Tourism in northern Thailand decimated: Worst in ten years say hoteliers

[Phuketlover]

It is over for Thailand. I will go to Cambodia , Laos , Birma and Vietnam!

[seancbk]

I've lived in Bangkok for more than 10 years.  If things are that bad in Chiang Mai and they start having cheap offers I might consider going to see the place, although I've never really understood the appeal from what I've heard about it.  Sounds a bit too quiet for my tastes. 

[mike787]

14 hours ago, Mikisteel said:

Vietnam for the family holiday this year. Suggestions welcome. Family friendly.

Absolutely...CU there for sure....

[Montnoveau]

13 hours ago, darksidedog said:

With 9 rooms at 900 each making 8,100, the person who thought 8,888 was a good promotion is as bad at maths as TAT.

Which brings us to an interesting point. TAT are saying tourism is either slightly up, or only fractionally down, while hotels and other tourism businesses are saying 30-40% down across the country. I know who I believe.

As 8 is a lucky number in China you understand the logic.  

[jethro69]

Don't worry, I'll soon will do my 4 months worth of bookings.

Pity that I'll cancel again once I got the visa ????

[inThailand]

Exparts should be rejoicing over a drop in tourism. Supply and demand is starting to work in our favor and as well, being more handsome. 

[gunderhill]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

they have come up with a "Green Card"

Next  month will  be  the "blue  card"  then  the  "yellow" then "green  with  pink spots  super bonus friend of  Thailand  good  guy spend and get  out  card"

[skorp13]

Wow tourism down! Wouldn't have anything to do with an overly strong baht, insane immigration rules, ridiculous immigration queues with half the kiosks closed at peak times, or catering to primarily Indian and Chinese clientele that don't spend any money would it? Bravo TAT!

[Melbun]

20 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I have friends who normally come to Thailand once or twice a year, quite a few of whom are not coming this year. The strength of the baht is the number one reason, while comments about the Chinese in their hotels, and especially about the way they behave where there is a buffet breakfast also ranks up there. Thailand put its eggs in the Chinese basket, despite as was proved in Sihanoukville, that when the Chinese arrive in numbers, everyone else leaves and don't come back. There is no easy solution to getting tourists back, and I suspect things are going to get a whole lot worse, before they (if ever), start to improve.

Those who rely on the tourism market for their livelihoods, must also take a big chunk of the blame, for very poor behaviour across the board.

Been to Bali and the Chinese go there as well and are booked into the smaller hotels en mass. Loud and raucous is an apt description. Also been to China and at the breakfast buffet they steal loads of cooked sweet potatoes and hard boiled eggs. It's a sight to see.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed. 

[Odisan]

9 hours ago, Phuketlover said:

It is over for Thailand. I will go to Cambodia , Laos , Birma and Vietnam!

Enjoy your trip. See you when you get back.

[Odisan]

13 hours ago, Mansell said:

Decimated actually means one tenth......according to these figures it is more like 20 to 40 percent.

Good man, Nigel! A man after my own heart.

When you're using words, try and use the right ones.

[Odisan]

12 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Who would you suggest fix it?  

Call me an old traditionalist, but the ones who get paid to enforce the law are the usual ones.

[ExpatOne]

They scam too much for a discount card to be effective. This is what they get, karma. 

[cerox]

The green card could give special discounts for Feb till May. Then those farangs here who constantly tell me "i do not feel anything" pollution-wise can get great deals.

For the tourism, if it drops, no worries, they will just further rise prices. Less demand, higher prices.

[cmsally]

In actual fact the drop should not be a problem. BUT , how many new hotels and tourist businesses have opened in the last 10 years. Plus the influx of population to the surrounding areas because of the tourist dollar.

Chiang Mai has developed with a dependence on an exponential increase in tourism . No one considered that this might stabilise or decrease; that is the problem!!

[Javade joker]

We are happy to hear that because the Tourist and expat, and foreigners they have no respect and no safety and gov. and police they do not care ? Thailand just asking them to bring your money only 

[ChipButty]

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

The Chinese people that Thailand attracts are, but I've seen Chinese in more up-market countries who are perfectly well behaved. Thailand attracts the trash.

Benidorm of Asia

[Jiggo]

15 hours ago, ChipButty said:

They use to do that in Thailand a long time ago

That was a long time ago....

[ChipButty]

At the moment it seems busy I went for a couple of beers last week in a hotel I know the lady who owns it I asked how's business and she said they are full 50 rooms even she said she didn't know where they come from but next month at the moment nothing, last minute mad rush

[Niteowl45]

18 hours ago, Thaifriends said:

Well Americans are loud speaking as well. You can hear in a restaurent what they are talking even a a couple of meters away. Sorry no personal offense but its true.

