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

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

It was the first time that anyone at the TAT had mentioned the Thai baht was having such a big effect on the tourism industry. 

Inactive post pending

[yokat]

The strong baht and the 250 bahts beachfront's pad thai made thailand a not so cheap destination for most europeans.

[upena]

Arrivals/Visitors are not necessarily tourists. He has no way of knowing how much revenue is generated. Just remember - The degree to which tourism is down in Thailand is in direct proportion to how many positive BS tourism articles with lots of make-believe numbers from TAT, TCT, MOTS, that are posted in the Bangkok Post, The Nation, Press Releases, and via the Thai Government propaganda website.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

This realization is 3 years to late for cash strapped Brits ????

[Lucius verus]

There is always more than one reason why trends change.

Thailand's are simple enough.....

 

Stronger baht and higher local prices compounding the cost of a holiday in LOS.

Western middle & working class being hit constantly with increases in tax,utilities and daily expenses  limiting their holiday options.

Constant bad publicity about tourist deaths and ripoffs in Thailand.

Filthy Gulf beaches that are now spreading ominously southwards.

Grubby hotels except top end 5 star.

More cheaper holiday options coming available especially for important Australian market.

 

Airfares?    Never been cheaper for Europeans but fares aren't everything.

[monkeycu]

58 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

They likely meant Europeans as White people or Farangs. They were trying to do better than Farangs, but still don't understand that White people come from many distinct countries. 

 

It's progress... 

Like Australia is near Germany, as a few b/g's were telling me once  

Thai people PLEASE invest in an ATLAS

[Fex Bluse]

4 minutes ago, Lucius verus said:

There is always more than one reason why trends change.

Thailand's are simple enough.....

 

Stronger baht and higher local prices compounding the cost of a holiday in LOS.

Western middle & working class being hit constantly with increases in tax,utilities and daily expenses  limiting their holiday options.

Constant bad publicity about tourist deaths and ripoffs in Thailand.

Filthy Gulf beaches that are now spreading ominously southwards.

Grubby hotels except top end 5 star.

More cheaper holiday options coming available especially for important Australian market.

 

Airfares?    Never been cheaper for Europeans but fares aren't everything.

Don't forget that many westerners will shun the idea of visiting a low quality destination known for attracting Chinese tour groups. 

 

And, Thailand now has that reputation. 

[Fex Bluse]

49 minutes ago, Kasane said:

Westerners are slowly being priced out of Thailand. Falling European currencies are mostly to blame. 

Also, looks like the 3 categories of Westerners who visit Thailand, sexpats, low income foreigners, and lonely and sick old men looking to hire a slave to care care of them, are no longer welcome in LOS.

And if you are correct, how embarrassing is it for Thais that they are begging for those 3 classes to come back? 

 

How much face can they lose? 

 

What does it say about the country they are so proud of that they can't attract better quality people? 

 

Is it a reflection of themselves?

Edited June 26, 2019 by Fex Bluse

[ftpjtm]

Top reasons for decline of Western tourism; TAT take note.

- Western distrust of military governments, and recent media coverage of an unfair election keeping Thailand's military government intact.

- International media coverage of horrendous pollution disasters in popular Thai tourist destinations.

- Visa rule changes discouraging long term stays in Thailand.

- TAT programs designed to increase tourism from China and India, and the resulting negative connotations that has on Western tourism.

- More direct flights to neighboring countries decreasing use of Bangkok as a hub.

 

Factors not influencing Western tourism to Thailand;

- Brexit

- The US, China trade war

Edited June 26, 2019 by ftpjtm

[stanleycoin]

Been some time now, with out some good news on Tv. 

 

I think it's part to do with,  the love and respect Thailand has shown to it's Western tourists over the last few years.

The we have had your money,  now piss off, attitude has finally paid off. 

Good job 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by stanleycoin

[Chelseafan]

1 hour ago, 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

 

That may be true but what they aren't factoring in is the casual expenditure, drinking, eating out, accommodation, girls, etc. This money trickles down into the Thai economy.

 

I'm by no means an average spender in Thailand and travel 3-4 times a year spending around £8000 per two week trip (including flying with Thai) giving an average daily spend of circa $725. Plenty of 'farangs' of similar ilk. Can the same be said for the Chinese?

 

I would love to know what factors make up the TAT's average daily spend.

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Chelseafan

[BobbyL]

Finally, they might start to realise how declining numbers of Western tourists will negatively impact them. 

