Foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand could be 10 million below estimates

[DrTuner]

21 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Excellent news. Get arrivals back to early 1990 levels and Thailand might be worth visiting again. The hordes have ruined it this century.

Fairly easy to do. Mandatory visa and make it expensive enough so the Chinese tours stop and other riffraff stays away. Go for quality instead of quantity.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

Fairly easy to do. Mandatory visa and make it expensive enough so the Chinese tours stop and other riffraff stays away. Go for quality instead of quantity.

That would only work if Thailand was a quality place to visit. It's not and hasn't been for 30 years. It was popular because it was cheap and cheerful- backpacker heaven.

People with real money go to expensive places like the Maldives; they don't go to LOS.

[Yorkshire Tea]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That would only work if Thailand was a quality place to visit. It's not and hasn't been for 30 years. It was popular because it was cheap and cheerful- backpacker heaven.

People with real money go to expensive places like the Maldives; they don't go to LOS.

So true.  Cheap bungalow on quiet beach.  Heaven.  Hate all these up market resorts that have ruined everything.

[Davo369]

[hashmodha]

Please have a look at this YouTube video and make up your own mind.This Australian news reporting is for me,I believe this!...I will pray it doesn't happen what you are about to see!????????

 

[Jaxxper]

Directionally I think they are right. Truth is we will never know how low it will go.  All I know is that where we are it’s eerily quiet down in the entertainment areas.

[JCP108]

AirAsia has slightly lower domestic flight prices now. Hotels in the South don't seem to be giving any good prices. Just checked the hotel we normally stay at in Kata Beach and they have kept the prices the same (though they have jacked the fake base price up five times and are claiming to offer an 80% discount [which, if you do the math, puts you back at the same price]). Ho hum. 

[Brunolem]

7 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

AirAsia has slightly lower domestic flight prices now. Hotels in the South don't seem to be giving any good prices. Just checked the hotel we normally stay at in Kata Beach and they have kept the prices the same (though they have jacked the fake base price up five times and are claiming to offer an 80% discount [which, if you do the math, puts you back at the same price]). Ho hum. 

Even worse...I booked in December for a stay in Khao Lak at the end of March...if I was booking today, it would cost me more!!!

 

It seems that the hotels have changed the policy they had between 2008 and 2010, when there was all this agitation in Thailand, and they were cutting rates by more than half...

 

Now they clearly prefer to stay empty...

[Booboo101]

The whole of this year is a right off for tourists, everyone knows it except TAT !

[madmitch]

21 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Even worse...I booked in December for a stay in Khao Lak at the end of March...if I was booking today, it would cost me more!!!

 

It seems that the hotels have changed the policy they had between 2008 and 2010, when there was all this agitation in Thailand, and they were cutting rates by more than half...

 

Now they clearly prefer to stay empty...

Each hotel has its own policy and many are much cheaper. It is a difficult balance as they don't want people invoking free cancellation and rebooking at half the price.

[JCP108]

6 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Each hotel has its own policy and many are much cheaper. It is a difficult balance as they don't want people invoking free cancellation and rebooking at half the price.

I get that. But, I have been here during crises (for example in 2008) and also traveled to the South during high and off seasons quite a bit. Seems like prices aren't as low as I normally encounter during April. 

[Chongalulu]

A true test of a government is how it handles a major crisis. In the past 4/5 years they have presided over falling growth and embarrassing foot in mouth statements from various ministers and simply addressed that by massaging figures and top of the head risibly optimistic figures. Nothing seems to have changed in their approach, with a dearth of any strategic approach to offset what will be a calamity. There simply isn’t the vision,intelligence or understanding to deal with any of this.

[Oziex1]

No doubt the spin they're putting on the number of Coronavirus cases, will come back to haunt them. Can they be trusted to be truthful?

[dallen52]

Thais are not very good with numbers. 

Or the truth. 

 

Unless they are trying to sell you something. 

Then the numbers are up.

But the truth is still questionable. 

Edited March 10, 2020 by dallen52

[Woolsgibb60]

3 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

Thais are not very good with numbers. 

 

Unless they are trying to sell you something. 

I dont know the mathematicians who work for tat I think they are brilliant they can work out exactly  the millions and billions they are losing from tourist and also they can work out the exact billions now they are losing right down to the exact number u got to give them they are so clever with numbers

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, JCP108 said:

AirAsia has slightly lower domestic flight prices now. Hotels in the South don't seem to be giving any good prices. Just checked the hotel we normally stay at in Kata Beach and they have kept the prices the same (though they have jacked the fake base price up five times and are claiming to offer an 80% discount [which, if you do the math, puts you back at the same price]). Ho hum. 

Yup...same thing for me.  I even joined the Accor hotels “loyalty program” which is supposed to give a discount.  When I tried to book using my new “loyalty number” it was actually more expensive than booking the same hotel on the same website.

[emptypockets]

3 hours ago, Paul DS said:

Sorry but Worldwide the Corona Virus is only just getting started!!

 

What with Italy now in full shut down and the Virus spreading uncontrolled in most EU countries the outlook can only get worse.

 

As to coming to Thailand for a hoilday....no chance!   The isue is many think Thailand are lying through there teeth, plus we may end up in quarantine on arrival in Thailand, then quarantine when going back to there country!

 

No one in there right mind is going to get on a plane for say 13 hours with recirculating air just for a holiday!!

 

I want to go to Thailand soon, its boring here in the UK! Supermarkets selling out of certain goods, football matches no crowds, shows cancelled etc, even my GP Surgery is closed for "cleaning" and I was turned away. A&E at the hospital queing up out the doors!

