7 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Just so I'm clear, this weeks knee-jerk plan has reverted back to quantity of tourist rather than quality of tourist ?

 

Which is what it's always been... boasting of millions of visitors as apposed to what they spends always sounds better.

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

There are numerous negative issues affecting the tourism industry in Thailand, very few of which are ever addressed. Rather than focus on things which will bring tourists back in numbers across the board, this smacks of a desperate attempt by TAT to get an increase in numbers, rather than focusing on improving the experience for those that do come.

Hike up the total numbers before the end of the year; good for 'face'. Overall benefit for the economy: who cares?

 

3 hours ago, Expat Brad said:

Does he know that it's already December and what! for 1 month only..... LOS and Numb Nut Pollies!!!

If it goes wrong, they can always say it was a "misunderstanding", and they actually meant to break the tourist number record till the end of the Thai New Year...

And not just TAT making it easier for the Chinese.  Bank of Thailand takes in ChiCom hot money inflows from bond sales.  It drives Chinese Yuan up today—and USD and connected western currencies down today.  Check our exchange rates today to see this devastating pattern.

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

And not just TAT making it easier for the Chinese.  Bank of Thailand takes in ChiCom hot money inflows from bond sales.  It drives Chinese Yuan up today—and USD and connected western currencies down today.  Check our exchange rates today to see this devastating pattern.

I was wondering about that; plenty of negative economic news, incl. a lowered growth outlook, and a SET decline, but still the baht appreciating 0.18% vs. the US$...

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Hike up the total numbers before the end of the year; good for 'face'. Overall benefit for the economy: who cares?

But since the promotion starts next month, how would it be good for this year's face? Do you know what month/year you're in? Not that there's any concern about face, anyway. It's all about the money.

 

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

If it goes wrong, they can always say it was a "misunderstanding", and they actually meant to break the tourist number record till the end of the Thai New Year...

Bit early ain't it? After the promotion there'll be another 11 months to discover whether the 2562 tourist numbers have been surpassed. Nor has there been any announced goal to break a record. What would be the grounds for misunderstanding?

The Chinese want Casinos, all night entertainment and value for money. Thailand's loss is the Philippine's gain. The greedy Thai are getting everything they deserve.

As an international business owner I can tell you only one thing. Thailand is completely bankrupt !!!

They need to get foreign money to keep the heads above the rising water.

 

Companies really having a struggle to have the international invoices paid by bankingtransfers.

Over 50% won't arrive in time and are under investigation by B.O.T... Takes a 3 week investigation. We are already paying up the bills till February right now to have our services continued internationally !!!!

 

 

Thailand needs every baht they can lay their hands on. 

 

A Dutch saying translated to English: a cat in the corner makes strange jumps !!!
It says all about Thailand !!!

2 hours ago, Tops said:

As an international business owner I can tell you only one thing. Thailand is completely bankrupt !!!

They need to get foreign money to keep the heads above the rising water.

 

 

 

 

 

What about the $200+ billion in foreign currency reserves and the current account surplus. 

16 hours ago, Odisan said:

"I like Chinese, they're very very small indeed..."

Half hour later you could eat another one.

Smart and logical  of the Thais to focus more on China, including Chinese tourists. After all Thailand is almost a neighbor of China, has ties with China thanks to Chinese immigrants who similated very well, and soon will be connected to China with a fast bullet train. Besides that China is a growing economy with billions of people.

Its odd though, while all major western companies and Hollywood desperately want "in" on China and even are selfcensoring themselves etc, most ppl on the forum are (as usual) extremely negative and cynical) when it comes to Thailand doing the same thing.

I guess Thailand just cant do nothing without being trashed unfairly by its western expats. 

21 hours ago, petermik said:

The buffet restaurants up in Chiang Mai will be rubbing their hands in anticipation........

or scared to death. 

The only thing that this shows is 'PANIC' from TAT...... numbers are down a lot more than what is being released.  The do seem to forget about the strength of the baht and the falling Chinese currency.... ????

How many Samui-type call centers with 54 telephone operators or more will we see in the near future?

With this administration, and the TAT, it is always about insuring high arrival numbers. Little thought is given to how they can attract higher quality tourists, or retain the few who come. It is causing massive pain for the masses, who are in the tourism industry. 7/11 is benefitting, as well as Tesco. Who else? 

28 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

With this administration, and the TAT, it is always about insuring high arrival numbers. Little thought is given to how they can attract higher quality tourists, or retain the few who come. It is causing massive pain for the masses, who are in the tourism industry. 7/11 is benefitting, as well as Tesco. Who else? 

Well, lemme see. Big C, Foodland, Tops, Tesco Lotus, department stores, gift shops, countless shops in the malls, food courts, Starbucks, countless restaurants, real estate owners and sellers, selected go-go bars, hotels (very much including higher end), high end restos with great views, taxis, the travel industry in general. It's a long list; Chinese are everywhere these days, plain to see unless you're just blind. Oh--you thought they're Thais! Question is, who not else? Oh--cheap beer bars and fleabag guest houses favored by fat old mongers. BTW, expats benefit who enjoy some nice visuals on occasion as a lot of those young Chinese women are not bad looking at all. Younger handsome farang tourists might try their luck; friend of mine did and he's happy. ???? Will that do?

This is actually a great idea. Thailand has not seen a decrease in tourist numbers although they have been flat and after the amazing success of their domestic travel vouchers where 7/11 and other big corporations mostly saw huge benefits I expect millions lore Chinese to visit and hopefully spend money in purely Chinese owned businesses. 

