TAT: Thailand needs high earning, high quality tourists - "value over volume" to get 80% back by 2023

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, hotchilli said:

What Thailand needs is it's own industry, it's own commercial sector... tourism should be a bonus.

Unfortunately that last 6 years has been spent doing nothing for the nations prosperity and stability.

Touting wealthy tourists to be a saviour is a disaster waiting to happen and an affirmation that they have no idea how to build a sustainable nation.

 

They are soldiers, not politicians, they are in government through default. They haven't a clue about prosperity or stability, they have about the same mentality as the ordinary Somchai or Lek in the street.

Things will improve when the Thai people vote in a proper government with actual politicians, but by how much I don't know as it has been so long since the country had that. Thailand is a third world country with third world mentality, and always will be.

 

[starky]

On 12/15/2021 at 12:48 PM, RandolphGB said:

Keep dreaming. High value tourists have other destinations in mind. You know, places where they fix the pavements, taxi drivers don’t scam them, police follow the rule of law, bars don’t rip them off, and they’re generally appreciated.

Well I generally agree but I doubt high value tourists anywhere spend most of their "vacation" in bars.

Edited December 16, 2021 by starky

[starky]

On 12/15/2021 at 1:08 PM, tonray said:

Let's see ..I'm not what would be classified as a high earning, big spending foreigner...but...in the past 3 years I helped with down payment on a townhouse (where I now live and maintain), I bought 2 cars, I bought two insurance policies (one for my health and one for my extension), and of course I spend money for food, domestic travel, etc etc. But tired old expats like me...out....big spending high flyers in....5555

What has any of that got to do with tourism? 

[Cherrytreeview]

Something like 140,000 people came in November and something similar for the first 2 weeks of December.

Take out returnees and sex tourists and Thai tourism is kaput.

Omicron going to explode globally and wait till you see the percentage of people failing PCR tests before and after trying to get to Thailand.

You need your head examining to return to Thailand unless you have a valid reason other than a holiday.

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

I have a question for you, TAT. What would you rather have: 10 ‘high quality’ tourists who spend 100,000 baht each, or 1000 ‘ordinary’ tourists who spend 10,000 baht each? Can you please stop dreaming about attracting huge numbers of big spending high quality tourists and just focus on the regular tourist? Because that will bring in (a lot) more money in the long run. 

Just how do you expect a bunch of tinpot soldiers led by an unelected general posing as a PM to realise that? Does the TAT guy and these soldiers know each other?

[AnotherFarang8]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

They are soldiers,

 

Judging by an insane number of medals they won all the world wars.

[tomacht8]

On 12/15/2021 at 2:07 PM, MasterBaker said:

this is as stupid as making Pattaya a family resort. Sex industry was killed then, now tourism industry will be slaughtered too

One of the main strengths of Thai tourism was its diversity. Families for a beach vacation, sex tourists, backpackers, nature lovers, party people, long-stay pensioners, snowbirds, medical tourists, 1-day border tourists. And there are enough 5-star facilities with private beaches for high-end tourists. There was something for everyone.

 

In 2019 Thailand has 40 million international arrivals. In 2021 400,000 at best. That corresponds to a decrease of 99% !!!

 

With its constant overestimation of numbers (20 million in 2022), the TAT has lost all reference to reality. The useless and clueless TAT is simply burning taxpayers money, nothing else.

[terryofcrete]

18 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Agreed --always feel one sided in many of my exps with thais....

So what are they offering to LURE these high quality tourists?.....what a imagination thais have as they live in this perfect little bubble world they all think the outside world is begging to get inside of.....smh

My brother is a high earner and a big spender ...he came to Thailand for a week en route home from a wedding in Hong Kong. All he said to me was why on Earth do you go to that place ! He never went back. My son is very wealthy . He rented a villa on the water in Fisherman's village in Samui... posh gaff ..$1000 a day ... He said he will never go again....

me... I'm a €25 a night , street food or Cheap Charlie,  baht bus, Bukahao guy... 4 months a year.... I love it... I'm not wanted now ... but guess what ! I actually spend a lot of money .... we shall say no more . 

[HAPPYNUFF]

Well, Ive just had the pilot  warm  up my Lear Jet,  and the  Captain prepare   the     ocean going   launch.   The wife and I sat  and   discussed where to go  this  year on our   wheeler dealer, big spending holiday.,  Visa, Mastercard, Amex , Diners  cards all   packed and  ready as well.

We   decided somewhere upmarket, clean, safe, good infrastructure,  hospitable, friendly people.     So  Sorry,    Thailand didnt even get a mention.

