Tourist arrivals to Thailand surge in 2022 but still just a fraction of pre-COVID levels

[bangon04]

6 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Remember, quality trumps quantity.

is that why they are waiting for the Chinese tour groups to come back?

[kotsak]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I guess the photo depicts the high end quality tourists they are seeking?

 

Those backbags are loaded with dough!

[kotsak]

3 hours ago, poskat said:

6 hours ago, vandeventer said:

What ever happen to their saying the sky will be black with so many tourist coming?

that's racist

Yellow then? ????

[Millcx]

And pre-covid it was on a major decline due to double pricing and crazy rip off visa trails .. Thailand can’t have it both ways … 1% comes for photographing Temples .. Someone needs to speak up

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, cheapcanuck said:

It's not rocket science. Get rid of the test n go, along with insurance and any other restrictions, then the numbers will increase.

Especially since they now serve no useful purpose if indeed they ever did.

It was understandable early on in the pandemic, with a lack of data and a sensible desire to play it safe.

But the truth is out - these restrictions only restrict tourism not the virus, which is rife already in country.

[NeoDinosaw]

A 2,101 % increase in arrivals.

 

Gives  a 1,424 % increase in revenue

 

Really ?

[daejung]

7 hours ago, LoudHailer said:

GREECE is grateful as tourists flock back. Hotels are full, archaeological sites are heaving, shopkeepers are smiling and good luck if you want a table at a decent restaurant. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/24/all-omens-look-positive-greece-grateful-tourists-flock-back

 

ATHENS IS ALIVE TO THE SOUND OF TOURISTS. "These past few weeks have been something else!" 

 

When asked, tourists say they want 'risk averse' travel. They check things out at a desired destination, make last minute decisions and GO. Choose, book, pay, fly and arrive free of bureaucracy and rules. Everybody is ready and wants to travel! 

Hotels were full in 2021 too. I was in Greece for summer holidays in 2020 and 2021 like any year before and will be back there next summer. No problem at all there. λατρεύω την Ελλάδα

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by daejung

[the green light]

the government has not realize the cost of travelling.

airlines has raised the price of travelling by at least 20%. On top, travelers will need self test and buy insurance to visit Thailand.

 

the insurance cost is just throwing money away .

 

It is very natural that if any tourist develop the covid  symptoms, they will pay their own cost to get treatment. So what is  the use of the insurance requirements

 

If the governments wants tourists to come back, they need to lift all restriction and find a way to offer them some incentive to visit Thailand.

 

the government should make the visitors welcome to visit Thailand.

 

[superal]

20 hours ago, newnative said:

     Any hard statistics to back up your claim?  I can't find any.  What I found was statistics showing that a typical western tourist spent more money than a typical Asian tourist.  For example, a Chinese tourist spent on average around 49,000 baht vs. around 71,000 baht for a North American tourist.  European tourists, around 69,000 baht.  

    Each western tourist is spending more, but their numbers are far fewer.  So, I don't think you can make the claim that '...western tourists spend much more money that (sic) all of your Asian countries put together.'.   Fun fact.  Middle Eastern tourists spend the most, around 81,000 baht each, but their numbers are so few that they rank next to last in their collective impact, just above Africa.

    The graph below shows it clearly.  As you can see, China tourists, alone, collectively spent more than the tourists of all of Europe.  ASEAN country tourists collectively spent over twice as much as the collective amount of tourists from the Americas.  South Asia tourists collectively spent more than Oceania tourists.  And, we haven't even added in 'Rest East Asia', another sizeable figure that is also more than double that of the 'Americas'.

 

Yes , your first paragraph was probably what I was thinking i.e. an individual Westerner will spend much more than the Chinese / Asians equivalent . However the Chinese contribution may be a quango because of the hierarchy involved at this end with a conflict of interest . We will never know the true figures .

[pokerface1]

It’s not a surge of tourists far from it. It’s more like a wave in a bucket compared to pre Covid numbers. 

[Andrew65]

On 4/25/2022 at 12:52 AM, bkk6060 said:

I guess the photo depicts the high end quality tourists they are seeking?

 

"Independent travellers"????

[Andrew65]

22 hours ago, newnative said:

     Any hard statistics to back up your claim?  I can't find any.  What I found was statistics showing that a typical western tourist spent more money than a typical Asian tourist.  For example, a Chinese tourist spent on average around 49,000 baht vs. around 71,000 baht for a North American tourist.  European tourists, around 69,000 baht.  

    Each western tourist is spending more, but their numbers are far fewer.  So, I don't think you can make the claim that '...western tourists spend much more money that (sic) all of your Asian countries put together.'.   Fun fact.  Middle Eastern tourists spend the most, around 81,000 baht each, but their numbers are so few that they rank next to last in their collective impact, just above Africa.

    The graph below shows it clearly.  As you can see, China tourists, alone, collectively spent more than the tourists of all of Europe.  ASEAN country tourists collectively spent over twice as much as the collective amount of tourists from the Americas.  South Asia tourists collectively spent more than Oceania tourists.  And, we haven't even added in 'Rest East Asia', another sizeable figure that is also more than double that of the 'Americas'.

 

Remember also that for Chinese and Indian people Thailand is a short-haul destination, they can probably get an airline ticket for $100. Thailand is to them as the Mediterranean is to northern European people.

[Photoguy21]

More like a Tsunami than a surge or should that be a ripple?

[RafPinto]

On 4/25/2022 at 8:21 AM, RichardColeman said:

Now take out of that number the returning Thais and  us all returning to family and what is it ? From what I see on the beaches there is nobody. 5 of us went to the cinema last week - SF in Pattaya, we were the only 5 in the whole cinema !

They knew you were coming.

[RafPinto]

I bet the guys on the picture are all Bitcoin trillionaires.

Their mining gear in their backpack.

[rabang]

On 4/25/2022 at 4:45 AM, superal said:

+ vaccination certs and passport copies all uploaded in the correct format , then wait for approval or rejection . Imagine the aggro if you are a family of say 4 . Most families would look at other countries. The PCR , only needed pre flight for non vaccinated tourists . SHA + hotel booking now not needed for vaccinated tourists , Non vaccinated tourists need to rethink their vaccine plans . I think only a matter of time that some airlines will insist on vaccinated flyers only to lessen the risk to their crews .

You must be living in a fantasy land. I remember a year or so ago some airline CEO said that most airlines would require vaccination certificate but the reality now is I don't know if any actually do so except if authorities or the destination country require it. There is a good reason for it. Extra requirements are like giving money to other airlines that can a get competitive advantage by not having the same requirements.

[superal]

46 minutes ago, rabang said:

You must be living in a fantasy land. I remember a year or so ago some airline CEO said that most airlines would require vaccination certificate but the reality now is I don't know if any actually do so except if authorities or the destination country require it. There is a good reason for it. Extra requirements are like giving money to other airlines that can a get competitive advantage by not having the same requirements.

There have been many flight cancellations because the airline crews were suffering with covid . In the UK it came to over the hundreds per day . So it has to be a consideration that all flyers comply with the vaccines as the airlines were losing money 

[rabang]

4 minutes ago, superal said:

There have been many flight cancellations because the airline crews were suffering with covid . In the UK it came to over the hundreds per day . So it has to be a consideration that all flyers comply with the vaccines as the airlines were losing money 

There has been lack of staff also due to furloughs and the increased demand leading to cancellations. Also I don't see the connection with the passengers' vaccination status and airline crews getting sick as the vaccination doesn't prevent infection although makes it less severe and decreases the probability slightly. I'd bet that the airlines have done their cost-benefit calculations and wouldn't expect your suggestion to become a common practice.