Thailand sees rare but significant drop in tourist arrivals

 

 

 

Thailand’s tourism industry is facing one of its biggest challenges in recent years as newly released data shows a significant decline in both the number of tourist arrivals and spending.

 

According to official data compiled by Bloomberg, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand fell by 3.5 million in March, a decline of 0.7 percent from one year ago.

 

In addition to the dip in arrivals, foreign tourist spending also fell 1.3 percent to about $5.8 billion.

 

In a country where tourism accounts for a fifth of the economy, these figures are significant.

 

The fall in tourist arrivals has been fueled by a decline in Chinese tourists for two consecutive months, although arrivals from India had grown substantially, up 35 percent, Bloomberg reported.

 

"If the tourism arrivals and receipts continue to slide, it could be an added risk to the economy because the sector is one of the main drivers," Bloomberg quoted Duangrat Prajaksilpthai, an economist at TMB Bank Pcl in Bangkok as saying.

 

"The numbers usually fluctuate and could bounce back so we have to wait and see."

 

Earlier this week, the Thai government announced it would continue to waive the fee for visa arrival (VOA), in a bid to boost tourism.

 

By extending the scheme, tourists from China, India and 19 other nations and regions can enter Thailand free of charge, rather than paying the 2,000 baht fee for a visa when they arrive at the airport.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-04-27

 

Maybe tourists are opting for the edge of the universe and giving the centre a miss!

Perhaps they should spend some of their, now, spare time cleaning up their act, particularly in terms of the environment, safety on roads and water sports / boat trips.

 

Pictures of garbage heaps are now being posted on google earth, does nobody get the message?

 

 

10 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Earlier this week, the Thai government announced it would continue to waive the fee for visa arrival (VOA), in a bid to boost tourism.

And if that doesn't work, they'll start to pay people to get their asses here.

Karma... 

no worries, now that Big Joke is chillin' in LA Nigerians will take up the slack in these tourist numbers.  

10 minutes ago, Tofer said:

Perhaps they should spend some of their, now, spare time cleaning up their act, particularly in terms of the environment, safety on roads and water sports / boat trips.

And the Baht?

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.5 million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand in 2018?

Edited April 27, 20197 yr by orchis
sp

No problem. These figures are from Bloomberg. The TAT will have some positive figures very soon.

8 minutes ago, orchis said:

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.5 million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand?

Losing track of algorithms with all the fake numbers?

How about "waive" the possibility of getting denied entry at an airport?

 

 

6 minutes ago, orchis said:

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.t million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand?

I suspect you are right there, a decimal point seems to have moved somewhere between TAT and Bloomberg. I would hazard a guess that he decline in numbers was in the real of 350K. If it was 3.5 mil the folk at TAT would be heading for the windows. 

 

Even at 350K that is a sizeable dent in the income. The other stat that comes from the OP was that tourism represents 20% of the economy (or GDP), this is one of the higher numbers I have seen for tourism.

30 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

In a country where tourism accounts for a fifth of the economy, these figures are significant.

 

The wheels seem to be falling off the economy. GDP growth down, export growth down, tourist numbers down, waste on military expenditure up, governance and election a shambles, level of corruption.... no change. 

5 years of junta style economics seems to be taking it's toll. Take the Bangkok/Nong khai high speed train for example. 25 rounds of meetings over 4 years to discuss and agree on loan arrangements and still no finality. Progress so far.... planned start on 3.5km of the 630km route.

But none of this is a problem for the 1% immensely rich who are well looked after and protected by the generals; a la "you scratch my back, i'll scratch yours". 

15 minutes ago, orchis said:

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.5 million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand

1 minute ago, Chang_paarp said:

 

Even at 350K that is a sizeable dent in the income. The other stat that comes from the OP was that tourism represents 20% of the economy (or GDP), this is one of the higher numbers I have seen for tourism.

 

True. Only a few years ago, word (e.g. on Wikipedia, several webboards) was, that tourism accounted for 7 percent of the economy...

3 minutes ago, jmd8800 said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand

exactly. a drop of 0.7% could never represent 3.5 million tourists.

Thailand become to be a country that managed to suck the fun and carefree holiday out with more Don'ts and Do's especially when it concerns having fun without looking over your shoulders for a policeman or city official to try extort money from you...

