Why choose Chinese tourists over the traditional western tourists?

[phkauf]

Simple answer: There are 1.4 Billion of them!!! That's multiples of the US and European populations.

And now that the country has opened up, they have the itch to travel. And they do spend lots of money.

[Cake Monster]

Chinese Tourists are exactly the same as the average Japanese Tourist was 25 or 30 Years ago.

Back then, the Japanese had traveled very little within the wide World, and took their holidays in Tour Groups, much the same as the Chinese people are doing now.

When they realised that there was a whole different kind of Holiday to be had by traveling in small groups, or as individuals that market for those Holidays dried up. Now it is a rare sight to see Japanese Tourists in these kind of Tour groups, as they have become more selective, and are savvy enough to enjoy their Holidays to the full.

the Chinese will also become more savvy in the near distant future, and will also enjoy the independent travels that most of us enjoy.

At this point, Thailand will have to try and find another Market for the Tourist Industry to keep thriving.

[Peterw42]

17 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

It would be useful to have these numbers cross referenced with length of stay. My experience is that the average European would stay 2 -3 weeks on vacation , if the average Chinese tourist stays as long then obviously they are more valuable.

I Think Europeans stay longer but spend less per day. lots of cross reference information were I got that graph from.

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

You mean you don't know?? I bet you are not under 50 years old, or have never been here except on an exempt.

 

I turned 50 last year (although I feel like and live like I'm under 40).  I've been here almost 10 years and most of that time on tourist visas or visa exempts.  Never had any problem getting a visa or getting into the Kingdom.


 

[Peterw42]

36 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Chinese Tourists are exactly the same as the average Japanese Tourist was 25 or 30 Years ago.

Back then, the Japanese had traveled very little within the wide World, and took their holidays in Tour Groups, much the same as the Chinese people are doing now.

When they realised that there was a whole different kind of Holiday to be had by traveling in small groups, or as individuals that market for those Holidays dried up. Now it is a rare sight to see Japanese Tourists in these kind of Tour groups, as they have become more selective, and are savvy enough to enjoy their Holidays to the full.

the Chinese will also become more savvy in the near distant future, and will also enjoy the independent travels that most of us enjoy.

At this point, Thailand will have to try and find another Market for the Tourist Industry to keep thriving.

Yes, thats right, Thailand is yet to experience the independent Chinese traveller, it is starting. You are right about the package tours, think Brits going to spain in the  60s or Australians going to Bali. I can still recall my first trip to Bali in the 70s, on a package tour.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Peterw42

[brewsterbudgen]

You mean you don't know?? I bet you are not under 50 years old, or have never been here except on an exempt.

This is about visitors not expats. Getting a tourist visa or coming in as visa exempt is easy for most westerners.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[newnative]

5 hours ago, soistalker said:

If I come here for two months, I'll spend about $4000. That's on the low end of what most guys spend. How much do you think a Chinese tourist will pay for a two week trip not including airfare?

If you have an opinion, state it. Don't just be dull.

  I think we need to distinguish between tourists and what might be called long-stay visitors or short-term residents.    Regular tourists, whether with a tour group or traveling independently, and whether Chinese or from elsewhere, rarely stay more than a week or 2 in any one place.  You see what you want to see and then it's off to the next stop.  My partner and I have taken trips to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, and so on and we never stayed more than a week or so at each one.  Someone staying two months in one place is more of a short-term resident than a tourist and would likely have somewhat different spending patterns than a tourist; for example, doing more cooking at home during the two months rather than eating every meal out for a 1 week tourist visit.  

[ostyan]

I think the main reason is that the European tourists do not come. Some years ago Thailand was dirty cheap for any European, but now they have to consider if they allow to come. 

Chinese tourists come by organized tours, thus it is not a big deal, but considering their number ...... 

[saakura]

1 hour ago, DJ54 said:

Ive been on one Of the China tours (was married to Chinese) Thailand/China have made It fairly easy for Chinese to visit Thailand. 

