Thailand again signals move away from mass-market foreign tourism with falling numbers

[webfact]

(Left) The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Yuthasak Supasorn has announced a new advertising campaign this week using social media influencers is to be launched at the world’s top tourism trade fair in March 2022. His tourism promotion agency has also outlined further detailed plans to move foreign tourism promotion and development to the metaverse, the promotion of cryptocurrency and an integrated Thai tourism platform in recent months. These initiatives are far from the current reality of the languishing foreign tourism industry based primarily on western visitors who have been habitual tourists to Thailand in previous decades. This year will see a maximum of 1% of 2019’s levels achieved in terms of visitors and expenditure with the World Bank predicting this week it will take a further two years to reach just half the former level of activity.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

 

Continued statements that Thailand is moving away from its former, perhaps controversial but highly lucrative foreign tourism market must tend to irk foreign adults who over the last thirty years or so have made Thailand a second home with many often spending their annual savings on trips to what used to be called the Land of Smiles. It is clear that the government is aiming to take advantage of the pandemic disaster to end Thailand’s reputation as a sex tourist haven, an ambition stated clearly by the country’s first female Minister of Tourism and Sports in 2014 after the military coup that year installed a junta government. 

 

With only modest gains being seen from the November 1st reopening and a prediction from the World Bank that it will be 2023 before the country even sees 50% of its former level of foreign tourism again, the question as to whether Thailand can now ever recover its key economic engine which represented up to 20% of GDP, is an open one which must be explored further. The situation is certainly not being helped by repeated assertions from government ministers, tourism promotion executives and agencies that the kingdom seeks a new and more upwardly mobile market or customer pool than in the past.

 

Thailand is again sending change signals to its foreign tourism market even as the figures for the November 1st reopening appear to be on course to resting at approximately 250,000 visitors for the last two months of the year leaving the final tally for 2021 at 350,000 or approximately 0.87% of what was seen in 2019.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2021/12/17/thailand-again-signals-end-of-mass-tourism-thai-examiner/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2021-12-18

 

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[RichardColeman]

Problem with aiming for high class tourists and the dismantling of the sex industry is that that is probably 6-8 million jobs out the window and no new industry to employ them on the horizon.

 

The aim for high class tourists and no more sex industry is a fine aim, but they should not even attempt anything like that until tourism is back to 32-40 million a year and they have something in place to support their goals and start the transferring the sex industry workers and soon to be 'poor' tourism support workers to better jobs 

[Cherrytreeview]

0.87% of 2019 levels and that includes returnees and genuine business travel.

Yet the Pattaya subsection of the forum is full of sexpats thinking Pattaya is bursting at the seams.

It's genuinely sad for farang business owners but when the cold light of day hit's mid January 2022 and "high" season gives way to no season, they will realise that their frozen UK pension customers can't keep the doors open.

With inflation gaining traction globally and sterling at multi year lows, dear help those who have burned their bridges.

[fredscats]

Only because they cant get them

[redwood1]

Guys if you had a business that was a ROARING success for the last 50 years solid......What would you want to change about your business?

 

My guess is about 99.9% of you would want to change absolutely nothing...

 

So why this fanatical focus on changing tourism?

 

Really why? 

 

It seems since 2014 the goal has been to kill success stories,where ever they are found in Thailand...

 

 

 

[fredscats]

19 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

0.87% of 2019 levels and that includes returnees and genuine business travel.

Yet the Pattaya subsection of the forum is full of sexpats thinking Pattaya is bursting at the seams.

It's genuinely sad for farang business owners but when the cold light of day hit's mid January 2022 and "high" season gives way to no season, they will realise that their frozen UK pension customers can't keep the doors open.

With inflation gaining traction globally and sterling at multi year lows, dear help those who have burned their bridges.

LOL    you love pathetic ramblings of "burning bridges" " Dear Help"  LOL LOL      Nothing further that the actual truth  "frozen UK pensioners"   do not think there are many of them knocking around,if so their fault   "sterling at multi year lows"  Id set that comic book of yours down lol

 "Cold light of day"  tis cold UK  ,Thailand bit warmer...what you really need is a great stonking public sector pension,unfrozen OAP...untouchable!

