File photo: Foreign tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport during the first day of the country's reopening campaign, part of the government's plan to jump-start the pandemic-hit tourism sector in Bangkok, Thailand November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File

 

A day after a senior Chonburi tourism official slammed the government's opening of the country as smoke and mirrors and window dressing rhetoric the Tourism Authority of Thailand chief has hit back with his own brand of unbridled optimism.

 

Thanet Supharothatrangsi said virtually no tourists were coming, they were people like property owning expats or those with families. He blamed the government for putting too many obstacles in the way of real tourists who were opting for Cambodia instead.

 

Enter Yutthasak Suphasorn of the TAT into the fray. He had a different version not just of the present but the fantastic future that would be Thai tourism.

 

In comments to Thai business media he said that at the start of the reopening on November 1st there were just 2,000 tourists a day.

 

This had now mushroomed into 3,000 to 4,000 a day. This compared favorably to the Phuket Sandbox .

 

On the "Test and Go" idea - roundly criticized by Thanet who said it was putting tourists completely off a trip to Thailand - Yutthasak claimed it was "creating confidence among tourists".

 

Many airlines were now beating a path to Thailand's door he said noting that Emirates even wanted to land their A380 airbusses. 

 

"That's 500 tourists on each flight," enthused Yutthasak.

 

Other airlines wanted to get into Krabi and Samui as well.

 

All this optimism led him to believe that the future was rosy.

 

November would see 100,000 foreign arrivals, he noted.

 

But next month through to March there would be 300,000 foreign tourists a month. 

 

Then he went into an almost misty eyed reverie about auspicious signs, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

"The early arrival of the cool season bodes well for the future of tourism," he claimed. 

 

Then came further predictions:

 

2022 - The total spending on domestic and foreign tourism would be 1.5 TRILLION baht or 50% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

 

In 2023 it would be 2.4 trillion or 80% of 2019.

 

In 2024 the full three trillion would be achieved bringing the country back to 2019 levels.

 

This would be achieved with quality, high spending tourists - no need to focus on huge numbers as before, he noted.

 

He had three scenarios in mind for the number of foreign tourists next year:

 

Best case was 18 million spending 1.05 trillion baht.

 

Worst case was 10 million spending 620 billion baht. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that some quarters have criticized the TAT for plucking figures from the ether or perhaps utilizing the services of a mythical Thai crystal ball. 

 

Many, like Thanet, suggest that only when petty obstacles and changes to measures like the ban on alcohol are removed will the trickle of tourists become anything more substantial.

 

Even then many online agree that reluctance to engage in  international travel - and the competition offered by other nations vying for the tourism dollar  - may mean the TAT projections prove to be a tad optimistic. 

 

We'll let you be the judge. 

 

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...and I predict its all bunkum

I predict that tomorrow will be a sunny day.... unless rain screws it up  555......  TAT and it's non sense predictions/hopes and estimates

They're TAT it again !

I'm buying 6 condos 

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Many airlines were now beating a path to Thailand's door he said noting that Emirates even wanted to land their A380 airbusses. 

 

"That's 500 tourists on each flight," enthused Yutthasak.

No.....that is 500 seats on each flight.

Why is it so important for TAT to come with all these predictions? It makes no sense!

Well done TAT, the insurance industry must be overjoyed with this exciting revelation, I know I am!

Where does this idea of bringing only wealthy tourists come from?

 

What was great about Thailand is it was cheap so your money goes 3 times as far... all changed in 2019 when a Big Mac meal now costs more than in Australia or US ????

 

6 minutes ago, pitufikken said:

Why is it so important for TAT to come with all these predictions? It makes no sense!

I guess the real data is so bad it makes sense to distract with wild speculations....sorry, predictions.

23 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

No.....that is 500 seats on each flight.

Beat me to that one.

This would be 50% of 2019? I think the people at TAT had too much Kratom when they came up with these numbers.

Maybe they just made a mistake and actually they meant 1.8 million?

I say they get 5 million, if they get rid of Thailandpass and Test&Go asap.

16 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Where does this idea of bringing only wealthy tourists come from?

 

What was great about Thailand is it was cheap so your money goes 3 times as far... all changed in 2019 when a Big Mac meal now costs more than in Australia or US ????

 

But it doesn't get you as fat I've heard.

I predict 10 million more business closed down.

Is he retarded or just plain stupid without any common sense.  Sheesh!

32 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Where does this idea of bringing only wealthy tourists come from?

 

What was great about Thailand is it was cheap so your money goes 3 times as far... all changed in 2019 when a Big Mac meal now costs more than in Australia or US ????

 

On the other hand,

Roadside Moo Ping is 5bht a stick.

Four of those and 5bht of sticky rice and I'm stuffed full!

 

Back to the OP, I predict less than 5M, assuming the 1 night quarantine, test on arrival, Thailand pass, and compulsory insurance are dropped.

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

On the other hand,

Roadside Moo Ping is 5bht a stick.

Four of those and 5bht of sticky rice and I'm stuffed full!

Can only manage two and half the rice....

Yes! 18 million Indian billionaires, coming to Thailand for a 5-day holiday, but spending 1 trillion baht while here...

The sadness for me is seeing people reopen their businesses on the strength of this guys hopeful speculation. In Phuket, I've noticed more restaurants open at night. Mostly empty still.

 

I get it, build it and they will come, but at least be realistic so people can plan their livelihoods and not the bet the farm with the scraps they have left.

More Fairy Stories from TAT.....the Hub of Wet Dreams !

43 minutes ago, pitufikken said:

Why is it so important for TAT to come with all these predictions? It makes no sense!

Since when did Common Sense enter into Thai minds ?

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

Best case was 18 million spending 1.05 trillion baht.

 

Worst case was 10 million spending 620 billion baht.

Best case is 49,315 daily arrivals in average, worst case only 27.397 daily arrivals - however from next month through March 300.000 arrivals per month, leaving 17 million best case, and 9 million case for the remaining nine months, which equals almost 62,000 arrivals per day in best case, or nearly 33,000 daily arrivals in worst case - when it comes to TAT's calculations "amazing Thailand" makes plenty of excellent sense...

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Many airlines were now beating a path to Thailand's door he said noting that Emirates even wanted to land their A380 airbusses. 

 

"That's 500 tourists on each flight," enthused Yutthasak.

It's not a question of number of seats in an aircraft, it's a question of number of seats filled with passenger for Thailand. With a daily figure of arrivals around 50,000 to hit the TAT expectations it equals 100 full A380 aircrafts arriving every single day, which equals 40 percent the World's A380 capacity...

I copy this in my atoma book and at the same date next year i will open it and realise what are the results.

Stop dreaming, Chinese people are not gonna come with that zero Covid policy.

Dear Fantasy Factory, please stop.

I was trying to explain to an American woman who hasn't been out of the country in 40 years why it is that Asians/Thais lie straight out and others let them get away with it. The answer I think is the same old same old: face.

Face is more important than truth or reality. And part of face is not being embarrassed or confronted for saying something almost insane. So everyone goes along with it, and in the mean time the tools to deal with a situation are left far behind.

18 million tourists spending 1 trillion baht?

I'm guessing they factored in the scam covid insurance, mandatory prison when no symptoms, 1 night quarantine hotel and PCR test and ATK

 

Is this part of a new Comedy section?

They need to test them for STD'S  and not just COVID. Pattaya opened up 01 Nov and the number of STDs cases are climbing