Southeast Asia feels the burn as coronavirus keeps Chinese tourists at home

Travel bans and restrictions have bottled up the flow of tourists since the viral outbreak

Last updated: February 16, 2020 | 12:07

Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Producer

2 MIN READ

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An empty restaurant at Chang Siam Park in Pattaya. Takings have plummeted as Chinese travellers find themselves subject to a host of restrictions at home and abroad.

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Employees waiting for tourists at the entrance of the Floating Market in Pattaya.

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Chang Siam Park, which features animal attractions such as elephant rides, is one of the main attractions for Chinese tourists in Pattaya but is almost deserted due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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Mahouts with their elephants wait for tourists in Chang Siam Park in Pattaya. The slump is being felt sharply in Thailand, where tourism authorities say arrivals from China - usually close to one million a month - have plunged by 90 percent so far this February.

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A speedboat tour vendor waiting for tourists on a beach in Pattaya.

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Speedboats waiting for tourists on a beach in Pattaya.

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Speed boats waiting for tourists on a beach in Pattaya.

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A mass of tuk-tuks standing idle in front of a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand

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Empty tourist boats at the Floating Market in Pattaya.

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Empty tourist boats at the Floating Market in Pattaya.

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An airline staff member wearing a protective mask stands at U-Tapao Airport, in Rayong, Ban Chang District, Thailand.

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Pattaya is one of the main destinations for Chinese tourists but is almost deserted due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

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For staunch Beijing ally Cambodia, where only one case of the virus has been confirmed so far despite a large Chinese presence, strongman leader Hun Sen has repeatedly played down the risk to his country. Still, Cambodian tourism is taking a hammering.

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Patrons sitting at a restaurant along the southern beach resort of Sihanoukville.

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The main tourist market in Luang Prabang is almost empty since the outbreak of the deadly Covid-19.

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A nearly empty water attractions at Pattaya Park Resort in Pattaya. With 10 million Chinese visitors each year, Thailand hopes the pain will ease in a few months.

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