The news that Thailand from May 1 will not demand pre or post arrival health checks for vaccinated visitors has been ecstatically greeted. However, they still need to register in advance online to prove their vaccination status and minimum Covid insurance worth US$10,000. The Thai Chamber of Commerce, amongst many other bodies, says that a proper tourist revival will be delayed until prior registration is totally dismantled, as in the Cambodian model.
Meanwhile, international tourists, expats and locals are already being hit by rising prices. In Pattaya, the evidence is everywhere. Beach Road restaurants, facing a steep rise in cooking oil and commodity prices, are changing menu prices way beyond the 5.73% government year-on-year inflation total. Some barber shops in south Pattaya have already increased the cost of a shave from 100 to 120 baht, quoting “the rising cost of everything”, whilst farang are sometimes charged 140 baht as they get a quick run-over with an electric shaver as well as a safety razor.
Next month, the price of diesel fuel at the pumps will rocket from around 30 baht to 35 or 36 baht per liter. This is because of the half-removal of government subsidies. Without that reduced safeguard, which could end at any time, the actual pump price would be 41-42 baht. Because almost all transport in the Pattaya region is conducted by diesel-fuelled lorries, buses and taxis, inflation gets an automatic hike. You can still get a taxi from central Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi airport for 1,000 baht, but it’s no longer an easy challenge.
Inflationary pressures go beyond food and travel. Kenneth Wong, of Top Form Bras with local Thai factories, says the cost of fabric, foam pads, metal wire and plastic adjusters is also going up. He blames the Russia-Ukraine war, a partial factor, but Thailand’s once famous current account trade surplus has long since disappeared thanks to the pandemic. The good news for international visitors is that many foreign currencies have advanced against the baht. Even the British pound has defied the expectation that it would nosedive post-Brexit and is currently worth around 43.5 baht.
Many owners and managers of bars and clubs, now posing as health-conscious “restaurants” to satisfy the law, say that booze prices are likely to remain stable for now. Dave Selman, who rents premises in the popular Tree Town area of Soi Buakhao, said competition was fierce. “Many of us are relying on more customers with a smaller profit margin.” A masseuse at a nearby relaxation emporium said that a basic one hour rub was likely to remain at 200 baht minimum. “We survive on extra services and tips.” But then she hastily added, “You know, I mean a cup of tea whilst you relax or a more expensive moisturizing cream.” Absolutely.
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