More Infrastructure Needed To Boost Tourism

[george]

More infrastructure needed to boost tourism

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government must promote investment in basic infrastructure and facilities related to tourism in order to induce more foreign tourists visiting the country over the long term, sources at the Finance Ministry said.

More hotels, restaurants and tourism attractions must be built to cater to the rising number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand in the future, the sources said, adding that service businesses such as spas must also be promoted.

The government and concerned agencies must also launch a proactive strategy in countries whose people visit Thailand in large numbers with substantial spending, the sources said. A study of foreign tourists visiting the kingdom has found that European tourists on average spend 36 per cent of the total tourism revenue followed by the Japanese at somewhat more that 11 per cent, Koreans at 9 per cent and North America at 8 per cent and the Middle East at 3 per cent.

The study said that tourism revenue plays an important role in the Thai economy. For example, if the number of tourists declines by 100,000 persons, tourism revenue in 2007 would fall by about Bt3.7 billion while current account would fall US$100 million and the national economy growth would shrink by 0.15 per cent. It said if the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) could achieve its tourism target, current account would rise to US$3.9 billion and real economy, excluding inflation, would expand to 4.5 per cent.

TAT has set as its target that 14.8 million foreign tourists visit Thailand this year, up 8.4 per cent from 2006, and the country would earn Bt5.47 trillion. Positive factors including the opening of Suvarnabhumi airport last September and campaigns launched by TAT are expected to encourage more foreign tourists to have a stopover in this country.

--TNA 2007-02-11

[mouse]

I think that it would be in Thailand's interest to invest in other means of having the population support itself. Tourism should not a be primary means of income for any nation making it too dependent on the whims of conflicts, the climate and a host of other uncontrollable problems. We will definitely see tourism wane as a primary means of income for many nations within the coming years, in light of climate change, rising seas and other calamaties that we have created. After all toruism itself and aircraft trvel are the two major contributors to pollution.

Just like working, everyone wants to be a businessman and no one wants to work the land, be a carpenter or practice an other honorable trade any more. Everyone just wants to make that fast buck. Tourism has a price. Look at the landfills created by islands and their visitors.

Edited February 11, 2007 by mouse

[Chang_paarp]

It is a pity they do not see infrastructure as being;

Reliable water.

Reliable power.

Usable roads.

Usable footpaths.

Rapid transport links between airports.

Rapid transport links between airports and popular destinations.

Freight transport that does not rely entirely on the road system.

[spot]

Er....I thought the idea was to concentrate on less, but 'better quality' tourists?

[Scott]

If they build better sidewalks, they will just attract more vendors. If they build better roads, then more people will park on the road to buy their somtam from the increased vendors on the pavement and so on and so forth.

Until they get the idea of making order out of chaos, nothing will change. Where I live they just finished widening the road to the big time. It doesn't matter, it's just more parking for everyone!

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe they think that tourism is easy. Room cleaners, illiterate front desk clerks, pool cleaners - just hire somebody who skated through matayom 3 without one original thought. But when you start hiring tour guides and travel agency clerks, they have to be fluent not only in Thai but in a foreign language, and they have to think while sitting in a chair or while walking. Nope, it will never work.

I don't know much about tourism, but do the Thai authorities think that tourists from Europe, Japan and Korea (or China) will accept fourth rate service in a four star hotel?

[raslin]

Maybe they think that tourism is easy. Room cleaners, illiterate front desk clerks, pool cleaners - just hire somebody who skated through matayom 3 without one original thought. But when you start hiring tour guides and travel agency clerks, they have to be fluent not only in Thai but in a foreign language, and they have to think while sitting in a chair or while walking. Nope, it will never work.

I don't know much about tourism, but do the Thai authorities think that tourists from Europe, Japan and Korea (or China) will accept fourth rate service in a four star hotel?

The key here is that they don't think. They haven't learned how to

[richard10365]

I think they do their tourism in geographical sputs to build up the country. For a while it was Chiang Mai, then Chaing Rai, then Mae Hong Song and next is Phayao.

New roads are going up all over the border districts in Phayao. There are also many new tourism attraction signs (blue signs).

I think in a year or two, Phayao will be highly marketed the same as Mae Hong Song is being done now.

