Thailand on course to welcome one millionth tourist later this month

[mikebell]

Are there one million tourists who love wild dogs?  Who enjoy watching them cause accidents; defecating & urinating in the sois?  Observing them foraging through litter strewing it everywhere?  Enjoying them baying all night at the moon?

[dogfish180]

5 hours ago, BayArea said:

entering Thailand equates to 1 million tourists according to TAT?? ????

Apparently I was 4 tourists according to TAT ????????

[spidermike007]

More fiction from an administration that has been humiliated by their own lack of courage, consistent policy, and being way behind the curve with re-opening. Likely they are including business visas, returning ex-pats, and who knows what else. They have not seem a million tourists in 5 months, four of which had quarantine requirements. Been through the airport twice in that period, and it was very quiet. 

 

One of these images was taken earlier this year, and the other taken just a few weeks ago.

 

 

[garyk]

With the state of the world economy. 

Thailand will only see poor backpackers squeezing every baht until it bleeds.

 

[hughrection]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is on course to welcome its millionth tourist of the year later this month following the easing of travel rules.

Please tell me it get's to be a Hub then , pleeeeaasssse. ????

 

[Blumpie]

I can see it going up from here for sure.  People are becoming more comfortable with travel.  

However, I don't think it will ever get back to what it was.  And thank goodness for that!  What it was was out of control tourism to the state of being sick.  

[Sydebolle]

Without the bureaucrats, the Thailand pass, the insurance and all the avalanche of paper before you would have passed the 5 - 8 million mark by now already!

But explain that to all those generals ........ ahem ....... politicians and health experts with construction background! 

[Olav Seglem]

They say 30-40.000 are arriving in thailand daily.

Adding this 365 times will be????

Compared to 39.000.000 ????

ca 10% ???????

[Dialemco]

How many if these arrivals are guests of TAT or Russian refugees  Suggest stop all this nonsense reporting and concentrate on lifting remaining entry conditions.

[KanchanaburiGuy]

1 hour ago, garyk said:

With the state of the world economy. 

Thailand will only see poor backpackers squeezing every baht until it bleeds.

 

Having outside money coming in to Thailand......... is far superior............ to NOT having outside money coming in. Even when the outside money comes from "poor backpackers squeezing every baht." 

 

After all, there's a whole economy that came into existence specifically  to cater to this customer base. Should these merchants and vendors not  have a chance to recover from their Covid losses, as well? 

 

I mean, my wife and I own and operate a small 14 room hotel where we rent rooms for 500-600 baht per night, and 300 baht for, um, "temporary." But that doesn't mean we begrudge  the hostels in Kanchanaburi for renting beds in dorms to "backpackers" for 150-250 baht per night, even though they are technically our "competitors." 

 

They've built a business to cater to their customers............ and we've built our business to cater to ours. 

 

Cheers! 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

Because most will be in transit after they find out the bars are closed?

For a few years now (pre-pandemic) I've been on packed flights from London or Dubai, and there have been only around 50 or less collecting bags. There has long been more than closed bars deterring visitors.

[Chongalulu]

4 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Quick math...........

 

966k divided by 130 days (Jan 1 to May 11) equals roughly 7,500 per day.

 

That means the 1 million mark should have been passed sometime yesterday. But they are saying "before the end of the month?"

 

If we're only 34,000 away from this landmark and getting 7,500/day, why not wait just a few days more and announce "We did it!" instead?

 

After all, "by the end of the month," there should be at least 100k more than a million.........at 7,500/day!

 

(And remember, 7,500 per day is based on much of that time having big restrictions. With the big restrictions lifted, our numbers are supposed to be surging. So shouldn't we be closer to, say, 1.2 million or 1.3 million "by the end of the month?")

 

Why announce "1 million" as a big deal for "the end of the month"............. when by their own surging numbers, we should be well passed that? (Again, 1.2 to 1.3 million, possibly)

 

Odd, huh?

 

Cheers!

 

????????????

You haven’t heard about Thais and maths proficiency?! ???? 

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, Dialemco said:

How many if these arrivals are guests of TAT or Russian refugees  Suggest stop all this nonsense reporting and concentrate on lifting remaining entry conditions.

The lifting of entry conditions contributed to more tourist arrivals. If they don’t report, we never know. Keep reading for more relaxation of entry conditions. It will happen sooner rather than later. 

[sandyf]

9 hours ago, BayArea said:

entering Thailand equates to 1 million tourists according to TAT?? ????

Take it you believe everything posted by the media.

Journalistic licence allows for 2 parts of a sentence to be unrelated.

[sambum]

The visitor will have to be quick - the accompanying "Top Story" says Bangkok os sinking!

[sambum]

11 hours ago, BayArea said:

entering Thailand equates to 1 million tourists according to TAT?? ????

Of course - any way to inflate the tourist figures! My mate's Thai wife has just come back to Thailand from the UK - no doubt she will be included as a "tourist"!

[sambum]

6 hours ago, Emster23 said:

amen to that. I've been physically threatened for politely asking foreigners to wear masks when on baht buses. Morons. No one enforces the "rule".

Am in Bangkok right now: have seen two foreigners walking about either without masks or below the nose in two weeks. Thais all wear the masks.

 

There is no "rule"! Anutin has said that it is not illegal not to wear a mask, but I believe he is trying to make it legal! (Flip flop again!)

 

And all of 2 (TWO!) visitors not wearing masks - you must be terrified, poor soul! ????                                                                                        P.S. I do wear a mask myself when in an enclosed space with other people (e.g.baht bus or 711 stores etc), but I fail to see the logic in having to wear a mask on a motor bike or risk a 20,000 (TWENTY THOUSAND!!) baht fine for not wearing one! I once got fined 500 baht for no helmet, which shows the mentality of those making decisions!

