Unusual Chinese New Year For Thai Transport Business

Ilustrasi. (Wikimedia Commons / Heinrich Damm)

JAKARTA - There is a different atmosphere in the center of the capital city of Thailand, Bangkok ahead of the 2572 Chinese New Year this time. If usually a week before the Chinese New Year, the activity in Bangkok increases, this year the COVID-19 pandemic has made the atmosphere much quieter.

Not only human activity, a number of vehicles that are usually used by tourists and local residents, such as Tuk-tuk, tour buses, and neatly parked boats, are in line with the decrease in foreign tourist visits.

The transportation business in Thailand has been devastated by the pandemic that has occurred. Usually, during the Chinese New Year, there is a spike in spending and travel among Thais, followed by an influx of visitors from China and a number of other countries in Asia.

But, the pandemic has turned Thailand's transportation business upside down, leaving many drivers and owners struggling to make ends meet. Domestic surveys estimate that spending on Chinese New Year times will experience the sharpest decline in 13 years.

Rows of Tuk-tuk parked without passengers. (Wikimedia Commons / PhiPhi)

“This Tuk-tuk has been parked for a year. You can see everything is covered in dust”, said garage owner Kraisak Kulkiatprasert, who now rents out less than 10 vehicles a day.

“I will monitor the situation for another year. If it doesn't get better, I have to close it down", he said, who in the pre-pandemic period could operate 100 Tuk-tuks per day.

A sad story also came from Tuk-tuk driver Campon Taikae (50). Driving for hours, Taikae claims he only earns 50 baht or 1.70 US dollars. However, he continues to carry out this profession because he has no other job.

In other parts of Bangkok, tour buses also fared with three coins, parked in long chains, without tourist passengers and dusty.

"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was never short of work", said driver Tossaporn Rakratchakarn, as he cleaned the dusty windshield of his vehicle.

Illustration of a tourist boat. (Wikimedia Commons / Luca Nebuloni)

“I usually drop off tourists and pick up other groups. It's been a year now and there has been no movement at all", added Tossaporn, who once returned to his home village to look after the fish pond.

Meanwhile, the President of the Thai Transportation Operators Association Wasuchet Sophonsathien said that currently, only one-tenth of Thailand's 40 thousand tour buses are still operating.

The story is the same for many sightseeing boats and ferries. Mani Hogkhontod, one of the tour boat drivers said the current situation is completely different than in the past when passengers filled their ships.

"I've been thinking about looking for a new job, but I'm afraid I'll have to start from scratch, because of my work experience and age", he said.