Thailand tourism situation

Local Hua Hin and regional Thailand news articles and discussion.
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NOKYAI
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by NOKYAI »

Perhaps there's scope for an adult version, played in the bars of Thailand......like finding that fresh little beauty on Soi 80!
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Post by hhinner »

^^ Two different arms of government at cross purposes (TAT, NBTC). Nothing new there.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by PeteB »

What have you been drinking NOKYAI :shock:
..................like finding that fresh little beauty on Soi 80!
FRESH? - BEAUTY? ?

On Soi 80???
I never knew that you had to play it wearing beer goggles........ :cheers:

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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by NOKYAI »

It does help ;-)
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by buksida »

OFFICIAL OPTIMISM ON TOURISM TEMPERED BY THE NUMBERS
“Life goes on” was the key message Thailand’s top tourism official conveyed Wednesday night at a public forum on how the country’s tourism is weathering the death of its longest-reigning monarch.

Playing down the impact of His Majesty the Late King’s death on one of the kingdom’s biggest money-makers, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul recounted her visit to a luxury hotel bar where she saw scenes of leisure returning to normal a month after the government declared a ban on public entertainment, forcing the once free-wheeling capital to go quiet.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/busi ... d-numbers/
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Bristolian »

Budget tour crackdown hits Lunar New Year bookings
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tou ... r-bookings

Chinese hotel bookings to Thailand for the Lunar New Year have tumbled as a crackdown on cheap package tours hits visitor numbers from its biggest source of holidaymakers.

Tourism is increasingly important for Thailand given that its economic growth lags other Southeast Asian economies. Between 2012 and 2016, the number of Chinese visitors trebled to nearly a third of all Thailand's tourists by numbers and revenue.

But a crackdown on "zero-dollar" package tours in September sent that into reverse with little sign of recovery ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday Jan 28 to Feb. 2

The D Land Holiday Co Ltd caters to Chinese tourists. Bookings are only 300 for the Lunar New Year compared to 800 last year, its owner said.

"It's the crackdown," Ruengdet Amorndetphakdee told Reuters.

Other hotel groups, including Central Plaza Hotel , said Chinese bookings had fallen. Tristar Floating Restaurant Co Ltd has six cruise ships for Chinese visitors -- now it operates only one.

Tourism authority expects a 7.7% drop in Chinese tourists for the Lunar New Year this year, though offset by a 3.9% rise in tourists from elsewhere, and it sees Chinese tourist numbers rising back during 2017.

Zero-dollar tourists pay everything up front.

Operators cut any cost they can while tourists are sometimes cajoled into buying overpriced souvenirs so the company earns a commission. Those are the practices Thailand wants to stop.

But the government's insistence on a minimum 1,000 baht ($28) per night charge for package tourists had made Thailand uncompetitive for many Chinese visitors, tour operators say.

"We weren't prepared for this," Chanapan Kaewklachaiyawuth, secretary-general of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association told Reuters.

Chinese tourist numbers fell 30% in November from the year before to the lowest monthly total in more than two years. At least part of that drop-off was due to a one-month mourning period following the Oct 13 passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, tour operators say.

Thailand nonetheless forecasts that Chinese tourist numbers will recover to reach nine million by the end of 2017 to just top last year's total.

By targeting wealthier Chinese travellers, revenue from China will increase over 14% this year to around 500 billion baht, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

"It's certainly a change, but Thai operators are able to adapt," he told Reuters.

Overall, Thailand expects growth in tourist revenue of 8.5% to nearly $50 billion -- more than double the overall economic growth rate forecast.

Although Chinese visitor numbers have fallen, the number of travellers from elsewhere has continued to rise. Central Plaza said increased bookings from Russia had helped despite Chinese cancellations.

Tristar Floating Restaurant Co Ltd is looking to new markets in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar, company president Vichai Tanasopananont told Reuters television.

"Cheap packages don't yield high income and businesses will need to adapt," said Thanavath Phonvichai, an economic professor at University of Thai Chamber of Commerce. "It will gradually improve."

For those whose livelihoods have been affected, improvement cannot come soon enough.

"My income has dropped 50%," complained Naruja Nakthong, a 27-year-old souvenir shop owner in the historic Thonburi area of Bangkok. "It might be good if we have tourists who spend more. They might shop and buy more stuff but I haven't seen them here yet."
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by PeteC »

^ Once again it needs to be said what good is a tourist where little to none of their money stays in the host country? The bottom line is that all that happens is Thailand's resources are used and their trash remains here to be cleaned up at a cost. Lose-Lose situation. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

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All lies and smoke and mirrors.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by oakdale160 »

ok less chinese, but that is not a big thing inHH. wandering the bar area over the w'end, i've seen it busier but it was quite busy as it should be mid-jan. Bar owners are whining but then that their thing. what do others think?
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Lev »

We have moved all of the airport/flying discussions to a new thread here: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=34023

Please keep this one on topic.
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Re: Delays at airport immigration

Post by oakdale160 »

To follow on Sabai Jai's post. A friend comes to HH for Feb, march and early april every year. His comment was that the HI season finished earlier this yr than ever before. He moved hotels last week as big discounts were being offered. Also a friend who has a bar says the number of his girls who are being bar fined is less than 50% of other years.Less tourists with less money with shorter stays.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Bluesky »

Arrived at the swamp (Suvarnabhumi) airport Wednesday evening 8 March from Oz. Headed to immigration control with no queues on the foreign passport entry points. Longest wait for the evening was at the baggage carousel with most passengers collecting baggage being Thais and not a lot of foreigners. Once luggage was collected wandered through the customs hall again with a minimal wait. Certainly no big crowds of incoming passengers for the evening.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Pleng »

Hi season should pretty much be finished now anyway, shouldn't it? Usually picks up again a bit for Songkran then that's it.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Big Boy »

There are still plenty walking 3 and 4 abreast up and down Soi 94, which is my guage of when they arrive and go home again.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Big Boy »

I made a rare trip down to the Binthablock area yesterday evening. It was as quiet as I've seen it.
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