kinyara

When you arrive in the country you stand in a queue and your details are entered into the immigration computer system. Amazing isn't it.

Their average length of stay is 4-5 days.

TAT forecast for 2023 was within the range 24m-30m, the bank figure is not deviating outside of that.

Official ranking based on figures to end of March was : 1) Malaysia - 921k 2) Russia - 567k 3) China - 517k 4) South Korea - 442k 5) India - 323k Would think China will likely have overtaken Russia in April

Excellent move clearly targeted at the low budget tour group end of the market whose overall benefit to Thai tourism is questionable. Before anyone gets too excited about a future decline in Chinese tourism numbers : Jan 2023 - 91,841 Feb 2023 - 155,656 Mar 2023 - 269,773 Enjoy it while it lasts.

TAT said at the start of the year the numbers would be between the range of 24 million - 30 million, the level of recovery in the Chinese market being a major factor on where it falls within that range. I haven't seen them alter that forecast, just numerous articles reported here with figures within that same range.

There is something rather pathetic about a guy using this platform to scrounge free meals. What a schill.

Received e-mail 14 day before due notification online yesterday, immediately submitted and received aprroval today. Chonburi seems to be working fine as per usual.

Don't know about that one but there is now one halfway along Jomtien Beach Road, by the 7-11 with big parking area out front, that is part of the daily bus tour route, packed every lunchtime with at least 4 big buses parked up. Saw what I thought were a group of Chinese surveying the restaurant straight after lockdown ended and thought they might have been looking to take advantage of the situation.

The average length of stay figures for tourists from those countries doesn't support the theory of daily border hoppers. e.g 2019 figures Malaysia - 4.81 days Laos - 5.68 days Cambodia - 7.39 days

I've always thought the 300 baht proposal was a typical lazy sledgehammer tax on foreigners to recoup/make up for funds lost from them during the COVID years, and in reality offering nothing in return. I get there is logistical collection issues but I also think for maximum effect its timing was always intended to coincide with when they thought the Chinese millions would return. The problem they seem to have is it appears the Chinese tour group masses seem to be very price sensitive to the continued high price of airfares and aren't as yet significantly returning, ( hence the drop in overall numbers ). Sticking on another fee is not the best idea at the moment and is I think another factor in it being kicked down the road again, even though we may think it's a relatively small amount in the grand scheme of things.

Where did you get the figure of Cambodia getting 16 million tourists over Songkran ? It can't possibly be foreign tourists as Cambodia only managed to attract 6.6 million in total for the whole of 2019.

Wouldn't have minded a few big blocks of that Songkran ice in my condo swimming pool every day as I'm finding the ongoing heat harder to bear than any year I can remember, other than that the deserted tranquility has been perfect.

Good video up from NDTVI on the action in Soi 7, looks full on already, captures the happiness it brings to the Thais. Personally I avoid it altogether preferring a week by the pool with a good book, but I don't begrudge them their New Year fun.

Yeah I've always found that Soi 7 & 8 area has always been the epicentre of the action along Beach Road given the concentration of bars there.

And now the end is here And so I face that final curtain ...... Yes there were times I'm sure you knew When I bit off more than I could chew

TAT haven't been way overly optimistic is forecasting the recovery, they predicted 10 million last year which was actually exceeded, and this year they have a perfectly reasonable range of between 24 million to 30 million due to the uncertainty of exactly how well the Chinese market recovers.

More Hard Power than Soft Power

How could Pattaya's very own Rupert Murdoch and his bastion of quality journalism have missed this story, I'm shocked I tell you. ????

Why do you think the staff felt the need to leave the store ? Fortunately their actions pre-empted possible harm to themselves. Personally I dislike anti-social aggressive behaviour by anyone regardless of colour, nationality or sex.

Let him stew there for a week to contemplate his actions before payment of a fine for the damage and a 10 year blacklist. Time to set a public example as a deterrent. The nonchalance of him as he just strolls away as if nothing happened., what a w..ker

Tell that to the staff who were concerned enough for their own safety they felt the need to exit the store. Only one person who could have harmed others in this incident.

Which office ?

Thanks for the quick reply and information, I thought they'd added some form of easier access system on the right side outside where you didn't have to join the general bigger snaking queue on the left side.

What's the retirement system now, does outside pre-check your paperwork and give you a number and you wait for your number on a screen outside before entering the office ?