Thailand tourism situation

[buksida]

Bleak outlook for Chiang Mai hotels
Though it is the high season, hoteliers in Chiang Mai report sluggish business with no signs of a recovery this year.

"The first two months of high season just passed, but the situation seems bleaker than it should be," said La-Iad Bungsrithong, president of the Thai Hotels Association's northern chapter.

The challenges for local operators are an oversupply of rooms in Chiang Mai, which has 60,000 rooms, of which 10,000 are on a sharing economy platform, while the number of visitors is not growing.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... mai-hotels

[Big Boy]

I was in Market Village yesterday and there was an abundance of newbie visitors wandering around like headless chickens. Usual tell tale signs of pink skin, and wondering at the fact Tesco sell things like milk, eggs, beans and bread. I don't know if they were just passing through, but there were hundreds of them. I guess High Season is really happening. I've also noticed an increase in motorcycle crazies arriving on the roads, who think they have to ride like idiots so they don't stand out in the crowd. Roll on April.

[buksida]

They are starting to trickle back down here also but numbers are nowhere near what they were 4-5 years ago. Most resorts are still only running at 30% occupancy.

[Big Boy]

Maybe it was timing, and they were all there at once, but I was away for a few days, and very surprised at how big an increase there was. I'm also noticing quite an increase in Chinese visitors.

[PeteC]

Implementation has been postponed, I would think cancelled going forward under Taiwan possible action to cancel visa free status for Thai passport holders. https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/1810 ... -postponed

Doesn't take much imagination to determine where this is coming from.......

Taiwanese visitors face extra visa requirements

"Individual travellers from Taiwan visiting Thailand will be required to provide financial details to obtain a visitor’s visa starting next month, according to local news reports."...........

https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/1805 ... quirements

[buksida]

You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.” – Taiwan

“This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.”

It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to boycott tours to Thailand. Nothing like a threat of tourist numbers to convince the Thai government to review its stance on the Taiwanese tourists’ visas!

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... urs-taiwan

[PeteC]

The only reason they introduced it in the first place was due to pressure from China by the many sympathizers in power here .....IMO

[usual suspect]

Was at the beach this week (near the ferry port) and the owner of one of the beach restaurants sat and talked to me..He said the tourist numbers there (for each of the restaurants..not just his) was down this year so far, and they had all seen numbers fall each year.."not good" He said.

[caller]

I just spent a few days down in Ao Nang, in Krabi and it was pretty deserted. Got a great discount on a hotel and I found prices cheaper down there in any case. Main tourists were Indians and Muslims of various nationalities. The driver that collected us from the airport spoke decent English and as we passed through the town at about 6.30pm he shouted out, 'look at it, its high season and it's empty' or words to that effect. At times it did resemble a ghost town, although when we went out to the islands, there seemed plenty of boats and people about. My first trip to the area and I loved it.

[Ginjaninja]

I just spent a few days down in Ao Nang, in Krabi and it was pretty deserted.

Sounds perfect...

[buksida]

Not just Krabi it seems ... Phuket and CM also ...

Delayed high season for Phuket hotels
The high season for hoteliers in Phuket will come late this year as rooms are not being snapped up until after Christmas.

Generally the flow of tourists on the popular island increases in November, but this year the occupancy rate was a mere 50-60% last month, compared with 70% last year, said Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Thai Hotels Association southern chapter.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... ket-hotels

[handdrummer]

If people can delay their travel until Jan., hotels are generally near 50% cheaper.

[Big Boy]

Didn't we have this Phuket and Pattaya ghost town ploy last year with reports of tumbleweed blowing through the streets? It worked last year with people flocking there for a 'quiet' holiday, so it's bound to work this year.

[buksida]

The tourist places like to price themselves off the planet for peak season which is why nobody comes. Flights and hotels are often triple priced, and the big ones want you to pay a hundred quid for a gala dinner - its Thailand FFS, not Monaco.

[Stargeezer]

Well I am hoping that there are lots of places to stay in Hua Hin in January to March.
I have heard of the low numbers and it is mid December. TAT sure know how to try
make the numbers seem positive. I think a few more people are trying out Vietnam for
a holiday, and are liking it. My relatives said they had a great week in Vietnam a couple weeks ago.
Beaches were great and shopping was good as well. Plus they said the hotels and guest houses they
stayed at were comfy as well. The high baht is not doing anyone but the rich and elite much good.
Oh well, I will be in Hua Hin Jan 20 for 2 weeks again in 2020. My contribution to the Thai
economy. 555
Geezer