 

I expect it to get much worse before it gets better!  Sorry but thats how it is!

 

As an ad lib: I am sure many know that Viruses mutate very easily and lets be honest thats what Country leaders are scared about....what if the Corona Visrus mutates into something worse?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please, stay where you are. We have enough people here who live in a fantasy world. We don't need more.

[Aussieroaming]

Good, suck it up mofos. Learn to respect all tourists, not just the few.

[Soikhaonoiken]

10m, in your dreams TAT, think you need to double that amount. 

[rabang]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That would only work if Thailand was a quality place to visit. It's not and hasn't been for 30 years. It was popular because it was cheap and cheerful- backpacker heaven.

People with real money go to expensive places like the Maldives; they don't go to LOS.

You're right. Quality is an unknown word in Thailand. Generally Thailand is now overpriced and offers at most a mediocre product. Take for example their supermarkets, <deleted> sold for expensive prices. I can't understand how come a tropical country with a fertile soil can produce such bad and expensive fruits. I am now in Malaysia and the difference in quality and price of supermarkets is staggering.

[ChakaKhan]

6 hours ago, hashmodha said:

Please have a look at this YouTube video and make up your own mind.This Australian news reporting is for me,I believe this!...I will pray it doesn't happen what you are about to see!????????

 

Thanks..Good video..shocking about the black markets in BKK!! But not surprised......

[daveAustin]

10mil is about right, which is around 50% right... true figures have never been much more than 20mil.

[Iron Tongue]

The TAT is under some sort fantasy that global tourism will miraculously recover the moment covid-19 burns itself out and it will then be business as usual.

Not calculated into their equation is the hard fact that every country will need to first recover from their own economic recession before feeling wealthy-enough to take international vacations again.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Booboo101 said:

The whole of this year is a right off for tourists, everyone knows it except TAT !

They know it, they just can't except it and say it..

[saengd]

3 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

The TAT is under some sort fantasy that global tourism will miraculously recover the moment covid-19 burns itself out and it will then be business as usual.

Not calculated into their equation is the hard fact that every country will need to first recover from their own economic recession before feeling wealthy-enough to take international vacations again.

Perhaps you missed the fact that President Xi of China went walk about in Wuhan yesterday. That and increasing pollution levels over Chinese cities suggest China is coming back online, did you think it would last forever.

[Iron Tongue]

18 minutes ago, saengd said:

Perhaps you missed the fact that President Xi of China went walk about in Wuhan yesterday. That and increasing pollution levels over Chinese cities suggest China is coming back online, did you think it would last forever.

It's not over, if you think it's over, perhaps you should find a job working for the TAT.

Aside from China NOT getting back to normal beyond publicity events like Xi's, their factories are still far from getting into full operation as workers have not been convinced to travel back from their homes to the cities, and when they do get back to work, they won't have time for vacation as China is going to push production over leisure. 

Plus, if China is fired-up, why are oil prices going down?  (yeah, yeah Saudis & Russians, but their oil war was originally meant to raise prices)

Plus, covid-19 is at pandemic levels now and has affected the global economy.  Italy is shut down, so is most of South Korea, maybe soon Japan, France and the USA, remainder of EU.

Even if covid-19 ends (12-18 months for vaccine), nobody will have any money nor vacation time left to travel.

[PowerKat]

TAT need to start looking into becoming the hub of quarantine tourism. Come to Thailand and spend two weeks in an army barracks alongside some of the worlds most brave, feared and decorated generals the world has ever seen. If you're lucky you might be allowed to wash one of the general's German whips or tend to their chicken coup d'etat. You'll also be treated to a special army standard buzz cut.

Edited March 11, 2020 by PowerKat

[outsider]

On 3/10/2020 at 11:01 AM, webfact said:

“We believe that the outbreak could be controlled by the end of March, which means April could be the lowest point for foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand,” he said. “After that the number will start growing again by July...

 

There are clowns, and then there are Thai governors. 

 

[rabang]

9 hours ago, saengd said:

Perhaps you missed the fact that President Xi of China went walk about in Wuhan yesterday. That and increasing pollution levels over Chinese cities suggest China is coming back online, did you think it would last forever.

That is probably not much more than a stunt show. The effect will be felt delayed. For example there will be shortages of electronic components and equipment made in China in a few months. The situation doesn't normalize overnight. Leisure businesses such as tourism are likely to feel the effect even longer because people have to work before they have money to spend for vacations. Not to mention what happens if this leads to a global recession. I expect at least 12 to 18 difficult months ahead for the Thai tourism.

[Brunolem]

38 minutes ago, rabang said:

That is probably not much more than a stunt show. The effect will be felt delayed. For example there will be shortages of electronic components and equipment made in China in a few months. The situation doesn't normalize overnight. Leisure businesses such as tourism are likely to feel the effect even longer because people have to work before they have money to spend for vacations. Not to mention what happens if this leads to a global recession. I expect at least 12 to 18 difficult months ahead for the Thai tourism.

No one knows what's really going on in China now.

 

It appears that factories were ordered to turn the lights on and run the machines, in order to pretend that they were operational.

 

As long as peoples' movements are restricted, the economy can't run properly, and if they allow people to move freely, the epidemic may restart quickly.

 

The virus is not gone, only contained.

 

Regarding the economy in general, there are other factors that are piling upon the problems created by the virus, such as the collapse of the oil price.

 

This may look good for Western consumers, but it's a disaster for American, Saudi and Russian oil companies, as well as those who have lent them billions of dollars, notably in the shale oil business...

 

A long period of economic pain lies ahead...