Amazing Thailand for the Thais: Is Domestic Tourism a solution?

[totally thaied up]

36 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

But it'll likely be locusts descending again as soon as they can open the border for the Chinese.

Last year at CM airport, my wife and I were getting ready to depart to Australia. I was the only 'white guy' in my airport lounge and the rest of the area was just teaming with Chinese. I did not realize that so many Chinese were in the country till I saw the numbers that day at the airport. It will be impossible to get the tourism flowing again to those levels without the Chinese. The locals are just not in such numbers and most my Thai friends have no money. Also for me, it is cheaper to go home to travel in Australia for a break due to currency levels. Strong baht just kills it for me. If the baht was back to 27, I would be spending a lot more time travelling here and spending money.

 

Thailand will be gunning for the Chinese. The local tourism is not a 'spot on it' compared to China. The Thai Government in the future will be bending over to China for it's tourist but you only got to look at South Korea. The open nightlife recently produced 35 virus cases in a single day from just night clubbing. How are we going to get around that?

 

Long hard road ahead. Thailand may be amazing but give us some better holiday deals. I see nothing on Agoda at the moment that tweaks my fancy at a discounted price for future travel.

Edited May 11, 2020 by totally thaied up

[bronzedude]

I wouldn't mind taking a little road trip to break up the monotony once things open up. I've looked into hotels in Hua Hin, Khao Yai, and Phuket that I've stayed before and the prices are either the same or higher. Without a determined effort to create good value for money, I have no incentive to travel and contribute to the local tourist economy. I'm sure others like myself who can afford leisure travel have the same mind set. Hotels aren't the only thing people spent money on when traveling.

[Venom]

Amazing stupid? I suspect people will need to get back to work and dig themselves out first. 

[spidermike007]

The Thais travel around Thailand alot. However the middle and lower income Thais are getting slammed by this insane economic shutdown, so it could be awhile before they have money for vacations. Also, transport needs to be improved. Thailand desperately needs a high speed train network, instead of the 60 year old, South Sudan type embarrassment of a network they currently have. 

 

There will be alot of hotel bargains for the next year or so. Tourism here is going to take a long time to recover. 

[Fex Bluse]

They are done until there is a vaccine. 

 

All those people who spend billions on massages and other entertainment will not be doing that anytime soon. 

 

Great way to get COVID and die

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

and tourism is a major contributor to the economy, providing 10% to global GDP.

I would have thought with all the Thai occupations connected to tourism it would be much higher than that.

Meaning the thousands of establishments and the supply chain that serves them.

[Enoon]

Any Thai who had the will, leisure time and the money to be a domestic tourist has already been doing that.

 

The only way that Thai people can take up the space left by absent foreign tourists is if they have the same economic abilities that they do.

 

That means they have to have the leisure time of foreign tourists and the equivalent of the foreign tourists money to spend.

 

The only potential "switchers" to domestic tourism are those Thai who previously sought to visit Paris, London, Rome, The Grand Canyon, The Alps and other places and locations which are so very not Thailand.

 

The Grand Temple, Phuket, Pattaya, floating markets and elephant rides await them.

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Enoon

[thedemon]

1 hour ago, dean2926 said:

How does domestic tourism bring money into the Thai economy?

Hundreds of thousands of Thais all over thailand lining up in the streets every day to receive food and water.  Does anyone think they have money for travel or domestic holidays?

The cruel truth is most of those people never have enough money to travel around staying in hotels even in good times. But there are still plenty of people in Bangkok that can easily afford to travel and since they won't be travelling abroad as they usually do I think they will travel domestically. High end hotels and resorts are going to be a relative bargain too.

 

Not suggesting that can make up for the loss of foreign tourists but for hotels and resorts with high fixed costs it will help.

 

 

[mindfulness]

Well that’s today’s dose of comedy over with ! 

JC ! No wonder the worlds in such chaos even without Co-Vid #BS ! 

[madmitch]

One problem is that most Thais deem a two night break a holiday. It's going to take a lot of Thai visits to make up for the loss of Europeans and Russians. Even the Chinese tour groups are here for close to a week!

 

I think the best a number of small tourism businesses can hope for is just to stay in business for next season in the hope that things improve by October 2021. I've started to see the businesses for sale appearing on Facebook but who's going to pay good money, as well as rent, right now?

 

Also a number of overpriced villas also starting to appear on the pages as well. Good luck to anyone trying to sell any business or luxury home at close to what the asking price might have been six months ago. You'll need it!

[digger70]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Amazing Thailand for the Thais: Is Domestic Tourism a solution?

