1 hour ago, paul1804 said:

I would dispute that the Chinese were the biggest spenders in 2017, which Thai brown paper bag minister or official told you that!!

It is perhaps from the same comment I recall six or more months back, and represented a total figure, rather than a per capita one.

38 minutes ago, paul1804 said:

Yes agree that lots of businesses are closed but you miss the real point that with most of the tourists from the countries mentioned are on pre paid and or budget packages so Thailand see a much lesser % of their holiday spending.  I am not saying these tourists should not come but the Thai authorities keep harping on how these visitors will be our saving grace which is so far from reality. Target those who will come here and spend, the money will go round internally and benefit all including those businesses that you mention as well as 5 star hotels to street vendors & local markets!! So obvious yet the authorities like you don't see the real bigger picture!

    The 'real point' is there in your first sentence '...lots of businesses are closed...' .  They certainly are.  And, that was not the case, pre-covid.  It's so bad now that posters have remarked that even 7-11s and Family Marts are closed, let alone all the hotels, restaurants, entertainments, and just about everything else related to tourism in Pattaya. 

    So many local people out of work; many lining up for food handouts.  Were all these now closed  businesses being kept open, pre-covid, by non-tourist package, high-roller tourists?  No.  That's the reality.  Do any of these many, many laid off local workers give a toss that Thailand may see, in your words, a '...lesser % of their holiday spending' with these tourists?  No.  What all these laid-off workers care about is they were getting 100% of their salaries in 2019 when tourists of all stripes, including your 'pre paid and or budget packages' were coming.   Now they're getting 0% of their salaries.  That's your 'real bigger picture'.