Picture: Thai Rath

 

After a brief lull in which the chief of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Yutthasak Suphasorn seemed reluctant to make predictions he's back with a bang.

 

In a Thai Rath article he predicted that Phuket will get a million visitors in the fourth quarter, that starts today, combined with the first quarter (Jan to March 2022).

 

He said there would be an average of 5,000 visitors a day and they would spend a whopping 60 billion baht. 

 

It's about 180 days so it'll need to be a few more than that, but Yutthasak was buoyant after a meeting to discuss the economic impact of the pandemic.

 

To make this happen he said he had an eight point plan including making testing easier and cheaper, an online Certificate of Entry, less onerous Covid insurance requirements, the allowing of Russian airlines as well as less days quarantine and visas on arrival.  

 

All the ministries and agencies had to pull together he said.

 

Yutthasak harped back to PM Prayuth Chan-ocha's reopening of Thailand statements in June though no mention was made of the "catchy" new slogan reported this morning on ASEAN NOW.

 

"Visit Thailand 2022 - Now Even More Amazing Thailand Has It All".

 

ASEAN NOW are considering shortening this further to "VT22 - NEMATHIA" to save valuable column inches at accommodate the "zeroes" on the next prediction of tourist numbers in Thailand. 

 

Less than 40,000 tourists - many of them residents of Thailand seeking a route back into their Thai lives - visited Phuket in the three months of the Sandbox.

 

Low season admittedly but that equated to hundreds a day, not thousands.

 

Phuket will have to get its skates on PDQ to make the latest one million prediation a reality, we suggest. 

 

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I envision the TAT office with some kind roulette wheel where it is spun every morning and what numbers comes up theses are the numbers they put out to the media as there is no other reliable and sure way to predict tourists in commingling, maybe they should try to consult a Mo Du in the future...

Here they go again.

Tat's fantasy show goes on.

 

I see already the billions of Indian trillionaires spending their fortune here.

I want some of what the folks at the TAT are smoking. I thought it wasn't legal yet ????

The Tat intelligence center churning out more fodder to warrant there jobs when tourism has stopped in Thailand .

TAT lunch room dart board always used prior to announcements  

I wonder if their prediction is based on the Sandbox success, or they are looking on another crystal ball for this this and next quarter, where all restrictions are lifted...????

 

From what I've read in various forums - and I shall admit that I have no idea of what Indian people might wish for, so perhaps some 800,000 visitors are originating form India - then most of Western people wish to wait until it's easy to enter; this means no COE, and no expensive Covid-tests, and no SHA accommodation. Furthermore Westerners wish no restrictions in behavior during their holiday, things like limited alcohol servings, and no pub and bars forced to be closed - many tourists wish to enjoy a drink in the afternoon before dinner, and perhaps later in the evening spend some time in a pub, so it's not a question about lady bars - and no curfew, and no mandatory use of face masks. Don't forget that numerous Europeans have been demonstrating against mandatory use of face masks.

From 400 a day to over 5000 is some leap. For the sake of those reliant on tourism income I hope he's right but unless quarantine, tests and all the excess paperwork is done away with then I have my doubts.

I suggest the morons who run TAT ( which, by the way is very aptly named), should read this article before spouting off what a success we are going to have.

Thai tourism in a "coma" - confidence at its worst level since records beghttps://newsletter.aseannow.com/l/80JvQpy4F763IZJWxIvkNCXQ/jJVEupWS0vhwvxwyXj1VhA/lrFiObueiz0Z09dL2c23Jgan, says academic

I'd like to know where these one million tourists are coming from. It's not going to be Europe, unless they change the rules completely. People go on holiday to relax and don't want hassle and stress either when they're on their holiday or during the build up and that's why the Meditteranean is a more attractive proposition right now. Winter sun? Not the Med but places that don't have the following rules in place:

 

Certificate of Entry

Mandatory Covid insurance from limited suppliers

Pre departure and post-arrival covid tests

Quarantine of any sort

Hotels of choice unavailable due to not having the right registration

Face masks in all public places

No bars

No alcohol in restaurants

Curfew

Possibility of being thrown into dreadful hospital facilities if you're in contact with a covid sufferer

 

I could go on.

 

All these restrictions need to go for Thailand to become an attractive destination, not to forget that airlines are also imposing strict rules which, again, long haul travellers don't want to put up with.

 

Good luck with your target TAT. I think the famous calculator might just have made another little error though.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

After a brief lull in which the chief of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Yutthasak Suphasorn seemed reluctant to make predictions he's back with a bang.

