Nationals parks hit with near billion baht shortfall compared to 2020 - foreigner visits fall nearly 3 million

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Figures released by Thailand's National Parks authority showed that 2021's fiscal year has been far worse than 2020.

 

In 2020 they raked in 1.36 billion baht.

 

This year it has been just 390 million baht.

 

The southern Thai island marine parks were the worst hit, reported Daily News.

 

Top five visited parks with money raised in 2021:

 

Khao Yai 66.3 million baht

Samet 21.4M

Similan 21.4M

Doi Inthanon 21.1M

Erawan 15.9M.

 

The total number of visitors in 2021 is 7,478,565 of which Thais were 7,326,154 and foreigners 152,411. 

 

Figures for 2020 were 13,994,678 total comprising 10,889,228 Thais and 3,105,451 foreigners.

 

This was a total drop of 6,516,114 people nearly half accounted for by the lack of foreign visitors. 

 

The top three most visited parks in 2021 were:

 

Khao Yai 1.1M

Samet 434,198

and

Doi Inthanon 381,889.

 

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[tonray]

555....maybe they can increase the foreigner surcharge to make up the difference

[Henryford]

10 minutes ago, tonray said:

555....maybe they can increase the foreigner surcharge to make up the difference

All they have to do is charge the farangs 6,364 baht each, sorted.

[tonray]

1 minute ago, Henryford said:

All they have to do is charge the farangs 6,364 baht each, sorted.

Maybe just charge OA visa holders....why punish everyone ?

[ThailandRyan]

Considering that Thailand has been basically closed this whole year, and was open for at least the first 3 months of 2020, it is not hard to understand the loss of revenue and tourists.  Add into it the extensive rules that have been put in place and the 3rd wave of Covid (Delta Variant) and no one was traveling much inside of the country except the diehard travelers.

[mtls2005]

Some mention of an additional 500 baht "tourist fee".

 

The resulting slush fund has been mentioned to be used on all sorts of things, like national parks, post-skim of course.

 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1234149-thailand-to-introduce-500-baht-tourist-entry-fee-from-jan-1st/

 

[Captain Monday]

Doi Inthanon been closed much of the year far as I know.

I try to avoid venues with Nationalistic (racist) entry pricing schemes.

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, tonray said:

Maybe just charge OA visa holders....why punish everyone ?

Also anyone with a non O-A is required to have insurance policy for national park coverage on top of existing cover.

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, tonray said:

Maybe just charge OA visa holders....why punish everyone ?

Why OA visa holders only, care to explain the need for another inequity added to those of us here on an OA or an extension of stay based upon the OA.

[sandyf]

14 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Considering that Thailand has been basically closed this whole year, and was open for at least the first 3 months of 2020, it is not hard to understand the loss of revenue and tourists. 

Not only that, in the latter half of 2020 the WTT(We Travel Together) scheme was in operation which generated a lot of domestic tourists. We had 17 nights away and visited a few national parks which were generally open after August, most were free and if there was a charge it was quite small. Restrictions increased again with the outbreak at New Year. We had a WTT booking for New Year in Pattaya and went, everything shut up and had to have a takeaway in the room.

This year WTT has just kicked off and uptake seems a great deal lower. We were in Rayong last week under the scheme and found most of the venues listed had baled out. It is far too late in the year for the current easing to have any real effect.

[toofarnorth]

20 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Doi Inthanon been closed much of the year far as I know.

I try to avoid venues with Nationalistic (racist) entry pricing schemes.

Me too .  Why should I pay more than the Thai millionaire in front of me ?

[Neeranam]

45 minutes ago, tonray said:

555....maybe they can increase the foreigner surcharge to make up the difference

There is no foreigner surcharge but local discount.

[Neeranam]

38 minutes ago, Henryford said:

All they have to do is charge the farangs 6,364 baht each, sorted.

Why just farang, why not all foreigners regardless of their colour?

[Captain Monday]

9 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

Me too .  Why should I pay more than the Thai millionaire in front of me ?

Because a Thai Billionaire is Thai. Foreigners are in Thailand to spend money, support Thais, or work.

Any Thai who got to the US for even a short time as a student, a worker, a spouse immediately can get a local ID card and enjoy  every benefit enjoyed by a citizen other that voting (including full rights under the Constitution) becoming President of the USA or serving as an Officer in the US armed forces.

[JonnyF]

No tears from me. As far as I am concerned their racist entrance fee policies can go down with them.

 

And no, a driving licence, a work permit or even proof of income tax paid doesn't get you in for the local rate if you are of European descent. Not since about 2016 anyway. 