 

In a bus to Pattaya, we had a US couple sitting infront row. They were talking loudly and all discussion was just bitching on others back home. Finally the driver asked the lady conductor to tell them to stop talking as he wasnt able to drive.

 

In return the guy aggresively went to the lady conductor and pulled her hair from behind asking " what did you say, what did you say"

 

So Chinese tourist are a nuisance but there are other example also. Thiis happened infront of me as I was jn 2nd row. Shameful behaviour.

Hmmm, so categorizing all Americans as goons on holiday because of one couple is a lot smarter than criticizing the poor behavior of busloads of Chinese tourists right?

 

Well, I'm Canadian myself but I lived a few years in Thailand, so just for the record the most annoying tourists in Thailand are all the Brits who do nothing but drink alcohol until they get loud, obnoxious and get into a fight somewhere or pass out in the streets like animals (or in a recent case decide to spray paint obscenities on ancient ruins)

Just saying.

Don't know where you're from, but any Brits better look at themselves in the mirror before they shit on anybody else....and any mention of annoying tourists without a mention of disgraceful Brits is nothing less than idiotic.

[moontang]

The brits with the tattoos, ciggies, bad hygiene are as bad as it gets, and the men are just as bad. My first and only flight through Heathrow smelled like a pile of musty, dirty clothes.  Do they ever clean their sweaters? 

[HaleySabai]

On 7/23/2019 at 7:27 PM, webfact said:

Meanwhile the TAT in the north have come up with a plan called the "Chiang Mai Green Card" (this refers to this part of the low season being called the 'green season' in the trade).

....I wonder what kind of promotion scheme will be pull from their backside for the "grey season"...???

[Percy P]

On 7/24/2019 at 8:57 AM, ezzra said:

The OP doesn't take into account the staggering numbers of both legal and many illegals hotels, moteles, guesthouses and airbnb that exist now everywhere in Thailand, the latter of course not reporting on their booking numbers, having said that, the high baht and the fact that Thailand stopped being the darling of the tourism world doesn't help either...

And the Pound Stirling for me has dropped from 79B/£ to 38.5B together with the Euro over the last 10 years. But this is not the fault of Thailand .

[sambum]

Hoteliers all over Thailand have been saying that the situation is dire in recent weeks. Stories of doom and gloom about tourism going down the pan in Pattaya and Phuket have been all over the media.

But the TAT and the Thai Ministry for Tourism and Sports continue to paint a rosier picture than what businesses - and ordinary tourists - are experiencing on the ground.

 

"as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen."

 

 

[sambum]

23 hours ago, Thaifriends said:

Well Americans are loud speaking as well. You can hear in a restaurent what they are talking even a a couple of meters away. Sorry no personal offense but its true.

 

In a bus to Pattaya, we had a US couple sitting infront row. They were talking loudly and all discussion was just bitching on others back home. Finally the driver asked the lady conductor to tell them to stop talking as he wasnt able to drive.

 

In return the guy aggresively went to the lady conductor and pulled her hair from behind asking " what did you say, what did you say"

 

So Chinese tourist are a nuisance but there are other example also. Thiis happened infront of me as I was jn 2nd row. Shameful behaviour.

"even a a couple of meters away."

 

Try multiplying that by 10! 2 metres is about the height of a doorway! 

[DLock]

If 50% of tourism business failed, it would likely be the bottom 50% of businesses that provide poor service, overcharge and take the ever growing tourist numbers for granted.

 

So, this is not a bad thing at all...in fact a purge is a good thing.

[moontang]

1 minute ago, DLock said:

If 50% of tourism business failed, it would likely be the bottom 50% of businesses that provide poor service, overcharge and take the ever growing tourist numbers for granted.

 

So, this is not a bad thing at all...in fact a purge is a good thing.

Depends on who owns the land.  Look at John's Place... consistently bad reviews on TA, but he runs it like the Pentagon cafeteria, knowing there will always be some unfortunate souls who need a bite to eat.. and he has the location and owns the land. OTOH, it is more like the old classics are the ones getting turned into condos on Nimman, as their luck ran out on cheap rent.  

[balo]

Good, maybe the Chinese are leaving the North. Maybe time to visit CM again , sounds like perfect for me. 

 

[DLock]

6 minutes ago, moontang said:

Depends on who owns the land.  Look at John's Place... consistently bad reviews on TA, but he runs it like the Pentagon cafeteria, knowing there will always be some unfortunate souls who need a bite to eat.. and he has the location and owns the land. OTOH, it is more like the old classics are the ones getting turned into condos on Nimman, as their luck ran out on cheap rent.  

Fair point. Location is key, and some lousy businesses will survive purely based on a better location unfortunately...especially if they own the site...

 

I scanned Trip Advisor for Johns place...yeah, not good at all...but that location is killer.