Thailand tourism: Chinese New Year down! "No positives" as Thais face tough year ahead

 

Thai caption: Tourism business must come to terms (with the facts)

Picture: TNN

 

The head of Thailand's hoteliers' association has predicted a tough year ahead for Thai tourism if bookings for the upcoming Chinese New Year are anything to go by. 

 

Bookings in Thailand look to be down 15% on last year. 

 

So far only 60% of hotels have been booked for the period of January 25th to 31st. It should be much higher as China decamps on the largest annual holiday for Chinese people. 

 

Suphawan Thanomkiatphoom painted a grim picture of the year ahead, certainly looking like one that would be down on last year. 

 

She cited economic conditions, the world political climate and the strength of the baht as ongoing problems. 

 

A glimmer of hope remains for Chinese New Year with the increasing tendency of people to book late online but she still expects this year's hotel occupancy in the holiday period to be just 85%. 

 

This would put January's total occupancy total at 75% compared to last year's 90%.

 

She had little hope for any improvement in the first quarter and said that Thailand faces a tough 2020.

 

TNN quoted her as saying there were no positive signs on the Thai tourism horizon. 

 

Source: TNN Thailand

 

 

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Simply untrue....T.A.T figures confirm tourism is on the increase with big spending Indians arriving in their droves   

Decision decision

 

Vietnam and Philippines with cheap prices and clean air

 

or Thailand with pollution rivaling China and prices on pair with Europe

these types articles never mention AirBNB which the Chinese love. 

Many Chinese owned/speaking condos for rent and setup to cater to Chinese.   

why put up with no English speaking hotels?

far less misunderstanding.

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by NCC1701A

Just now, NCC1701A said:

these types articles never mention AirBNB which the Chinese love. 

Many Chinese owned/speaking condos for rent and setup to cater to Chinese.   

AirBnB were reporting a 74% vacancy rate for their properties in Phuket earlier this week.

We can expect TAT to provide a conflicting perspective backed up by meaningless figures in due course I am sure. I note though that even these people are trying to provide excuses, such as strong baht, world economy etc. They would be better off looking at the country itself and the way tourists are treated once they get here. Too many negatives, generally created by greed and a disregard for the tourists safety are something that is causing it, but is never meaningfully addressed.

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

She cited economic conditions, the world political climate and the strength of the baht as ongoing problems. 

before commenting on the Baht being to strong she had to blame something else...they don't learn fast enough, last week end or early January something must have happen and the USD/Baht reached 30.36 but 1-2 hours late it went down to the same trend of low 30's, Chinese will not come because the Yuan/Renminbi is at 4.37 baht it used to be around 5 baht, economy in China not doing well, Chinese will travel to cheaper/better places, Thai government will have to lear the hard way

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

AirBnB were reporting a 74% vacancy rate for their properties in Phuket earlier this week.

OK. i believe you.

 

but I was just on Agoda and they said one half of the earths population was looking at this hotel room in Bangkok and i had better act fast.

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by NCC1701A

16 minutes ago, petermik said:

Simply untrue....T.A.T figures confirm tourism is on the increase with big spending Indians arriving in their droves   

yeahhh,  but the post is talking about Chinese 555

8 minutes ago, HeyHeyHey said:

Decision decision

 

Vietnam and Philippines with cheap prices and clean air

 

or Thailand with pollution rivaling China and prices on pair with Europe

Europe is cheaper than Thailand now plus the quality is much higher, safer, cleaner, bigger portions of food, cheaper quality wine/beer/cheese, better to walk and do sightseeing, real friendly people (no fake smiles).....Thailand should be 50% cheaper to compete.

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

OK. i believe you.

 

but I was just on Agoda and they said one half of the earths population was looking at this hotel room and i had better act fast.

mine said only 4 rooms left... but 1 hour later it was all open and discounts all over as well, whom to believe 555

I imagine next week the headline will read, ''The Chinese Are Back! Record Numbers!''

 

Anyway, as usual nothing about trying to address the issues within the country have been addressed - She cited economic conditions, the world political climate and the strength of the baht as ongoing problems. 

 

Having some of the highest levels of pollution in the world might be one reason she forgot, not to mention the regular updates of tourists dying (road accidents, drowning etc).

 

7 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

these types articles never mention AirBNB which the Chinese love. 

Many Chinese owned/speaking condos for rent and setup to cater to Chinese.   

why put up with no English speaking hotels?

far less misunderstanding.

This is it.

I have friends at Unixx, Pattaya Posh, The Base.

All always packed with Chinese.

That is just 3 places.  

100's of places advertised on Airbnb alone.

Add the hotel sites that advertise condos.

The younger non tour Chinese are staying in these places.

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Bookings in Thailand look to be down 15% on last year. 

