Phuket tourism going down the pan just like Pattaya: Few tourists and much worse than last year

[timmu]

oh why that has happened...get more tighten visa-rules, and what happens..

[joecoolfrog]

10 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Yes to all that, but on balance, I see no difference in terms of ripping off tourists here than say Spain, Cyprus, Malta,  most Caribbean islands. It goes on everywhere. 

The Spanish ended up learning a sharp lesson , you would have thought others might have heeded that. Lets face it though, the Thai puppet masters dont care if the populace ends up bleeding , their nest eggs will be secure.

Edited July 12, 2019 by joecoolfrog

[spiroinusa1]

The islands are nice. Beaches above the airport are great. Kata, Karon,etc OK. It just has to many houses hotels etc. Patong needs cleaning up. It is over developed. 

[Lenny Jones]

3 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

The Spanish ended up learning a sharp lesson , you would have thought others might have heeded that. Lets face it though the Thai puppet masters dont care if the populace ends up bleeding , their nest eggs will be secure.

The whole pattern that Thais adhere to - "Hit them once and hard - They will never be back" is one of the greatest damaging influences on the Thai tourist economy.  "The Land of Smiles" is a big lie.

 

Thailand needs a massive overhaul - - - - - -

[JamJar]

11 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Yes to all that, but on balance, I see no difference in terms of ripping off tourists here than say Spain, Cyprus, Malta,  most Caribbean islands. It goes on everywhere. 

 

Which rip-offs would that be? Have been to all of those places. Not even a sniff of a rip-off.

[marcusarelus]

18 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

The Spanish ended up learning a sharp lesson , you would have thought others might have heeded that. Lets face it though, the Thai puppet masters dont care if the populace ends up bleeding , their nest eggs will be secure.

No.  High baht hurts the puppet masters.  This has been a bad for Thai rich people.

Google, "Bad year for Asian billionaires."  And get the correct news.  

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, Lenny Jones said:

The whole pattern that Thais adhere to - "Hit them once and hard - They will never be back" is one of the greatest damaging influences on the Thai tourist economy.  "The Land of Smiles" is a big lie.

 

Thailand needs a massive overhaul - - - - - -

That's why the Russians never came back....... Wait they came back didn't they?  Oh must be the exchange rate as the prime mover.  

[wisperone]

10 hours ago, shackleton said:

Maybe the tourists after reading about the rip offs scams ect have decided  there is more to Thailand than Phuket and Pattaya

Or just passing on Thailand entirely.

[joecoolfrog]

3 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Do you think the UK is happy with it's low value pound right now?  

I very much doubt that it is a prime concern of the British government.There are economic advantages to be had when the currency is weakish , the correct level depends on ones trade balance.

For a country that heavily relies on exports and tourism however , an overstrong currency is very bad news indeed.

There is no economic advantage for Thailand in a strong baht , we are clearly seeing the negative results , and I doubt that those in the Thai treasury are all idiots.

Consequently the only conclusion is that political forces are at work , one can only speculate as to why .

Edited July 12, 2019 by joecoolfrog

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

I very much doubt that it is a prime concern of the British government.There are economic advantages to be had when the currency is weakish , the correct level depends on ones trade balance.

For a country that heavily relies on exports and tourism however , an overstrong currency is very bad news indeed.

There is no economic advantage for Thailand in a strong baht , we are clearly seeing the negative results , and I doubt that those in the Thai treasury are all idiots.

Consequently the only conclusion is that political forces are at work , one can only speculate as to why .

 2017, the United Kingdom exported $395B and imported $617B, 

Machinery including computers: US$87 billion (12.9% of total imports)

Vehicles: $75.1 billion (11.2%)

Electrical machinery, equipment: $69 billion (10.3%)

Mineral fuels including oil: $66.9 billion (9.9%)

Gems, precious metals: $40.2 billion (6%)

Pharmaceuticals: $30.3 billion (4.5%)

Plastics, plastic articles: $19.5 billion (2.9%)

Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $18.8 billion (2.8%)

Articles of iron or steel: $12.1 billion (1.8%)

Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $11.8 billion (1.8%)

 

Think about it.  Not really rocket science is it.  The imports are more expensive.

 

http://www.worldstopexports.com/united-kingdoms-top-10-imports/

 

Thailand gets more for it's exports and pays less for it's imports.  The only problem is Thailand is pricing itself out of the export market and the rich people are losing mega bucks.  

Edited July 12, 2019 by marcusarelus

[joecoolfrog]

14 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

No.  High baht hurts the puppet masters.  This has been a bad for Thai rich people.

Google, "Bad year for Asian billionaires."  And get the correct news.  

If you care to provide a link backing up your assertion that the most influential figures in Thailand are hurting, then I will certainly study it with interest.

In the almost certain knowledge you will not be able to , I will treat your post as nonsense for now.

[Joe Mcseismic]

21 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

I very much doubt that it is a prime concern of the British government.There are economic advantages to be had when the currency is weakish , the correct level depends on ones trade balance.

For a country that heavily relies on exports and tourism however , an overstrong currency is very bad news indeed.

