Not another 'the Prime Minister has instructed..."  What an easy job he has.  Just make a broad pronouncement and that's that.  In this case, any problems with handling 40 million tourists are easily and magically waved away.  

12 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

4, you forgot Thai lies. 

4 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

They are all at the 4 malls on sai song and the 7-11's in Pattaya. 

Taking parasail rides every morning and going to Alcazar/Tiffany show at night

Saw 4 buses filling with Chinese tourists at AVANI hotel next to Royal Garden the other morning

 

Rant: Also many many Chinese couples and small groups staying at my condo complex short term.

Management will not do anything about it - maybe getting kick backs from rentals, who knows.

I even saw those English real estate guys on Television from Thompson's promoting  a condo sale at "The Base" as a great investment.  Saying many are used for rent short term rentals. They must know that daily and weekly rentals of condos is illegal yes? Condos are not Hotels right?  Mai pen rai 

 

Anything illegal in Thailand becomes legal once brown paper is introduced into the discussion. 

13 hours ago, petermik said:

Are we really supposed to believe this............

I took the ferry from Hua Hin to Pattaya last week, and when I arrived at the port in Pattaya, both me and my Thai GF were shocked to the core. I thought I was in Hong Kong harbour, quite literally around 95% of all people I walked past along the port and into the town were Chinese. Very few white farang, with some Indians here and there, but I could have easily be tricked into thinking I was in China. The entire pier up to the boats was rammed with people and so was Walking Street, again both compiled with a huge majority of Chinese. The free visa situation Thailand has put in place for them might actually have worked out 

how do they know how much the tourists spent?

this is Thailand's biggest medium term risk economically since the 1990's.  more than the political things or China-USA 5G "trade war".  in fact, if you look at the $12 trillion US dollars suddenly bid or held in debt at negative rates which recently spiked, it may also have more to do with recent science reporting, let's say, and...... the weather.  Alan Greenspan linked it, sotto voce, in 2015 but before Trump's election took off.  Alan Greenspan attributed a major underlying factor to his "stagnation" or "stangflation" thesis at that time directly to "Climate Change".  which has tourism and air travel written all over it.  it was captured on a Youtube video back then in 2015, it's probably still out there.  I think it was in New York, at some conservative group invitation.
 

when Rupert Read of XR talked about "reversing" the growth of and expansion of airports a few days ago, ahead of October 7, what he actually meant is something closer to a prorogation [!] or more technically an abeyance or moratorium on all commercial and private air travel.  with no return date.  duh.

yeah, there will be a dearth of mass media coverage of XR up until October 7, which may include New York City not just London's Heathrow.  but aviation accounts for a whopping 2 percent of green house emissions and since everything we do involves GHG emissions, and air travel is not essential, it was and still is (even more so now) the first baby step on the emissions side.  

 

so except for train travel, driving in or arriving by boat [sic]....... this little sector of the economy is about to get tipped over even faster than anything that happened in 1997.  except for the " El Nino" that year which wasn't matched due to the PDO and ENSO overall, as everyone knows, until 2015/2016.  and no amount of girlie man talk about "plant food" or a "Chinese hoax".... or worse, the stupid "ice will be melting in 2100".. can change what Robert Hallam and Rupert have shown they are very good at pulling off. 

                

Edited September 11, 20196 yr by WeekendRaider

1 minute ago, SmartyMarty said:

how do they know how much the tourists spent?

Restaurants and shops are required to send in TM31, Foreigner Spending Report, within 24 hours.

We need a good number.

What's a good number?

3.4 million?

OK great.

How much did they spend?

Dunno.

How about 50K each. How much is that?

170 billion.

OK how many did we say?

3.4 million.

12 months a year, what's 12X3.4 million?

About 40 million.

Awesome, put that out.

14 hours ago, petermik said:

Are we really supposed to believe this............

Minus those flying on the next day.

8 minutes ago, WeekendRaider said:

this is Thailand's biggest medium term risk economically since the 1990's.  more than the political things or China-USA 5G "trade war".  in fact, if you look at the $12 trillion US dollars suddenly bid or held in debt at negative rates which recently spiked, it may also have more to do with recent science reporting, let's say, and...... the weather.  Alan Greenspan linked it, sotto voce, in 2015 but before Trump's election took off.  Alan Greenspan attributed a major underlying factor to his "stagnation" or "stangflation" thesis at that time directly to "Climate Change".  which has tourism and air travel written all over it.  it was captured on a Youtube video back then in 2015, it's probably still out there.  I think it was in New York, at some conservative group invitation.
 

when Rupert Read of XR talks about "reversing" the growth of and expansion of airports what he actually means is something closer to a prorogation, or more technically an abeyance or moratorium, on all commercial and private air travel.  with no return date.  duh.

yeah, there will be a dearth of mass media coverage of XR up until October 7, which may include New York City not just London's Heathrow.  but aviation accounts for a whopping 2 percent of green house emissions and since everything we do involves GHG emissions, and air travel is not essential, it was and still is (even more so now) the first baby step on the emissions side.  