I don't think so. the domestic people Know the prices, they aren't going to ripped off.

[Almer]

9 hours ago, johng said:

"Amazing Value" ?

the usual way is to increase prices to make up for lost customers.

That is exactly what the Aviation sector will do, no more A380 or 747 to meet the demand  the demand will be controlled by the ticket price

180x  80.000  = 14.400.000

450x  32.000  = 14.400.000

ok not so much duty free sales but not so much free booze either

[BigStar]

6 hours ago, kotsak said:

In the past we always saw topics about "luring" foreigners to the country. Doesn't lure work with locals or is it maybe that they can't beat them in their own game?

 

We only see such topics because TAT: TVF refuses to recognize domestic tourism. As has been repeated in this thread, officially Thais cannot go anywhere because they have no money.

 

Hence the obsession is with Chinese & Indians, but--officially, again--they also spend nothing. Besides, we don't like them and enjoy bashing. So officially the tourism sector hasn't made any money for more than a decade or so. Thailand perversely refuses to give free beer to the Big Spenders to bring them all back after they left and took away all the golden eggs. So I dunno where this imaginary 10% figure comes from, do you?

 

But in fact, despite the blackout here, domestic tourism's been around quite a long time ???? and is an important market segment, if you really want to know.

Edited May 11, 2020 by BigStar

[Isaan Alan]

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

What about us farangs who don't work and enjoy travelling, best to get both happening asap as they both contribute to the economy.

Yes, busting to go to Nong Khai from Yasothon (near Ubon Ratchathani)

 

[mrfill]

Do working Thais get enough annual holiday leave to support a domestic tourist industry?

[Enlil]

average thais dont travel, we employ young ppl in pattaya 20 to 30+  and they never been to koh larn, samet, koh chang, when we offer take them they not even interested, we even offered them holiday in vietname as bonus before, was like 2 people interested out of 14. They never been abroad.

[BigStar]

25 minutes ago, madmitch said:

It's going to take a lot of Thai visits to make up for the loss of Europeans and Russians.

A point repeated numerous times here but a straw man argument. The article makes no such suggestion that domestic tourism can replace international. Nobody has said that, nobody thinks that. But it is a segment of the market. Is it a good idea to go ahead now and think about how to start reviving this market? Well, yes, duh. That doesn't mean not thinking about other markets as well.

 

All businesses are confronted with the same problem. NO, it doesn't mean IMMEDIATE REVIVAL. Nobody said, nobody thinks that, nobody dreamed that. So much nonsense. Now we may sneer as usual about the figures in the article but suppose they are 60% correct? That's still some income and generated revenue. I don't think if you were one of the providers, you'd want to ignore it.

 

In 2019, Thailand saw 135 million domestic trips, and this is forecast to reach 160 million by 2023 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4%.

Edited May 11, 2020 by BigStar

[Caldera]

Domestic tourism certainly helps tiding some businesses over until foreign arrivals will be possible again. But what's the total spending power of locals and expats, especially now that many have lost their jobs or at least some of their income? They might be less willing and able to splurge on a holiday than some people hope!

 

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Maybe you need to check the processor behind the eyes ????

It was changed on his 70th birthday, but unfortunately replaced by a low cost microchip made in China...

[BigStar]

4 hours ago, BestB said:

Domestic tourism will not make up for 30 million international arrivals. Domestic tourism is over the weekend when people have a day off, what happens the other 5-6 days.

 

Places are Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi, etc were not build on domestic tourism and will not survive on domestic tourism

Nobody claimed that domestic tourism will make for the loss of international. Different topic.

 

However, domestic tourism has become a significant part of Pattaya's economy. It's a good idea to ahead and start thinking now about how to revive it. Nobody said IMMEDIATELY, either. 

[Brunolem]

7 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Domestic tourism certainly helps tiding some businesses over until foreign arrivals will be possible again. But what's the total spending power of locals and expats, especially now that many have lost their jobs or at least some of their income? They might be less willing and able to splurge on a holiday than some people hope!

 

There are many well to do Thais...just look how many travel to Japan, a very expensive destination, every year.

 

These Thais will have to holiday in Thailand for the time being, and their spending power, as well as the one of many expats, is probably much higher than the one of the average Chinese or Hindu coming with a tour.

 

Of course, domestic tourism will not make up for the big losses from international tourism, but it will keep some businesses alive.

 

Unfortunately, they are going to reopen just as the rain season starts, which is not the best time to travel around in Thailand.

[GAZZPA]

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

Any Thai who had the will, leisure time and the money to be a domestic tourist has already been doing that.

