kinyara

Reminds me of the last one I can remember which was the Hells Angel/Aussie Biker case where the killers hired a vehicle equipped with a tracking system to transport the body out to the countryside where they buried the body.

The news report does mention the suspects are going to be charged with " concealing, transporting and destroying his body ". There was also the point about the cleaning up of his own car and a lack of sighting by the neighbours of him or his car at the property where the freezer and body were found.

Caught on film transporting a dead body by the only working CCTV camera in Pattaya. Unlucky lads.

I find the Visa Section of the Pattaya City Expats website a useful reference point in keeping up with the actual local office situation. They seem to have enough members that any real changes consistently affecting applicants are highlighted. https://pcec.club/. I always check it in advance of doing anything in Immigration for latest requirements and paperwork.

I think that's the sort of issue the UK Embassy in Thailand should be made aware of as well and raise with the DWP on on behalf of their citizens out here. I lwatched an interview with the Minister in charge on a UK TV consumer money programme a few weeks ago and it sounded like the DWP is in a real mess response time wise even with pension queries within the UK.

In simple terms tourist arrivals, ( and departures ) are recorded at all the entry points to the country through the immigration computer system. The National Office of Statistics do all the analysis of the data gathered and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism report and publish it monthly, quarterly and annually via their official website. It's a fairly straightforward data gathering and reporting process that TAT aren't involved in. I've noticed Vietnam report their numbers the first week after the month end but with Thailand it's the last week of the month. Like many things it's really no different to how any other countries operate.

From the article " TAT says that IF things continue at this rate Thailand CAN expect UP TO 30 million visitors ". Note their words, it's a forecast not gospel. They were actually proved correct in their forecasts last year.

Unfortunately you don't have a choice as far as the Immigration database is concerned, it's just a question whether it's you choosing to input the data yourself or handing your passport over to the Immigration officer for him to input the same data.

At least you were prepared to give it a go, the guys I'm talking about who are all computer literate and were professionally qualified successful people in their careers wouldn't even entertain the idea of trying to make their life easier. I can only say those of us that do of my mates who are in the majority have not had any issues. My first one after receiving my new passport even worked despite reading on here that I'd have to go in person for that one. Nothing to lose giving it another try 14 days before your next report, you might get a pleasant surprise and if not you can give us a report on the new office. ????

From the level of arrivals to date I think it's more likely around the middle rather than the top end of their 2023 24-30 million forecast range i.e. 27 million. To reach the high end would require Chinese arrivals to double from current levels through July-December, no sign or indication of that happening yet from what I've read.

Retiree experience vs Tourist experience. The opening of a new building for Retiree related services will not alter the experience of those requiring tourist related services in Feb peak demand tourist high season. It should help ease numbers in the main building a bit, but I reckon the absence of the Russian tourist war effect that happened this high season would help more.

I would be shocked if France didn't generate a higher income per tourist than Thailand, Thailand not unnaturally draws the majority of its tourism from countries in Asia that have lower per capita income than France's Western neighbours and main customers. The market is priced accordingly. Do we really need to highlight the higher cost base of France compared to Thailand resulting is obviously higher cost of services and necessary higher spend ? That said, is the French government or those in their tourist industry from top to bottom complaining about its success in attracting 66 million visitors, more than 50% higher volume than Thailand's peak to date, despite the overwhelming majority of them not eating in Michelin starred restaurants or staying in 5 star Paris hotels. My first foreign holiday was to France as a student inter-railing through the country and to fit our budget we stayed at campsites not higher cost hotels. Just googled it and there are now over 8,000 campsites serving tourists in France alongside lower cost Pension's, hostels, guest houses through to expensive hotels, something to fit the different levels of tourist budgets even in France, just like Thailand.

The maybe not surprising thing I found in my social circle was that when the new 90 day online reporting system was updated and working perfectly through the Jomtien office, it was those that complain the most about having to report to immigration in person that haven't yet taken advantage of the improvement and still insist on going there, bizarre. Not happy unless they are complaining about immigration, some of the spurious linkage in this thread disconnected from the news of this positive development kind of demonstrate that mindset.

They have an adverse impact on figures the Tourism Ministry publish by reducing the average length of stay per tourist by country and the average daily spend per tourist by country.

Good news, another improvement for us retirees using the Jomtien office.

Agreed, but the multiplier effect of all additional money in the economy is a hugely important economic driver, especially in the tourist industry which is supported by hundreds of thousands of small independent vendors who make just a few baht from every sale, as opposed to the sale of 1 luxury high margin item in a high end Bangkok shopping mall. I recognise there is a tax benefit to the latter which hopefully filters through, but that is also true with every tourist that arrives in one form or another in how they get here, where they stay and how they get around etc etc.

Useful to know, I haven't been in to that branch of Home Pro but would appreciate the easier access.

Probably a 10 minute drive to Homepro in the Big C on Pattaya Klang or you could continue on Sukhumvit and try Index Living Mall past the Klang turn-off.

I've never come across any country with a heavy dependency on tourist income actively campaigning for lower tourist numbers or imposing a minimum financial spend on those entering, higher tourist numbers = higher tourist income. Thailand is a mass tourist market because people like it, however if quality is defined as high spending Thailand must still attract them as there are 5 star options in all the main tourist areas.

Yes China running at a mere 25% of 2019 numbers is why TAT forecast a range of 24-30 million. Where do you get the idea that Malaysian's are day-trippers ? Their average length of stay has always been around 4 days, some may be but that is clearly compensated by those staying a week or longer.

You clearly can't see it, I think I'd start with a visit to Specsavers. ????

Trying to draw comparisons between 2 outlets measuring this years numbers against 2 different timeframes and expecting the same result is ridiculous, nothing to do with Thailand.

One news outlet is comparing 2023 to 2022, the other agency is comparing 2023 with 2019. The discrepancy between the articles is hardly difficult to understand.

Correct, it is running at a mere 25% of 2019 monthly arrivals which is main reason why TAT estimated a range of 24-30 million this year as opposed to the 2019 peak of 39 million.

You're looking at it from a Western country tourism perspective and ignoring the reality of the weighting where Thailand draws its tourism from. For example as the numbers of US and UK visitors dropped in May as per usual in low season, tourist arrivals from the larger or near equal sized Asian markets of India, S.Korea, Singapore and Vietnam all increased. To suggest tourism will drop to 1 million a month in the second half of the year as you are, when Thailand got that number from only Malaysia, China, India, S.Korea, Vietnam & Singapore in May alone has no basis in reality.