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Thailand's minister of tourism and sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan has once again been giving the Thai media his assessments of tourism numbers this year and beyond. 

 

He hopes that there will be 6.5 million foreign tourists coming to Thailand this year spending 1.2 trillion baht, but conceded that much would depend on vaccine rollouts in Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok in particular. 

 

1.2 trillion baht is more than half what 40 million tourists spent in 2019, notes Thaivisa. 

 

The minister explained this away by saying that post pandemic tourists to Thailand would be spending more per person.

 

1.2 trillion will represent 4% of total GDP he said.

 

According to the TAT Road Map the initial phase of the reopening of the country will take place from now until the end of June in Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga, Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Vaccinated tourists will have to quarantine for seven days.

 

Pipat said this will result in 100,000 visitors. 

 

Then from the start of July, the third quarter, vaccinated tourists in Phuket under the "sandbox" scheme will not need to quarantine at all. After seven days on the island they would be free to travel elsewhere.

 

He said that DPM and health minister Anutin Charnvirakul is confident that 70% of the Phuket population can be vaccinated in time and thereafter 960,000 doses of vaccine will go into the arms of Pattaya people so that the sandbox idea can be expanded there.

 

But in order for his 6.5 million tourist target to be kept he pointed out that much would depend on 20 million doses of vaccine being used to vaccinate 10 million people in the Thai capital Bangkok.

 

He said that Bangkok is still the number one tourist destination in Thailand and needs to be prioritised among the 30 million doses that are expected to be available through the second quarter. 

 

Pipat went further, as reported by RYT9 yesterday.

 

He said that the target for 2022 was to have 20-21 million foreign tourists visiting Thailand spending 2.5 trillion baht.

 

He also said that 2019 tourism levels (around 40 million visitors) would not be achieved until 2024. 

 

 

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Already a quarter of the way through 2021 and so far the spending is Nil

I feel like they are just pulling numbers out of thin air, 6.5 million tourists!!

1.2 trillion baht, I can see it now! 

 

 

 

 

Never hurts to dream big, I guess.

 

 

But as stated on these pages so many times, relatively cheap and easy to get to is what fueled Thai tourism. 

 

Eliminate either of those and there are too many other places relatively cheaper and easier to get to.

"All I Have To Do Is Dream"
 

Dream, dream, dream, dream
Dream, dream, dream, dream

When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you
All I have to do is dream
Dream, dream, dream

 

If you'll dream it hard enough, it will happen...

And I'm going to retire this year in the 3rd quarter when i win the UK and Euro lotteries without buying a ticket

If they gave out more doses of the vaccine instead of the daily dose of daily B.S. from the TAT and gov't about their expected number of tourists and revenue, the country would already be protected and open for tourism

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He hopes that there will be 6.5 million foreign tourists coming to Thailand this year spending 1.2 trillion baht,

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He said that the target for 2022 was to have 20-21 million foreign tourists visiting Thailand spending 2.5 trillion baht

 

If I was Pip I'd go for the top lot of 6.5 mil' as they are obviously well heeled , yacht owning , condo purchasing types .. the bottom lot for next yrs dream sound like cheap Charlie's to me ..

Just shaking the head now .  This daily pulling made up numbers out of their <deleted> is far beyond ridiculous at this point.

  Also if the first sandbox site is to be Phuket and they intend to let potentially infected people just traipse round the island with no quarantine might want to brush the wants of those hiso Bangkok Thais who will be demanding to be looked after first and instead send as many of those 20 million doses will be needed to immediately protect the population of Phuket.

1.2 trillion baht is more than half what 40 million tourists spent in 2019, notes Thaivisa.

 

Does this indicate an admission that tourists can expect to pay a lot more for things and/or be ripped off or does it mean he's just made these figures up so he can announce them for publicity?

 

Based on past experience I'd go for the latter.

Im not sure about their figures but things seem to be moving here in Phuket,

I have some properties for rent and one condo I have is getting inquiries every other day,

The same condo we got a 2 month booking which is great, albeit discounted 

There is some cheap charlies out there they can see how much it is on the web site + discount but still contact us and offer half the price, 

 

5 hours ago, Lingba said:

If they gave out more doses of the vaccine instead of the daily dose of daily B.S. from the TAT and gov't about their expected number of tourists and revenue, the country would already be protected and open for tourism

They seem more focused on quarantine scams for their rich hotel buddies, insurance buddies. Instead of focusing on getting the population vaccinated. As long as gullible and desperate foreigners continue to toss thousands at them for over rated hotels it won,t change. While thousands of expats with families suffer who can not return because of their stupid greedy policies.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He hopes that there will be 6.5 million foreign tourists coming to Thailand this year spending 1.2 trillion baht, but conceded that much would depend on vaccine rollouts in Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok in particular. 

 

1.2 trillion baht is more than half what 40 million tourists spent in 2019, notes Thaivisa. 

 

So, 6.5million tourists will spend significantly more than past tourists...

 

And Pipat's logic can explained as thus...

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The minister explained this away by saying that post pandemic tourists to Thailand would be spending more per person.