7/11s mama sales down 10 billion bath.

14 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

these types articles never mention AirBNB which the Chinese love. 

Many Chinese owned/speaking condos for rent and setup to cater to Chinese.   

why put up with no English speaking hotels?

far less misunderstanding.

Exactly!  Air BnB ... you know .. the illegal enterprise undermining the hotel industry, and compromising the safety of condo residents, while completely defeating the ability of national security to track "bad guys" ... all shined up and put in a pretty party dress so no one will THINK about it.

1 minute ago, bangkokequity said:

Exactly!  Air BnB ... you know .. the illegal enterprise undermining the hotel industry, and compromising the safety of condo residents, while completely defeating the ability of national security to track "bad guys" ... all shined up and put in a pretty party dress so no one will THINK about it.

yes. but like all corruption in Thailand, we have to look the other way. 

and we don't want to spook the Chinese condo investors who are buying up the surplus condos now. 

it is a very real thing, they are buying up Hua Hin as we speak.

A Chinese woman here in Hua Hin told me her company is buying 5000 condos and houses here.

Chinese are travelling less because of their economic slowdown. Bali has lost about 14% of Chinese visitors in 2019. It's not just a Thailand problem, numbers are down throughout the region. 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-05/bali-beaches-bangkok-temples-go-quiet-as-chinese-stay-at-home

When is Indian new year? 

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

She cited economic conditions, the world political climate and the strength of the baht as ongoing problems. 

I wonder if it crossed her mind that maybe people are just plain sick of Thailand and decided to look elsewhere?

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yes. but like all corruption in Thailand, we have to look the other way. 

and we don't want to spook the Chinese condo investors who are buying up the surplus condos now. 

it is a very real thing, they are buying up Hua Hin as we speak.

A Chinese woman here in Hua Hin told me her company is buying 5000 condos and houses here.

Good summary ... I am cursed with the ability to estimate current events with future outcomes .. so .. this does not actually end well.  This is why I am a bit disappointed by my fellow Expats and Travelers who support Air BnB.  Can't wait to read their complaints about noisy neighbors, crowded restaurants, and littered beaches.

I had a bad morning getting details from 2 Thai Icons, TOT and HomePro. But this news has cheered me up no end, may it keep going that way.

12 minutes ago, bangkokequity said:

Exactly!  Air BnB ... you know .. the illegal enterprise undermining the hotel industry, and compromising the safety of condo residents, while completely defeating the ability of national security to track "bad guys" ... all shined up and put in a pretty party dress so no one will THINK about it.

Isn't it strange how AirBnb works perfectly fine in many other tourist centric places, yet for some reason is outlawed here due to sheer incompetence. 

22 minutes ago, Thian said:

Thailand should be 50% cheaper to compete.

As it was 15 years ago when I arrived to live here ...

 

I have long hesitated between Thailand and Vietnam;
I already knew Vietnam very well since 1990;
and then things made that it is Thailand and precisely Isaan which is the country where I live ...

12 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

A Chinese woman here in Hua Hin told me her company is buying 5000 condos and houses here.

It will be time to move, don't you think?
Hua Hin will become the Thai Sianoukville;
non chinese will be asked to go see elsewhere if the grass is greener

2 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

Isn't it strange how AirBnb works perfectly fine in many other tourist centric places, yet for some reason is outlawed here due to sheer incompetence. 

I suppose it could work "perfectly" in other tourist places, but perhaps they don't have AirBnb users who throw rowdy parties like the Russians, or who wash their smalls in the swimming pool like the Chinese and Indians, or who come and go at all hours of the day and night.

 

There really is not much to recommend these sorts of tourists if one is living in a condominium building, and for my money the current rule not allowing short-term "residents" unless it is a registered hotel, is fine and should be more strictly enforced. 
 

High time Thailand tourism put up a sign "under new management"

 

Unfortunately the old managers aren't going anywhere anytime soon!

I recommend Greenpeace organize a petition drive for Chiang Mai. The petition will be addressed to the national and local government officials.  It will note that individual livelihoods are being threatened because of climate change and the worsening of air quality, which is driving people away from northern Thailand. The petition will demand govenrnmental action. Volunteers will go door to door to businesses in Chiang Mai and explain the petition and request individuals sign. Major news outlets will also be informed of this. Southeast Asia is on fire, and the present course of inaction will lead to greater misery.

One reason to stop the fire crackers and Incense and fake money burning, of that traditional <deleted>

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by MaxLee

Just now, MaxLee said:

One reason to stop the fire crackers and Incest and fake money burning, of that traditional <deleted>

Didn't realise they were into that.....................!!!!!

1 minute ago, MaxLee said:

and Incest

incense, maybe ?