Thailand's December foreign tourist arrivals up 2.48% year-on-year - ministry

[Bundooman]

6 hours ago, Duck J Butters said:

As far as Phuket is concerned, it really depends on where you are located and what sort of tourists your business is targeting. Tourism to Patong Beach is down quite a bit for sure but it’s still very crowded in January. Tourism in Northwest and Centralwest Phuket like Laguna, Kamala, Naithon is way up. Try to book a 5 star hotel right now in one of these areas. Many of the top hotels in this part of Phuket are sold out. 

 

Patong Beach attracts a cheap, lower class type of tourist that doesn’t spend a lot of money. The cheaper backpacker tourist is disappearing in Phuket, simply because they have been priced out. It’s too expensive for them to stay in Phuket.

 

For example, Phuket, due to the fact that it’s run by the Thai mafia, has the most expensive taxis in the world. More expensive than Tokyo, Japan ( This is why you own a car if you live in Phuket ). This is because the mafia beats up any competitors like Grab Taxi drivers. There are a few Grab Taxi drivers in Phuket but they all work for the mafia now so they’re able to control the price. So yeah, you’re looking at 500 baht to drive 6 minutes in a taxi in Phuket. If you’re a backpacker tourist, the cost of taxis alone is enough to scare you away from Phuket. 
 

In other parts of Phuket, it’s a different story. Tourism is way up and it’s mostly the wealthy family crowd. Lots of families are coming to Phuket. These tourists spend big money and have stupid amounts of wealth. These are the kinds of tourists that can afford $18k usd / night at Amanpuri or Trisara.

 

I would argue that luxury tourism is way up in Phuket but that backpacker tourism is way down. A luxury tourist probably === 100 cheap tourists so....

 

I could imagine tourism being down in Samui though. Samui never really caught on in my opinion and never will. We were looking to open a clinic there but opted not to do so after doing our research. It’s a poor long term real estate and business investment. The reason Phuket took off and is still the best place in Thailand to invest your money is because it has an international airport. I mean heck, I can be in downtown Bangkok from my house in Phuket in under 2.5 hours. It takes some people that long to get to work in Bangkok traffic, and they live in Bangkok. I personally couldn’t live in Samui because they simply they don’t have all amazing “developed country” perks that Phuket has. Phuket has everything that most developed countries in the world have so that’s part of its appeal, especially for the wealthy retirement crowd.

 

Hands down, if I had to pick between Hawaii and Phuket for retirement, I would pick Phuket. I have properties in both places so I would know. Hawaii is really nice but it’s extremely boring. Besides surfing and beach volleyball and quality wacky tabaccy, there is nothing to do there and you can’t just quickly fly to a major city like Bangkok, or Kuala Lampur or Hong Kong for a fun night out, dinner, or shopping.

Wow! High Flyer no less. I take my hat of to you, Sir. Looking at opening a clinic, two properties, travel BKK/PHT, fun nights out in BKK, KL or HK, surfer, beachy volleyball, 'wacky tabaccy even.

Yes sir - you are one jetsetting Globetrotter.

Like most of the others here on TV, I am one of those "100 cheapies", here in Thailand, albeit, an expat.

Good luck to you.

 

PS. You're not Special Forces, Black Ops, MI6 or SAS/SBS are you by any chance? 

 

[madmen]

9 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

When will they stop all this fake news......LOL

Can I ask what village you live in? Im on a break for 2 weeks in Pattaya from Bangkok and on my way to Australia and have never seen so many tourists , beach road, second  road, walking street and central world, soi Buhakao All overflowing !!

 

So what village are you in? watching rice grow will kind of give a distorted view of reality ????

[jackdd]

6 hours ago, Duck J Butters said:

Tourism in Northwest and Centralwest Phuket like Laguna, Kamala, Naithon is way up. Try to book a 5 star hotel right now in one of these areas. Many of the top hotels in this part of Phuket are sold out. 

I just looked it up, there are many 5 star hotels available when looking at next week in the areas you mentioned.

When looking up all of phuket there are more than 400 5 star hotels available.

So what you say is obviously wrong. Do you happen to work for TAT?

[dabhand]

6 hours ago, WalkingOrders said:

Would love to see the breakdown of this by country of origin. That will enable an extrapolation of the size of their wallets.

The numbers are easily found.

 

https://www.mots.go.th/more_news_new.php?cid=527

[Traubert]

51 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

This begs the question: has anything good in Thailand ever come from the ChiComs?

The exposure of a couple of dozen low-life parasites, hiding behind their keyboards, sponging off their Thai wives and posting vile, bigoted comments, and endless, ludicrous fairy stories on TV?

 

That's a plus? At least people will know to keep their children away from them.

[Huckenfell]

On 1/24/2020 at 3:48 PM, yokat said:

It's in line with the 4.5% increase in international arrivals. Where are they going though ? According to many TV posters koh samui, pukhet and pattaya are half empty

Page 152: https://corporate.airportthai.co.th/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AnnualReport2019en.pdf

I live on Koh Samui and it was very quiet

 

[Burma Bill]

Please remember, these are figures for 2019 - wait until figures start coming in for 2020 with the Chinese Coronavirus taking effect worldwide and the very poor exchange rate!!

[RichardColeman]

Trying to explain to my wife that when visiting Spain there is no room on the beach, whilst in Pattaya it seems you get your own 100m

[Isaan sailor]

2 hours ago, Traubert said:

The exposure of a couple of dozen low-life parasites, hiding behind their keyboards, sponging off their Thai wives and posting vile, bigoted comments, and endless, ludicrous fairy stories on TV?

 

That's a plus? At least people will know to keep their children away from them.

Have you tried the seafood specials in Wuhan, Traubert?  I hear they’re to die for...