[JonnyF]

10 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

There is no foreigner surcharge but local discount.

Apologising for racism. Classy.

[phetphet]

59 minutes ago, tonray said:

555....maybe they can increase the foreigner surcharge to make up the difference

Triple charging?

[Captain Monday]

22 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

There is no foreigner surcharge but local discount.

Citizenship is a pipe dream for most expats in Thailand let alone PR. I applaud your accomplishment and look forward to visiting an Independent Scotland. Perhaps to complete a Ms degree on a student visa and enjoy local discounts.????

Edited November 16, 2021 by Captain Monday

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Citizenship is a pipe dream for most expats in Thailand let alone PR. I applaud your accomplishment and look forward to visiting an Independent Scotland 

Thanks. Stay away from some of the golf courses and castles as they offer locals discount.

Same in Australia, but it is worse there.

Royal Melbourne golf club charges Thais 5000 BAHT more than Australians. Yet, I know Ozzie's who complain at paying $5 more to get into a park.

[Captain Monday]

29 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Because a Thai Billionaire is Thai. Foreigners are in Thailand to spend money, support Thais, or work.

Any Thai who got to the US for even a short time as a student, a worker, a spouse immediately can get a local ID card and enjoy  every benefit enjoyed by a citizen other that voting (including full rights under the Constitution) becoming President of the USA or serving as an Officer in the US armed forces.

How do you qualify as a local? Do you need a kindred heritage a known clan? Must one be "white"?

Golf certainly should be banned worldwide and the land commandeered for communal space and farmland but in the case of US, a racist empire, all you have to do is get local ID card.

 

Simple as an 18 year old Thai Girl who gets into community college in Santa Ana.

[tomacht8]

This is just a loss of profit and are not uncovered costs.

So no big drama here.

The parks have always been licenses to print money. The vulture knows what happens to the money and where it goes.

[Daithi85]

44 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Why just farang, why not all foreigners regardless of their colour?

????I'm confused. 

[Neeranam]

58 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

 

Any Thai who got to the US for even a short time as a student, a worker, a spouse immediately can get a local ID card and enjoy  every benefit enjoyed by a citizen other that voting (including full rights under the Constitution) becoming President of the USA or serving as an Officer in the US armed forces.

For me, as a retired Thai, to get a visa in the USA, I need to invest 16 million baht. 

For American retirees coming to Thailand, they must pay $50 and just SHOW their bank account. 

Don't ask for equality! 

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Karma. 

 

Suck it up double pricers. Long may the pain continue. 

[Captain Monday]

56 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

For me, as a retired Thai, to get a visa in the USA, I need to invest 16 million baht. 

For American retirees coming to Thailand, they must pay $50 and just SHOW their bank account. 

Don't ask for equality! 

 

 

I know you speak the truth but nothing to do with LOCAL discount to Disneyland, National Parks or State Parks in California. How do I get a local discount, as a US citizen to the satanic fell of the Orange ape, Trump International Scotland?

[Neeranam]

12 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

I know you speak the truth but nothing to do with LOCAL discount to Disneyland, National Parks or State Parks in California. How do I get a local discount, as a US citizen to the satanic fell of the Orange ape, Trump International Scotland?

Sadly, the great ape has given Americans a bad name, due to his exploitation of local landowners.  I used to  go to that beach often and have fond memories of Balmedie. 

 

 

[Captain Monday]

The other thing is I have been told informally by US consular staff that to get a tourist visa to US a girl or her parents need 75,000 USD cash assets and clear reason to return to Thailand so well less than 16 million baht. 

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

The other thing is I have been told informally by US consular staff that to get a tourist visa to US a girl or her parents need 75,000 USD cash assets and clear reason to return to Thailand so well less than 16 million baht. 

Does the US embassy discriminate against females or Thais? 

[itsari]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Thanks. Stay away from some of the golf courses and castles as they offer locals discount.

Same in Australia, but it is worse there.

Royal Melbourne golf club charges Thais 5000 BAHT more than Australians. Yet, I know Ozzie's who complain at paying $5 more to get into a park.

Australia is not main stream west anymore . They have dreamed up draconian laws that have contravened human rights in refugee status  , and  pension rights .

 

[Captain Monday]

9 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Sadly, the great ape has given Americans a bad name, due to his exploitation of local landowners.  I used to  go to that beach often and have fond memories of Balmedie. 

 

 

So nostalgic. Jesus Christ the actual damage he caused is so far beyond the imagination of this.