Come back Farangs! Tourism in Chiang Mai decimated by Chinese exodus

[webfact]

Come back Farangs! Tourism in Chiang Mai decimated by Chinese exodus

 

Pictures: Chiang Mai News

 

Tourism operators were putting a brave face on prospects for high season in the northern Thai capital. 

 

But a brief report by Chiang Mai News painted a stark picture that really had one clear message:

 

Tourism in Chiang Mai has been decimated by the downturn in Chinese arrivals. 

 

Some were hoping that more Western tourists would fill their place especially during the next few months.

 

 

A hotel operator in the Prapokklao area said that her business had been terrible the last few months. 

 

She was now forced to offer rooms by the month at discounts. These traditionally might attract more Westerners on longer stays. 

 

Food vendors all over the city said that since the Chinese stopped coming in greater numbers there are few customers. They rely on passing trade and office workers. 

 

It used to be vibrant but not any more, they said. 

 

Ek Namjit, 30, said that the situation was as bad as Phuket - that is to say terrible. 

 

Low prices for hotel rooms meant that some people would go out of business. He was forced to do two jobs to make ends meet. 

 

The high season may provide some respite with the arrival of farangs but the overriding message was that the tourism business was in a bad situation. 

 

Chiang Mai News quoted operators as saying that negative incidents and the resulting adverse social media comment had affected the Chinese tourism market considerably. 

 

Source: Chiang Mai News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-11-21

 

[fruitman]

Yes farang LOVE to sit on concrete stools between loads of chinese ....it's their dream when on holiday ????...maybe a soidog comes to sniff your leg, maybe annoying salespeople come to interrupt your conversation...it's all exactly what farang like ????

[PatOngo]

Cheap tourist visa's not working?

[Wiggy]

You reap what you sow, Thailand.

[ezzra]

Yes dear Farangs, please come back, we want you now we need you now, never minds that when the Chinese were here we didn't even gave a second look, but now, please come back dears...

[ThreeEyedRaven]

It seems abundantly clear that wherever the Chinese go en masse, is subsequently avoided by everyone else. Sihanoukville is a classic example. Five years ago it was packed with tourists from everywhere, the Chinese invaded and everybody else has left. And once the good tourists have gone, they don't come back. Thailand put its eggs in the Chinese basket, and are now paying the price.

[cmsally]

Chiang Mai really needs to screw it's head on in the right direction and stop blaming the tourists. OK so maybe blame is a harsh word but again it is putting the onus on the tourists.

The past years decimation of small business is partly due to numbers and also due to the licensing fiasco, which would have seen yearly expenses go up somewhat ...  cough, cough.

The official sphere simply cannot recognise that tourist income after expenses is not as high as they would wish. One assumes that this a numbers game only in order to milk the profits. Nowhere does one see mention of quality.

The next debacle will be the impending property tax which means businesses will be taxed solely on the value of their land. One would assume the golden goose will then let out one last strangled cackle before it drops down lifeless , probably at the entrance of a deserted shopping mall.

[worgeordie]

But on the 4th November, there was a post on this forum 

which stated "Bookings Surge at Chiang Mai Hotels for Cool Season",

wishful thinking ?  or fake news.

 

regards worgeordie

[bluesofa]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

Come back Farangs! Tourism in Chiang Mai decimated by Chinese exodus

Fake news!

Only yesterday weren't Thai Airways saying there were more visitors:

"more Thai Airways flights have been booked by Chinese passport holders as many of them will be celebrating the Loi Krathong Festival and New Year in Thailand."

 

[cmsally]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

But on the 4th November, there was a post on this forum 

which stated "Bookings Surge at Chiang Mai Hotels for Cool Season",

wishful thinking ?  or fake news.

 

regards worgeordie

From 1% to 20% occupancy would be a sudden surge.

[simoh1490]

My wife works at a tourist attraction in the Mesa Valley, business is booming and she's rushed off her feet, fewer Chinese but still plenty of tourists. AND, try driving the 107 and 1096 on a weekend, it's becoming manic with huge delays and queues. Sooo, if Muang is lite on tourists I don't know where the ones we're seeing are staying and eating. 