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

Glad to hear they didn't forget to blame the cheap and stingy Europeans (okay, they used slightly different wording)...

Edited June 26, 2019 by StayinThailand2much

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Kasane said:

Westerners are slowly being priced out of Thailand. Falling European currencies are mostly to blame. 

Also, looks like the 3 categories of Westerners who visit Thailand, sexpats, low income foreigners, and lonely and sick old men looking to hire a slave to care care of them, are no longer welcome in LOS.

The high value of the Baht is certainly having an effect - probably not so much with regular visitors, but with potential visitors comparing Thailand with other South East Asian destinations.

 

I suspect one of the major determining features is the way Thailand is presented in Western Media. Here there are a whole host of factors, starting with a well publicised and deserved reputation for scams and dangers, and extending into the "current political and societal changes".

Friends and relatives from home, with whom I keep in touch, often mention the negative light which these paint on the country.

 

"Sexpats" and "lonely sick old men', whilst easy for those of us who live here to regard with vicarious contempt, are a miniscule proportion of visitors. Perhaps we should also remember that perhaps today's "lonely sick old men" were, ten years ago, " hansum and strong"! We may in time find ourselves amongst that number - there's a depressing thought to ponder!

[StayinThailand2much]

56 minutes ago, Lucius verus said:

There is always more than one reason why trends change.

Thailand's are simple enough.....

 

Stronger baht and higher local prices compounding the cost of a holiday in LOS.

Western middle & working class being hit constantly with increases in tax,utilities and daily expenses  limiting their holiday options.

Constant bad publicity about tourist deaths and ripoffs in Thailand.

Filthy Gulf beaches that are now spreading ominously southwards.

Grubby hotels except top end 5 star.

More cheaper holiday options coming available especially for important Australian market.

 

Airfares?    Never been cheaper for Europeans but fares aren't everything.

Thailand is regarded as an 'overrated destination' in parts of Europe. People from Vietnam, who travelled to Thailand, just hate it (because of Thai people's attitude towards them?). At the same time you see the 'typical Thailand tourists' (Western pensioners, families...) in Phnom Penh or Saigon rather than in Bangkok. Expats, living in Thailand, choose other countries (Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, etc.) rather than Thai beaches for their holidays... Thais have themselves to blame!

Edited June 26, 2019 by StayinThailand2much

[AlexRich]

2 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

I do not see the relationship between the brexit and the overvaluation of the Thai baht, but if the head of the TAT sees one ... ....

 

Contrary to the information issued by the newspapers "to orders", do not forget that they belong for the most part to billionaires who have made their "mistress" .. Brexit will certainly be a great moment in Britain;the pound will probably fall in the first weeks or even months to rise again and cock a snook to the euro and the US dollar.

Brexit is a tragedy ... it marks the beginning of the disintegration of the UK ... a no deal exit will trash GBP and put the UK on a lower growth trajectory. Any benefit is offset by much higher costs. And the economic burden of Brexit will hit the younger generations hardest, and they didn’t vote for it.

[zydeco]

2 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

Brexit is a tragedy ... it marks the beginning of the disintegration of the UK ... a no deal exit will trash GBP and put the UK on a lower growth trajectory. Any benefit is offset by much higher costs. And the economic burden of Brexit will hit the younger generations hardest, and they didn’t vote for it.

The UK could always petition to become a US Territory. Sort of like American Samoa.

Edited June 26, 2019 by zydeco

[AlexRich]

3 minutes ago, zydeco said:

The UK could always petition to become a US Territory. Sort of like American Samoa.

I’d rather we built a wall ... and paid for it.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Fake news

Provide a better source that's not anecdotal.  http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp     Seems accurate to me.  

[potless]

1 hour ago, monkeycu said:

Thai people PLEASE invest in an ATLAS

The man in charge of that opened up an atlas and concluded that the world is indeed flat.

[Nong Khai Man]

41 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

That may be true but what they aren't factoring in is the casual expenditure, drinking, eating out, accommodation, girls, etc. This money trickles down into the Thai economy.

 

I'm by no means an average spender in Thailand and travel 3-4 times a year spending around £8000 per two week trip (including flying with Thai) giving an average daily spend of circa $725. Plenty of 'farangs' of similar ilk. Can the same be said for the Chinese?

 

I would love to know what factors make up the TAT's average daily spend.

 

 

 

I Bet You fly in 1st Class Then ??