 

The only way that Thai people can take up the space left by absent foreign tourists is if they have the same economic abilities that they do.

 

That means they have to have the leisure time of foreign tourists and the equivalent of the foreign tourists money to spend.

 

The only potential "switchers" to domestic tourism are those Thai who previously sought to visit Paris, London, Rome, The Grand Canyon, The Alps and other places and locations which are so very not Thailand.

 

The Grand Temple, Phuket, Pattaya, floating markets and elephant rides await them.

 

 

 

I fear you may be right. In the same way no "quality, wealthy tourists" visit Pattaya, no wealthy Thai's will either. Its reputation and facilities support a cheap, sex tourist trade nothing more.

 

I think it was on the slide long before the pandemic, fact is there are better quality holidays (for the same and cheaper) and nowadays there are better and cheaper places for the sex tourist as well.

[DUNROAMIN]

10 hours ago, keith101 said:

For domestic tourism to work you have to lift the ban on inter provincial travel unless of course you expect everyone to be a tourist in there own province LOL . TIT .

Inter provincial travel??, another load of BS, nobody is really policing this policy, know of Thais via my wife's family that have travelled through several provinces to visit friends and family, that require police and immigration work, not happening here in Isaan country.

[BWPattaya]

I have never understood the concept of “Domestic Tourism”. 
 It doesn’t bring any money into Thailand, just moves money from one province to another.  Most locals only have a little cash to spend on necessities. Very few will visit the shops in high end malls. 
it does not help the country one bit. 

[Millcx]

Tourism .. Don’t even think it will start until 2021 .. 50% of business will go by the wayside that’s for sure and the rest better have deals from the old days or they will be next to go

[NB1986]

10 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

I would suggest that Europeans post a greater risk. 

 

 

The last batch of of 6,000 tourists from Wuhan didn't do much damage to Thailand.

And where it came from? Did it came from Europe or from CCP... 

And after all you believe that in China died 3000 people, after all they hidden and lied to the world... Chinese should be locked for good they can carry bats and CCP viruses in their own country definetely will not seen them in Europe...and i hope Schengen keeps closed tight at least until end of this year. I can go to holiday to Greece, Spain, France and if Croatia reopens have also beautiful beaches so...i think more wisely to spend money this summer than pay 2000+ euros for return ticket. 

[BigStar]

36 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

In the same way no "quality, wealthy tourists" visit Pattaya, no wealthy Thai's will either. Its reputation and facilities support a cheap, sex tourist trade nothing more.

 

 

 

Domestic tourism has been an important part of the Pattaya economy for years. Domestic tourists generate quite a lot of revenue for the malls, food courts & restos, supermarkets, family marts, beach vendors, local markets & stalls, festival vendors, and Thai clubs, to name those off the top o' my head. They are in fact largely responsible for a huge increase in traffic on weekends. 

[GAZZPA]

3 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Last year at CM airport, my wife and I were getting ready to depart to Australia. I was the only 'white guy' in my airport lounge and the rest of the area was just teaming with Chinese. I did not realize that so many Chinese were in the country till I saw the numbers that day at the airport. It will be impossible to get the tourism flowing again to those levels without the Chinese. The locals are just not in such numbers and most my Thai friends have no money. Also for me, it is cheaper to go home to travel in Australia for a break due to currency levels. Strong baht just kills it for me. If the baht was back to 27, I would be spending a lot more time travelling here and spending money.

 

Thailand will be gunning for the Chinese. The local tourism is not a 'spot on it' compared to China. The Thai Government in the future will be bending over to China for it's tourist but you only got to look at South Korea. The open nightlife recently produced 35 virus cases in a single day from just night clubbing. How are we going to get around that?

 

Long hard road ahead. Thailand may be amazing but give us some better holiday deals. I see nothing on Agoda at the moment that tweaks my fancy at a discounted price for future travel.

You're right about the Chinese, Thailand needs them and the Chinese know it, by the time this is all over the Chinese will own half of Thailand like they do Cambodia now. 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Isaan Alan said:

Yes, busting to go to Nong Khai from Yasothon (near Ubon Ratchathani)

 

Only an hour up the road for me and could do it without any restrictions.

 

What is it in Nong Khai that makes you want to go so badly, I am sure the bars are all closed.

[Max69xl]

10 hours ago, keith101 said:

For domestic tourism to work you have to lift the ban on inter provincial travel unless of course you expect everyone to be a tourist in there own province LOL . TIT .

For domestic tourism to work, Thai people needs money, something common Thai don't have.