[StayinThailand2much]

14 hours ago, BayArea said:

don't they mean 1 million entering Thai airports? 

Not to mention that '1 million arrivals,' is not '1 million tourists', or do returning Thais and expats count as tourists? Even if both groups made up only 15% of arrivals, then, still, the number of genuine tourists would be more like 850,000.

[Lancelot01]

15 hours ago, BayArea said:

don't they mean 1 million entering Thai airports? 

Especially as at least one (local) person on this forum says he has been out and back three times already this year. 

[Senior Player]

It's always a jolly wheeze to read the fantasy-based news releases from the dreamy TAT. If they really want Thai tourism to boom again, then get rid of the childish and useless restrictions. No more Thailand Pass, vax or testing proof. No more forced Covid insurance and end the superstitious muzzle wearing habit.

[Canuckluck]

The only thing you'll get trying to make sense of the numbers they put out is a headache.

[aussiexpat]

This same old story where one million entries to Thailand is sold as one million tourists

 

Who wants to come to Thailand as a tourist when you are forced to buy covid insurance, fill out Thai Pass, have to wear a mask whenever you leave your hotel/condo and bars and GoGo's are officially closed. Madness if tourists choose that as a holiday destination

[garyk]

10 hours ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

Having outside money coming in to Thailand......... is far superior............ to NOT having outside money coming in. Even when the outside money comes from "poor backpackers squeezing every baht." 

 

After all, there's a whole economy that came into existence specifically  to cater to this customer base. Should these merchants and vendors not  have a chance to recover from their Covid losses, as well? 

 

I mean, my wife and I own and operate a small 14 room hotel where we rent rooms for 500-600 baht per night, and 300 baht for, um, "temporary." But that doesn't mean we begrudge  the hostels in Kanchanaburi for renting beds in dorms to "backpackers" for 150-250 baht per night, even though they are technically our "competitors." 

 

They've built a business to cater to their customers............ and we've built our business to cater to ours. 

 

Cheers! 

Hummm, I thought 500-600 was the poor backpacker. I will lower my expectations a bit.

[proton]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

More fiction from an administration that has been humiliated by their own lack of courage, consistent policy, and being way behind the curve with re-opening. Likely they are including business visas, returning ex-pats, and who knows what else. They have not seem a million tourists in 5 months, four of which had quarantine requirements. Been through the airport twice in that period, and it was very quiet. 

 

One of these images was taken earlier this year, and the other taken just a few weeks ago.

 

 

Arrived back last night looked a bit busier but not much, one in front of me at immigration, got to baggage case already there. Last time in 2019 took 2.5 hours

[bendejo]

Anticipating something comical, like a big photo op of the millionth arrival right there at immigration, wreath of flowers around the neck, live television coverage etc.  The next day they figure out the guy is an Iranian "ice" smuggler.

 

(I haven't heard of this lately, but a few years back it seemed like they were catching one every week, gave the impression they were selling the stuff at the duty-free.)

 

 

[starky]

19 hours ago, RmcaIssan said:

Temples eh! 1 over there and 2 more back there and 3 more up the road !!

Besides the bars and beaches there is very little see in Thailand.  Travel from Ubon to Pattaya there is nothing to see ... No nice towns or villages just PTT service stations ..

 

And a lot of the beaches are <deleted> to be honest.

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, RmcaIssan said:

'Building' on anticipation !

It is how it has happened in the past.... restrictions crumble before they are inevitably removed.

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, david_dyer said:

arnt vaps illegal as well!!!

That's why he would be rather annoyed. ????

[KanchanaburiGuy]

11 hours ago, garyk said:

Hummm, I thought 500-600 was the poor backpacker. I will lower my expectations a bit. 

Nope. 500-600 baht is working class: Traveling sales people and service techs; family visiting the Fort Surasi military camp; friends and family doing a send-off for a young man headed to a temple; etc. 

 

"Backpackers" are usually looking for under 300 baht a night. They're looking for a clean safe place to get a good night's sleep and a shower, and not a lot more.

 

"Backpacking" is an inherently minimalist, spartan way to travel. Fancy digs don't actually fit in comfortably with the mindset that leads one to "backpack" in the first place! 

 

Some people enjoy camping and "roughing it." Some people buy million dollar Motor Homes and call it "camping." ???????????? It takes all kinds! 

 

At 500-600 baht/night, we're catering to those in the middle: A step up from "hostel"........... a step down from "fancy." Our customers have other things they'd like to spend their money on........... rather than fancy surroundings that they can't see while they're sleeping anyway!

 

After all, what does  a 9,000 baht Golden Oak wardrobe do for you........... that an 1,800 baht painted wood wardrobe won't? 

 

In my experience............ NOTHING! 

 

????????????

 

Cheers! 

[KanchanaburiGuy]

On 5/17/2022 at 9:04 AM, BritManToo said:

Best to mind your own business.

You aren't the police, you have no authority here.

Wasn't it Burke who said.......... 

 

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

 

Something like that. 

 

Sure, it's an overstatement for the circumstances, but the principle remains the same. 

 

The police.......... the people "with the authority"............ can't be in all places at all times. And if they were, well, that'd certainly not be a place I'd ever want to live! 

 

Nothing wrong with the people obeying the law.......... politely asking those who are NOT obeying the law.......... to please start doing so! 

 

Because everyone "has the authority".......... to ASK! Because......... as we know......... 

 

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

 

Cheers!