[Blumpie]

3 hours ago, terryofcrete said:

My brother is a high earner and a big spender ...he came to Thailand for a week en route home from a wedding in Hong Kong. All he said to me was why on Earth do you go to that place ! He never went back. My son is very wealthy . He rented a villa on the water in Fisherman's village in Samui... posh gaff ..$1000 a day ... He said he will never go again....

me... I'm a €25 a night , street food or Cheap Charlie,  baht bus, Bukahao guy... 4 months a year.... I love it... I'm not wanted now ... but guess what ! I actually spend a lot of money .... we shall say no more . 

Ha ha ha  no kidding.  

Thailand is not a rich destination.  I had the same experience with a friend.  When he left he gave me all his thiabhat and said you can have this I'm never coming here again.  

 

[expat1010]

Easy clean up the air so it is always well below the AQI 2.5 threshold and clean up the ocean so when I am knee deep in the water I can see my feet. Just for a start

[Sticky Rice Balls]

5 hours ago, terryofcrete said:

My brother is a high earner and a big spender ...he came to Thailand for a week en route home from a wedding in Hong Kong. All he said to me was why on Earth do you go to that place ! He never went back. My son is very wealthy . He rented a villa on the water in Fisherman's village in Samui... posh gaff ..$1000 a day ... He said he will never go again....

me... I'm a €25 a night , street food or Cheap Charlie,  baht bus, Bukahao guy... 4 months a year.... I love it... I'm not wanted now ... but guess what ! I actually spend a lot of money .... we shall say no more . 

that would also be me--Cheap Charlies Unite!!!!

[Moonfire]

Thailand has a very wide range of hotels, a very wide range of places to eat as well as shops. These all support Thais. Higher quality means fewer tourist and their money will not touch the wide range of hotels, food stalls and shops. This thinking of higher quality tourist will hurt the mom/pop type businesses. 

[ChC1]

Reading some of the post talking about 'higher earning' relatives or even sons swearing 'never Thailand' again, is entertaining.

 

Sure, Thailand's drive to lure wealthy is laughable. But some of the posters clearly do not understand the luxury market although they claim to have relatively high earner relatives.

 

I can only say, there is a luxury segment in Thailand's tourism, which is enjoying a booming time. You don't see these people. They are not all well known, but have higher than average net worth. They arrive by private jet, or commercial jet in First/business class. But they have service that take them directly off a plane by limo and out to their private villas or residences. You see few of them in country clubs. Occasionally in hotels like Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Evason etc. 

 

Sometimes it is not how much you can spend define class. It is how you can enjoy spending on the things define class matters. For instance, if you have class and money, you would not go to Fisherman's Village in Samui. You would be heading directly to the Ritz-Carlton, Conrad (has to be residence, not the hotel itself), Four Seasons in Koh Samui. 

 

Thailand is a place full of luxury and great hospitality. If you know how to spend and where to spend your money, you can live like a king. If you have money, and did not enjoy Thailand, you are more likely to be a fool does not know where to go and how to enjoy. In my personal opinion, they are more likely being mislead by their poorer relatives. 

[Boyn]

On 12/15/2021 at 1:48 AM, RandolphGB said:

Keep dreaming. High value tourists have other destinations in mind. You know, places where they fix the pavements, taxi drivers don’t scam them, police follow the rule of law, bars don’t rip them off, and they’re generally appreciated.

Where is that? i want to go

[The Cipher]

1 hour ago, ChC1 said:

Reading some of the post talking about 'higher earning' relatives or even sons swearing 'never Thailand' again, is entertaining.

Yeah. Something feels off about those stories. I wouldn't be surprised if some posters were fibbing in an attempt to gain clout.

 

1 hour ago, ChC1 said:

I can only say, there is a luxury segment in Thailand's tourism, which is enjoying a booming time. You don't see these people. They are not all well known, but have higher than average net worth.

Not sure if it's enjoying a booming time right now, but luxury segment definitely does exist.

 

Have written this before, but the reason a large number of posters on here don't believe the luxury traveler exists in Thailand because they filter themselves into places that they can afford/where they feel comfortable, then naturally see others like themselves in those spaces and assume it's representative of the entire market.

 

The fact that resorts like the Ritz at Phulay Bay and the Six Senses Yao Noi exist in Thailand should say plenty. Pretty sure it isn't backpackers staying there, yo.

 

Birds of a feather and whatnot.

[Blumpie]

1 hour ago, The Cipher said:

Yeah. Something feels off about those stories. I wouldn't be surprised if some posters were fibbing in an attempt to gain clout.

 

 

 

 

Oh absolutely you have the right to be very suspicious of many claims, even mine.  It was a singular incident.  ???? 

I only had one friend say that to me.  He didn't like it here, but oh well.  I still enjoyed it, but I'm not planning a trip back there under these current restrictions.  