[Maxwell Book]

Infrastructure? you mean like a safe airport?

[Mai Krap]

A good place to start would be to hire some guys to pick up the trash. Then you could offer some scholarships for vetnarians and set up a program to spay and neuter street dogs and have crews go around giving shots to get rid of the mange. How much would it cost to make some parking lots and get the sidewalks cleared for that matter? I dont see any of these things happening but what the helll this is the internet which for the most part is pure fantasy, maybe someday this place will seek some valid solutions.

"Hey theres trash and mangie dogs all over the beach,,,,,,,,

We must build a 5 star resort to fix this eyesore!!!!"

[ThaiGoon]

It is a pity they do not see infrastructure as being;

Reliable water.

Reliable power.

Usable roads.

Usable footpaths.

Rapid transport links between airports.

Rapid transport links between airports and popular destinations.

Freight transport that does not rely entirely on the road system.

And the Thai government isn't working on any of those?

[wintermute]

Maybe they think that tourism is easy. Room cleaners, illiterate front desk clerks, pool cleaners - just hire somebody who skated through matayom 3 without one original thought. But when you start hiring tour guides and travel agency clerks, they have to be fluent not only in Thai but in a foreign language, and they have to think while sitting in a chair or while walking. Nope, it will never work.

I don't know much about tourism, but do the Thai authorities think that tourists from Europe, Japan and Korea (or China) will accept fourth rate service in a four star hotel?

The key here is that they don't think. They haven't learned how to

It's glaringly obvious what level the average thai is at when a shopkeeper has to pull out a calculator to subtract 20 baht from 100.

[kmart]

It is a pity they do not see infrastructure as being;

Reliable water.

Reliable power.

Usable roads.

Usable footpaths.

Rapid transport links between airports.

Rapid transport links between airports and popular destinations.

Freight transport that does not rely entirely on the road system.

And the Thai government isn't working on any of those?

They have done in the past. Solutions normally involve "mega-projects" to line the pockets of people who first buy the land proposed for the projects, then form companies to bid, with no transparency; for the construction. Like the waste-water projects in Samut Prakarn; like the new airport; sub-standard IP gas powered stations; etc. etc.

Roads vary in quality depending on which province they are built in; local politicians seem to be able to make more money from the repairs later, so initial construction is always flawed.

The new government really has its work cut out supervising any new work / projects, and seeing how it is comprised of old soldiers with no business or engineering background; I'm not very confident of any change in this system.

[ThaiGoon]

It's glaringly obvious what level the average thai is at when a shopkeeper has to pull out a calculator to subtract 20 baht from 100.

Yeah, true unlike the well educated thoughtful Americans working at fast foot joints who have to pause for a few minutes and look puzzled whenever I don't give them exact change because I want quarters back.

[Robski]

On a ten hour road trip from Pattaya to Udon city I saw plastic bags and rubbish littering the sides of the roads all the way!

Beautiful Thailand? It's a joke. It may have been years ago, but it's not anymore.

Whats the point of a view, if you're standing on a smashed up sidewalk, with the verges littered with rubbish and the hedgerows ripped and hacked up.

LOS; land of smiles? Land Of Smells.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Robski

[Old Man River]

More infrastructure needed to boost tourism

A study of foreign tourists visiting the kingdom has found that European tourists on average spend 36 per cent of the total tourism revenue followed by the Japanese at somewhat more that 11 per cent, Koreans at 9 per cent and North America at 8 per cent and the Middle East at 3 per cent.

--TNA 2007-02-11

I would guess as it pertains to those from the Middle East that a good bit of the money spent would be related to healthcare, notably Bamrungrad hospital, which has done a great job in attracting people from the Middle East to use its services in Bangkok.

[Johpa]

Roads vary in quality depending on which province they are built in; local politicians seem to be able to make more money from the repairs later, so initial construction is always flawed.

You forgot the critical first step for the intial contractor, to simply disappear after only half the project is finished so that another contract needs to be issued to complete the project. The repair contract is issued the following year.

[britmaveric]

Odd - I'd think no new infrastructure is necessary since they wanted less tourists. I wonder when they will make up their minds, what they want.

Fix the new airport would be what I would be concentrating on personally.