Tourism tumbles under blanket of smog, fat baht

By The Nation

 

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents expects air pollution and the strong baht to decrease the number of foreign tourists this year.

 

But its president, Vichit Prakobgosol, is confident that the same problems recurring at the beginning of each year can be resolved.

 

“The main negative factor is the baht’s appreciation, which might decrease the number of tourists this year to below the targeted 41 million-42 million,” he said. “We’re expecting Bt29 per US dollar, down from the current Bt30.

 

“The PM2.5 dust in the air is another concern for many tourists. They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

 

Vichit would like to see the government give stronger support to the Tourism Authority of Thailand on marketing and entrepreneurs develop new goods and services that are reasonably priced.

 

“If the government and private sector don’t work together, they’ll lose out to competitors such as Malaysia and Vietnam, where the currency isn’t an issue.

 

“It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

 

Vichit doesn’t believe the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, will hamper Thai tourism during this weekend’s Lunar New Year festivities, but the situation in China will have to be closely monitored into February and March.

 

“Most of our tourists tend to be Chinese simply because China has such a large population. Our other main sources are India, Taiwan and the CLMV countries,” he said, referring to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

 

Supawan Tanomkieatipume, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said average occupancy at hotels fell to 70-75 per cent last year, down from a long-time norm of 80 per cent.

 

As well as the baht’s appreciation, she blamed changes in tourist behaviour. 

 

“Now there are a lot of people travelling on their own and even more people booking online because it’s more convenient and cheaper than booking through an agent,” she said. “So Thai hotel operators need to keep up with digital disruption affecting their customers’ behaviour.”

 

Supawan said hotels have to be more accepting of online bookings and perhaps even decline reservations made through agents.

 

“They may need to organise promotions or reduce room rates,” she added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380954

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-23

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Fewer tourists? No problem...just raise the rates for hotels, goods, and services to make up the difference.

 

 

Edited January 23, 20206 yr by Hayduke

"It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

 

"If that's true"

 

Is it so hard to find this out?

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

“The PM2.5 dust in the air is another concern for many tourists. They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

Free visas, free face masks and promise free intensive care if caught Corona virus infection.

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

The PM2.5 dust in the air is another concern for many tourists. They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

Easy solution Junta style: Ban face masks. Imprison locals for wearing them.

 

 

9 minutes ago, Beggar said:

"It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

 

"If that's true"

 

Is it so hard to find this out?

For them it’s as difficult as sending a monkey into space.

18 minutes ago, dcnx said:

For them it’s as difficult as sending a monkey into space.

How hard can that be - as they have the rocket festivals every year - whoops don't mean to give any ideas ????

What are they on about... TAT will correct this drivel, just wait for an hour or two. At least 150M incoming arrivals, especially Wuhan is increasing by 150000%.

"If the government and private sector don’t work together, they’ll lose out to competition."

 

The problem is that the government sets the tone for price gouging by over charging tourists at parks and tourist attractions...

 

The government needs a new attitude...give perks to tourists...not abuse.

..

Just kill off the population with smog. It will also kill off the super rich and those in government. Maybe just maybe they might do something. Like raising the fines to 20,000 baht and enforcing the laws. I have a guy not far from me loves burning plastic almost every day.

Is it just me that wants to see a complete capitulation of the tourism market?

 

Maybe it's schadenfreude, maybe it's just the years of incompetence and lying and taking tourists and ex-pats for granted in the chase for the Almighty dollar that wants me to see them enjoy some challenges and pain for a few years...

 

Bird in the hand Cha Cha...bird the hand...

2 hours ago, webfact said:

But its president, Vichit Prakobgosol, is confident that the same problems recurring at the beginning of each year can be resolved.

same same every year,ever thought of actually trying to solve the problem???? I know it is a radical idea because you have had many years of this "problem" to find a solution.

And remember this is from the President of the Thai Travel Agents association

Ban tourists from China. Good Idea.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

Solution ban face masks ?

Oh too slow  @dcnx

Edited January 23, 20206 yr by johng

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"...might decrease the number of tourists this year to below the targeted 41 million-42 million," he said.