[tomyami]

sex sells, zero cost  upmarket deserning customers will demand standards and when scammed will be more vocal than 2 week mils

Thailand needs to understand wine corkage rules as opposed a bad chaing

[Willy Wombat]

Just pissing into the wind is TAT.

 

They’re in absolutely no position to be picky with who comes to their country.

 

And if Omicron gets a grip in Thailand and it will, they will be begging anyone with a heartbeat to visit

[Soikhaonoiken]

13 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

Guys if you had a business that was a ROARING success for the last 50 years solid......What would you want to change about your business?

 

My guess is about 99.9% of you would want to change absolutely nothing...

 

So why this fanatical focus on changing tourism?

 

Really why? 

 

It seems since 2014 the goal has been to kill success stories,where ever they are found in Thailand...

 

 

 

Well said redwood 1, totally agree, why fix something that's not really broken,  yes, tourists have been on the decline over the past few years, (excluded covid years) but half the reason Thailand become complacent on tourists and took advantage of them by scams, duel pricing, etc, etc, 

Thailand never moved with the times to attract tourists, and thought the golden egg would last forever, 

But if they think by getting high spending quality tourists, they are deluded, as there are far nicer places in the world than Thailand, 

Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand for its fun factors, but spend my quality holidays in the Caribbean 

[Gold Star]

TAT is like a headless chicken, flailing around and bleeding to death in different directions:

 

- Let's get rid of the Chinese (Zero dollar tours)

- Let's bring in Pokemon Go' to save us

- Let's bring back the Chinese

- Let's make visas unnecessarily difficult

- Let's bring in the Indians to save us

- Let's close our Island parks

- Let's bring in high dollar tourists

- Let's charge tourists 10x more in parks

- Let's shut down Pattaya and make it all a family resort

- Let's have New Years entertainment

- Let's shut down any entertainment

- Let's make it nearly impossible to buy alcohol

- Let's create a tough list of restrictions and conditions for entry, insurance, and testing, make people pay for it all in advance, then change it every week

 

Enough!  Just quit squirming around with all the useless hype, remove the hurdles, and truly open the country.

 

Tourists will come, but it has to be easy. 

[daveAustin]

Oh well, back to banana republic you go. 

[ChC1]

I think some older times are too used to what it used to be. But from a neutral point of view, the change of direction is needed for Thailand.

 

First, it is the change of landscape. There are many factors will change post Covid. Thailand is already an expensive place due to strong Thai Baht. You guys kept saying that so it must be true. Now the crown of cheaper destinations are moving to Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia alike. Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and even Sri Lanka have built many international hotels in past decade, and are still building as we speak. These will add pressure to Thailand to maintain competitive edge. Not to mention the ambitious Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman plans, are all building tourism industry. When Thailand was top destination, nobody thought about Vietnam or Middle East. Now look at it. All the shining and new hotels along the coastline, and casinos, which Thailand is short of. Thailand can not maintain to be a cheap destination in next decade. There are too many alternatives, Thailand knows it.

 

Second, it is the change of clientele. For sure you old timers likes the bars, like the scene. But you older timers as a breed, is ... dying off slowly. No offense but look around yourself you would notice. How many under 35s customers you see in the place you are going for sex?...one, two, three...Yes you see the same old same old year after year. All the younger ones are dating through app, or stay at home to use P0rl2 hul3. Sure there is always new blood discovering gogo bars and soapy massages. But next time when you are back home in USA or UK, have a look around. One thing you will notice any sizeable city in USA or UK, all have multiple Thai Massage shops. Remember the New England Patriot boss who got caught in a Florida Thai Massage place? You do not need to come to Thailand to get Thai sex. The novelty of an authentic Thai gogo bar, or soapy massages is not attractive any more in today's globalised world. 