 

so except for train travel, driving in or arriving by boat [sic]....... this little sector of the economy is about to get tipped over even faster than anything that happened in 1997.  except for the " El Nino" that year which wasn't matched due to the PDO and ENSO overall, as everyone knows, until 2015/2016. 

                

A recent study from a Finnish University, https://arxiv.org/pdf/1907.00165.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2RLxfwrL-C-TvuFsziw6KA1aNDwsSB7VFdXWjulFIq3noxVjallPmEiFM

 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The 3.41 million foreign arrivals in August spent 170 billion baht ($5.55 billion), up 7.12% year-on-year, the ministry said in a statement after a cabinet meeting.

How is it possible to know this? Even if all retailers submitted their tax forms, with true figures,  and they were evaluated you still wouldn't get a these numbers. They probably don't have the true figures from last year; that they are using for the percentage increase in the above.

I can’t believe I keep returning here and spend my time reading this <deleted>.

 

Was at a food market in the center of CM last weekend. Half the food stalls were closed at 19.00 and only a handful of tourists to be seen. The place was completely dead!

 

Congrats to the government for completely having destroyed the tourist industry.

13 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

So with a Chinese currency devaluation and an ongoing trade war with the USA coupled by the ever increasing value of the Baht Chinese tourist numbers are up?

Aye right.

It's too bad that Pryut and other Thai leaders believe this BS If they knew the truth maybe they would make changes to TM-30 reports and denying and treating tourists who arrive like undesirables. The IO's at the airports who turn people away not only affect that tourist but his friends/co-workers,family who might follow him.

Ive told you ten billion times “don’t exaggerate”.

Don't these guys ever get bored of up this much, that much etc. I wish my bank account interest rate went by the same method...wouldn't take long to reach 100%, Ha! Other articles say vendors claim less, hotel bookings down, Chinese changed to going elsewhere etc. Must live on another planet.

Edited September 11, 20196 yr by TKDfella

I believe nothing that comes from the mouth of any Thai official. How on earth would they know how much people spend? Utter nonsense.

28 minutes ago, SmartyMarty said:

how do they know how much the tourists spent?

They dont , its a guess , which strangely is always on the high side.

1 minute ago, BimBoon said:

I believe nothing that comes from the mouth of any Thai official. How on earth would they know how much people spend? Utter nonsense.

To collate the information that is required takes a couple of months in the UK , its simply not possible in a week 

So why not rename the country, “Chiland”?    The Chinese dominate the tourist industry, and the government encourages ever more of them.  And Thai industry focused on selling to China, not western markets.  Finally, the evidence points to China as the mysterious foreign source of hot money inflows that keep the Baht so high.

 

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “I only believe in statistics that I doctored myself”

Where they all playing ''Hide and Seek'' 

Who is this all

for??? 

Well, well, it had to come. The stats are a bit wobbly. 

I question the validity of these numbers. The streets are empty. 

Most are Chinese and Indians I never see so many Chinese on koh Chang last month or better say there was only Chinese, the number for European tourist in August was terrible low compare with years before, Chinese don't spend Money at Bars or Restaurants the just come in and use it as selfie background.....we have a minimart at our Resort........ Record sales on Mama soups and chips.......and no joke hunting frogs and cooking them in a kettle togheter with mama soup.... at least the try to invite me for a meal... 

Maybe people should read this article from a few days ago, where some top hotel executives operating in Thailand do some revelations.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/minor-vs-marriott-lawsuit-thailand-123028616.html

14 minutes ago, Bentley333 said:

I question the validity of these numbers. The streets are empty. 

I have a Thai friend who works on yachts in Phuket says there are no tourists no Chinese around. In Pattaya was in Terminal 21 yesterday 2 different Coffee shops were closed and not that many people in the mall. My wife said didn't look good.

If they want tourist numbers up stop turning people away and giving them a hard time. Includes those that live  here and have friends andrelatives who come over to visit them. If they leave then their friends/relatives will go elsewhere.

2 hours ago, jdwilko said:

Where are they all hiding ????

North Pattaya

13 minutes ago, ThePioneer said:

Maybe people should read this article from a few days ago, where some top hotel executives operating in Thailand do some revelations.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/minor-vs-marriott-lawsuit-thailand-123028616.html

Wow astonishing ! If they are that sure it can do better maybe they should manage it for themselves for a year or so. Also noticeable is that "Minor" is pushing for it to go through the Thai legal system.

I have friends who have made yearly trips to Thailand (as well as other parts of Asia)  for at least 35 years. This will be the first year they will not visit Thailand (although they are still visiting Asia). If that isn't a bad omen , then don't know what is!