Thailand tourism situation

[HHTel]

I think that's as good a yardstick as any, BB.

[buksida]

Our yardstick down here is hotel/resort occupancy since expats don't stay in them. I live within 200 yards of four different resorts and every one of them is empty and has been since a little spurt of activity in February (I'm not including Bangkok weekend warriors). Can also gauge how busy things are by how many farangs you see on the beach, also none but it is low season and usually dead this time of year so nothing new really.

[STEVE G]

I'm just having lunch on Hua Hin beach and there are a few people here who look like tourists rather than residents. It's only a handful but more than there was last week.
I actually stopped using this restaurant for lunch pre-covid because you couldn't ever get a table!

[Dannie Boy]

One of the biggest issues eluded to in a recent post was the cost of airfares - if prices have doubled or more, then that’s going to deter an awful lot of potential holidaymakers. I dare say that most long-haul flights are similarly affected so people will start to look at closer to home locations that offer better value for money as well as sunshine. A friend of mine is currently in Turkey on a 10 days holiday that for flights and hotel cost him and his wife less than £300 each!!

[PeteC]

^ That's a huge elephant in the room, and like most years one would expect airfares to increase even more in high season and close to the holidays.

[Mikeyb]

Things could pick up this coming week, as its Eid Holidays in the Muslim world, so maybe a few holiday makers and golfers from Middle East, Malaysia etc.

One of the issues at the minute is the price of flights and availability.

Some of my friends work in Dubai and they were planning on jetting out this weekend for a golf holiday, but there is no availabilty on Emirates flights. I guess gradually they will increase the number of flights as things pick up. I seem to remember Emirates doing about 5 flights a day and Etihad 3 per day. But its a lot less now. Hence availability is low at holiday periods.

[Big Boy]

Yes, a few arrivals may turn up, but has anybody taken into account the mass exodus out of Thailand as Thailand opens up to coincide with children's summer holidays? I know a lot of people who are leaving or have left on 6 weeks holiday. At best, I think status quo may be maintained.

There will be spike in 6 weeks time as people return off holiday.

[Gregjam]

Correct me if I’m wrong but Eid marks the end of a restrictive period and it is now that many of the not so devout but wealthy return to their homeland. I left Thailand this morning and there appeared to be quite a few headed to the Middle East.

[Mikeyb]

Indeed some will head home, but also many expats working in the Middle East will get out for a holiday as its a 4 day weekend.
And if flights are operating from KL then there will be families and golfers coming from there.

[Dannie Boy]

The reality is that in a place like HH, you’re hardly likely to notice much of an influx - whatever numbers do travel to Thailand will be widely spread around the main tourist areas and I’d suggest that HH is lower than 5th spot in popularity.

[handdrummer]

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/04/whats-r ... t-now.html

VEL
Thailand ends almost all travel restrictions — but one key rule remains
PUBLISHED MON, JUL 4 20225:05 AM EDT
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Monica Buchanan Pitrelli
@MONICAPITRELLI
Travelers wondering what it’s like to visit Thailand now may be interested to know the country is “allowing almost everything” again.

That’s according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the governmental entity responsible for promoting tourism to the country.

Masks are no longer required, and the country’s color-coded system — which placed limits that varied by province on dining activities, gatherings and travel — is also a thing of the past, according to TAT.

It’s also far easier to get into Thailand now too.

What’s needed
As of July 1, travelers need only show one Covid-related document to enter — either a Covid-19 vaccination certificate or a negative PCR or professionally administered antigen test — according to TAT.

The tourism authority said both print and digital formats are acceptable.

Masks, which were once required at the beach, are no longer mandatory in Thailand.
Masks, which were once required at the beach, are no longer mandatory in Thailand.
Lillian Suwanrumpha | Afp | Getty Images
Unvaccinated travelers who show up in Thailand without a negative test result, taken within 72 hours of traveling, will be required to pay for and take a Covid-19 test on-site, according to TAT. Travelers who test positive must also pay for their medical expenses, according to a TAT representative.

Foreign travelers still must show passports and visas, if needed, to enter.

‘Thailand Pass’ no longer required
Travelers no longer need to apply for a “Thailand Pass” to enter. Introduced in May, it required travelers to submit proof of vaccination, medical insurance and other documents before departure.

We expect the momentum to continue … [now that] the Thai government removed the final restrictions for international travelers.
Michael Marshall
CCO OF MINOR HOTELS
The new simplified rules supersede the country’s many travel initiatives — such as the “Phuket Sandbox” and the newer “Test & Go” program — launched during the pandemic to kickstart tourism, an industry which normally accounts for about 12% of Thailand’s gross domestic product.

