Despite a growing number of destinations opening as part of the sandbox scheme, Thai hoteliers remain as pessimistic as ever. A new survey by the Bank of Thailand and the Thai Hotels Association shows more than half are considering a temporary closure to reduce costs while 9% want to shut down permanently.
The survey polled 234 hotel businesses across the Kingdom. About 10% are currently operating as alternative state quarantine facilities or ‘hospitels.’
Even though the Phuket sandbox has been a relative success, the average hotel occupancy in Phuket has been about 15% since the start of the sandbox scheme.