Hopefully their new plan to alienate westerners will dimish their numbers and make more room for the Taiwanese and Indians. 

Living in chiang mai I see wonderfully open streets and no one in the malls so more peace and plenty of room for me. 

On 12/11/2019 at 12:02 PM, webfact said:

Initially this will run from New Year until January 25th - the date of Chinese New Year that comes earlier than usual in 2020.

 

More knee-jerk malarkey from the clowns. Sure, Chinese New Year is a long holiday for the Chinese and sure, they will travel. But, I can't imagine them making travel plans only now, or changing their plans because they can now get multiple-entry visas to Thailand?

 

When will these gits learn words like 'sustainability', 'viability' and 'continuity'? Or are there no Thai equivalents for these words?

 

When will TV be written in Chinese i wonder. 

On 12/11/2019 at 11:56 AM, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I think it went right over the Ministers head that the point behind the question was that the extra Chinese were going to provide next to no benefit to the numerous tourism related businesses who are already struggling with low numbers of their traditional clientele.

Last week one evening i was sitting in an area which has several bars, having a beer, over about 3 hours  4 different groups of Chinese tourist all following a flag on a stick, just breezed past 'gawking' at me and others. Not one of these tourists stopped for a beer and i guess they acted the same as they were chaperoned past other tourist points of interest. My question to the government is "What good is this doing to the Thai economy" if these quality tourists are not spending money.

On 12/11/2019 at 4:02 PM, meshborg said:

Simple really.Stop holidaying in Thailand.I did.Just got back from the canaries.It was hot,not too hot.Water was clean.Roads safe.Air clean.Restaurants and alcohol cheap.Flights cheap.No pushy touts,salemen etc...Very relaxing..

Its not only Brits and Chinese that holiday in Thailand !   duhhh!

On 12/11/2019 at 4:25 PM, CM Dad said:

Chinese tourists in CM mostly stay at Chinese owned hotels, eat at Chinese owned restaurants, shop at Chinese owned shops, and tour with Chinese guides on Chinese owned buses.  What benefit do Thais receive?

You forgot   "Following Chinese flags on sticks"   so they even go where they are told.

 

57 minutes ago, Huckenfell said:

Last week one evening i was sitting in an area which has several bars, having a beer, over about 3 hours  4 different groups of Chinese tourist all following a flag on a stick, just breezed past 'gawking' at me and others. Not one of these tourists stopped for a beer and i guess they acted the same as they were chaperoned past other tourist points of interest. My question to the government is "What good is this doing to the Thai economy" if these quality tourists are not spending money.

They must have been in a hurry, to get to that magical place (a temple, a cave...?), where they, supposedly, spend 5,000 baht/person a day, so no time for a beer... ????

On 12/11/2019 at 1:32 PM, humbug said:

all hail Winnie the Pooh, you can betcha the uighurs in nazi concentration camps would prefer western neoliberalism to ccp control and capture

Hurrah! Only 10 posts before Godwins law kicked in.

 

. ????????

On 12/11/2019 at 1:35 PM, rebelplatoon said:

Ok. So in Chiang mai Chinese business means own resorts, own bus companies and own guides. Pray tell me, how Thais will benefit? 

From all the taxes that they pay to the Thai government plus the fact that they are probably Thai/Chinese anyway.

 

Pray ok?

On 12/11/2019 at 1:36 PM, Mavideol said:

they will not be surprised by the database (control freak) request, very familiar to the Chinese, they have the same controlling system there

Still easier than Australia or America. Those fellas even wear jackboots. ????????

On 12/11/2019 at 5:02 PM, meshborg said:

Simple really.Stop holidaying in Thailand.I did.Just got back from the canaries.It was hot,not too hot.Water was clean.Roads safe.Air clean.Restaurants and alcohol cheap.Flights cheap.No pushy touts,salemen etc...Very relaxing..

And full of drunken brawling Brits.

On 12/11/2019 at 5:54 PM, dallen52 said:

And still no clarity as the the actual contribution per tourist head?

 

Suppose 1 million Chinese at say 1000 baht a day x 7 days average stay. 

Including hotel deals. 

Visa free.

 

Or 100,000 Indian tourists at say 1000 baht a day x 7 days average stay.

Several to a room. 

Visa free.

 

Or,

the farang who stays here and take a thai partner, support her family and friends, building a new home,  contributing to the immigration bill with visas and renewals. 

In my opinion the contribution is Priceless....

 

But TAT will never see it that way...

 

Could that be because expats arent tourists and the TOURIST Authority of Thailand have no interest in them?

 

Perchance?

What they do for the Chinese, the Indians and the Martians has no effect on me.

 

I can't understand why so many guys get their panties in a wad over something that benefits others, and not at our expense.

 

And I'll repeat... Anyone who thinks the Chinese don't spend money should go to the departure check in to a flight to China.  They'll have suitcases and boxes full of goodies they're hauling back to China.  They spend a lot.  Just not on the silly stuff that western tourists spend it on. 

 

Businesses that figure that out can thrive.  Those that can't (or won't) adjust will suffer.  But that's the way business works.

 

On 12/11/2019 at 9:35 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

I was wondering about that; plenty of negative economic news, incl. a lowered growth outlook, and a SET decline, but still the baht appreciating 0.18% vs. the US$...

Quite. Dont mess with the ChiComs. They have three queens on a chess table. ????