Thai tourist arrivals slump 66% year-on-year in Jan-June amid pandemic

 

FILE PHOTO: General view of the almost empty Khaosan Road, which is usually crowded with tourists, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, May 22, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand recorded no foreign tourist arrivals and spending for a third straight month in June, as borders remained closed amid the pandemic, with a 66% year-on-year drop in the January-June period to 6.69 million visitors, tourism ministry data showed.

 

In January-June, spending by foreign tourists was 332 billion baht ($10.54 billion), down 65% from a year earlier.

 

The tourism-reliant country, which had a record 39.8 million tourist arrivals last year, imposed a ban on incoming passenger flights in April, when it first recorded zero foreign visitors.

 

In June 2019 alone, there were 3.05 million foreign tourists who spent about 131 billion baht ($4.14 billion).

 

Thailand will extend a state of emergency until the end of August to control the coronavirus outbreak, although there has been no local virus transmission recorded for more than two months.

 

The central bank has forecast the number of foreign tourists will plunge 80% this year to 8 million. Last year, spending by foreign visitors accounted for 11.4% of gross domestic product.

 

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Ed Davies)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-29

 

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4 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand will extend a state of emergency until the end of August to control the coronavirus outbreak, although there has been no local virus transmission recorded for more than two months.

Which goes to show that coronavirus has <deleted> all to do with the state of emergency !

Mass demonstrations, against an incompetent, unelected government ........... well, that's another matter.

Let the Thai public soak those figures right in and deep, watching their economy going down the gurgler fast as it was reported that 90% of Thai people would have liked for all foreigners to be booted out... soak in in guys...

Will the ASQ guests count as tourists? 

There is going to be zero foreign tourists for balance of 2020.  So the number is now what it will be then.  Hope is not going to put baht in the bank.

 

This will not buff out....

It's fortunate they had the January/February numbers to massage the figures a little.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand recorded no foreign tourist arrivals and spending for a third straight month in June, as borders remained closed amid the pandemic

And the big surprise is ...................... LOL

not really a big problem ....  all they need is another dart board in the office

Another figure plucked from the sky I would have said at least 85%

I hope the Thai baht gets back to 70 to the £ as I am in need of having some very expensive dental implants at least it’s going in the right direction it’s over 40 to the £ better than last week.

 

They are complaining about a poor economy and in September they will be kicking out foreigners who are pumping money into the economy

Get used to it.   It will be a year at least before anything close to the way things were ever happens again.  Your tourists need jobs and to save money before thinking about an over priced Thai holiday.  

4 minutes ago, skorp13 said:

They are complaining about a poor economy and in September they will be kicking out foreigners who are pumping money into the economy

This is not correct. They just kick out foreigners who don't qualify to be here by law. I personally doubt that these people contribute a lot to the Thai economy. I fear that they cause a lot of effort to handle such cases. Anyway - hard for me to understand why foreigners don't want to go home. If you have a job you would be needed by your employer. If you are retired simply apply for a visa here if you want to live here. Perhaps you can't fly home because there are no flights. The immigration will alow you to continue to stay here. BUT I understand that Thailand tries to get rid of people using the situation for their own benefit. 

Wonder how they are going to square the circle to help the poor caught up in this mess... Umm ok they are not ????

23 minutes ago, skorp13 said:

They are complaining about a poor economy and in September they will be kicking out foreigners who are pumping money into the economy

Wait and see. Maybe 26th Sept will be 26th Dec.

I don't think the situation will change that much......

47 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

Another figure plucked from the sky I would have said at least 85%

You're forgetting that the borders were not closed in Jan and Feb (Chinese New Year) and I'm sure that the arrivals in late December that left in January will also be included in statistics.....

Seems right to me

5 minutes ago, rasmus5150 said:

You're forgetting that the borders were not closed in Jan and Feb (Chinese New Year) and I'm sure that the arrivals in late December that left in January will also be included in statistics.....

Seems right to me

No need for statistics. Foreigners simply can't come for holidays here. 

I just returned to Australia and have done the figures on returning next year. To comply with the current entry requirements the absolute minimum cost will be around 80,000 Baht if i can find a flight into Thailand for $1000.

I dont see anyone bothering to do that, particularly tourists or teachers. I will be handing my Permanent Residency book back after 15 yrs of paying through the nose to keep it, the wife has said enough.

What is the figure if counting Q2? 100% down?

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Let the Thai public soak those figures right in and deep, watching their economy going down the gurgler fast as it was reported that 90% of Thai people would have liked for all foreigners to be booted out... soak in in guys...

this Pandemic is here for the long stretch,, last one was over 2 years long. If Thailand does not get a grip and just accept that it doesn't matter what they do with tourism I can see it becoming a serious humanitarian crisis. Infrastructure investment needs to be done so now is the time to prepare for the recovery after the global crisis.. The USA is getting worse, South America is getting worse, India is getting worse, Europe is much better but there are now early signs of a second wave in Spain and the UK. Tourism is dead, it will be for a long time.. Stay safe, knuckle down, the ride is going to get worse before it gets better. 

 

 

 

 

42 minutes ago, Khun Rob said:

I just returned to Australia and have done the figures on returning next year. To comply with the current entry requirements the absolute minimum cost will be around 80,000 Baht if i can find a flight into Thailand for $1000.

I dont see anyone bothering to do that, particularly tourists or teachers. I will be handing my Permanent Residency book back after 15 yrs of paying through the nose to keep it, the wife has said enough.

You won't be alone.

1 hour ago, crazykopite said:

I hope the Thai baht gets back to 70 to the £ as I am in need of having some very expensive dental implants at least it’s going in the right direction it’s over 40 to the £ better than last week.

 

Whats it like living in your bubble? i have not seen my wife and baby son for a year, millions are in the same boat, your dental implants joke is not particularly funny to me. 

they will have to train for proper jobs

Why is that every time you get stats from the govt. they are absolute b*ll<deleted>. How difficult is it for somebody to use a spreadsheet?

 

Spending 332 billion baht by 6.69 million visitors would be an average spend per person of 49,626 baht, hardly likely. Decimal point in the wrong place yet again?

Do not foreseen any inbound tourist this year although for some strange reason TAT has started advertising Thailand Tourism on British Television perhaps they know something others don't. Regarding spending per capita for myself this amounted to about 150,000 Bht per month including accommodate self catering 3 star

Unless the government drop their demands of tourists having to find $100,000 covid medical insurance, a bit of paper stating you are covid free less than 72 hours' old (covid tests can take 2-5 days for the results), and paying for 2 weeks' quarantine in a shabby hotel -- no tourists will come!

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

Let the Thai public soak those figures right in and deep, watching their economy going down the gurgler fast as it was reported that 90% of Thai people would have liked for all foreigners to be booted out... soak in in guys...

Very few average Thai,unless already effected, understand the longer term implications of those figures and how it will still impact on parts of the economy not directly tourist related. It will only be when that happens and their pick up etc is repossessed that it will dawn on them. One of the issues of a poor education 

Of course from Apr-Jun it will be a 100% decline.  But better not to show that.

Absolute nonsense, it has to be closer to 95%. Domestic tourism does NOT count, and neither does it do any good for the tourist industry in general !

5 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

There is going to be zero foreign tourists for balance of 2020.  So the number is now what it will be then.  Hope is not going to put baht in the bank.

 

This will not buff out....

I would reckon it’s more 86% and the usual rhetoric will be overflowing from TAT as Major recession hits