Thailand sees 60% slump in January-May tourist arrivals, spending

[Wildliferescue]

3 hours ago, realfunster said:

 

Well, they are discussing the year so far (Jan-May) and January/February would have been 'OK'.

March patchy.

April/May nothing.

60% down through to end of May seems about right.

 

 

 

You seem to forget that 90% of TV visitors cant do maths. 

[nbg]

Can’t wait for the April to June numbers to come out...

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just call it what it is. 100% of international tourism is absent from the country, trying to sugar coat it does not change the Facts.

This is Thailand, everything's sugar coated, even the noodles !!!!

It doesn't change the facts but sweetens the truth a bit.

[Curt1591]

2 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

so it never made any profits to put aside in case the s.hit hit the fan ?

bad management

 

never put all your eggs....

The owners treated the profits as their personal income. Many private Thai businesses are like this.

As far as aiming for the Chinese tourist trade, the Chinese trade found them. It was that basket that was handed to them.

[Henryford]

The empty chairs are not due to a "fear of Covid" it's due to the Government's massive over reaction in closing down the country.

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, wombat said:

i.3 billion indians and 1.4 billion chinese
LOS needs western tourists like a fish needs a bicycle 

I've heard that if you judge a fish, only on the way it rides a bicycle, it reflects poorly on all fish.

 

Lot of other things fish can do, just sayin'

[fulhamster]

11 minutes ago, Henryford said:

The empty chairs are not due to a "fear of Covid" it's due to the Government's massive over reaction in closing down the country.

Most chairs were empty before Covid, mainly due to the strength of the baht.

 

And it gets stronger still............

[amdy2206]

The main problem is that it does not affect the 'so called elite' - I really HATE the word elite!! They just have more money and think they are entitled. The people suffering are the 'normal people'. If no Covid in Thailand, open the bars. Let people have a life again. The heirachy don't need to worry, they already have their millions and houses in Europe etc. The rest of the minion need cash.

[Curt1591]

On 6/26/2020 at 2:20 PM, spidermike007 said:

These represent 0.0001% of the Chinese tourists who visit Thaland. As stated there are a dozen good reasons the fat cats do not visit Thailand. My guess is that they were visiting Gucci, to have a laugh at the out of control prices!

 

On 6/26/2020 at 2:20 PM, spidermike007 said:

0.0001%

 Real insight! And, as far as your guesses are concerned, I guess the bags they were taking out were empty.  

What experience do you actually have with Chinese and their spending habits? From what are you basing these insights? My guess is that these are all guesses on your part.

You can't judge their wealth simply by their appearance.

I have handful of life-long friends, friends I have hung with since the 60's. However, the vast majority of the friends I have made, over the last 3 or 4 decades, have been Asians, mostly of Chinese descent. 

As far as shopping goes, Chinese, in general, love to shop. And, from my experience - watching them, shopping with them, and shopping for them - they have no problem spending plenty of money, often over the top.

And, when in groups, it's often seems like the one who spends they most wins! 

[LukKrueng]

What's the point of keeping statistics this year? What's the point pond of this story? Borders are closed, no international passenger flights, tourists are not allowed in anyway and that's pretty much the same all over the world

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, Wildliferescue said:

You seem to forget that 90% of TV visitors cant do maths. 

The remaining 25% are, however, brilliant at sums.

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Just call it what it is. 100% of international tourism is absent from the country, trying to sugar coat it does not change the Facts.

Yes indeed - I was thinking how the 40% managed to enter  - perhaps during January before the tourist bans and lock-downs started in February.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, lks7689 said:

Some People here just like to whine, let them be.

Thanks. Instead of posting something productive, that required thought and analysis. If he thought that was funny, imagine his reaction to George Carlin?

[Meat Pie 47]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

 

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

 

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

 

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

 

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

 

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

And another Trump supporter laughing at you

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, lks7689 said:

At that price range for wine, I think your expectations for the level of service are not exactly in line with what you think you are paying for. Maybe in a place where the range starts with a couple of zeros more you might feel rightly indignant. And just to add, your claims about western tourists spending more are no longer relevant, so get over it. The fact that the Thais are no longer sucking up to you would have gave you a hint, no?

Add a couple more zeros, huh? So you honestly think a patron has to spend $30,000 for a bottle of wine, to get good wine service? Or, is this more of a math issue?

