670,000 Chinese cancel trips to Thailand after Phuket boat tragedy

 

 

670,000 Chinese tourists have cancelled trips to Thailand following the boating accident that killed 47 people in Phuket last month.

 

Last week, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports was forced to revise down its figures for arrivals of Chinese tourists to 5.1 million for the rest of the year.

 

The cancellations are set to put a heavy toll on Thailand’s tourism industry and could cost the country more than $1 billion is lost revenue.

 

This estimate is based on figures released from the ministry which said in the first half of 2017, Chinese tourists in Thailand each spent an average of $1,553 during their stay, putting the estimated total loss at $1.04 billion.

 

Despite the cancellations, tourism chiefs have said they are still expecting tourist arrivals for 2018 to surpass 2017.

 

While Thailand’s tourism industry isn’t expected to be impacted in the long term, the cancellations are likely to have a huge impact in the short to medium term, particularly in Phuket where it was estimated that 7,300 hotel room bookings were cancelled for July and August alone.

 

Investigations into the boat tragedy continue.

 

The Phoenix was carrying 105 mostly Chinese passengers when it sank after ignoring bad weather warnings in waters off Phuket on July 5.

 

47 Chinese nationals died in the accident, with the boat’s caption, engineer and company owner remanded in custody while investigations continue.

 

Meanwhile on Friday it was announced that airports across Thailand would introduce special priority immigration lanes for Chinese nationals in a bid to woo back visitors following the large number of cancellations.

 

The new immigration lanes, which include 18 at Suvarnabhumi, 21 at Don Mueang, 18 at Phuket airport, 10 at Hat Yai airport and 8 at Chiang Mai airport, will staff by Chinese speaking immigration officers.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-08-05

 

 

6 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The cancellations are set to put a heavy toll on Thailand’s tourism industry and could cost the country more than $1 billion is lost revenue.

This, the industry that the minister said would be unaffected...……...minister looks a bit silly now.

670,000 less Chinese coming here huh? Who says there is no cheerful news these days?

Priority lanes for Chinese?

30 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

670,000 Chinese cancel trips to Thailand

Eureka! Halleluleja! Happy days are here again! This calls for another cup of coffée and a quick breakfast. Throw me the first beer! It´s 

31 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The new immigration lanes, which include 18 at Suvarnabhumi, 21 at Don Mueang, 18 at Phuket airport, 10 at Hat Yai airport and 8 at Chiang Mai airport, will staff by Chinese speaking immigration officers.

I hope their Chinese is better than the English skills of immigration officers.

One cannot help feeling a certain degree of schadenfreude here - delight in Thai officialdom's own goal. It really does serve them right - more than perhaps we can say.

 

 Maybe they will start to learn just a little bit now about how to run a civilised, law-regulated and decent society - but of course I must be on some kind of fantasy trip, even to think that ...

23 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

This, the industry that the minister said would be unaffected...……...minister looks a bit silly now.

You do not understand this. The minister is out of the opinion that the Phoenix accident had nothing at all to do with this. This is a calcultaded drop in chinese tuorism that he was aware would happen long before everybody ele. Not to worry! All is above board and as it should according to the pre-laid plan. 

Just now, Eligius said:

 Maybe they will start to learn just a little bit now about how to run a civilised, law-regulated and decent society - but of course I must be on some kind of fantasy trip, even to think that ...

That won't happen in a hundred years! Unless, of course, the country is (officially) taken over by the PRC... ? 

A billion less embezzling opportunities further down the line will be tough?

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

670,000 less Chinese coming here huh? Who says there is no cheerful news these days?

The most cheers will be heard at the red VIP lane at the airports for extra happy sleeping hours- it's good night all day long.

If the Thai Government admits 670K Chinese tourists have canceled, the real number is probably 3 times higher

Here is anecdote of the local's way of thinking, i used to employ many Thai people and among the things i have noticed is that they don't like to be told that they're wrong or did something wrong and they get angry at you even at the hint of beradment, so losing so and number of tourists? water of the duck back to them, there will be others to replace them....

The billion loss will only be spread among the few that have been making huge sums by cornering the Chinese market & having them use their hotels, latex & jewellery shops, restaurants etc

"Despite the cancellations, tourism chiefs have said they are still expecting tourist arrivals for 2018 to surpass 2017" don't they always surpass after all this is amazing Thailand........................

"The new immigration lanes, which include 18 at Suvarnabhumi, 21 at Don Mueang, 18 at Phuket airport, 10 at Hat Yai airport and 8 at Chiang Mai airport, will staff by Chinese speaking immigration officers" really I have never met a single Thai that speaks Chinese neither mind this number increased by shift work. Amazing Thailand got it covered....................

 

I'm really happy if the Chinese are forced to use the only Chinese lines. Let them all be together. But seeing how Chinese are, they are the biggest line cutters and will go anywhere they want if they think they can get away with it. I usually end up telling one or more or a group to back off in immigration airport lines. So if the figure was 6 million and not just a piddly 600k canceling, that would be a gift from heaven.  

Do I sense that hotel room prices will be going up to make up for the lower number of Chinese? Seen this logic many times in Thailand........

The long suffering trampled environment says thank you to this great news.

Good! I wish more Chinese would go somewhere else. 

That is over 2 million nights of accommodation ?alone to say the least ?

Are you afraid of dying in Thailand, China tourist? Mai ben rai, here uisa fee no 1,000 baht and special queue for you

This is a positive development. Though it will hurt some small operators, it is good in the long run, if the Chinese show their disapproval of a society that is run by incompetents by not coming and canceling their trips. Safety standards are important for any civilized society. Even though the authorities show blatant disregard for their citizens in this regard, the same lack of respect cannot be shown to foreigners who come here as tourists, without a penalty being paid. The tourism authorities here are liars, and are constantly bragging about the "numbers". Now, a price is being paid. Those numbers are being affected by gross neglect and incompetency. Western tourism is already way, way down. Now, if the golden goose of Chinese tourism drops too, hopefully something will be done.

 

Are the authorities, and this tone deaf administration capable of learning anything? We shall see. 

first the cave rescue and now the Chinese are not coming.

 

some good news for a change.

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

670,000 Chinese tourists have cancelled trips to Thailand

Good!

Every dark cloud has a silver lining ?

3 hours ago, Thailand said:

Priority lanes for Chinese?

With Chinese speaking immigration officers! ? . Sakuse me, Chinaman...want some noddle with that stamp?

If they are claiming 670,000, you can bet that's a "low ball" figure, and the real numbers are much higher. 

51 minutes ago, Valentine said:

The billion loss will only be spread among the few that have been making huge sums by cornering the Chinese market & having them use their hotels, latex & jewellery shops, restaurants etc

I guess those Chinese who cancelled their trips don't know that the boat that capsized was owned by a Chinese tour operator. 

670,000 x $1 means Thailand has only lost $670,000

The rest of the money spent here goes back to China thru bogus Chinese owned and operated Thai companies