TAT chief blames high baht and lack of Europeans for drop in Thai tourism

[sandmonster]

32 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

Come to Chiang Mai. The only policemen you will see are the ones who are at checkpoints for scooters or rarely for cars. Ok, very, very rarely they check clubs in the night for drugs and underage people. But I never saw it personally. 

 

Not forgetting the wonderful jolly rush hour traffic police without whom you would ever be able to do a U turn on any major road in rush hour. 

[sandmonster]

4 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

This is not the point we were making. Yes they outspend because there's so many of them. The point was that per person they do not.

 

Sorry to disappoint you..they outspend Europeans per day per person. You still not tried Google ? I will help you...

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

 

Sorry to shatter your illusions, but Europeans are the cheap chairlies .

Edited June 27, 2019 by sandmonster
Add more info

[Chelseafan]

18 minutes ago, sandmonster said:

Sorry to disappoint you..they outspend Europeans per day per person. You still not tried Google ? I will help you...

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

 

Sorry to shatter your illusions, but Europeans are the cheap chairlies .

Did you actually read this thread?

 

What makes up their spend ? How is it being measured ?

 

Are barfines / girls / beer / scuba diving and the countless other activities being taken into account that westerners are more likely to indulge ? Doubt it !

 

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the figures are coming from shopping malls (and maybe VAT receipts) where westerners are less likely to visit.

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Chelseafan

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

Did you actually read this thread?

 

What makes up their spend ? How is it being measured ?

 

Are barfines / girls / beer / scuba diving and the countless other activities being taken into account that westerners are more likely to indulge ? Doubt it ?

 

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the figures are coming from shopping malls (and maybe VAT receipts) where westerners are less likely to visit.

 

They do surveys of all the people mentioned in the report and the results are accurate to a couple of percent.  

[Chelseafan]

Just now, marcusarelus said:

They do surveys of all the people mentioned in the report and the results are accurate to a couple of percent.  

I really doubt that and even if that is the case, how many people were surveyed? Did they give correct information ?

I don't know but I'm always suspicious of where the data comes from and how it is compiled.

 

[BuckBee]

tourist figures been dropping even when baht was 6% weaker than is today, it not just exchange rate but whole package as a tourist destination changed so much it no longer that appealing or cheap for what you getting.

The new online visa system won't help matters, even people who want go but want a setv likely give up as currently been unable operate properly for days ????

They done a great job ruining it all, the last straw, surprised they want more south americans, the last yoga one was chased round the country by police over photos at temples, those pictures would of really helped tourist appeal as proper artful and inspiring .

 

[BuckBee]

11 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

Did you actually read this thread?

 

What makes up their spend ? How is it being measured ?

 

Are barfines / girls / beer / scuba diving and the countless other activities being taken into account that westerners are more likely to indulge ? Doubt it !

 

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that the figures are coming from shopping malls (and maybe VAT receipts) where westerners are less likely to visit.

 

I agree the figures are way off reality.

I got relatives who retail from esplanade and the railway market and since turned to more chinese over westerners and thais the the incomes have plummeted and overall appeal ruined to locals as well . The rental charges have been reduced as if didn't many retailers gone under by now ...

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

I really doubt that and even if that is the case, how many people were surveyed? Did they give correct information ?

I don't know but I'm always suspicious of where the data comes from and how it is compiled.

Statistics replaced counting in the modern world about 50 years ago.  https://greatbrook.com/survey-statistical-accuracy/

 

Excerpt, " 

Along with response rates, survey statistical accuracy is the topic that we surveyors get asked about most.  Why? Probably because it has to do with statistics, and most people don’t have fond memories of their college statistics class."

 

Read the above site to see how people who compile surveys in the modern world operate.  

[GeorgeCross]

4 hours ago, sandmonster said:

Sorry to disappoint you..they outspend Europeans per day per person. You still not tried Google ? I will help you...

 

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

 

Sorry to shatter your illusions, but Europeans are the cheap chairlies .

the whole premis of per day spend is flawed though. europeans stay longer so that means they'll spend slower.

 

go on holiday in america for a month and then compare that to a weekend in vegas. 

 

which would have a higher per day spend? 

 

 

[DrTuner]

You lot still fighting over an old website that's got it's figures from TAT, the most respectable, forever accurate, best known source of wisdom in all matters tourist?

 

Carry on.

[potless]

5 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Yes, OK, you got me. There's lies, damned lies and then there's statistics

And then theres Thai statistics.

[fforest1]

Forget the Chinese...

Who cares what google says....Me and my friends who drink happy hour beers on Soi Bukow are who is holding up the whole Thai economy....With out us Thailand is finished...The more I drink the more I am convinced of this..And all the old guys who hang out at the bar agree with me...

