Drop in tourism not so bad as press reports, says minister

[webfact]

Drop in tourism not so bad as press reports, says minister

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

The newly appointed minister for tourism has said that the drop in tourism in Thailand is not as bad as reports in the press suggest. 

 

Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters after a meeting in Phuket at the weekend that Phuket is not "lifeless" as some press reports have suggested.

 

He conceded that it may be "a bit down" but things are not as bad as all that.

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

To support his statements he said that Indian visitors are on the up and there are more and more charter flights landing in Phuket, reported Manager.

 

He said that the government had a target to raise tourism revenues to 30% of Gross Domestic Product by the time two years time are up. 

 

To achieve this all ministries such as the ministry of interior, transport and the environment must work closely with his ministry of tourism and sports.

 

He said that his purpose in visiting Phuket was to hear the problems that operators and people on the ground are facing. 

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

He claimed that Phuket does not have a low season or a high season - it is a 365 day a year tourism place. 

 

He said he wants to make Thailand a "hub of ocean going tourism". With this in mind he wants to attract cruise ships to Phuket that would take tourists around the Malay peninsular.

 

Ships docking in Phuket then cruising to Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Songkhla and Pattaya would be a boon for the country. 

 

The minister spoke to sea and land based operators on his fact finding mission and attended lifeguard training at Patong and a football tournament.

 

Recent press reports from both Phuket and Pattaya have suggested that tourism year on year is down a massive 30%, notes Thaivisa. 

 

This appeared to be what Pipat had in mind when he said that the drop in tourism was not as bad as all that. 

 

Source: Manager Online

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-06

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[BestB]

Of course it’s not bad , so what if he is riding a buggy on an empty beach ????

[Farangwithaplan]

I went for a run at Chatuchak park last Sunday mid afternoon. Usually I'm fighting the crowds of tourists on the BTS and at the station exit. I had trouble spotting a tourist. I didn't go into JJ's but I would assume with the lack of tourists on the BTS, outside on the footpaths and in the actual park, that the market would have been quite dead.

 

It was very noticeable that there weren't many tourists around. If anyone was at JJ's on Sunday afternoon, it would be good to get your thoughts on the amount of tourists.

[SammyT]

I've no doubt that it's part propaganda with a few facts thrown in. I don't think the average punter on here's opinions or observation are any more reliable, given the litmus test for many posters on here seems to be that if there aren't as many sex-tourists on sois 6, 7 and 8 in Pattaya (ignoring how busy other tourist areas are) then Thai tourism must surely be dying. 

[Matzzon]

No, sure! Everybody listen to the man in the office chair now, and not the business that really experice this on a street level.

[PatOngo]

And.....always look on the bright side of life!

 

[simon43]

September is usually the quietest month for tourism - let's see what they report at the end of next month.

[Is this real]

A problem can't be resolved if it isn't acknowledged.

"Down a bit."  If 40-60% over a few years is "s bit", what would be considered a lot?

Exactly, what does Thailand offer a tourist that they can’t get from Vietnam, Cambodia, The Philippines, or elsewhere?

Beach experience and attractions?  No.

Inexpensive?  No.

Exotic food?  No.

Exotic climate?  No.

Exotic attractions?  No

A safe vacation?  No.

 

So, after one visit, why return?

 

It's not the Baht, or the sunken boat that has crippled tourism.

Why should they come to Phuket? 

Thailand has shown, the past few years, that it no longer wants them, or ex-pats. 

They will go where they're welcomed.

 

 

[Chelseafan]

9 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

No, sure! Everybody listen to the man in the office chair now, and not the business that really experice this on a street level.

To be fair, it's his job to spin this positively but If he really wanted tourists to come back he could start by getting rid of the taxi mafia.

[cmsally]

I wonder if it drops below a certain level, his ministry becomes defunct.

[RichardColeman]

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

take out the government officials, the police and camera crews and there's about 3 tourists on the the beach. Yep, no problem

[soalbundy]

so it's all fake news then. When is he going to prosecute the newspapers for ruining the reputation of Thailand ?

[tabarin]

If you ask me the Press makes it look like all is still good while in reality is much more worse.
But who is surprised, there is no Minister of General in this country who knows what he actually does or why he even lives.

[PatOngo]

7 hours ago, tabarin said:

If you ask me the Press makes it look like all is still good while in reality is much more worse.
But who is surprised, there is no Minister of General in this country who knows what he actually does or why he even lives.

I'm sure they all know what they are there for and why they live...…..to accumulate vast wealth in their time in office!

[Tropicalevo]

20 minutes ago, Is this real said:

A problem can't be resolved if it isn't acknowledged.

"Down a bit."  If 40-60% over a few years is "s bit", what would be considered a lot?

Exactly, what does Thailand offer a tourist that they can’t get from Vietnam, Cambodia, The Philippines, or elsewhere?

Beach experience and attractions?  No.

Inexpensive?  No.

Exotic food?  No.

Exotic climate?  No.

Exotic attractions?  No

A safe vacation?  No

So, after one visit, why return?

It's not the Baht, or the sunken boat that has crippled tourism.

Why should they come to Phuket? 

Thailand has shown, the past few years, that it no longer wants them, or ex-pats. 

They will go where they're welcomed.

 

I think that the rose tinting on your spectacles is too strong.

 

If you believe that Cambodia and the Philippines have exotic food and are safe then you probably did not leave your hotel. I have worked in both countries! The only exotic attractions that I found in the Philippines were some very lovely young ladies. At least Cambodia has temples, but you need to be Chinese now to enjoy a lot of Cambodia.

[Tropicalevo]

A local viewpoint from Samui (for what it is worth).