[spidermike007]

4 minutes ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

And another Trump supporter laughing at you

Which means less than zero to me on a dozen different levels. 

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, smudger1951 said:

spidermike007, a very good comment and analysis of blinkered policies in LOS. Also, just imajine the inflow if foreigners could truly buy a property in their own name. The difference between LOS and UK is total.

But that is exactly what they are afraid of because if Foreigners were allowed to buy Property and Land in their own name then there would be little or nothing for Thai's left to buy in five years time !

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

This is Thailand, everything's sugar coated, even the noodles !!!!

It doesn't change the facts but sweetens the truth a bit.

But always leaves a nasty taste in the mouth !

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Curt1591 said:

 

 Real insight! And, as far as your guesses are concerned, I guess the bags they were taking out were empty.  

What experience do you actually have with Chinese and their spending habits? From what are you basing these insights? My guess is that these are all guesses on your part.

You can't judge their wealth simply by their appearance.

I have handful of life-long friends, friends I have hung with since the 60's. However, the vast majority of the friends I have made, over the last 3 or 4 decades, have been Asians, mostly of Chinese descent. 

As far as shopping goes, Chinese, in general, love to shop. And, from my experience - watching them, shopping with them, and shopping for them - they have no problem spending plenty of money, often over the top.

And, when in groups, it's often seems like the one who spends they most wins! 

 
 

 

 










 

No argument from me on that. My contention is that they are descriminatimg shoppers. I have dealt with wealthy Chinese. They are smart and savvy. And not likely to buy a Prada bag here for 335,000 baht that they can buy elsewhere for $3,900? Not the Chinese I know anyway! 

[Caldera]

Oh but the medical bubble tourists and resort-quarantined high rollers will come to save the day!

 

Any day now.

 

[GAZZPA]

5 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

not what I heard

Of course it is, The numbers seem to change all the time which is typical of Thailand. They always manipulate numbers to suit whatever point they are making in a press announcement.

 

 

[Darksidedude]

No <deleted> sherlock ha ha

[GAZZPA]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

No argument from me on that. My contention is that they are discriminating shoppers. I have dealt with wealthy Chinese. I sell fine art to them. They are smart, savvy and we'll informed about the market. And not likely to buy a Prada bag here for 335,000 baht that they can buy elsewhere for $3,900? Not the Chinese I know anyway! 

very true, I lived and worked in China, the Chinese have had enormous investment from global fashion brands who openly now admit they are exposed after over investment, (such as Louis Vuitton). My big boss in China would fly to Europe to buy fashion items rather then pay Chinese prices. Rich they are, stupid they are not..

[GAZZPA]

12 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

But that is exactly what they are afraid of because if Foreigners were allowed to buy Property and Land in their own name then there would be little or nothing for Thai's left to buy in five years time !

Property prices in major cities are already beyond the reach of working class Thais so what difference would it make?

[trainman34014]

1 minute ago, GAZZPA said:

Property prices in major cities are already beyond the reach of working class Thais so what difference would it make?

A lot; come North and see how cheap you could buy compared to Western countries !

[GAZZPA]

4 hours ago, wombat said:

i.3 billion indians and 1.4 billion chinese
LOS needs western tourists like a fish needs a bicycle 

It is my understanding that over 50% of tourists come from everywhere that is not China or India,, so what makes you think they don't need over half the tourists? Do some research fella,,,

[firemans35]

Confucius say how do you have foreign tourist when the borders are closed and everything is closed? Why would this be news?

[warcy]

January and Feb were peak periods so if you don't include those months , the slump will be bigger

[GAZZPA]

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

A lot; come North and see how cheap you could buy compared to Western countries !

You cant compare property prices in Thailand to the West, the only number that really matters is the cost of property to the local salary. There are apartments in Pattaya for example that cost 30 million baht plus. The average 2 or 3 bedroom property in Pattaya is already beyond the salaries of most locals today. 

[Elkski]

I recall early on this virus I said  tourist revenue would be lucky to be 40% for the year . I figured they had high season and nada for the rest of the year.  I see chinese  buying lots more <deleted> than me.  And look at the duty free lines and airport shops.   All Chinese.   I'm a cheap Charlie and proud  of it. at least offer tip of 700 baht, that's enough.