There is no economic advantage for Thailand in a strong baht , we are clearly seeing the negative results , and I doubt that those in the Thai treasury are all idiots.

Consequently the only conclusion is that political forces are at work , one can only speculate as to why .

No advantage to a strong Thai Baht?

How about cheaper oil imports (US$ denominated) which lowers the price of all transportation and increases the profitability of all companies that use transport. Or, how about plastics, coatings (paint), animal feed and pharmaceuticals that are also derived from oil?

That's just oil, machine tools, medical equipment, anything that is needed in Thailand that has to be imported is cheaper.

What you really mean is that an "over-strong currency" is bad for you, not Thailand. Maybe you should think before you post.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Joe Mcseismic

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, joecoolfrog said:

If you care to provide a link backing up your assertion that the most influential figures in Thailand are hurting, then I will certainly study it with interest.

In the almost certain knowledge you will not be able to , I will treat your post as nonsense for now.

Thailand is an exporting country.  Thailand is a tourist country.  Rich people own the business who export and the hotels that get rich on the tourist trade.  It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out if exports and tourism are off that the rich are hurting.  

[jessebkk1]

1 hour ago, Straight8 said:

Saying its not the baht is just plain dumb!!

I don't know where you're from, but I'm american and we havent been affected by a strong baht that much. My friends who I talked about are expats in other asian countries earning money in US dollars and are also not affected. The Visa regulations is the Single Biggest reason why tourism is plummeting. Brits are not the only coming here, and actually make the tiniest part of that pie chart. A lot of Neighboring asians used to visit here once a month for Business or pleasure on tourist visas/visa exempt but can no longer because of the restrictions. If you've lived in singapore/hongkong you'd know this. Now the younger ones who want to come in and out as much they please have to buy the elite visas and the older folks have to put 800k in a thai Bank for a retirement visa. And sorry but thailand isnt worth that money with all the other options.

[Joe Mcseismic]

2 minutes ago, jessebkk1 said:

I don't know where you're from, but I'm american and we havent been affected by a strong baht that much. My friends who I talked about are expats in other asian countries earning money in US dollars and are also not affected. The Visa regulations is the Single Biggest reason why tourism is plummeting. Brits are not the only coming here, and actually make the tiniest part of that pie chart. A lot of Neighboring asians used to visit here once a month for Business or pleasure on tourist visas/visa exempt but can no longer because of the restrictions. If you've lived in singapore/hongkong you'd know this. Now the younger ones who want to come in and out as much they please have to buy the elite visas and the older folks have to put 800k in a thai Bank for a retirement visa. And sorry but thailand isnt worth that money with all the other options.

Wrong. The vast majority of tourists don't need visas.

[marcusarelus]

7 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

Wrong. The vast majority of tourists don't need visas.

I live here.  I opened up a bank account and have seen my money grow and prosper as Thai Baht vs American dollars.  Who would not open up a bank account in the place where you live?  No visa problems.  Go to Immigration once a year for 15 minutes.  

 

And if you are a real tourist you don't need a visa.  You are correct.  

[jessebkk1]

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Positive direction to whom, illegal English teachears without WP, as it was 15-20 years ago?

 Regardless of what you've convinced yourself to believe, English teachers are a necessity for Thais. There used to an overflow of english teachers from native english speaking countries who lived here, border bounced for visas and were a good amount of the local spenders. Right now there are not that many teachers here,  many would rather go anywhere else because of the xenophobia in thailand/fear visa busts. And what's the result of that, the thais are begging for anyone to come teach english in thailand, there are adds bolding asking for iranians, iraqis, cameroonians on craigslist, and yet the schools still cant find teachers. My son goes to an international school in Bangkok that costs me about 180k Per year, I had a conversation with the new english teacher in his class and she was from Tajikistan. Barely spoke english enough to make a simple sentence.

 

  

 

   ,

[joecoolfrog]

4 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

 2017, the United Kingdom exported $395B and imported $617B, 

Machinery including computers: US$87 billion (12.9% of total imports)

Vehicles: $75.1 billion (11.2%)

Electrical machinery, equipment: $69 billion (10.3%)

Mineral fuels including oil: $66.9 billion (9.9%)

Gems, precious metals: $40.2 billion (6%)

Pharmaceuticals: $30.3 billion (4.5%)

Plastics, plastic articles: $19.5 billion (2.9%)

Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $18.8 billion (2.8%)

Articles of iron or steel: $12.1 billion (1.8%)

Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $11.8 billion (1.8%)

 

Think about it.  Not really rocket science is it.  The imports are more 

The UKs trade inbalance now stands at £31 billion , the improvement due to exports increasing due to Sterling being more competitive. Thank you for confirming my point but we are getting away from the topic , how in any way does a strong baht help the Thai economy ?

[zaZa9]

6 hours ago, peter48 said:

The reason is the BAHT! Brits today are getting at best 38 baht if transferring ...from local places much less. Yes I know Brexit & Boris horror are causing markets to sell pound as UK will tank its economy if we have hard Brexit and cut off trade abruptedly and face WTO high tariffs with 27 EU countries and 70 other EU -treaty other countries. But its been a trend for farang to face a high Baht rate for years now and uncertainity, trade and prices globally are hitting tourists really hard now. The result is what you see now. 

