Rebound in Chinese tourists lifts airport passenger numbers

By THE NATION

 

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, AOT president

 

THE NUMBER of passengers travelling through the six airports run by Airports of Thailand (AOT) reached 38 million in the first quarter this year, up 4.49 per cent over the same quarter last year and largely driven by a rebound of Chinese arrivals, according to the company.

 

AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said he expects the total number of passengers to increase by 6-7 per cent for the entire year.

 

“We found the number of passengers at our airports has increased continuously in the first quarter of this year and reached about 38.73 million people, up 4.49 per cent compared to the same quarter of last year. Of them, about 23.19 million were passengers on international flights, which were up 5.30 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, and another 15.53 million were passengers on domestic flights, down 1.20 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.

 

“The market for Chinese tours is coming back, as seen from the higher number of passengers travelling through Chinese airlines.”

 

He noted an AOT requirement forbids individual airlines to be more than 20 per cent late on arrivals, departures or cancelled flights, or they will see their next flying slot cut. 

 

“This results in many international airlines competing to arrange promotions to keep their slots and ensure their flight slots at AOT airports are fully occupied at all times. We also anticipate that the tourism industry will continue to be healthy for the whole year, and will encourage an increase in the number of passengers at our six airports by between 6 per cent and 7 per cent, up from the 139.52 million recorded last year,” said Nitinai.

 

Suvarnabhumi Airport saw the number of passengers jump by 6.22 per cent year on year in the first quarter of this year to 17.65 million, followed by Don Mueang Airport, which saw a 2.8 per cent passenger increase in the first quarter to 10.69 million, and Phuket Airport with 1.09 per cent to 5.34 million passengers.

 

The number of passengers at Chiang Mai Airport also increased by 9.26 per cent in the first quarter to 3.21 million, while Chiang Rai Airport saw a 5.52 per cent bump to 806,102 people. Meanwhile, passengers at Hat Yai Airport dropped 4.79 per cent in the first quarter to about 1.01 million.

 

The number of flights across the six airports increased by 4.76 per cent in the first quarter over last year to 233,107, of which 127,951 were international flights, up 7.23 per cent compared to the same quarter last year. 

 

Another 105,156 were domestic flights, up 1.90 per cent. Suvarnabhumi Airport posted the highest number of flights at 98,435, up 6.50 per cent over the same quarter in 2018, followed by Don Mueang Airport with a 2.71 per cent increase in flight numbers to 68,987. The number of flights at Phuket Airport also increased 0.68 per cent in the first quarter to 31,463.

 

The number of passengers who travelled through low-cost airlines reached 19.02 million in the first quarter of this year, up 6.36 per cent over last year, of which 8.05 million passengers were on international routes, up 16.53 per cent. Another 10.96 million passengers were on domestic routes, down 0.04 per cent from the same quarter last year.

 

Don Mueang Airport shows the highest number of passengers using low-cost airlines at 10.57 million in the first quarter this year, up 3.74 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, following by Phuket Airport at 2.49 million, up 4.34 per cent; and Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2.37 million, up 27.57 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30368933

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-07

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2 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of passengers at Chiang Mai Airport also increased by 9.26 per cent

Why would this increased number of passengers fly here to contract lung cancer?

The numbers are up! The numbers are down! Who the blank really knows where the truth lies? ("lies" huhhuh)

AOT President expects 6/7% increase, that doesnt mean it will happen.

The numbers are up, the numbers are down, just like a bar girls pants.

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by colinneil

And are the tourist boats/buses in Thailand safe now? or are we waiting for the next disaster with a hundred deads?

Whatever man! who cares! The fact remains that the economy here now has gone down the toilet. If your business does not target the upper middle class or high net worth individuals, your business is as good as dead and giving that the percentage of people in this income bracket is at most 20%, competition is now insane. Businesses that involves buying/selling of good/ok quality cheap anything has stagnated, as the upper middle class are usually not interested in any of these and those who are interested can barely/no longer afford them. I guess this has all now proven who was really driving the middle to lower income of this economy, Hell, look at how quiet this forum has become. For those of us still stuck in this economy - God help us all!

Remember these flights are inbound and outbound. What the figures don't say is that the increase in passenger numbers is down to disgruntled retirees who can't comply with the new visa regulations flying off to their new home never to return! ????????????

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by madmitch

 

Would you buy a used car from this guy?

 

 

I'd like to see the (fantasy) figures for March alone.

 

Of course, that would be like saying: "I'll have the cream spinach without the cream."

 

~o:37;

38 mil in three months....come on but at least now we know where figures are coming from, they are including domestic arrivals.

 

 

I think we can also look foward to a corresponding rebound in "taxi drivers returning lost wallets to Chinese", stories.

