European tourists decline against strong baht, competition

[ukrules]

2 minutes ago, ellathai said:

Arrived at Suvi airport last week, l doubt there was 200 people waiting in immigration.  Never seen it that empty 

It is still the low season. Arrivals until year end don't really bring many people these days not around here and not any more although that will differ by area. Four or five years ago it wsa different and places started to get busy in October but those days are long gone now.

 

The real problem for them will be January to March when the rest of the snowbirds come or not. Only time will tell on that. I suspect a lot will come. Restaurants will be packed with no seats left around 7 to 8:30 pm, they were last year for at least 8 to 10 weeks, then it dies for another 10 months.

 

I've read many things over the years about TAT wanting to attract 'high quality tourists'  - this is where they've gone wrong. They should attempt to get ALL tourists to come, there is plenty of room for everyone and there always has been.

 

Actions put in place years ago are now bearing fruit.

 

[zydeco]

6 minutes ago, British Bulldog said:

f somebody came here say 1 year ago and had $10,000 USD to spend, at say; 31.8 baht to the USD, they would have had 318,000 baht to spend, if they came here today, today's exchange rate is 30.42 baht giving them 304,000 baht to spend ... so come on, you reckon people would change their mind over the difference in exchange rate of less than $500 USD ???

Better yet, go back just a few years to 12 April 2013 when 28.28 baht to the dollar was the low. What were the number like then, before the coup, before the big demonstrations, before the visa crackdowns, before all the kowtowing to China?

[Partenavia]

If you walk past a Travel Agent shop in the UK, look at the exchange rates, currently £1 = 33 Baht!!

[SoilSpoil]

Plastic on the beaches, smoke in the mountains, rivers that look and smell like open sewers, and congested roads in Bamgkok. A corrupt police force, tourist scams where ever you go, drinking bans and aggresive taxi drivers.

 

Yes, I understand why a lot of peoole are giving Thailand a miss.

[Thomas Hannah]

1 hour ago, Snuller21 said:

Year on year in Pattaya, it seems more like 50%, will even say up to 65%. But I am NOT TAT, who come with it. I am just living here for 12 years and have seen decline during the last 9 years. Year on year.

You wont see much decline from now on.The place is empty virtualy already

[White Christmas13]

24 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

Snowflakes should not be allowed in.

correct they will melt

[Thomas Hannah]

2 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Plastic on the beaches, smoke in the mountains, rivers that look and smell like open sewers, and congested roads in Bamgkok. A corrupt police force, tourist scams where ever you go, drinking bans and aggresive taxi drivers.

 

Yes, I understand why a lot of peoole are giving Thailand a miss.

etc etc etc

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, eddie61 said:

There are things the tourist authorities could do to stimulate the individual tourism sector.

 

Relaxing the laws that prevent local craft brewers from offering their products for sale, as an example.

 

Globally, there is a trend to interesting and varied craft beers being offered in bars. In Thailand they are all highly taxed and expensive imports, due to the laws that effectively create a tasteless duopoly in a key sector of the tourism take.

 

I suspect that if you follow the money, you will figure out why!

Yes, you got it.

Craft beer and weed will have people from all over the world flocking here...

[mehrdad]

Two days before i arrived in suvarnaphumi airport and first time in 17 years ago i see no queue in arrivals immigration 

[Misab]

I believe it is much more than 1,5%  Bahts have strengthen over for Euro with 12,5 % this year alone.

[zydeco]

2 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes, you got it.

Craft beer and weed will have people from all over the world flocking here...

That and tacos.

[Destiny1990]

Lets not worry it will be compensated   with the 1000 bht free travel voucher for locals !

[norfolkandchance]

34 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

Snowflakes should not be allowed in.

Sorry misread that. How about Snowbirds.

[Ketyo]

1 hour ago, eddie61 said:

There are things the tourist authorities could do to stimulate the individual tourism sector.

 

Relaxing the laws that prevent local craft brewers from offering their products for sale, as an example.

 

Globally, there is a trend to interesting and varied craft beers being offered in bars. In Thailand they are all highly taxed and expensive imports, due to the laws that effectively create a tasteless duopoly in a key sector of the tourism take.

 

I suspect that if you follow the money, you will figure out why!

If you like craft beers, why not throw the towel in with Thailand and go to Cambodia... there are many great craft beers and micro breweries....  and the national beers are far better than in Thailand.

 

From what Number 1 says over there, he doesn't want to stop people making business and making money... but in Thailand General P is beholden to large corporates including large breweries ... and doesn't care a bit about letting little people do what they want... in fact he is active in stopping and controlling them

[ChipButty]

Tourism is a business I always thought a good way to build your business was to get returning customers......?

The immigration keeps knocking customers back at the airport you dont have to be Einstein to work it out, they will never return plus a dozen people they know.

This October is the worst I've ever seen no bookings high season at the moment is not looking to good

[ChipButty]

I was just looking on Booking.com and the stats say 0.53% bookings for this area right now

[mrfill]

33 minutes ago, Partenavia said:

If you walk past a Travel Agent shop in the UK, look at the exchange rates, currently £1 = 33 Baht!!

If you walk past any UK Post Office., you'll get 35.6412 today

 

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-money/tourist-exchange-rate

[phantomfiddler]

My impression is that, as we sit, there are rooms full of Thai officials trying to figure out a way of obtaining that Bht468 billion without even allowing Farangs into the country ????

[smudger1951]

After ten years living in Thailand and now coming out twice a year I am unable to navigate the e-visa application so I will come out for 30 days after the Brexit deadline. Mahbe the £ will improve. Let's face it, we are being roadblocked at every opportunity. The new Terminal 21 in Pattaya tells me we are being replaced by the new Thai middle classes. 