The muted response to both programs showed travelers had little interest in abiding by a list of rules for the privilege of vacationing in Thailand.

Fewer rules, more tourists
It didn’t take long for tourists to react to Thailand’s loosened travel rules.

The day after the “Thailand Pass” was scrapped, tourist arrivals rose 20% to Phuket International Airport, with an estimated 9,000 people arriving on Friday, according to a report published by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.

That same day, the number of people crossing into Thailand at various checkpoints along the borders with Malaysia and Laos also rose, according to the article.

Indian nationals led the increase in travelers flying into Phuket last weekend, according to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.
Indian nationals led the increase in travelers flying into Phuket last weekend, according to the Thai Public Broadcasting Service.
Mladen Antonov | Afp | Getty Images
The number of online searches for hotel bookings also climbed starting July 1, said Michael Marshall, chief commercial officer of the Thai-based hotel operator Minor Hotels.

“Although it’s early days since all restrictions have been lifted, we’ve seen close to 10,000 new searches on our website for Thailand destinations from various markets collectively since July 1st, which is a very encouraging sign of things to come.”

Even before the rule changes, Thailand’s tourism industry was picking up steam.

International arrivals nearly quadrupled from January to May this year, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports. More than 1.3 million foreigners arrived during this time, compared with fewer than 35,000 during the same period in 2021, according to the ministry’s statistics.

From January to May in 2022, 43% of Thailand's visitors hailed from Asia, followed by 38% from Europe, according to Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
From January to May in 2022, 43% of Thailand’s visitors hailed from Asia, followed by 38% from Europe, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism & Sports.
Alex Ogle | Afp | Getty Images
“We expect the momentum to continue … [now that] the Thai government removed the final restrictions for international travelers,” said Marshall.

Tourism arrivals increased the most this year to Phuket, Koh Samui and areas in northern Thailand, he said.

Road to recovery
Thailand’s tourism recovery may be headed in the right direction, but the road to recovery is expected to be long as inflation, increasing travel costs and rising Covid rates rattle global travelers. The loss of travelers from its largest source market, China, won’t help matters this year either.

Given these headwinds, Thai officials are predicting between five and 15 million international arrivals this year — a huge increase from last year’s 428,000 foreign arrivals, but a far cry from the nearly 40 million tourists who arrived in 2019, according to Reuters.

[Nereus]

'Sell premium' - Thailand discourages discounts, wants high value tourists

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/23 ... e-tourists

Thailand's hotels, businesses and private hospitals should refrain from offering big discounts to lure tourists and focus instead on raising the country's value as a premium travel destination, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday.

Thailand has received about 2 million foreign visitors in the first six months of this year, a steady revival after its tourism industry almost collapsed due to the pandemic and more than 18 months of complex and costly entry requirements.

"We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it's cheap," Mr Anutin said at the Thailand Moving Together event at Suvarnabhumi airport to promote tourism.

"Instead they should say 'because it works, it's reasonable', that's where we can increase value," he said, echoing remarks by Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

Mr Anutin likened the approach to that of luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

"Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers," he said. "Otherwise Louis Vuitton wouldn't have any sales."

One of Asia's most popular travel destinations, Thailand welcomed a record of nearly 40 million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019, who spent 1.91 trillion baht, equivalent to 11% of gross domestic product.

Arrivals slumped to 6.7 million the following year, and down to 428,000 in 2021, despite calibrated moves to end quarantine requirements. It is forecasting 10 million foreign arrivals in 2022.

Earlier this year, the goverment launched a long-term visa programme for wealthy foreigners and skilled workers, sticking to its plan to lure high-spending visitors, despite major jobs and business losses in tourism during the pandemic.

[handdrummer]

"Instead they should say 'because it works, it's reasonable', that's where we can increase value,"

Then, when they arrive, they find that "it," whatever "it" is supposed to be, doesn't work very well and "reasonable" is in the eye of the spender, not the promoter.

[buksida]

Mr Anutin likened the approach to that of luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

"Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers," he said. "Otherwise Louis Vuitton wouldn't have any sales."

This is the dumbass kind of comment you'd expect from him, and a typical Thailand reaction - business is way down so hike the prices.

Louis Vuitton would be compared to Monaco in terms of locations - which Thailand definitely ain't, its closer to Primark.

[HHTel]

I've noticed that trait through all the years I've been here. Doesn't matter what the business. No customers then raise the prices. Quite the opposite of common sense.