If its all about Brexit , then why are so many other currencies experiencing the same thing ? 

More rubbish ...

 

Next we will hear about Trudeau and Canadas carbon taxes or Hillary or something  <deleted> ...

Thailand is not only getting expensive for sterling holders..

 

 

Edited July 12, 2019 by zaZa9

[Inn Between]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Just as in reports about Pattaya yesterday when a tourism official there pointed at a 20-30% reduction year on year for June, Kongsak reported similar figures. 

If the officials are admitting to a 20-30% drop in tourist, does that mean it's actually closer to a 40-50% reduction? 

 

Thai gov't officials shamelessly downplay any negatives and play up anything positive, regardless if statistics are available to prove them wrong.  

Edited July 12, 2019 by Inn Between

[Caldera]

Quick and easy (partial) fix: Get rid of the muppets that deny entry to tourists at Phuket's airport. That way, at least the few who are still willing to come will be accounted for without fail.

[joecoolfrog]

18 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Thailand is an exporting country.  Thailand is a tourist country.  Rich people own the business who export and the hotels that get rich on the tourist trade.  It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out if exports and tourism are off that the rich are hurting.  

So as I thought no evidence to support your claim. If you seriously think that the figures who control Thailand will get burned then you are sorely deluded.

Many middle class and poor Thais will get badly hurt by the consequencies of an overly strong baht , the very wealthy will be insulated , the puppet masters please themselves.

[marcusarelus]

10 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

The UKs trade inbalance now stands at £31 billion , the improvement due to exports increasing due to Sterling being more competitive. Thank you for confirming my point but we are getting away from the topic , how in any way does a strong baht help the Thai economy ?

I don't think it does and nor do most rich people in Thailand.  

[marcusarelus]

3 minutes ago, joecoolfrog said:

So as I thought no evidence to support your claim. If you seriously think that the figures who control Thailand will get burned then you are sorely deluded.

Many middle class and poor Thais will get badly hurt by the consequencies of an overly strong baht , the very wealthy will be insulated , the puppet masters please themselves.

Puppet master owns hotel.  When tourism is down and hotel is empty - who pay puppet master?  

 

The 128 people in Asia with enough money to crack the 500-member Bloomberg Billionaires Index lost a combined $137 billion in 2018, the first time wealth in the region has dropped since the ranking started in 2012.
 

Edited July 12, 2019 by marcusarelus

[Traubert]

11 hours ago, Matzzon said:

But, let´s see now! It´s not only in Pattaya?! Can it be so bad that it´s all over Thailand? Oh dear! Now I must make a little, but quick calculation for the BoT.

Around 38 million tourists per year. 30% off is close to 12 mjillion tourists. Let´s say the avarage tourist spend a measly 30k baht while beeing in the country.

That will add up to 360 billion baht

 

Wrong because the 12 million decrease will be Chinese who never spent anything anyway. There will be no decrease in revenue.

 

No, sir, not a satang. Numbers stay the same. Just ask the TVFers.

 

Like the guy yesterday who said that 1 in 3 visitors to Cambodia never spend anything because they are Chinese.

 

China is buying the world, including large tracts of Thailand, get used to it.

[joecoolfrog]

30 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

No advantage to a strong Thai Baht?

How about cheaper oil imports (US$ denominated) which lowers the price of all transportation and increases the profitability of all companies that use transport. Or, how about plastics, coatings (paint), animal feed and pharmaceuticals that are also derived from oil?

That's just oil, machine tools, medical equipment, anything that is needed in Thailand that has to be imported is cheaper.

What you really mean is that an "over-strong currency" is bad for you, not Thailand. Maybe you should think before you post.

Ha ha , you are aware that Thailand has a trade surplus yes ?

Perhaps you think they are trying for a deficit lol

[Lenny Jones]

1 minute ago, joecoolfrog said:

Ha ha , you are aware that Thailand has a trade surplus yes ?

Perhaps you think they are trying for a deficit lol

Show me the trade surplus please - - - -

[joecoolfrog]

10 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I don't think it does and nor do most rich people in Thailand.  

Good , we are in agreement then.

[mike787]

5 hours ago, reargunnerph3 said:

Strong baht, unfriendly & aggressive immigration, corrupt officials, filthy beaches, dangerous drivers.

...plus the Visa fees, and drawing maps in crayons for the immigration that can't read it anyway...no more google directions, mandatory health insurance, reporting to immigration (aka.mom), consequences of failing to report are met with extreme punitive penalties, xenophobia treated like a fugitive, etc, etc...No thx, Thais can keep their Elysium Kingdom. 

Edited July 12, 2019 by mike787

[joecoolfrog]

5 minutes ago, Lenny Jones said:

Show me the trade surplus please - - - -

Sorry , posting on my phone and difficult to post a link. If you google Thailand Trade balance you will find the figures. Currently about $1.2 billion in the black but dropping quickly because of the baht strength hampering exports.