TAT upbeat in Phuket: Sandbox has attracted 327,000 "foreigners" spending 55,000 baht/trip

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand representative in Phuket was pitting a positive spin on the "sandbox" on the holiday island, reported Thai Rath.

 

Chief of the local TAT Nanthasiri Ronasiri said that foreigners continued to arrive on the island despite the "peak" of the tourist season being over.

 

On Monday there were 3,450 foreign tourists arriving on 24 flights operated by 18 airlines. 

 

Nanthasiri - sporting an amazing Thailand pin - said that 61,000 arrived so far in February.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The total since the start of the sandbox on July 1st 2021 was 327,000 leading to direct income of 18 billion baht.

 

Total turnover was 43 billion based on each tourist spending 55,000 baht per trip.

 

70,000 rooms were on offer with hotels reporting 35-50% occupancy. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that reports from those who have been through the sandbox indicated that many of the visitors were not really foreign tourists but returning expats perhaps with families living in Thailand. 

 

And many suggested that Thai people were included in the figures. 

 

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[RandiRona]

I heard that story about golden goose lay a golden egg but killed by greedy owner so seems like Thai govt is treating all tourists as golden goose and wants to get all eggs in one go...It looks like that Phuket Taxi mafia is running TAT now!!

 

[Hoppyone]

5 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I heard that story about golden goose lay a golden egg but killed by greedy owner so seems like Thai govt is treating all tourists as golden goose and wants to get all eggs in one go...It seems that Phuket Taxi mafia is running TAT now!!

 

Must be all cheap Charlie tourists only average spending 55,000 baht 

[RandiRona]

1 minute ago, Hoppyone said:

Must be all cheap Charlie tourists only average spending 55,000 baht 

Most of this is forced spending on SHA+ and other BS covid tests expenses so nothing much is going to local economy.

[ezzra]

Why the word  foreigners is showing with quotation marks? it can only mean that not all the visitors to the island are foreigners?...

[Gottfrid]

Hurray! They got back 0,8% of the lost tourism GDP! That, in about 6 month, which means:

In that speed it will just take a little bit under 40 years to get back on track. 

[sammieuk1]

Around 1,362 a day should reach 40m by 2030 -2035 to fulfil TAT's predictions ???? 

[soi3eddie]

The numbers quoted here and elsewhere should be broken down properly.

• How many Thais arrived on those flights?
• Are all foreign arrivals (including Thais) from overseas counted as tourists?
• If arriving on a Non-Immigrant Visa is that counted as being a tourist?
• Does the 55,000 Baht/Trip include airfare?
• How many are arriving on one-way tickets?

As usual clear as mud and publicised as a success story. "Positive spin". How about reality please?

 

[Pedrogaz]

I wonder what the 55000 baht spend includes? Does it include airfares to get here? COVID tests etc?

[StayinThailand2much]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

(...)

 

Total turnover was 43 billion based on each tourist (...)

 

(...) many of the visitors were not really foreign tourists but returning expats perhaps with families living in Thailand. 

 

And many suggested that Thai people were included in the figures. 

Says it all. I personally know returning expats and Thais who were included in that "tourist arrivals" figure.

[crazykopite]

That’s why the adverts say Amazing Thailand because the administration can tell us exactly how much each visitor spent on there trip to the Kingdom ????????????

[TKDfella]

'...despite the "peak" of the tourist season being over.' That's because there was no peak...just a continuous slow trickle...a flat curve.

[racket]

Drop the PCR tests on arrival and you will start be making trillions instead of millions. Follow the steps of Philippines, or continue to miss out on opportunities. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

In that speed it will just take a little bit under 40 years to get back on track. 

Sounds about right to me..

[Jimbo53]

2 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

I wonder what the 55000 baht spend includes? Does it include airfares to get here? COVID tests etc?

Probably a few Taxi Fares in Patong lol.

