{"id":6827,"date":"2021-04-11T23:44:52","date_gmt":"2021-04-11T16:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/?p=6827"},"modified":"2021-09-03T22:19:05","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T15:19:05","slug":"a-love-letter-to-the-hoteliers-of-phuket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.littlewanderingwren.com\/staging\/8794\/2021\/04\/11\/a-love-letter-to-the-hoteliers-of-phuket\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love Letter To The Hoteliers of Phuket"},"content":{"rendered":"

The path to reopen Thailand is a tough one, just ask the hoteliers of Phuket. When this article was published at Expat Life in Thailand<\/a> there was much to be hopeful for. Ahead is the plan to reopen the island to fully vaccinated International visitors arriving into Phuket without quarantine, by July 1st. The current third wave of Covid here in Thailand has been another big blow. Bookings taken for the Thai new year Songkran holiday period have been canceled, the future is again uncertain.<\/p>\n

I wrote this in support of these wonderful hotels that we have enjoyed and to encourage those within Thailand and overseas to support when safe to visit. (updated 24 Aug 2021)<\/p>\n

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Love at the Nai Harn, Phuket<\/p><\/div>\n

A Love Letter to the Hoteliers of Phuket<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Phuket I love you. In 2020 I visited Phuket travelling solo, as a couple, and with friends. Every time I leave, the yearn to return gets stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the second wave introduced further travel restrictions around Thailand, we remained in Phuket where my husband and I had been holidaying for Christmas. The island has been deathly quiet, the local expat community launched #onephuket to support those helping feed islanders in need. It\u2019s been grim times for many in Phuket and the surrounding islands.<\/span><\/p>\n

A handful of hoteliers, unwilling to re-close their hotels in such desperate times, remained steadfastly committed to keeping their doors open,<\/span><\/p>\n

‘If we close we lose money, if we open we lose money, <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

but at least we have jobs\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Intercontinental Phuket<\/p><\/div>\n

This letter is a testament and a thank you to the hotel industry staff from gardening to the General Managers who, with a decimated tourism industry turned up day after day to greet a handful of guests. Their determination to \u2018keep calm and carry on<\/i>,\u2019 and to provide an outstanding guest experience, when a number of hotels were forced to close their doors some never to reopen, has been a bright light in our continuing Coronavirus days, here in Phuket.<\/span><\/p>\n

I see your pain, I have witnessed your struggle to operate shorthanded of staff, serving food in <\/b>restaurants and running hotels without your managerial staff. I have seen jobs lost and I hear salaries have been reduced. I\u2019ve seen the empty streets, your empty resorts and rooms with your pillows out for airing awaiting the tourists to return\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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Phuket’s empty beaches<\/p><\/div>\n

Since living in Phuket, I witnessed you stripped bare without your tourist friends. I\u2019ve seen how amazing you are. I\u2019ve stayed in your world-class hotels, wandered your incredible empty beaches, swam in your crystal blue sea and eaten in your Michelin awarded restaurants. <\/span><\/p>\n

I loved as well a whole host of less grand but equally memorable Phuket experiences. Like arriving on Kata beach a few hours after a Super Mum turtle laid her eggs – the first time in twenty years! Or wandering at sunset along a tranquil Patong beach.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Waiting for the turtles to hatch at Kata Beach<\/p><\/div>\n

First some hard talk. Phuket you feel like the popular girl at school who never had to try too hard. You were beautiful, with incredible beaches and people who flocked to you from all over the world. You mingled with ease with this crowd, you were multi-lingual and you had been educated at the best Swiss hotel management schools. You cooked the best food and you were known to put on a great party. You were popular for a reason, you are friggin\u2019 awesome! <\/span><\/p>\n

When Covid hit, none of your international friends who adored you could get to you and you were left all alone. The problem was that none of your local acquaintances were that interested. The popular girl of Phuket never had us on her Christmas card list, telling us how we must join her and how wonderful she was. Oh no, she directed all her marketing at her rich friends overseas. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some of us remembered Phuket from our teenage party \u2018Let\u2019s go to Thailand\u2019 years, it was Phuket and the Patpong ping pong show that stick in my mind from the 1980s. Later in the 1990s and 2000s, we returned with our kids and found the family-friendly side of Thailand. How many of us have photos of our children and the baby elephant at Laguna Phuket? I know, I know, we wouldn\u2019t encourage that now, but that was then\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

We may have ventured back to Phuket when we arrived to live as Expats in the Land of Smiles. But generally, we found that your prices were high and your taxis never gave us a \u2018local price’. Our indignant few words of Thai never helped either; you wanted real foreigners with deep pockets! For decades, your beaches were packed with partygoing internationals and quite frankly we live here, and when we holiday we\u2019re not going where the tourists go!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Phuket I wish you had told us more about yourself before. We never ever knew how amazing you are for the couples and friends market! All those things that make you incredible have always been there underneath the layers of tourist hordes. You are still the beautiful lass that became popular for a reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the past three months, we have enjoyed a hither too unseen Phuket, and I\u2019ve been visiting for forty years. Over the course of the year 2020 I visited three times, I did the same for Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, but Phuket has somehow attracted me to linger.<\/span><\/p>\n

During our Thailand staycations, we have enjoyed many Phuket resorts and hotels and we will keep going. You are all that is acknowledged below. This letter is for you! You are doing an amazing job in difficult circumstances. These are the experiences and memories I absolutely treasure from my time with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Table of Contents<\/p>\n