A video posted on YouTube by Thai media 77kaoded showed the terrible state of tourism in Pattaya in the wake of the Chinese not travelling due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Despite it being a beautiful, breezy day of clear skies down on the Eastern Seaboard there was barely a tourist in sight.
And this was supposed to be high season.
Sohotown – usually bustling with Chinese tourists spending money – was all but deserted.
There were just a few stragglers down at Pattaya port and the pier wondering where everyone had got to.
Kilometers of pristine sand laid down especially for the tourists was empty. There were just a couple of farangs on the beach spoilt for choice for where to sit down.
Except there was no one to service them
Great rows of beach loungers – usually filled with people enjoying the weather and the seafood – were almost completely bereft of people.
A solitary pigeon waddled about for scraps – but there were none.
Chinese lanterns fluttered in the light wind – a reminder that the Chinese Year of the Rat will likely be remembered for a rat that jumped ship.
In the bay, lonely speedboats for Koh Larn were lapped by the waters – their owners were not even there.
Guide Kritthisak Kanlomsumaso, 45, said it was terrible for him and other guides. Many had just gone home as there was nothing to do.
Businesses like restaurants that cater to Chinese tour groups were paying staff half wages.
Some had sent their staff home for a month as well.
Hotels that cater to the Chinese were all but empty.
High season in Pattaya was nothing more than a ghost town.
77kaoded said this was all because of the travel restrictions placed by the Chinese government on their citizens after the outbreak of the coronavirus.
