Thai tourism: 40 million tourists won't happen this year - strong baht, trade war to blame

[madmen]

1 hour ago, Saint Nick said:

You need more?  

No because its about the exchange rate. All of SEA has all the points you mention. You need to remove the blinkers and open your eyes .

[Britex]

How many tourists? Hmmm lets think up a figure, double it and then take off 5%.????????????????.

If 40 million were true how come all the hotels in the whole of Thailand are only half full and all the hoteliers are telling everyone they are going out of business.

[Bangkokazy]

It is not so easy anymore and manuplet the mass, when we have the Internet. Maybe TAT has understood that. Stop lying TAT.

[Grumpy John]

I am sure dual Pricing had something to do with it, and reading reports of people falling out of condos....getting ripped off, getting murdered, the accident rate on land and in the water.

[phantomfiddler]

Always someone else to blame. Sadly I know a few longtime expats who are leaving because they are fed up with the B.S. and attitude of Thai officials ????

[Patanawet]

2 hours ago, sitanonchai said:

Guess the strong baht and the trade war are of influence, but there are more factors esp. for repeat visitors.

 

- Dangers on the roads

- Scams every place you visit (even Thai people get scammed everywhere)

- Pollution of streets and beaches, etc......

- Over inflated prices and taxation products foreigners use

- Higher prices for foreigners for instance national parks

- Grudge against foreigners

- Political climate

- Justice only for the rich

 

I can list a lot more and I know that other countries will also have problems, but Thailand has reached the top now.

I feel sorry for all the expats because for them it's even worse because of the TM hassle. 

 

I used to work in Bangkok for ten years and was a regular visitor in the last couple of years, now it's time to go visit other places until Thailand will make some drastic changes. But that won't happen.

How do any of your eight suggestions affect the figures for this year more than previous years?I have two friends who have been visiting regularly for years, one has decided to cut his visits from four to two per year and the other cancel his November trip altogether, both  purely because of the exchange rate.

[smudger1951]

Although the down-turn in tourist numbers reflects the strong baht, brexit and currency values elsewhere nothing will happen. The affluent thais are travelling abroad and investing their wealth in open economies like UK.

[pedro01]

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Thai travel agents seem to agree:

 

http://www.atta.or.th/?p=4019

Ouch - 57% Chinese too.

[PatOngo]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that foreign tourists were going to other countries

Where they don't get met by scowling immigration officers when they enter the country for the first time!

[30la]

For my part, I believe that all the information given by official sources is absolutely false!
Too many people want to appear in the media even if only by their name!

[reargunnerph3]

Good, maybe I can get through immigration in under an hour?

[pedro01]

2 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Where they don't get met by scowling immigration officers when they enter the country for the first time!

To be fair, I don't think anyone expects the immigration of any country to throw rose petals at your feet on arrival.

 

Manning an immigration counter is a crappy job and it's rare to have a happy immigration officer in any country. Occasionally, you'll get a nice one - like if you land in LAX on a Sunday evening and speak English - you may get a smile and a "thank f*** for that" when you arrive.

 

Manila has the grumpiest ones, I think. But like I say - it's hardly the best job on the planet.

 

I think in Thailands case, you still get a lot of people that come once and keep coming back - but anything gets old if you do it often enough. Thailand doesn't update it's "fun" infrastructure enough. Go a zoo, a theme park, a museum, an aquarium - and it's all falling apart (with a few notable exceptions). 

 

If you look at the bigger towns like Pattaya - there really aren't that many great restaurants. There's plenty of Italians for sure - but other than Mantra, what are the great eating experiences? Surely a place with that many tourists can do better than Pad Thai and Spaghetti... Plus the 2.5kms of hookers lining beach road means it's going to put off a lot of families from a 2nd trip. As for the sea there - I'd rather take a swim in the toilet.

 

There's still great places - we had a very chill time at Koh Chang over Christmas - but again - it's pretty much the same restaurant x1,000 when you want to eat.  There's not actually that much to do.

 

It just screams 'budget quality' everywhere you go. Sure - you can stay at a 5* Hotel - but it's still "charming" outside of that. The place needs to evolve.

[hottrader77]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Who knew?

 

Oh wait, Everyone except the ToT.

 

dont forget the 10 million that are not coming because of getting harassed at the airport by immigration on visas , i for 1 wont be going after been harassed by immigration after arriving on a 60 day tourist visa  then extending it 1 month then going to singapore on holiday for 3 days by air return ticket when coming back told i was doing illegal and after an hour of interogation told that it was the last time i would get my passport stamped with a non payment 30 days visa , the immigration officer was obviously trying to line his pocket with a bribe or me paying for a visa and he would then get commission for me doing that i was absolutely furious having gone to thailand for 25 years and no problems then getting harassed and told i might not get back into thailand by a greedy immigration official at suvummmami , bangkok airport . i now go to philippines or anywhere else but thailand 

[Stoker58]

  Strong baht is certainly part of the problem, but dead Chinese tourists in Phuket, dead farang tourists in various places and a general failure to improve the product are big parts of it too.

[sitanonchai]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

It's the baht , its always always about the money. The rest is just noise

Yours points are affecting mostly expats. A grudge , political climate, justice for the rich? Seriusly what are you talking about, your averge 7 day tourists could care less 

That's why I mentioned "repeat visitors"

[Globe Trotter]

I've been saying it for months, but the naysayers wouldn't listen. I've been here a decade and know various business owners, trust me it's sinking 

[Jimbo2014]

Couldnt be the rubbish and pollution I guess ????