55 minutes ago, jessebkk1 said:

Whatever man! who cares! The fact remains that the economy here now has gone down the toilet. If your business does not target the upper middle class or high net worth individuals, your business is as good as dead and giving that the percentage of people in this income bracket is at most 20%, competition is now insane. Businesses that involves buying/selling of good/ok quality cheap anything has stagnated, as the upper middle class are usually not interested in any of these and those who are interested can barely/no longer afford them. I guess this has all now proven who was really driving the middle to lower income of this economy, Hell, look at how quiet this forum has become. For those of us still stuck in this economy - God help us all!

By what measure has the economy "gone down the toilet" ? Exports, GDP, employment, currency value, consumer spending, interest rates, inflation ???? (they are all healthy figures)

Besides maybe a slowing of growth (its still growth though), I cant find any indicators of a failing economy, no matter what indicator.

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by Peterw42

5 hours ago, webfact said:

AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said he expects the total number of passengers to increase by 6-7 per cent for the entire year.

Anyone presenting decreasing tourist numbers will face death penalty.

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

 

Would you buy a used car from this guy?

 

 

I wouldn't buy a used car from Any Local...........

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

 

Would you buy a used car from this guy?

 

 

I wouldnt buy a car from him but if I owned a tobacco company I would hire him to run the PR department.

Oh great news!! More diesel fumes from the Chinese tourist buses in busttaya. It's getting beyond a joke a real serious pollution problem for tourists and residents.. officials doing nothing about it!

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why would this increased number of passengers fly here to contract lung cancer?

For the same reason Westerners subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to inhale smog and smell stinky sois in an Authoritarian country. It is called the lure the lure of cheap sex. This lure is very powerful. 

39 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

I wouldn't buy a used car from Any Local...........

I wouldn't buy any car or motorbike from anyone here even if you put a gun to my head.

I don't care what joker is selling it.

You only need a car if you live in Nakon Nowhere with Noi.

A quick getaway!

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by Lucius verus

This story was predictable after the recent report of declining numbers just as a story of the taxi driver returning thousands of baht to a tourist is after an assault by a taxi driver.

 These stories are a result of an automated system, the algorithms detect a story on low tourist numbers as was posted recently. 

 

"Thailand sees rare but significant drop in tourist arrivals"

They then counter with the new and more face saving item.

"Rebound in Chinese tourists lifts airport passenger numbers"

 

Now in widespread use in Thai media the system is also responsible for the "Honest Taxi driver" stories and in all corruption denial articles.

Amazing creative counting. I think some these people counting have 10 fingers on each hand. Has anybody counted how and where the Chinese are spending in Thailand as normally most of their expenditure  is done thru Chinese connections and Chinese business people. Not a lot flowing into Thailand ?

Seems  some people on this site are not happy with tourist numbers on the increase  to Thailand

they would rather see a decrease  and look for the Negative  side of things rather than the positive 

Tourists will always come to Thailand Chinese  now Indians next ?

He states: “The market for Chinese tours is coming back, as seen from the higher number of passengers traveling through Chinese airlines.”

That means I must be Chinese, as I always fly Chinese airlines to Thailand.....Even though I Caucasian form the USA.

41 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

For the same reason Westerners subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to inhale smog and smell stinky sois in an Authoritarian country. It is called the lure the lure of cheap sex. This lure is very powerful. 

 

You mention this lure in so many of your posts You must be really hooked to it by now... Ain't you Mr. Linchi ??

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by LongTang

3 hours ago, neeray said:

The numbers are up! The numbers are down! Who the blank really knows where the truth lies? ("lies" huhhuh)

Exactly, hotels, guest houses bars & restaurants all say business is down with few customers, beaches are visibly empty... yet passenger numbers are up?

Maybe tomorrows report will say temples and national parks are at capacity with people camping in the car parks!

5 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why would this increased number of passengers fly here to contract lung cancer?

nah, they're immune from breathing their own crap air for years..

2 hours ago, onera1961 said:

For the same reason Westerners subject themselves to humiliation and inconveniences to inhale smog and smell stinky sois in an Authoritarian country. It is called the lure the lure of cheap sex. This lure is very powerful. 

It's not even cheap any more I heard.

2 hours ago, THE REVERAND said:

Amazing creative counting. I think some these people counting have 10 fingers on each hand. Has anybody counted how and where the Chinese are spending in Thailand as normally most of their expenditure  is done thru Chinese connections and Chinese business people. Not a lot flowing into Thailand ?

My friend just reported from Pattaya that the Chinese have taken all the cute girls and that girls are charging double or triple what they used to charge just a few years ago.

Good for the girls if true.

Same was reported in another thread here on thaivisa.

 

 

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by hobz

7 minutes ago, hobz said:

My friend just reported from Pattaya that the Chinese have taken all the cute girls and that girls are charging double or triple what they used to charge just a few years ago.

Good for the girls if true.

Same was reported in another thread here on thaivisa.

 

 

 

I have never met a bargirl who enjoys the company of Chinese people.

But maybe they were lying to me

 

 

1 minute ago, Peterbkk99 said:

have never met a bargirl who enjoys the company of Chinese people. But maybe they were lying to me

Like most Thais they gave you the answer they thought you wanted to hear