[neeray]

7 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

But on the 4th November, there was a post on this forum 

which stated "Bookings Surge at Chiang Mai Hotels for Cool Season",

wishful thinking ?  or fake news.

 

regards worgeordie

Both! Wishful thinking/FAKE news.

 

Are the country's leaders getting the message or are they too caught up in election gimmickry ?

[Ape1983]

Doe you really believe these articles? the high season traffic in CNX is already super busy. Im guessing more and more Thais are visiting with their own transport. Thai familys surely make the perfect customers for restaurants, hotels etc. No complaining about being vegan, gluten free, no oil in food. Thai people seem to be the biggest spenders in the more upmarket places in Chiang Mai with many wealthy Bangkok people visiting regularly to take advantage of the outdoor pursuits such as trail running and cycling. 

[stephenterry]

Now that CM police are clamping down on the licensing law, and many restaurants and bars are falling in line between 2-5, I doubt CM is such an attractive place to visit for Farangs.  Which leads to the cost of alcohol increasing as such restaurants and bars are losing their income - and as we all know Thai economics is based on 'we have no customers, we are losing income, therefore we need to put up prices'. 

 

As for the Chinese tourists, IMO, in the main they are arrogant, loud-mouths, and stingy - albeit the woman visiters dress wonderfully. 

[RotBenz8888]

11 minutes ago, Ape1983 said:

Doe you really believe these articles? the high season traffic in CNX is already super busy. Im guessing more and more Thais are visiting with their own transport. Thai familys surely make the perfect customers for restaurants, hotels etc. No complaining about being vegan, gluten free, no oil in food. Thai people seem to be the biggest spenders in the more upmarket places in Chiang Mai with many wealthy Bangkok people visiting regularly to take advantage of the outdoor pursuits such as trail running and cycling. 

Only Thai tourists? The ones who profit from the double pricing must be suffering..

[cmsally]

I would guess a lot of Thais are staying with friends, cheaper out of town motels etc. a few years ago the more expensive boutiques hotels surrounding us were packed with thai tourists, but not any more . The Thais are still there on the roads but I would guess they are saving on accommodation costs from what I see.

[Stargeezr]

I just hope I can get my double entry visa for the prce of a single entry.

China stay home and don't come during Christmas, maybe I can even get  better

deal.

Geezer

[smedly]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

My wife works at a tourist attraction in the Mesa Valley, business is booming and she's rushed off her feet, fewer Chinese but still plenty of tourists. AND, try driving the 107 and 1096 on a weekend, it's becoming manic with huge delays and queues. Sooo, if Muang is lite on tourists I don't know where the ones we're seeing are staying and eating. 

maybe those complaining have themselves to blame, perhaps they have done what many Thai pub and grub owners do - get greedy and put up prices when the going is good and get into a vicious circle as custom dwindles - the effect - they price themselves out of the market and wonder why customers not come back, I see it all around Pattaya - there are several good well priced pubs in Pattaya and they are all booming - others not so much.

 

A fine example of this type of mentality is on a little street in Ban Chang just outside Pattaya, years ago it was a great little place to escape for a few hours or even a couple of days, it is now barren because they are charging ridiculous prices for drinks - they effectively destroyed what was once a little goldmine, 90-100baht for a 25ml measure of sangsom costing 9baht is quite frankly shocking, 750ml at 280 baht a bottle, are they blaming lack of farang tourists - probably but that is just so wrong, they have only themselves to blame, to an extent Walking Street and soi 6 in pattaya have gone the same way.