In general other countries a more of a proces. Chinese do like to 

buy a lot of local things to give as gifts and boast their travel abroad. 

Most do have habits like setting and making messes. 

" Most do have habits like setting and making messes." Anyone understands what this sentence means????

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

This is about visitors not expats. Getting a tourist visa or coming in as visa exempt is easy for most westerners.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Just how easy is it for under fifties to stay in Thailand long term if they don't want to get married?

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, saakura said:

2 hours ago, DJ54 said:

Ive been on one Of the China tours (was married to Chinese) Thailand/China have made It fairly easy for Chinese to visit Thailand. 

In general other countries a more of a proces. Chinese do like to 

buy a lot of local things to give as gifts and boast their travel abroad. 

Most do have habits like setting and making messes. 

" Most do have habits like setting and making messes." Anyone understands what this sentence means????

 

Maybe 'Spitting' and 'making a mess, or littering'

 

[newnative]

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Chinese Tourists are exactly the same as the average Japanese Tourist was 25 or 30 Years ago.

Back then, the Japanese had traveled very little within the wide World, and took their holidays in Tour Groups, much the same as the Chinese people are doing now.

When they realised that there was a whole different kind of Holiday to be had by traveling in small groups, or as individuals that market for those Holidays dried up. Now it is a rare sight to see Japanese Tourists in these kind of Tour groups, as they have become more selective, and are savvy enough to enjoy their Holidays to the full.

the Chinese will also become more savvy in the near distant future, and will also enjoy the independent travels that most of us enjoy.

At this point, Thailand will have to try and find another Market for the Tourist Industry to keep thriving.

Not too soon--only something like 9% of Chinese even have passports.

[asiamaster]

A westerner can get a visa upon arrival for 30 days. Chinese only get 15 days. Go figure!

[asiamaster]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

Just how easy is it for under fifties to stay in Thailand long term if they don't want to get married?

Just how easy is it for a Chinese  to stay in Thailand long term if they don't want to get married?

Edited May 14, 2018 by asiamaster

[asiamaster]

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I Think Europeans stay longer but spend less per day. lots of cross reference information were I got that graph from.

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

Chinese only get 15 days visa upon arrival. Plus they don't have the luxury of long holidays.

[Ulic]

6 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I can show you evidence that its actually the opposite, Chinese have the highest daily spend but tend not to stay a long time. Its one of those barstool myths that Chinese dont spend

 

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

All this is quite correct from what I have read in the past but the average Chinese stay is 4 days.

Little more than a Vegas gambling junket. Also, the amount is self-reported/claimed so the

figure is a little suspect. The average Westerner stays 18 days. So while their spend per day

is lower their total spend is far, far higher. For the TAT high numbers of tourists and spend per

day is what gets reported and highlighted in reports "look what a great job we are doing" For business

on the ground total spend is what is important. (What tourists leave in the country). Of course, the

lowest spend per day is the expat. He/she is living here and not on a two-week millionaire spending

spree. That said the ex-pat has the highest total spend per year. Smoothes out the low-season/ high

season cash flow issues and is highly important to the construction/development industry. Whether

renting or buying these people are all housed. As far as I am concerned, smart government should

be making it as easy and streamlined for ex-pats to retire and stay in Thailand. The Thai government

should be working with western governments to provide healthcare to retires at rates far below what

the costs are in the western countries that have government healthcare. Plenty of win-win possibilities.

[MadMuhammad]

4 minutes ago, Ulic said:

All this is quite correct from what I have read in the past but the average Chinese stay is 4 days.