[charmonman]

1 hour ago, eddie61 said:

There are things the tourist authorities could do to stimulate the individual tourism sector.

 

Relaxing the laws that prevent local craft brewers from offering their products for sale, as an example.

 

Globally, there is a trend to interesting and varied craft beers being offered in bars. In Thailand they are all highly taxed and expensive imports, due to the laws that effectively create a tasteless duopoly in a key sector of the tourism take.

 

I suspect that if you follow the money, you will figure out why!

Indeed. In Canada I can get a tasty craft brew for the same or less than the swill available at reasonable prices here. I can get a pint of Guinness for about half what it typically costs here.

[Farmerkev]

Loving our holiday in jomtien, hardly any tourists, plus beach is quite clean. Annoyed with the thai party pickups and their passengers that put matts down and take over the walkway with their food and drinks evening time. Also they have big signs stating zero waste and smokefree beach impossing a 100,000 baht fine writen in thai and english, however, I think this must only apply to the foreigner not thai as they are the ones we see day in and day out smoking and litterring on the beach. There is a police presence every hour or 2 but only for them to stand on the walkway and take selfies.

Back to decline in tourism, walking down soi12 to the beach ive counted 14 out of 30 businesses up for sale or rent. The busiest restaurant ive seen this last week in soi12 had 6 people in it pretty bad considering its got 14 employees, hope they're not working on commission

[Travello01]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of European tourist arrivals in Thailand this year is expected to decline by 1.5 per cent year on year to around 6.66 million, according to the Kasikorn Research Centre.

Oddly specific number right there.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Travello01

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, korkenzieher said:

Thailand has long struggled with the fact that 'high quality tourism' - the kind that fills hotels and resorts isn't what keeps the economy ticking. It is the gap year, flash packer, long stayer and the like, who push money through the normal economy. Simple economics will tell anyone that getting money into the lower strata increases its velocity. Even the government tacitly acknowledges this with eat-shop-spend giveaways. Keynesian pump priming is all very well - but the sensible thing is to ask why it has become necessary, and that is quite simply because the tax take from, and employment rates in small businesses (B&B's, bars, restaurants, taxis etc.) have taken a beating. It isn't going to improve until the basic policy framework changes - and that means a loss of face for some big players.

I agree, but this Government has little to no interest in small businesses; it's there to protect the big businesses and in turn they "support" the politicians. This comment also relates to those mentioning the lack of a craft beer scene; the big brewers don't want competition and this Government doesn't want to rock the boat.

 

The inequality in this country, despite what Prayut says, will get wider.

 

 

[ChipButty]

A pint of Hoegaarden in Phuket town 290 Baht how much back in Europe? 

[worrab]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I can only judge from what I see myself. I live in Thailand but travel back to the UK every 9 months for a hospital check up and see my rented out  property is ok. When I first did this, the planes were always full to the brim. Now, I regularly sit next to no-one, and recently on a BA flight had an entire row of seats on a 25% full plane only. And as a cheapskate I always pick the cheapest non-stop, I travel on a few carriers, so see it on all airlines. So, going by that I would presume travel to Thailand is down way more that some fairy land 1.5% figure, My own eyes see a 20-30% figure, and that is giving them the benefit of the doubt

Yet when I flew back in July this year with BA, both trips were fully booked. Not a spare seat anywhere!!

Edited October 11, 2019 by worrab
Info

[kingofthemountain]

38 minutes ago, smudger1951 said:

The new Terminal 21 in Pattaya tells me we are being replaced by the new Thai middle classes. 

Nope

the terminal 21 is almost deserted from monday to friday

it's packed on saturday and sunday but mostly with families walkers

they comes to eat at the cheap and good food court and hanging around in the mall

i rarely see people carrying shop's pockets.

[vukovar77]

I was in Pattaya last week and I saw almost only Indian,Chinese and Arab people.

[spidermike007]

There are alot of hurting Thais out there right now. Hopefully enough will connect the dots and hold the army accountable. I see a reckoning coming. Those hundreds of billions may have to be returned to the people. 

 

I am predicting the youth will rise up and force the army's hand. Will the army have an appetite for a bloodbath? I predict no. Remember there is one huge difference between now and before. I can't spell it out but it is huge. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by spidermike007

[wolf81]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I can only judge from what I see myself. I live in Thailand but travel back to the UK every 9 months for a hospital check up and see my rented out  property is ok. When I first did this, the planes were always full to the brim. Now, I regularly sit next to no-one, and recently on a BA flight had an entire row of seats on a 25% full plane only. And as a cheapskate I always pick the cheapest non-stop, I travel on a few carriers, so see it on all airlines. So, going by that I would presume travel to Thailand is down way more that some fairy land 1.5% figure, My own eyes see a 20-30% figure, and that is giving them the benefit of the doubt

When I fly to/from the Netherlands I always fly KLM and those planes are full every time I fly. Even midweek.

[Cake Monster]

2 hours ago, J Town said:

Even if HALF the sad stories we hear about being turned away at the border are true, that kind of bad news travels like wildfire.

 

 

Thailand, and its Governments are living in a Pre Digital Bubble.

As little as 10 Years or so ago, Governments, and their Citizens  could do what ever they wished, and little, or nothing was ever known about it Globally .

Now, In the age of Social Media Platforms and the Digital Age, any kind of bad news ( or good ) is World Wide News within 10 Minutes.

Visa restriction news - 10 Minutes Globally

Jet Ski Scams  - 10 minutes - ditto

Food Poisoning at a Restaurant - 10 Minutes - ditto

My point is that Thailand has no place to hide any more, all the Skeletons are out of the Cupboard, and for World wide consumption.

With the strong Baht and all the Viral posts on Social Media the World is not liking what it sees any more. 

.