 

I can sit in in a busy bar in Soi 6 in Pattaya drinking a 60baht bottle of beer and look 15 feet across the road to an empty bar who are charging 90 baht for the same beer and they likely blame lack of tourists for having no customers and these bars are very likely Thai owned

 

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by smedly

[cmsally]

1 hour ago, Ape1983 said:

Doe you really believe these articles? the high season traffic in CNX is already super busy. Im guessing more and more Thais are visiting with their own transport. Thai familys surely make the perfect customers for restaurants, hotels etc. No complaining about being vegan, gluten free, no oil in food. Thai people seem to be the biggest spenders in the more upmarket places in Chiang Mai with many wealthy Bangkok people visiting regularly to take advantage of the outdoor pursuits such as trail running and cycling. 

The positive correlation between Thai cars on the roads and benefits to local economy is probably not as great as some are assuming. Some Chiang Mai eateries, especially the well known ones will benefit, local markets will benefit, gas stations will benefit and of course the temples will benefit. Outside of that you would need to do an extensive survey.

[sanemax]

The photo in the O.P. the middle one with the empty tables , that is a photo of Temple grounds ans its only open on Sundays from early evenings  , I was there last Sunday night and had to leave because it was so busy and nowhere to sit  

[KiChakayan]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

I can sit in in a busy bar in Soi 6 in Pattaya drinking a 60baht bottle of beer and look 15 feet across the road to an empty bar who are charging 90 baht for the same beer and they likely blame lack of tourists for having no customers and these bars are very likely Thai owned

Soi 6 is not a place where respectable people would go. And Pattaya is now full of quality tourists, officially. Therefore, not many patrons for Soi6...

[simoh1490]

2 hours ago, cmsally said:

I would guess a lot of Thais are staying with friends, cheaper out of town motels etc. a few years ago the more expensive boutiques hotels surrounding us were packed with thai tourists, but not any more . The Thais are still there on the roads but I would guess they are saving on accommodation costs from what I see.

Panmivan was fully booked when we visited for lunch last week, that's far from a budget hotel, up to 25k baht for some villa's.

[everett kendall]

There should be plenty of rooms since the Hotel Law Crack down

[cmsally]

The out of town resorts are always near to full this time of year. But the other 8 months of the year must be tough going. Also as in most countries, the economics of the chain/larger hotels doesn't always have to be based on self reliance.

Chiang Mai resorts have it even tougher these days as by January there is often the factor of rising pollution to cut short their season.

A more reliable indicator of the situation would be a local stand alone business.

Thais are often their own worst enemy with their tendency to head for the new posh place in town inevitably owned by some conglomerate.

 

[Kasset Tak]

It's like this everywhere outside Bangkok and Pattaya. There are no jobs for the next generation and almost all new factories and other companies opens in Bangkok. So, if it continues like this where already about 1/4 of the Thai population today live and work in the Bangkok Metropolis... then this will become a country where anything outside the biggest cities are nothing more than tourist destinations!
One example is the small city (50,000 registered people) where I live, basically 90% of the population that are between school age and 50+ don't live here, they live and work in Bangkok while the "grandparents" that lives here are raising the children and keeps the local stores and farms running, and those you see here that are between 20-50years old are either working in some form of government job or their spouses are!

[CALSinCM]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some were hoping that more Western tourists would fill their place especially during the next few months.

You mean, the 'Western tourist' that the TAT, hotel associations, and tour operators said they could care less about over the last few years?  Those 'Western tourists?' 

[Docno]

Like running back to the ex-girlfriend you disrespected when the new one dumps you... 

Edited November 21, 2018 by Docno

[sanemax]

The surge in Chinese tourism to CM was because of the hit 2012 Chinese movie "Lost in Thailand" that was filmed in CM , one of Chinas most popular ever movies and that was the reason why many Chinese came to CM 

[cyberfarang]

The Chiang Mai tourist numbers have been in decline for years and the so-called high season is not happening. And now it seems the Chinese have learned that Chiang Mai is boring and has nothing much to offer.

 

Bring back the nightlife, no more early closing for bars, allow licences for more adult entertainments in the city.

 

 

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

But on the 4th November, there was a post on this forum 

which stated "Bookings Surge at Chiang Mai Hotels for Cool Season",

wishful thinking ?  or fake news.

 

regards worgeordie

What do you think, wishful thinking or fake news?

I think both.