 

I look after villas and this July and August have been the busiest of any months in the last 15 years. All of the villas that do short term rentals are fully booked. Guests are even taking up the two or three slack days between longer bookings.

 

If there is a downturn in tourists then it is not where I am. I suppose that the guests could be coming to the villas here because of my wit and charm???

 

As an aside, many of these villa groups tend not to go to beer bars, pubs or restaurants. They buy from the local shops and stay in the villas. They use the local quiet beaches - not the tourist ones where food and drink tends to be more expensive.

 

Just an observation from Samui.

[MekkOne]

56 minutes ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I went for a run at Chatuchak park last Sunday mid afternoon. Usually I'm fighting the crowds of tourists on the BTS and at the station exit. I had trouble spotting a tourist. I didn't go into JJ's but I would assume with the lack of tourists on the BTS, outside on the footpaths and in the actual park, that the market would have been quite dead.

They were all in Phuket you unfaithful farang!

[Genmai]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said he wants to make Thailand a "hub of ocean going tourism". With this in mind he wants to attract cruise ships to Phuket that would take tourists around the Malay peninsular.

 

Ships docking in Phuket then cruising to Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Songkhla and Pattaya would be a boon for the country.

 Sure it will.

 

Does anyone remember this headline from 2011 - Phuket Taxis Blockade Luxury Cruise Ship Passengers From Disembarking

 

"Many of the 472 passengers aboard the Silver Spirit cruise liner had planned to take half-day minivan tours of Phuket, returning to the vessel before its scheduled departure at 1pm.

Their Phuket experience will not be a fond one, however, as they were not allowed past the blockade of some 200 angry taxi and tuk-tuk drivers.

The drivers were protesting the fact that local tour agents pick up most of the passengers who disembark from cruise ships at the port, leaving them with no work and no income."

[madmitch]

19 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

A local viewpoint from Samui (for what it is worth).

 

I look after villas and this July and August have been the busiest of any months in the last 15 years. All of the villas that do short term rentals are fully booked. Guests are even taking up the two or three slack days between longer bookings.

 

If there is a downturn in tourists then it is not where I am. I suppose that the guests could be coming to the villas here because of my wit and charm???

 

As an aside, many of these villa groups tend not to go to beer bars, pubs or restaurants. They buy from the local shops and stay in the villas. They use the local quiet beaches - not the tourist ones where food and drink tends to be more expensive.

 

Just an observation from Samui.

Interesting. I know someone who has just rented a place in Phuket, not in a particularly good location, and now sublets it on Airbnb and it appears to be doing better business in low-season than our long-established guesthouse. It seems many Chinese are turning to this type of accommodation to the detriment of long-established small hotels and guesthouses.

 

Back to the OP. At least the Minister has seemed to admit that there is a downturn of sorts in Phuket's tourism. I also hope he visits in January or February when he will realise that his claim that Phuket has no low and high season is way off the mark!

 

 

[Chang_paarp]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

To support his statements he said that Indian visitors are on the up and there are more and more charter flights landing in Phuket, reported Manager.

 

He said that the government had a target to raise tourism revenues to 30% of Gross Domestic Product by the time two years time are up. 

 

Watch those charter flight dry up if there is one or two bombs exploded, especially if there are foreign fatalities. The government might want to actually treat the southern insurgency with some respect especially if, as the minister is quoted as saying, they are looking to make tourism 30% of GDP.

[tabarin]

35 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

I'm sure they all know what they are there for and why they live...…..to accumulate vast wealth in their time in office!

Even in that they fail actually, it could be much more if they did the right things with all their power and cashflow.

[Matzzon]

51 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

To be fair, it's his job to spin this positively but If he really wanted tourists to come back he could start by getting rid of the taxi mafia.

It´s true. Yes, it would be a start. A very small one, but a start for systematically picking one stick at the time from the horrendous mountain of malfaction, rip-offs and corruption.

[transam]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

No, sure! Everybody listen to the man in the office chair now, and not the business that really experice this on a street level.

Experice....?

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, Is this real said:

A problem can't be resolved if it isn't acknowledged.

"Down a bit."  If 40-60% over a few years is "s bit", what would be considered a lot?

Exactly, what does Thailand offer a tourist that they can’t get from Vietnam, Cambodia, The Philippines, or elsewhere?

 

Beach experience and attractions?  No.

 

Inexpensive?  No.

 

Exotic food?  No.

 

Exotic climate?  No.

 

Exotic attractions?  No

 

A safe vacation?  No.

 

 

 

So, after one visit, why return?

 

 

 

It's not the Baht, or the sunken boat that has crippled tourism.

 

Why should they come to Phuket? 

 

Thailand has shown, the past few years, that it no longer wants them, or ex-pats. 

 

They will go where they're welcomed.

 

 

 

There seems to be an influx of ex Thai expats in the Phillipines.

[yellowboat]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"hub of ocean going tourism".

Start a Thai style cruise line.  Can't be a hub unless you are in the game.  Look at Miami. 

 

 

[Isaan sailor]

Silver lining: fewer hordes of Chinese, now that ChiComs have grossly devalued the Yuan.  So who will fill up the mega resorts now?

[gwynt]

But he is admitting there has been a drop, now only have to admit volume.

 

[Chrisswe]

I make my own opinion when I walk around and travel around the country, what I see is EMTY BEACHES, EMTY HOTEL'S , CLOSED SHOPS, and so on , I have never seen something like this during my 23 years in this country, I could see the tendenses start 5 years ago !!!

[Isaan sailor]

With tourism--Thailand screwed the pooch.  Western currencies down.  And now the best buddie ChiCom currency has tanked.  But go ahead, BoT, keep drinking up the hot money inflows.  As long as you get your fill--nothing else matters...

[mickybangkok]

More  bullshit