 

There will always be changes in the world. Thailand has changed. It may need more changes ahead. For good or for bad. Will Thailand get rid of the image of land of sex? I don't know. But for the planners, or anyone who has a sense of market, it is dangerous to stay where you were while ignore the competition next door. A winning formula can only last you so long until there are copy cats everywhere.

 

However, that being said, I still doubt TAT's ability to repositioning Thailand's tourism industry. They might be able to identify the problem, and its obvious solution. But they are shXt in draw up a strategy and even worse at implement such grand strategy. So, yes, nothing will change in the end. Except soon all the gogo bars will have frail older guys with walking frames complaining the music is too loud. 

[ftpjtm]

The strange thing about these articles is that the single, male, bar frequenting visitors to Pattaya, Phuket etc are probably among the highest income tourists coming to Thailand. Are they planning on increasing the financial strength of tourists by blocking European, American and Australian "2 week millionaires" in favor of Chinese tour groups? Shutting down the old school Pattaya and reverting back to all other pre COVID policies will discourage a substantial portion of the middle - upper tier income tourists, while doing nothing to discourage the lowest spending tier (Asian tour groups). 

 

I can't see the wealthy owners of western centric businesses catering to tourists being pleased with policies aiming to dissuade their customers from visiting Thailand. 

[Chang_paarp]

If TAT wants to attract the elusive "high end" of the tourist market they will have to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is built to the needed quality and . . . . . maintained. 

 

Not holding my breath.

[ikke1959]

No wonder if the Government think that they know everything best. Years ago there were backpackers coming to THailand to stay here, sometimes, work/teach and spend ther money with travelling around. But the Government changed visa rules and ordered strict rules to get a workpermit and was not qualified was not welcome anymore. Than there were people with a wife and maybe some kids. The wife had a shop or a small restaurant, and they could earn a living. but the foreigners who could have the money for marriage visa or retirement visa came on tourists visa that they renewed with border runs. But the Government decicde it was illegal to do so many times and now they have left. Wife probably no shop or restaurant anymore. 

Than the people coming to live here. I was once at immigration offce and the officer was very unfriendly to an eldery couple. They had bought a house, furniture, a car, and invested so several millions of THB. But the officer  said that the needed to have a bank account with 800.000 each on it. The man almost cried and said look what we invested and bought and I don't have that money anymore. I don't know what the result was because I was finished and left the office, but it is just an example how you don't handle people who want to come to live here.  If the Government has a bit of brains they shojld know that retirees have kids, who will come to visit their parents, grandparents and that are tourists too. But by making the rules very strict, and change every year almost to more paperwork, it is not welcoming for foreigners to live here,  even if they have a lot of money. 90 days reports/renew the visa with every year the same or more paperwork and requirements, no it gives a feeling that you are a criminal/ an unwanted guest, and than there so many other issues as double pricing, and lately the court that ruled that foreigners can pay more for the same treatment because they have more money. You can destroy a reputation easily, but it is so difficult to rebuild it...That is why Thailand is not popular anymore with tourists. Treat them as guests, welcome them warmly instead of grumpy officers at the borders and long cues. Get rid of the 90 days report it is no use and double pricing, and try to attrack more tourists, by less hurdles for visa or entry the country. It will take years to recover but that is the Government to blame.   

[Damrongsak]

26 minutes ago, ChC1 said:

I think some older times are too used to what it used to be. But from a neutral point of view, the change of direction is needed for Thailand.  ...

 

... Will Thailand get rid of the image of land of sex? I don't know.  ...

All has to do with pricing.  When I was there in the age of dinosaurs, I could have a good time for 50 Baht or less up-country.  90 Baht at one place in Bangkok, but they provided the short time room and it was in a nice part of town. That was like $4.50 at the exchange rate at that time. 

[peter zwart]

I think a transition can work. But then you have to come up with a roadmap that is clear and that is supported and communicated by the entire cabinet. The sex workers will always be there, just not as in your face as it is now.

Edited December 18, 2021 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[sirineou]

Many other countries have a strong tourism industry without the sex aspect., why cant  Thailand? 

This is a perfect opportunity IMO for Thailand to make the change. but to do so it would require that they also change their insane policies, how they are implemented, and some of the practices in the public sector. 