Little more than a Vegas gambling junket. Also, the amount is self-reported/claimed so the

figure is a little suspect. The average Westerner stays 18 days. So while their spend per day

is lower their total spend is far, far higher. For the TAT high numbers of tourists and spend per

day is what gets reported and highlighted in reports "look what a great job we are doing" For business

on the ground total spend is what is important. (What tourists leave in the country). Of course, the

lowest spend per day is the expat. He/she is living here and not on a two-week millionaire spending

spree. That said the ex-pat has the highest total spend per year. Smoothes out the low-season/ high

season cash flow issues and is highly important to the construction/development industry. Whether

renting or buying these people are all housed. As far as I am concerned, smart government should

be making it as easy and streamlined for ex-pats to retire and stay in Thailand. The Thai government

should be working with western governments to provide healthcare to retires at rates far below what

the costs are in the western countries that have government healthcare. Plenty of win-win possibilities.

 Based on sheer numbers I believe that the Chinese total spend would exceed any other groups figure. Close to 10 million Chinese tourists last year compared to less than a million from any ‘western’ country.

As wth any decent business model volume is the key

 

[NoshowJones]

51 minutes ago, asiamaster said:

Just how easy is it for a Chinese  to stay in Thailand long term if they don't want to get married?

I haven't a clue.

[mauGR1]

1 hour ago, asiamaster said:

Just how easy is it for a Chinese  to stay in Thailand long term if they don't want to get married?

Why don't ask the Chinese ?

 

[newnative]

22 minutes ago, Ulic said:

All this is quite correct from what I have read in the past but the average Chinese stay is 4 days.

Little more than a Vegas gambling junket. Also, the amount is self-reported/claimed so the

figure is a little suspect. The average Westerner stays 18 days. So while their spend per day

is lower their total spend is far, far higher. For the TAT high numbers of tourists and spend per

day is what gets reported and highlighted in reports "look what a great job we are doing" For business

on the ground total spend is what is important. (What tourists leave in the country). Of course, the

lowest spend per day is the expat. He/she is living here and not on a two-week millionaire spending

spree. That said the ex-pat has the highest total spend per year. Smoothes out the low-season/ high

season cash flow issues and is highly important to the construction/development industry. Whether

renting or buying these people are all housed. As far as I am concerned, smart government should

be making it as easy and streamlined for ex-pats to retire and stay in Thailand. The Thai government

should be working with western governments to provide healthcare to retires at rates far below what

the costs are in the western countries that have government healthcare. Plenty of win-win possibilities.

    So, hotel room A has an average westerner booked in for 18 days.  Next door, hotel room B has an average Chinese who stays for 4 days, checks out, and another average Chinese checks in for 4 days and checks out, and another average Chinese checks in for 4 days, and so on.  Both rooms are occupied and not sitting empty--maybe more important than who is in the room.  Meanwhile, down the street, condo C has an expat occupying a condo year-round.  Seems like a win-win all around for Thailand.  I do agree that the Thai government could do more for expats--who contribute quite a bit to the economy in cities such as Pattaya and Chiang Mai.  

[joecoolfrog]

4 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I Think Europeans stay longer but spend less per day. lots of cross reference information were I got that graph from.

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

Thanks for that , it very much confirms what I thought. In short the average Western tourist stays twice as long as his Chinese counterpart and spends overall 50 % more.

[saakura]

Unlike the average western tourist & sexpats, the average Chinese tourist or long term residents normally do not patronise prostitutes. This could be one of the reasons as Thailand is begining to clear its image as a destination for mongers and paedophiles.

[joecoolfrog]

54 minutes ago, newnative said:

    So, hotel room A has an average westerner booked in for 18 days.  Next door, hotel room B has an average Chinese who stays for 4 days, checks out, and another average Chinese checks in for 4 days and checks out, and another average Chinese checks in for 4 days, and so on.  Both rooms are occupied and not sitting empty--maybe more important than who is in the room.  Meanwhile, down the street, condo C has an expat occupying a condo year-round.  Seems like a win-win all around for Thailand.  I do agree that the Thai government could do more for expats--who contribute quite a bit to the economy in cities such as Pattaya and Chiang Mai.  

Your example works well for hotel occupancy but is flawed when considering the overall logistical impact of large scale tourism.

The obvious example is overcrowding at the airport , one Western passenger ( staying 20 days ) is more manageable than 2 or 3 Chinese passengers accounting for the same time period.