[Nong Khai Man]

So it seems that the TAT Have Opened their Eyes at last......

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

I do not see the relationship between the brexit and the overvaluation of the Thai baht, but if the head of the TAT sees one ... ....

 

Contrary to the information issued by the newspapers "to orders", do not forget that they belong for the most part to billionaires who have made their "mistress" .. Brexit will certainly be a great moment in Britain;the pound will probably fall in the first weeks or even months to rise again and cock a snook to the euro and the US dollar.

The Thai baht is not overvalued the pound is falling in relation to all other currencies because of the financial uncertainty that Brexit will bring.  Irrelevant why or how long as currency is valued in the present it only cares about present and presently the pound is down and the baht is the same.  

[Hoppyone]

3 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

The Thai baht is not overvalued the pound is falling in relation to all other currencies because of the financial uncertainty that Brexit will bring.  Irrelevant why or how long as currency is valued in the present it only cares about present and presently the pound is down and the baht is the same.  

Currency was tumbling down long before Brexit

[Gecko123]

No, Mr. Yuthasak Suphasorn, the reason there are fewer people coming to Thailand is because tourism is poorly managed. There is too little emphasis on the tourist's experience. Each and every tourist's experience needs to be the focus, not head counts and average revenue statistics. Marketing brochures might attract some visitors, but Thailand's reputation as a desirable tourist destination is mainly spread by word-of-mouth and on social media. This is why the tourist's experience must be the focus.

 

How do you improve a tourist's experience? By focusing on the tourist's interactions with Thai people. For example, are bus, van, taxi drivers and boat operators committed to safety and delivering courteous service? Is tourism's importance to the economy emphasized sufficiently to the general public?  Is overcharging or short changing foreign visitors discouraged? Has Thailand evaluated how many visitors its roads, infrastructure and natural attractions can accommodate on a sustainable basis? Has Thailand ever evaluated whether dual pricing at national parks and tourist attractions sends the wrong signal to the general population about the acceptability of dual pricing?

 

Thailand has a highly publicized drive to reduce illegal immigration. Every night there are news reports about foreigners being arrested and rounded up. Does the tourism authority ever discuss and coordinate this with immigration? You can't be waving away everybody who lives here away with one hand like they are a potential criminal and then wave 'hello' with the other hand like everybody is welcome. Thailand seems to be saying 'Please come to Thailand, but don't get some crazy idea in your head that you can come live here.' This is sending a very mixed message to visitors.

 

Thailand needs to understand something. A big part of the reason people from the West visited and kept coming back to Thailand was because they had a dream of moving to a 'tropical paradise' after they retired. Some only dreamed about it and never moved here, but others actually did. If Thailand starts to say 'Hey, please visit, but we don't want you to stay or move here', Thailand is going to kill this dream, and once this dream is killed, many, many tourists from the West are going to stop coming to Thailand.

 

There is a strong connection between today's tourism numbers and the attractiveness of immigrating to Thailand in the future. I think Thailand has already damaged its reputation as a desirable retirement destination, and this is starting to show up in Western tourist arrivals. Thailand needs to understand that friendly and easy immigration supports tourism. Unfriendly and difficult immigration does the opposite. The choice, of course, is up to Thailand, but you can't have it both ways.

 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Gecko123

[Rimmer]

A flame and a troll post have been removed

[Chelseafan]

19 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

I Bet You fly in 1st Class Then ??

Yes.

 

Not very insightful for my 500th post.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Chelseafan

[Chelseafan]

25 minutes ago, zydeco said:

The UK could always petition to become a US Territory. Sort of like American Samoa.

Rather ironic as the US was once a UK colony ????

[Assurancetourix]

26 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

Brexit is a tragedy

I'm waiting for a Frenchxit ;

but we have no French politician with enough balls to start it;
Europe as it exists is an aberration

 

it was already a wobbly thing when there were only six countries in it, now it's very big no matter what.

[the guest]

More tripe being served by TAT. There has been a continued drop by Europeans as they are favoring other countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, which not only offer better value for money, but are making efforts to roll out the red carpet to tourists.

 

Thailand was a great place before, but greed and the continued commercialization of the country has ruined the place, along with the SCAMS, and the harassment from the authorities.

 

The influx of massive numbers of Chinese tourists also is a negative aspect, and Europeans don't mix too well with them for a variety of reasons.

 

If you going on holiday you want a good time, and sadly Thailand doesn't offer this anymore.