To attract an upscale customer they need to provide an upscale product.   

Edited December 17, 2021 by sirineou

[bkk6060]

Most of the sex industry seekers I know who come here have and spend a lot of money.  The 2 week millionaire is a real thing and generates much more economically then the tour groups or families I would imagine.

[fredscats]

45 minutes ago, ChC1 said:

 Except soon all the gogo bars will have frail older guys with walking frames complaining the music is too loud. 

No better place for the "frail older guys", no ambition of visit to go go bars tho,  weather for one is the winner  

 

Seen the prices for Thai massages in western world?,prices for high end saunas? 60 quid for 2 hours  Neighbours may complain  music is too loud tho,deaf aid missing?. 1 to 2 hour massage every day,happy endings,gardeners,cleaners,big house,dirt cheap

 

Thailand more than definate had its day,fewer crowds,but user friendly, makes my day

  Spain would be my ultimate destination,not UK its a dump,but Spain has a definate winter,but that coastline and the Med  beats all

[KhaoYai]

Talk, nothing but talk.  Have they got the money to clean up the country in such a way that would be attractive to their Hi-So target market?  Its one thing getting the girls off the streets (if that was even possible) but its quite a different matter to get rid of the rats that writhe around in the mountains of black bin bags on those same streets.  How many taxis would this new market need? Would they even travel in a beaten up old ex write off? What if those Hi-So tourists wanted to rent a car and see a little more of the country? How would they feel about driving amongst a bunch of lunatics running red lights and undertaking you in the hard shoulder as your exiting the expressway?  Water that drains the wrong way out of the shower in a 5000 baht per night room? Can they change all that?

 

How many Hi-So's will put up with having to pay tea money for their visas or being asked for 16 photo copies of their passport?

 

Even if they could do all that, how long would it take to achieve a market value anywhere near the one they think they can replace. Can they accept another 5 , 10,, 15 years like the last 2? These people must get paid on the amount of ridiculous ideas they come up with.

 

'only modest gains being seen from the November re-opening'? Somebody please tell them that compulsory waiting for a test result, locked in a hotel room is actually called quarantine, not 'Exemption from Quarantine'. There are plenty of destinations open that don't require the uploading of countless forms to ensure the state doesn't have pay a penny if you do fall ill.  Granted, now its working better, Thailand Pass is much easier than COE was but most other tourist destinations don't require anything like it. Flash your vaccine passport and you're in.  Neither do they cart negative testing tourists off to quarantine (at their own expense) if they've been sitting close to someone who tests positive - what sort of an advert is that?

 

Fair enough, they want to protect the country, so stay closed. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

Have they done any market research? Are they aware that there are already plenty of places already serving the market they seek and tourists that really like it there can buy a holiday home. High end toursim? Its a joke right?

Edited December 17, 2021 by KhaoYai

[Blumpie]

I see 2023 being a real possibility of a recovery of sorts.  I rightly, as so many here predicted that this year would be a total and utter flop.  2022 is not looking much better - let's see if omicron wipes out the pandemic or not.  

 

The world bank.  At least it's a reputable organization making these predictions, not the Thai Government.  

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Guys if you had a business that was a ROARING success for the last 50 years solid......What would you want to change about your business?

 

My guess is about 99.9% of you would want to change absolutely nothing...

 

So why this fanatical focus on changing tourism?

 

Really why? 

 

It seems since 2014 the goal has been to kill success stories,where ever they are found in Thailand...

 

 

 

When you get a group of overly self entitled goons, who know nothing about anything, running the country, the only reasonable outcome is failure, sabotage and destruction. 

[tonray]

1 hour ago, ftpjtm said:

The strange thing about these articles is that the single, male, bar frequenting visitors to Pattaya, Phuket etc are probably among the highest income tourists coming to Thailand.

Well at least until they run thru all their cash and put up a GoFundMe page

[Oracle2022]

The beginning of the end had started before Covid - with many places in Sukhumvit being shut down, torn down and new buildings going up.