[metisdead]

Some derogatory troll posts have been removed. 

[NeoDinosaw]

On 12/15/2021 at 1:50 AM, mikebell said:

When they're not quoting impossibly optimistic figures, they're spouting the bleedin' obvious.

I have PhD in "Stating the Bleedin' Obvious" from the University of Bums on Seats in the UK in 1982, so I am well qualified to tell  the ladies and gentlemen at TAT that it is better to have  6 modest spending tourists than one super-rich one.  If only they could think this one through ................

[jerrymahoney]

17 hours ago, possum1931 said:

They are soldiers, not politicians, they are in government through default. They haven't a clue about prosperity or stability, they have about the same mentality as the ordinary Somchai or Lek in the street.

Things will improve when the Thai people vote in a proper government with actual politicians, but by how much I don't know as it has been so long since the country had that. Thailand is a third world country with third world mentality, and always will be.

 

The Thai PM plays to a constituency of one.

[SAFETY FIRST]

30 minutes ago, NeoDinosaw said:

I have PhD in "Stating the Bleedin' Obvious" from the University of Bums

OMG, 

 

You'd be right at home on this forum, I'd say 90% of the comments are coming from fellow alumni. 

I reckon they have all studied at the same <deleted>y university. 

 

Lots of worthless input

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, Blumpie said:

Ha ha ha  no kidding.  

Thailand is not a rich destination.  I had the same experience with a friend.  When he left he gave me all his thiabhat and said you can have this I'm never coming here again.  

 

Well if he didn't have  a local lady seeing him off at the airport, hoping to get all that baht, he didn't make the best of it!

[HAPPYNUFF]

ChCI, I am positively thrilled, delighted  and chuffed that you have placed me amongst the elite of this world by obviously sighting me  walking through the lobby of  Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Evason  hotels etc,  on my way to using the  toilet facilities, after   dining  at the roadside stall outside.   Did  you like my eccentric attire,   flip flops, Chang T shirt  and football shorts too.   Of course    all the staff at these premises  assume I am   just another oddball filthy rich tourist  who stays   at their establishment.  Who am I  a  poor cheap charlie, to enlighten them??

[Whacker]

Some of those hiso wealthy big spender Thais should also be stepping up to the plate, and helping their brethern. Isn't there and old saying that charity begins at home? Why does The Thai government always want to have wealthy foreigners solve their financial problems?  Why can't they embarress the ultra rich Thais into helping out?  Maybe the government can set an example themselves by donating 10 percent of their salaries? Maybe Priwit can donate some of his watches. How many watches does he need to tell the time anyway?

[puck2]

On 12/15/2021 at 5:03 PM, Enzian said:

Yes the French Riviera is nice, but the equally nice ladies would like to see 500 Euros; there you have it, why you see the guys you do see here in LOS.

I will be in Italy as soon as the "cool" season here is over (and before April!) if it turns out to be practical, but sadly I have my doubts.

And before I forget, China delenda est.

I guess you never have ben in China (out of the very big cities). Otherwise you would not write such a NONSENSE. I have been 3x in Southern provinces, about 20 years ago, and have met a lot of very fine and helpfull people. I think people with a much better character than you.

 

My best friend is married to a lovely Chinese lady of Kunming. She has learnt the German language within half a year(!). Already 2 years later she got a fulltime job in a company, tranlating German into Chinese language and vice versa! She never brags about her knowledge!

 

Of course, people like you - serching the brothels (nice ladies ) - would never get contact to people of this kind!

 

Her father was an engineer, her mother a teacher. Both had big problems during the Mao period. Her older sister a translator in Hongkong, her brother a very fine and intelligent man.

[Babydodo]

Topic. More income for Thailand.

when will this country realise that there are the following issues that are known around the world:

 17,000 people killed on the roads every year.

 A few people die to a serial killer not yet caught in the south, and blamed on whoever.

 So many restrictions that change weekly to enter Thailand that even the government and the immigration cannot keep up.

 Not enough high flying hotels for these millionaires, plus if they come they will be restricted. Millionaires have boats for a reason. To stay away from plebs and regulations.

getting to anywhere, not just Thailand is an issue for all world travellers right now. TAT, needs to see this and stop sending messages of hope and lust for something that will never happen. It isn’t all about giving false hopes. It is about investing into what you want for the future.

 Since 1965, and the first banging music of the era and the US SERVICEMEN that made Thailand the country it is today with their dollars and tourism.  If you have a model that works (albeit a little off beat with the sex industry). Stick to it and keep it going. 55 years of profit before covid. Now you want to ruin that !!

you cannot change a generation  of mentality over 1 year of lockdown and covid.