TAT itself recognises a further problem , short term visitors tend to visit the same areas and attractions ( Bangkok chiefly but also Phuket , Chiang Mai ) wheras longer term visitors move further afield.

Consequently the later group distribute their spending over a larger area and cause less over crowding and environmental pressure.

Edited May 14, 2018 by joecoolfrog

[mstevens]

It's simple.  The PERCEPTION among many Thais in the tourism business is that there is more money to be made from the Chinese than there is from Westerners, be that now, in the future or both.  As such, many businesses are gearing up to or already service the Chinese visitor market.  Thais are pragmatists and will go where the money is.  If Nigeria suddenly discovers a new compound that prolongs life and allows the average person to live to 150 and subsequently becomes the wealthiest country on the planet by selling this compound, the Thais would become very friendly and welcoming towards Nigerians.  Many Thais in the tourism industry simply service the sector of the market which, rightly or wrongly, they think they will make the most money from.  And for many, that means looking after the Chinese.

Edited May 14, 2018 by mstevens

[newnative]

7 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

Your example works well for hotel occupancy but is flawed when considering the overall logistical impact of large scale tourism.

The obvious example is overcrowding at the airport , one Western passenger ( staying 20 days ) is more manageable than 2 or 3 Chinese passengers accounting for the same time period.

TAT itself recognises a further problem , short term visitors tend to visit the same areas and attractions ( Bangkok chiefly but also Phuket , Chiang Mai ) wheras longer term visitors move further afield.

Consequently the later group distribute their spending over a larger area and cause less over crowding and environmental pressure.

     I think it also works well with filling restaurants, filling souvenir shops, filling sightseeing venues, etc.  Obviously, short-term tourists are something all countries with tourists have to deal with--not just Thailand.  Like it or not, many tourists are short-term, either by choice or necessity, and whether traveling with a tour group hitting 4 cities in 7 days or traveling independently.  My partner and I are planning a 2 week trip to Italy and France.  We will likely not be spending more than three or four days at each of the cities we plan to visit.  So, look for us at many of the same popular attractions that all the regular tourists want to see--Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Grand Canal of Venice, Colosseum in Rome, etc. 

     If your airport is overcrowded it means people are choosing to come to your country and spend money.  A good thing, whether they stay for a short visit or a long one.  If popular tourist sites are being over-run, some tourist management may need to be done.  Angkor Wat, for example, now limits the number of tourists that go into the most popular area to a fixed number--when a tourist leaves, another can enter.

     Second, if your airport is overcrowded it means you are not handling the passengers well.  Don't blame the tourists--it's your fault.  Get to work and manage the problem by, for example, doubling the number of Immigration gates.  If your airport is accepting X number of planes landing each hour, then it needs to process Y number of passengers efficiently.  If it can't, either reduce X, or have overcrowding and unhappy passengers.  

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, soistalker said:

So, you have 5 to 10 times the number of Chinese

Because there are actually 50-100x the number of them.

 

(They are also less discerning)

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[thedivezone]

18 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I can show you evidence that its actually the opposite, Chinese have the highest daily spend but tend not to stay a long time. Its one of those barstool myths that Chinese dont spend

 

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

 

Nice graph, and i am proud, that as a european, i belong to the group that is the most cost-conscious .

[KKr]

18 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I can show you evidence that its actually the opposite, Chinese have the highest daily spend but tend not to stay a long time. Its one of those barstool myths that Chinese dont spend

 

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

dear oh dear now they say on TV that Chinese spend 50 % more than Europeans and 20 % more than people from the Americas. Tourism Department says as if we do not all know one cannot trust statistics from internet.
And moreover Chinese stay half the time of Europeans,
so Europeans spend 240 and Chinese 178, see what I told you, Western Sups spend more !.
This round is on me, 
euuh, where's he gone ?
never mind I'll have both then

[digbeth]

how exactly does Thailand's visa requirement discourage 'genuine' western tourist