I spent a few days in Phuket earlier this year. I saw nothing that would give me any reason to return. Expensive, overdeveloped and crowded.

basic economics - for example the baht has lost 25% value against GBP in 2.5 years (we are double whammied by brexit of course).  people's salaries in UK have stayed pretty static, ergo 25% less spending power in the Land of Smiles.  doesn't matter about all these ever increasing hordes of tourist coming into swampy, if TAT are to be believed, once they get here they won't spend as much.

11 minutes ago, mvsaraburi said:

basic economics - for example the baht has lost 25% value against GBP in 2.5 years (we are double whammied by brexit of course).  people's salaries in UK have stayed pretty static, ergo 25% less spending power in the Land of Smiles.  doesn't matter about all these ever increasing hordes of tourist coming into swampy, if TAT are to be believed, once they get here they won't spend as much.

I only wish the Baht had lost 25% against the GBP.

On 7/1/2019 at 8:44 AM, Joe Mcseismic said:

You "spoke" to a few people, so, therefore, Cambodia and Vietnam are taking over Thailand's place? Not very scientific, eh?

How about some facts?

 

Annual tourist arrivals for 2018.

Cambodia 6.2 million. - figures have grown three-fold from 2010-2018

Vietnam 15.5 million - figures have grown three-fold from 2010-2018

Thailand 38.27 million.

 

Oh dear.........the facts don't seem to support your story.

Yeah the facts do support the story, Thailand's popularity is falling and these countries will continue to chip away at the figures you quoted. Where do you think the rising tourist figures are coming from? I'll give you a clue it begins with a "T" 

 

 

3 minutes ago, the guest said:

Yeah the facts do support the story, Thailand's popularity is falling and these countries will continue to chip away at the figures you quoted. Where do you think the rising tourist figures are coming from? I'll give you a clue it begins with a "T" 

 

 

Good then the tav and tac are only giving out correct numbers.

57 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I spent a few days in Phuket earlier this year. I saw nothing that would give me any reason to return. Expensive, overdeveloped and crowded.

I spent a few days in Phuket about 20 years ago and came to the same conclusions, weather there to wet as well, they get around double the rainfall Pattaya does!

Maybe they will reduce prices to encourage people to return? ????

38 minutes ago, the guest said:

Yeah the facts do support the story, Thailand's popularity is falling and these countries will continue to chip away at the figures you quoted. Where do you think the rising tourist figures are coming from? I'll give you a clue it begins with a "T" 

 

 

No, it doesn't support your position. As you can see from the figures I posted, Cambodia and Vietnam's tourist arrivals are together, not even half of Thailand's. Percentages are misleading. 10% of 5 million is a lot smaller than 10% of 30 million. It's very telling that you didn't include the increase in tourists to Thailand for the same period. Up two and a half fold between 2010 and 2018. Still more total tourists than Cambodia and Vietnam combined. http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism.asp

The rush for Vietnam and Cambodia is probably due to the "see it before it's spoiled" factor. New arrival percentages will slow as has happened for every destination.

You claimed that Cambodia and Vietnam were taking Thailand's place. I showed you that that wasn't true. You don't like to be proved wrong, that's obvious.

 

3 hours ago, mvsaraburi said:

basic economics - for example the baht has lost 25% value against GBP in 2.5 years (we are double whammied by brexit of course).  people's salaries in UK have stayed pretty static, ergo 25% less spending power in the Land of Smiles.  doesn't matter about all these ever increasing hordes of tourist coming into swampy, if TAT are to be believed, once they get here they won't spend as much.

 

It's all a matter of time. I arrived her 24 years ago and baht 36 to GBP. Today it;s about 38. From my vantage I am winning. ???? Mind you I exchanged for just the one day at 90 baht many years ago. That's the way it goes ....

12 hours ago, CGW said:

I spent a few days in Phuket about 20 years ago and came to the same conclusions, weather there to wet as well, they get around double the rainfall Pattaya does!

Maybe they will reduce prices to encourage people to return? ????

You should know by now Thai's put their price up when it's quiet

On 7/1/2019 at 5:45 PM, madmen said:

Just curious where are you getting these stats from , obviously you dont know them all. They are some pretty serious numbers your quoting

And to follow up

 

"A business disaster looms for Thailand’s travel agents as the latest data shows travel bookings were down by 11.46% during the first six months of the year."

<snip>

Month-by-month, the data illustrated declines ranging from 9% in January and February to a massive drop of 20% in May. June closed with a decline of 12%."

 

That is huge difference from TAT figures but a lot closer (though still not quite there) to what buisness owners on the ground are reporting. The difference can be down to reality that large portion of repeat visitors don't normally use travel agent services.

35 minutes ago, Lashay said:

And to follow up

 

"A business disaster looms for Thailand’s travel agents as the latest data shows travel bookings were down by 11.46% during the first six months of the year."

<snip>

Month-by-month, the data illustrated declines ranging from 9% in January and February to a massive drop of 20% in May. June closed with a decline of 12%."

 

That is huge difference from TAT figures but a lot closer (though still not quite there) to what buisness owners on the ground are reporting. The difference can be down to reality that large portion of repeat visitors don't normally use travel agent services.

I think the main difference is that the people are there, as TAT indicates, but are not spending. Reading a book by the swimming pool in stead of doing a tour, or just one tour in stead of two. So number of visitors down plus the ones that are here are not spending.