 

In a Thai Rath article he predicted that Phuket will get a million visitors in the fourth quarter, that starts today, combined with the first quarter (Jan to March 2022).

 

He said there would be an average of 5,000 visitors a day and they would spend a whopping 60 billion baht. 

And then after consuming his 15th tequila slammer in a row, he vomited over the tooth fairy, passed out and woke up without any memory of the previous night until he read this article... 

Well they won't be getting any Chinese tourists till well after CNY 2022 (beginning of Feb next year). 

 

China is not allowing any foreign spectators to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing, which run 4-20 Feb, so it's reasonable to assume that the fear of imported Covid will also preclude allowing mass outbound tourism. Not that I'm missing Chinese outbound tours here in Thailand ...

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/29/beijing-olympics-to-ban-foreign-spectators-implement-covid-vaccination-protocols.html

 

 

 

Fire these idiots and get a monkey top do the forecasts.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In a Thai Rath article he predicted that Phuket will get a million visitors in the fourth quarter, that starts today, combined with the first quarter (Jan to March 2022).

He really should be put-out somewhere where he can't be heard.

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

TAT lunch room dart board always used prior to announcements  

I thought darts was banned too.. or is that something else reserved for Thais only?

11 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Fire these idiots and get a monkey top do the forecasts.

I can't say it bcos I'll be on a suspension again, but lets just say your request may already in place.

..........????

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

I envision the TAT office with some kind roulette wheel where it is spun every morning and what numbers comes up theses are the numbers they put out to the media as there is no other reliable and sure way to predict tourists in commingling, maybe they should try to consult a Mo Du in the future...

Just like the SRT, the TAT is totally hopeless. Run by nitwits.

I predict, that the Chief pr1ck of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Yutthasak Suphasorn should stop  predictions and tell all those tourist venues, hotels, restaurants, historical sites and national parks, that:
money comes from tourists
tourists do not want to be cheated but treated fairly
same price for same service (no dual pricing)

That, Mr Chief pr1ck, might be much better prediction than anything else I've heard in the last few years from your dream factory 

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

I envision the TAT office with some kind roulette wheel where it is spun every morning and what numbers comes up theses are the numbers they put out to the media as there is no other reliable and sure way to predict tourists in commingling, maybe they should try to consult a Mo Du in the future...

About the same chances as this:

 

 

????????????

3 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

Fire these idiots and get a monkey top do the forecasts.

They already have a monkey

"All the ministries and agencies had to pull together he said."

 

Sounds like they are doing a fine job of that. What a mess lol 

Could the TAT also give their predictions and numbers for the next US powerbowl lottery please.

 

Thank you,

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

I'd like to know where these one million tourists are coming from. It's not going to be Europe, unless they change the rules completely. People go on holiday to relax and don't want hassle and stress either when they're on their holiday or during the build up and that's why the Meditteranean is a more attractive proposition right now. Winter sun? Not the Med but places that don't have the following rules in place:

 

Certificate of Entry

Mandatory Covid insurance from limited suppliers

Pre departure and post-arrival covid tests

Quarantine of any sort

Hotels of choice unavailable due to not having the right registration

Face masks in all public places

No bars

No alcohol in restaurants

Curfew

Possibility of being thrown into dreadful hospital facilities if you're in contact with a covid sufferer

 

I could go on.

 

All these restrictions need to go for Thailand to become an attractive destination, not to forget that airlines are also imposing strict rules which, again, long haul travellers don't want to put up with.

 

Good luck with your target TAT. I think the famous calculator might just have made another little error though.

 

 

 

 

Well said!

I like the way that this "TAT predicts 1 million tourists" story follows

the "Thai tourism is in a coma" article in the newsletter - tourist news for everyone!

Must be the scrotum leaves they are consuming

 

Only one????

 

Maybe TAT just woke up from their personal coma, and forgot to

look at the present situation, before making their prediction.

  It will all be a misunderstanding, and a new prediction will come out

eventually.  Not everyone in the world wants to fly to Phuket. There

are even people who have no interest at all to go to anywhere in

Thailand,  but I guess no one told this to TAT.

Geezer

What they don't tell these tourists in written footnotes is that if they catch covid during their stay, they must quarantine in an approved hospital or hotel. Basically ruining their stay. In worst case scenario, the hospitals will charge them a whopping 60-100,000 baht for 10-14 days Q. And have fun wearing those masks everywhere you go. Most countries have waived much of their restrictions, and so why would anyone want to come if they'd be subjected to all these requirements if they can be more free at home? Does that sound like a nice vacation that TAT has considered? Maybe they're indeed too busy over at TAT rolling that roulette guessing number after all.