Edited June 27, 2019 by fforest1

[PingRoundTheWorld]

On 6/26/2019 at 10:19 AM, marcusarelus said:

Wake up Chip Butty.  Average Chinese length of stay 8.08 days. Average spend Chinese $192, Europe $125.

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp

How do they even come up with the spending figures? There is no feasible way for them to know exactly how much people are spending, and when you consider all the industries that don't report or under report taxes then westerner spending is far more than their estimates. For example a prostitute isn't going to report how much she got to anyone, bars and clubs likely to under report, street bars and street food probably don't report, etc.

 

Westerners spend a LOT of money on nightlife, much of which is likely not included in these estimates.

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

How do they even come up with the spending figures? There is no feasible way for them to know exactly how much people are spending, and when you consider all the industries that don't report or under report taxes then westerner spending is far more than their estimates. For example a prostitute isn't going to report how much she got to anyone, bars and clubs likely to under report, street bars and street food probably don't report, etc.

 

Westerners spend a LOT of money on nightlife, much of which is likely not included in these estimates.

I've explained it at least 3 times.  Yes, they do come up with accurate figures.  In the modern world things aren't counted anymore.  They do a survey of key groups and can give an accurate number plus or minus a couple of percent.  You can google statistical accuracy for a discussion on just how accurate they are.  Or give us 100 year old Mark Twain quotes.  If you choose not to believe statistical surveys then you choose not to believe in the modern world and all the banks and governments today are based on lies and inaccurate information.   Kind of like trying to convince gramps that men walked on the moon.  

[Bangkokazy]

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Bangkok

 

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Vietnam&country2=Thailand&city1=Hanoi&city2=Bangkok&tracking=getDispatchComparison

[Farang99]

On 6/26/2019 at 3:00 PM, crazykopite said:

Brexit has nothing to do with it ,Thailand is becoming unaffordable due to the strong baht , Europeans will spend their hard earned money else where . It would be very interesting to see how many expats have left the country or are making plans to leave this year due to the new immigration rules it’s not just about Tourist numbers if you have half a million middle income ex pats upping sticks to a neighbouring country that to will have a big effect . Here on the islands I have never known it to be so quiet in 13 years of living here and when I was at immigration on Monday there were more staff than tourists.

Brexit has a great deal to do with it. The uncertainty about the outcome of the process has lead to  a steady weakening of the £, despite the healthy British economy. This has not been helped by the gloomy prognostications of the anti-Brexit chancellor

[DrTuner]

5 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

 If you choose not to believe statistical surveys then you choose not to believe in the modern world and all the banks and governments today are based on lies and inaccurate information.   

What does Thailand have to do with modern world?

 

Statistics work best if you have a fairly homogenous subject. Given Thailand's #1 spot in inequality, a society based largely on cash and corruption at every level I'd say the variance is about from here to eternity. Never mind the 99.999% chance TAT simply pulls the figures out of their arse to keep the game face on.

 

I trust the beer swilling soi boukhao bar stool observer far more. At least they don't Thai to you.

Edited June 28, 2019 by DrTuner

[Sametboy2019]

How much people spend is ambiguous as most data will come from transactions from cards. Although they also maybe compiled by questionares how can that be regarded as accurate?

That guy who drank x amount of beers and bought lady drinks or any other cash transaction. How many people could accurately say how much they spent after a holiday?

[marcusarelus]

4 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Statistics work best if you have a fairly homogenous subject.

LInk please.  After years of study have never heard that.  

[DrTuner]

59 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

LInk please.  After years of study have never heard that.  

Not exactly rocket science that variance grow with non-homogenous datasets. It's in the 101.

 

But since you like links, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homogeneity_(statistics)#Homogeneity_within_populations

 

Since I have studied higher mathematics and am hence qualified to give accurate figures, I'd say Thais are 99.01% full of BS when dealing with facts and truths, with the notable outlier of TAT, which manages to approach 100% with an error margin of 0.00001%.

Edited June 28, 2019 by DrTuner

[JAG]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

Since I have studied higher mathematics and am hence qualified to give accurate figures, I'd say Thais are 99.01% full of BS when dealing with facts and truths, with the notable outlier of TAT, which manages to approach 100% with an error margin of 0.00001%.

I haven't studied higher mathematics, Primary 1 - 3 Maths in English is more my scene; however I would bet the farm (were it allowed) that the many cash based businesses in this country do not report revenue accurately, no matter how many key focus groups are questioned; and so most of the statistics for what is spent in bars, on girls, massages and other "entertainment" and tourist serving (servicing) activities are about as relevant as a 100 year old quote from Mark Twain - who incidentally made a number of wise and witty observations which have stood the test of time rather well!