 

Covid has allowed this process to be accelerated.

 

I see Thailand Pass will remain in place for the next year at least. It allows very good "verification" of people and stops the unwanted getting into Thailand. Not all of course, but a lot of them now cannot enter.  This helps them push along their 'bad guy out - good guy in" policy.

 

The seedy side of life will continue to falter, more bars go under - allowing the Thai developers to land grab and tear more down and built more new - non seedy places.

 

They are trying to push the seedy side of life further and further away from being openly visible, whilst at the same time getting nice prime land to develop.

 

With that lovely new park where the Thai Tobacco Monopoly was.........its not going to be long before Soi 4 gets pulverised, shut down, land purchased up, everything torn down and developed into new high rise apartments and condos.

 

The writing is on the wall.

 

The push for "better quality" tourists will continue with the continuing use of Thailand Pass throughout 2022 and perhaps even into 2023.

[spidermike007]

Again, the fundamental misunderstanding is that as much as Thailand wants rich tourists and expats, the truth is that those folks have little use for Thailand. Especially in its current form. 

 

And the other aspect that the clowns refuse to address, is you can only hope to attract them if three things take place. 

 

1. Lower the luxury and wine taxes dramatically. 

 

2. Improve the nation. Stop the backwards trajectory. 

 

3. Make the necessary sacrifices to attract this caliber of people, and start thinking about the future of the nation, and the health and well being of the people. And admit Thailand needs these folks 100x more than they need Thailand, the forgotten nation. 

 

In reality, the nation will never move forward with the retrograde dinosaurs in charge. So, the hope is DOA. So is the future of tourism. 

[Oracle2022]

And for anyone who complains about poor Thai's not having jobs and not having money.

 

The people in charge of Thailand do not give a flying monkey about them.......all that matters is the rich get richer and keep pumping up their Singapore and Hong Kong bank accounts with more and more cash.

 

6 million people might lose their jobs, but if some rich people can make 1 billion dollars developing more condos on Sukhumvit and in Phuket and in Pattaya and Hua Hin - that is what matters to them.

 

Thailand does not have a democracy anymore - the people cannot win against the forces that control them - and it is in the interest of those very rich people now to get rid of poor tourists, zero dollar ones, sex tourists - and then land grab everything that falls out for development.

[spidermike007]

3 minutes ago, Oracle2022 said:

The beginning of the end had started before Covid - with many places in Sukhumvit being shut down, torn down and new buildings going up.

 

Covid has allowed this process to be accelerated.

 

I see Thailand Pass will remain in place for the next year at least. It allows very good "verification" of people and stops the unwanted getting into Thailand. Not all of course, but a lot of them now cannot enter.  This helps them push along their 'bad guy out - good guy in" policy.

 

The seedy side of life will continue to falter, more bars go under - allowing the Thai developers to land grab and tear more down and built more new - non seedy places.

 

They are trying to push the seedy side of life further and further away from being openly visible, whilst at the same time getting nice prime land to develop.

 

With that lovely new park where the Thai Tobacco Monopoly was.........its not going to be long before Soi 4 gets pulverised, shut down, land purchased up, everything torn down and developed into new high rise apartments and condos.

 

The writing is on the wall.

 

The push for "better quality" tourists will continue with the continuing use of Thailand Pass throughout 2022 and perhaps even into 2023.

You may be right. And let's add in the fact that the more they develop, the higher the vacancy and rate of unsold units, now that the fools have devastated the economy. 

[pokerface1]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Continued statements that Thailand is moving away from its former, perhaps controversial but highly lucrative foreign tourism market

Wrong wrong!! The world is moving away from Thailand as a tourist destination. They are just trying to save face by trying to show that they control the narrative

[DonniePeverley]

Every city has a seedy element to it. Singapore, Tokyo, London, Las Vegas, New York. Hell, prositution is LEGAL in alot of European countries like Amsterdam, cities in Germany and America. 

 

Load of old nonsense. Thailand is a budget vaccation and decent value for money, where we go for a budget vaccation. If we had the money there are more luxurious places to spend your money.