Don't you worry, pumpkin. TAT will fix it. They always do. Fixing the numbers, I mean.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“Now there are a lot of people travelling on their own and even more people booking online because it’s more convenient and cheaper than booking through an agent,” she said. “So Thai hotel operators need to keep up with digital disruption affecting their customers’ behaviour.”

 

Supawan said hotels have to be more accepting of online bookings

Most hotels realise that we are in the year 2020 and not 1999.

 

I wonder if the ATTA members still use fax?

10 minutes ago, johng said:

Solution ban face masks ?

Oh too slow  @dcnx

They did ban the traffic cops from wearing masks a few years back as it created a "bad image", what a horrible job that is, bet they don't have long lives!

9 minutes ago, madmitch said:

I wonder if the ATTA members still use fax?

Nope. They've move on to Windows XP a long time ago. Give them some credit.

I been going to Thailand since 2004.  Been to several cities and provinces, Khorat, Sukhothai, Phuket, etc.  Never made it up to Chiang Mai.  It was always recommended to go, I just never got around to it.  Is the smog and smoke really that bad such that a week or two week visit would be miserable?  When was it more tolerable?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“They may need to organise promotions or reduce room rates,” she added.

Buy one room at double the price and get the next day thrown in for free would be my guess

6 hours ago, Beggar said:

"It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

 

"If that's true"

 

Is it so hard to find this out?

Yes for the president of the Thai travel association that's very hard to find out....Then you have to sapee inlit and read newspapers and so which is just not worth the effort....

 

And nope thailand will not loose any chinese customers because of that virus from Wuhan...no way! They are always welcome.

Are foreginers (at last) seeing Thailand for what it really is?

 

Land of pullution, racism, fraud, lawlessness, double standards, rudness, extortion, filth and frowns.

 

Far from paradise or smiles..

 

Thailand needs to Wake Up. They are already losing out to Vietnam.

9 hours ago, DrTuner said:

What are they on about... TAT will correct this drivel, just wait for an hour or two. At least 150M incoming arrivals, especially Wuhan is increasing by 150000%.

As easy as counting 1,2,3......

The TAT will start to count each and every virus in the bodies of Wuhan virus infected persons as a tourist........

Thailand is last decade...tourists go elsewhere.

Too many bloody fillipinos that screw you.

Time too take a rain check guys.

Better places to retire and spend your money.

 

 

 

The Baht issue is just a cop out.

 

Your average tourist doesn't know, or indeed care if it's ฿30 or ฿32/$

 

In todays's world tourists go where social media takes them.

 

Sad to say, but Thailand milked the golden goose until it was dry.

 

Nowadays people don't go to a travel agent, they look online, read others reviews and decide where to go

 

An example of what goes around can be found here:

 

https://www.inafarawayland.com/2014/11/13/7-reasons-why-we-won-t-be-returning-to-thailand/

14 hours ago, webfact said:

she blamed changes in tourist behaviour

bloody   tourists! all  their  fault, why cant they  just stay at  home....................doh!  cue  Homer  Simpson

To be fair, when you go for "good guys in, bad guys out" after decades of catering to the bad guys, there's going to be a reckoning.

 

Still,  I think that in the long term, for every cheap drunk and monger they lose, they'll eventually get a family with a much fatter holiday budget.  But it will take time, and there will be some pain.  

 

Of course, they may get the worst of both worlds if they don't manage it right...  Just cheap mongers, and fewer of them at that.  I hope they focus on improving the resource and not just getting the numbers up.

 

i can live with the fat baht and the smog.  what prevents me from returning to thailand is being treated like a mark in any large city, the taxi and tuk tuk mafias,  the contempt shown for foreigners.   i'm also not too thrilled about foreigners being murdered, and then having it swept under the rug to protect their precious tourism dollars. 

Blaming the tourists for being concerned about seeing face masks locally worn...

 

this quote tells me that the Thai gov and it’s employees don’t own the problem and don’t take it seriously as a threat...the Thai gov is in denial about the smog problem...

 

word is globally out that thailand has a permanent air pollution problem