[0815]

40.06
39.56
Who's calculator creates such numbers ?

[adammike]

1 hour ago, Chicken George said:

For many its just too expensive to travel this far to Thailand. Plus for a family holiday safety etc is a consideration. Thailand has become a destination for the sun not the mystique anymore. You can go to many other places in the Winter months far cheaper closer and safer..

Where can I go in Jan/Feb to get winter sun? I live in the Netherlands.

[Isaan sailor]

Thanks to the mighty Baht, Thailand now relegated to has-been status.  Tourism and exports down. down, down.  But no worries, we have submarines, landing craft, personnel carriers, and soon, high-speed trains...

[yellowboat]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that foreign tourists were going to other countries where they might get more for their money.

It is better elsewhere.  Thailand use to be fun and inviting.  It just isn't anymore. 

[PatOngo]

30 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

To be fair, I don't think anyone expects the immigration of any country to throw rose petals at your feet on arrival.

 

Manning an immigration counter is a crappy job and it's rare to have a happy immigration officer in any country. Occasionally, you'll get a nice one - like if you land in LAX on a Sunday evening and speak English - you may get a smile and a "thank f*** for that" when you arrive.

 

Manila has the grumpiest ones, I think. But like I say - it's hardly the best job on the planet.

 

I think in Thailands case, you still get a lot of people that come once and keep coming back - but anything gets old if you do it often enough. Thailand doesn't update it's "fun" infrastructure enough. Go a zoo, a theme park, a museum, an aquarium - and it's all falling apart (with a few notable exceptions). 

 

If you look at the bigger towns like Pattaya - there really aren't that many great restaurants. There's plenty of Italians for sure - but other than Mantra, what are the great eating experiences? Surely a place with that many tourists can do better than Pad Thai and Spaghetti... Plus the 2.5kms of hookers lining beach road means it's going to put off a lot of families from a 2nd trip. As for the sea there - I'd rather take a swim in the toilet.

 

There's still great places - we had a very chill time at Koh Chang over Christmas - but again - it's pretty much the same restaurant x1,000 when you want to eat.  There's not actually that much to do.

 

It just screams 'budget quality' everywhere you go. Sure - you can stay at a 5* Hotel - but it's still "charming" outside of that. The place needs to evolve.

First impressions count for a lot!

[Miss Pickle]

The Thais are going to have to get sensible and drop the prices if they want the tourists to come back.My son has just returned from Thailand and said the prices are crazy he was charged 200 baht for a bottle of Chang beer a small one ! People just can’t afford to come that is the bottom line I have friends retired in Thailand and they just can’t live how they once did on a pension a few have left .My son said it was full of Indians buying beer at the 7/11 they don’t spend money so t is fine for them they come on a package tour with food included. Once the Thai government regulate the pricing people might come back 36 baht my son was getting to the pound it is not great.

[Whitestarschool]

4 hours ago, quandow said:

They pull the numbers out their butts.

But only after they've massaged them there fully.

[pookondee]

4 hours ago, overherebc said:

Not only me but a couple of friends would really like to know how the figure are decided.

What factors are used to determine a tourist arrival.

 

I reckon they take the figures from the busiest day of the year

and x 356 

[kevinmartyn]

I be very surprised if it happens in the next five years. Foreigners are avoiding Thailand and going elsewhere

[fuzzie]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

One day they will wake up realize that vast  numbers only clog up the non existent or non working sewerage & fat trap plants & waste disposal.

If they concentrated on looking after 20 million quality tourists well they will actually make more money.

Case in point,,,,,a good friend of mine (multi multi) used to go to Phuket 4 times a year & spend very good money got sick of the hassle, hassle & rip offs  so went & stayed in Bali in a beautiful 

resort ,,,,loved the good service & layback attitude so much he bought the resort,

I doubt we will ever see him in Thailand again,,,,,as he said ,,,"they had their chance"

 

Last Time I was in Thailand Was 2014  Baht 55.... Today 37, 2019, There Are better places to visit Thailand will find out the hard way NO MONEY .

[kevinmartyn]

YI read the full story and believe ot will be Far leSs than these numbers afterall why be forced in paying more for your holiday when there are other countries. Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia etc

[Caldera]

"He said that the industry would have to wait and see if there were third and fourth quarter improvements that would keep the country on track for the target of 40.06 million tourists this year."

 

Ever the optimist! The economic outlook is rather bleak in many if not most countries, worldwide, so I'd say it's likely that things will get even worse before they will get better.

 

Add to this that Thailand has been doing a great job p-ssing off some of its most loyal repeat visitors in favor of attracting hordes of first time visitors. Guess what, in case of a downturn they are much more likely to stay away.

[observer90210]

Less foreigners (and mainly less of their money) to Thailand due to the Strong Thai Bhat and China trade war ?

 

Definately, but also due to the hassles of immigration, the xenophobia towards all foreigners (should one be western or eastern that is), excessive bureaucratic redtape to harass retirees (who spread the word on social media), taxi cheats again and again, dual pricing....

 

The problem is far deeper and not only due to a artificially inflated over charged Thai Bhat,..... but will they ever understand and mainly admit the problems they are themselves generating ? ? ?