[Youngmanoz]

Only spend 55.000 Bart a trip   wow   pety cash  for  me I spent   60.000 one night    for all the bar girls to have fun   in Patong Beach BANGALA    L O L   I MIGHT DO IT AGAIN THIS TIME AND POST THE BILL FOR FUN  

[newnative]

Pitiful.

[howlee101]

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

The numbers quoted here and elsewhere should be broken down properly.

• How many Thais arrived on those flights?
• Are all foreign arrivals (including Thais) from overseas counted as tourists?
• If arriving on a Non-Immigrant Visa is that counted as being a tourist?
• Does the 55,000 Baht/Trip include airfare?
• How many are arriving on one-way tickets?

As usual clear as mud and publicised as a success story. "Positive spin". How about reality please?

 

And "Does the 55,000 baht include the 5000 baht each way (airport to hotel to airport) for the taxi mafia ????

[Mike KIWI]

67% of stats are made up on the spot.

[spidermike007]

A little over 300,000 in nearly 8 months. Not impressive. How many of those were returning ex-pats? How many were returning Thais? Of course people are going to choose a Phuket resort over a Bangkok hotel.

 

The cowardice must end. 

[Caldera]

Their excitement is hardly justified, when you consider that tourism in Thailand is down by 95% while it's only down about 50% in those countries that have refrained from imposing insane entry procedures. Catching up will be tough, chances are that at least parts of the pie have been redistributed for good.

[mrfill]

Just waiting for the headline "Continuation of Sandbox has dissuaded 10 million "tourists" from visiting"

[Sydebolle]

Keep up the good work, in other words, only 39,673,000 to go until the end of 2022! 

Give the hard working officials in TAT, TBT, TCT, TDT, TET and God-only-knows-what-other-agency solid gold medals and the ministers the same thing made of platinum! 

[Andycoops]

I feel sorry for the TAT Muppets having to reel out such paltry numbers when they used to mumbo about millions.

[Chris.B]

Is that 55,000 baht including hotels? I used to spend more than that in my partying days in Pattaya circa 2001.  

[Elkski]

5 hours ago, Youngmanoz said:

Only spend 55.000 Bart a trip   wow   pety cash  for  me I spent   60.000 one night    for all the bar girls to have fun   in Patong Beach BANGALA    L O L   I MIGHT DO IT AGAIN THIS TIME AND POST THE BILL FOR FUN  

That's great you think you have cash like this to burn.  I'm sure you felt like a boss.   But consider how you ruin things for the average guy. I've said it before.  Guys who don't make taxis put the meter on and just pay whatever are the reason it's still a problem today. 

[kiwikeith]

17 hours ago, Hoppyone said:

Must be all cheap Charlie tourists only average spending 55,000 baht 

Mostly on PCR tests and Hotels 

[ChC1]

8 hours ago, mrfill said:

Just waiting for the headline "Continuation of Sandbox has dissuaded 10 million "tourists" from visiting"

It is so true. They only see those actually arrived for whatever reason. Yet they dare to even think there is a possibility that millions could have been here if they did not have so many obstacles. Each obstacle stops hundreds thousands if not millions tourists from coming. And TAT can not see it. 

 

T  T

  A

 

When you consider the A looks like a nose, the T and T looks like two weeping eyes. Very accurate of TAT in distress call as not enough tourists are coming.

[soi3eddie]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A little over 300,000 in nearly 8 months. Not impressive. How many of those were returning ex-pats? How many were returning Thais? Of course people are going to choose a Phuket resort over a Bangkok hotel.

 

The cowardice must end. 

Agreed . However, one month ago I did one night in Bangkok hotel rather than Phuket as my condo was in the same street. I, like many others here are not tourists. <deleted> the expense of Phuket when it comes to entry. Now it seems to get easier with new rules. Thankfully.

 

[Jimbo53]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A little over 300,000 in nearly 8 months. Not impressive. How many of those were returning ex-pats? How many were returning Thais? Of course people are going to choose a Phuket resort over a Bangkok hotel.

 

The cowardice must end. 

I think they have added 2 x 00 to that figure by mistake ????????????