You stay in Communist China—and we’ll stay here in Thailand—until you finally colonize it.

[Thunder26]

It is actually happening already. Pattaya is extremely quiet at the moment.

[lapamita]

50 minutes ago, Thunder26 said:

It is actually happening already. Pattaya is extremely quiet at the moment.

wait end of next week...its dead

what tat say than to january...up again

 

aljazera  

Beijing to suspend domestic, overseas Chinese group tours: state media

China will suspend both domestic and overseas Chinese group tours, state media reported Saturday, as the government ramps up efforts to contain a new SARS-like virus that has infected nearly 1,300 people.

Starting Monday, all overseas group tour services, including hotel and plane ticket bookings, from Chinese travel agencies will be suspended, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Domestic tour groups were suspended from Friday, it said.

[Soikhaonoiken]

They never give up trying to convince people everything is doing well in Thailand, and what I am always amazed at they know how much tourist spend in Thailand, unless the bar girls have to declare their income to  TAT ????

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm.... more untrue rubbish?

[Fred white]

Another news site reported that China was going to stop tour groups from leaving China hoping to contain the virus

[Thechook]

Nothing can stop the continual rise in tourist numbers

[liddelljohn]

My wife manages  a local taxi  and tour company  in pattaya  she says business down 40%   and hotels have reported to her  40-50%  empty,, most businesses she has contracts with , atrractions etc report business down 40% on 2018

,  her contact  for bookings in Bangkok and chaingmai and phuket say similar things ,,  one star or 5 star they are all hurting ,,

 

another local friend runs a hotel and also apartment rental he tell me busines is down 30% on 2018,,

reports from Ko Chang  also say tourists down 30%

 

my Expat mate Dave manages aircraft maintenance and compliance for a major company at Suvarnaphumi and Don Muang ,, he says that aircraft movements at both airports are way down  with many planes on standby or being checked in for long term servicing or storage down at UTapao ,,volumes are down at the airports ,, he sees them every day , Some companies are very worried ,, none believe the TAT or immigration figures ,, they can see whats actually going on at the airports ,,,its slow ...

 

 

[Geoffggi]

12 hours ago, madmen said:

Can I ask what village you live in? Im on a break for 2 weeks in Pattaya from Bangkok and on my way to Australia and have never seen so many tourists , beach road, second  road, walking street and central world, soi Buhakao All overflowing !!

 

So what village are you in? watching rice grow will kind of give a distorted view of reality ????

Hate to burst your bubble I live in Pattaya and have done for over 30 years - over to you....!!!!!

[thesetat2013]

Look at the bright side. Should TAT finally decide to give real tourist numbers. They now have the perfect excuse and can give real quotes without loss of face. Just blame it on the virus. 

[Prairieboy]

It appears no one really has any idea if tourism is up or down.  Best to stop reporting it so they don't appear more stupid than they are.  Import more Chinese to ensure the spread of coronavirus!

[Ventenio]

For the last 1000000 years, business owners complain about business.  Down 90%, 100%, 1000%....they say these things to get sympathy and business.  Very common.  Which is why I never believe such garbage.  And most people with bad jobs only see the negatives anyhow....even hotel owners cry to me if they have one bad night in a month.  "oh, what is wrong, we may never get another customer!!"

 

I'm woke.  

 

next year, because of the corona virus, tourist numbers down 99.9999%

[ChipButty]

It's going to nosedive shortly no inquiries, no bookings and cancellations I see one poster on here said she has cancelled all Chinese bookings and not accepting any bookings from China

[Stargeezr]

Where I am staying in Jomtien Beach, the guest house has a one day, busy spike because

of Chinese New Year, tonight it will be quiet again. they were less than 50 percent full,

when I checked in a few days ago. most restaurants were no reservation required as not

at all busy. Only some sections of the beach have tourists, some others dead. TAT is not

to be bevieved.

Geezer

[DannyCarlton]

16 hours ago, dabhand said:

The numbers are easily found.

 

https://www.mots.go.th/more_news_new.php?cid=527

That's the TAT website.

[ChipButty]

There you go, my first cancellation from China, fortunately we dont have many bookings with Chinese this year just hope it doesn't put other nationalities off coming to Thailand

[Sonhia]

Up! Down! Up! Down! Like a Thai whores draws. 

 

Fickle...

 

Tourism is down. Acceot the obvious truth Thailand...

 

The bubble has burst...

 

The honey is too expensive and the money is too high...

[Isaanbiker]

Is the Pope a Catholic? 

[madmen]

16 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Hate to burst your bubble I live in Pattaya and have done for over 30 years - over to you....!!!!!

On the dark side, good guess ? may as well be in a remote village. <deleted> all to see there. Most expats are pretty desperate on the outskirts trying to scratching out a living. And all brag about not been to walking st or beach rd etc for years which of course is the tourist area..over to you ..where?

[JAS21]

On 1/24/2020 at 3:48 PM, yokat said:

It's in line with the 4.5% increase in international arrivals. Where are they going though ? According to many TV posters koh samui, pukhet and pattaya are half empty

Page 152: https://corporate.airportthai.co.th/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AnnualReport2019en.pdf

Sure as eggs are eggs they’ll be down next month...

[ukrules]

I can't wait to see next months figures when they're released in March.

[Geoffggi]

8 hours ago, madmen said:

On the dark side, good guess ? may as well be in a remote village. <deleted> all to see there. Most expats are pretty desperate on the outskirts trying to scratching out a living. And all brag about not been to walking st or beach rd etc for years which of course is the tourist area..over to you ..where?

Ha ha ha!!! You really are clutching at straws, the dark side did not exist 30 years ago you numpty, no I have lived in central pattaya in the same house for the past 30 years, prior to this at several locations in pattaya as it was but you would not know this but you are welcome to try again........LOL