 

Intelligence and logic are not his strong points.

 

Fail.

Here we go again... Must have bought a new Crystal Ball, 

Well Mr Pip, you should take it back as its not working... 

9 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Im not sure about their figures but things seem to be moving here in Phuket,

I have some properties for rent and one condo I have is getting inquiries every other day,

The same condo we got a 2 month booking which is great, albeit discounted 

There is some cheap charlies out there they can see how much it is on the web site + discount but still contact us and offer half the price, 

 

During the last decade rent of condo's/hotel rooms was sky rocketing and now things have changed drastically you call them cheap charlies ? Remember there is an end to everything, you reap what you sow.

53 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

During the last decade rent of condo's/hotel rooms was sky rocketing and now things have changed drastically you call them cheap charlies ? Remember there is an end to everything, you reap what you sow.

Would love to see the whole system come crashing down. Thailand is in debt in the billions. Keep building stupid!

USD $6,000 expenditure per tourist? Doubt it

 

17 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

 

 

Never hurts to dream big, I guess.

 

 

But as stated on these pages so many times, relatively cheap and easy to get to is what fueled Thai tourism. 

 

Eliminate either of those and there are too many other places relatively cheaper and easier to get to.

I really  don't  think  you will  find many  places cheaper than  Thailand. 

 

 

To quote Joe, from Dickens' Great Expectations;

"What larks, Pip, what larks."

18 hours ago, ezzra said:

"All I Have To Do Is Dream"
 

Dream, dream, dream, dream
Dream, dream, dream, dream

When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you
All I have to do is dream
Dream, dream, dream

 

If you'll dream it hard enough, it will happen...

TAT for Everly inventing big numbers.

Despite the fact that the rules for entering and the time for quarantine is less and less, one thing in the requirements for entering Thailand as a 'vaccinated' tourist seems to have been overlooked or will not be enforced.  That item being that a person has to be from a country where there has not been and incidence of a COVID variant.  Will the countries with COVID variants be published and updated on the MOPH website?

My personal concern about overseas travel is the risk, be it slight, of getting Covid-19 whilst out of my country of residence (Laos), and then having to quarantine on return to that country of residence.  Having a Covid-19 vaccination does not stop you getting infected with the virus in your body - it simply means that your immune system is better-prepared to fight that virus.

 

That being the case, if I travelled to any overseas country (not just Thailand), such an infection would need me to quarantine on my return, which would be a major disruption to my teaching job.

 

Therefore, in order to minimise that risk, I have zero plans to travel to Thailand (or any other country) for the next few years, until I retire (2025), and can then afford (money and time-wise) to spend 14 days or so in quarantine, should I get this virus.

It is fair to assume that hotels will still be on promotion for the rest of the year. Although a rise in tourism may encourage a slight increase in price, hotels also know they now have to rely a lot on domestic tourists. And if their prices increase a lot, Thais won't travel much. It is also fair to assume that many restaurants and businesses will remain closed and that the ones opening will still apply lower prices than in the past (for restaurants, bars, massages...).

 

That being said, I don't see how tourists will spend more than they did in the past. I see them spend less personally.

Totally boring! Every time TAT farts out a new stupid (and lower) forecast it is front page news. Who cares? Hint: not me.

My guess is that the loss of 20% GDP of the Thai economy being wiped out for two years is now bringing a reality that they need to open up, and quite quickly.

 

Problem is though, they fail to understand that the covid pandemic has left many unemployed, many in debt and many fearing to travel a long way for fear of getting back again.

 

I honestly cannot see Thailand getting back to 40 million for 10 years. I cannot see any mass tourism until the final Q4, and 6 million in that Q will be really fanciful

People are still infectious even after being vaccinated  so are these 6.5m tourists going to believe that Thailand has created 4/5 Wuflu free oasis in amongst a 65m population containing at least 1.5m itinerant workers many of whom work in the tourist industry where the 'Government' has suppressed the figures?

On 4/3/2021 at 11:46 AM, webfact said:

there will be 6.5 million foreign tourists coming to Thailand this year spending 1.2 trillion baht

 

1.2 trillion baht is more than half what 40 million tourists spent in 2019, notes Thaivisa. 

 

The minister explained this away by saying that post pandemic tourists to Thailand would be spending more per person.

So, the expected 6.5 Mio Foreign Tourists will be spending over 3 times more on average compared to 2019... On what exactly? I thought everything was discounted.

19 hours ago, DLock said:

The minister explained this away by saying that post pandemic tourists to Thailand would be spending more per person.

Bosses can say anything as they know they will never be put in a position where they could be questioned and loose face.

On 4/3/2021 at 11:46 AM, webfact said:

But in order for his 6.5 million tourist target to be kept he pointed out that much would depend on 20 million doses of vaccine being used to vaccinate 10 million people in the Thai capital Bangkok.

So where exactly does all this Vaccine come from.

Oh ! I forgot the Bioscience Initiative will be on stream in June.

I really can see Thailand being placed on a restricted entry by many Countries due to the poor Vaccination Program.