30 minutes ago, orchis said:

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.5 million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand in 2018?

Just need to read the Bloomberg article.

 

The OP should read 'fell to 3.5m' not 'fell by 3.5m'.

If you read the Bloomberg story, you will see tourist numbers fell TO (not by) 3.5 million, a 0.7% drop.

 

Quote

The number of visitors fell 0.7 percent from a year ago to 3.5 million, official figures out Friday and data compiled by Bloomberg show. Foreign tourism receipts slid 1.3 percent to 184.5 billion baht ($5.8 billion).

 

From the Nation story:

 

Quote

According to official data compiled by Bloomberg, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand fell by 3.5 million in March, a decline of 0.7 percent from one year ago.

 

 

like I always said in the past, FICKLE.

 

Som nom na...

 

They should learn to respect tourists plus expats, after all they  are their bread and butter. Thailand would be a back wood of a place if not for farang...

 

The other day, I saw a Thai taxi car driver attack a tourist on a main road in Pattaya, the bloody animal. I witnessed the whole event, the Thai was completely in the wrong. 

 

Cannot loose face or cannot admit fault.

TAT press releases would confuse any mathematician. 

 

None of them make any sense, corroborate the last press release and contradict everyone else numbers.

 

So, this press release says 0.7% = 3.5million tourists.

 

0.7% is not even 1%, so it can't = 3.5million or even 35,000, unless the base was 5million planned tourists - I don't know what March was planned, but 5million sounds excessive for March.

 

I think the problem is that the problem is so much greater that they disclose, and they lies and spin is confusing even them.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

If you read the Bloomberg story, you will see tourist numbers fell TO (not by) 3.5 million, a 0.7% drop.

 

 

From the Nation story:

 

 

 

Good catch...but the "sky is falling" for less than 1%?

 

If it fell by 10% or more I'd be concerned if I was them, but .7%?

 

Thats a rounding error...

Amazing Vietnam?

44 minutes ago, Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere said:

Karma... 

Where's the chameleon?

 

Tourists number count. The gift that keeps giving.

 

8 minutes ago, Sonhia said:

like I always said in the past, FICKLE.

 

Som nom na...

 

They should learn to respect tourists plus expats, after all they  are their bread and butter. Thailand would be a back wood of a place if not for farang...

 

The other day, I saw a Thai taxi car driver attack a tourist on a main road in Pattaya, the bloody animal. I witnessed the whole event, the Thai was completely in the wrong. 

 

Cannot loose face or cannot admit fault.

You sound very unhappy and your post seems to indicate you don’t like thai people and are happy to see them fail.

 

Which makes me wonder “why are you here”?

 

I think you may be overestimating the importance of the farang. Thailand was never taken over by the farang like Cambodia, Burma and Laos and look how far ahead of those third world countries Thailand is.

 

And Chinese tourism is much more beneficial financially to Thailand than a few farangs.

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Maybe tourists are opting for the edge of the universe and giving the centre a miss!

Its  just a black  hole anyway, oh  no thats a  Galaxy my  mistake.

50 minutes ago, orchis said:

how can a decline of 0.7% represent 3.5 million people?
if that's the case what's the total of visitors to thailand in 2018?

“Bloomberg quoted Duangrat Prajaksilpthai, an economist at TMB Bank Pcl in Bangkok as saying.

"The numbers usually fluctuate and could bounce back so we have to wait and see."

 

 

If TMB economist Duangrat thinks a .07 drop equals 3.5 million visitors I suspect that Duangrat’s daddy paid for his degree and little Duangrat wasn’t a good student.

40 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

True. Only a few years ago, word (e.g. on Wikipedia, several webboards) was, that tourism accounted for 7 percent of the economy...

 

That happens if only tourism is growing and the rest of the economy is in stagnation!

 

Quote

 When including indirect travel and tourism receipts, the 2014 total is estimated to be the equivalent of 19.3 percent (2.3 trillion baht) of Thailand's GDP.

 

This is from Wikipedia, and 5 years old, it's prolly way more now.

 

 

 

they have hundreds of thousands of tourists that came here and decided to stay, not for 14 days a year but 365 days a year for years and they are being treated like (deleted)