least because many have spent far less than usual during lockdown and are now flush with cash.
.

Thailand used to get 40 m tourists a year. 31m came from Asia and only 5.7m from Europe.

Most of the Asians won’t be there this year so I still think the high season is lost....even if all those 5.7m form Europe came!

[Old git]

Thailand used to get 40 m tourists a year. 31m came from Asia and only 5.7m from Europe.

Most of the Asians won’t be there this year so I still think the high season is lost....even if all those 5.7m form Europe came!

But who spent the money? - who kept the bars and restaurants alive? - Never the Asians..

[Moses]

But who spent the money? - who kept the bars and restaurants alive? - Never the Asians..

Yeah, Asians don't need to eat, they can't keep restaurants opened.

[gerefan2]

But who spent the money? - who kept the bars and restaurants alive? - Never the Asians..

Good point!

[Dodger]

I took another spin through Jomtien Complex this afternoon and several of the bars had the metal doors lifted with staff sitting inside drinking soft drinks. I talked to staff members at M2M, the bar next to M2M (name?), Dolce Vita, and Home Bar and they all said, without hesitation, that they were waiting for the green light to reopen. Dorothy's Showbar had that huge fluorescent sign of theirs lit up as if a show was about to begin. Why they do this is beyond me, but it was just another positive indicator as far as I'm concerned.

Similar to my drive-through a few days ago, there was a small group of boys sitting across the soi from Home Bar (next to Dolce Vita) with inviting smiles and the typical hand gestures. I saw one doll who was wearing snug worn jeans with an ass sculpted by the gods as he drifted towards the group of boys and was tempted to go over and say hello...but I declined.

Navigating around the S curve on my way out of the Complex I saw 6 or 7 boys sitting outside a massage parlor with the same smiles and hand gestures. I could have got laid 15 times and the bars are still closed, and that doesn't include 2 freelancers I was talking to on the beach earlier in the morning.

I'm not saying these things to gloat over the fact that I'm here now - I'm only saying these things to give you guys who aren't here a true picture of what's waiting for you when you return.

[Gaybutton]

I took another spin through Jomtien Complex this afternoon and several of the bars had the metal doors lifted with staff sitting inside drinking soft drinks.

What about customers? Do you know if the boys are allowed to sit with customers, either inside or on chairs outside of the bars and at least have soft drinks? I hope so. Otherwise, why are they there? If that is allowed, it may not be the greatest, but under current circumstances it would at least be a start.

[Old git]

This is encouraging - it suggests the landlords - at least in this particular spot - have been pragmatic. It seems unlikely the bar owners have been keeping up their rental payments during lockdown, unless they've had some govt. lockdown support? - I've not heard of any..?

[goji]

Last winter, whilst alcohol sales were not permitted, in some parts of town, customers would be offered a "soft drink" consisting of a glass of beer, complete with a can of Sprite to place on the table next to it as a decoy.
Or beer out of a coffee mug.

The gay bars seemed to be more cautious.

[arsenal]

"Or beer out of a coffee mug."

I'm a bit of an obsessive Christianesque dandy when it comes to beverages and believe they should be served in the correct vessels. Champagne in a flute or a saucer, brandy in a balloon and beer in a beer glass or a tankard. Anything else is just common.