Google Says Thai Tourism Shows Clear Signs of Recovery

[webfact]

 

by Natthaphon Sangpolsit

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - Google has indicated that tourism in Thailand is regaining interest among the international community, prompting Thai authorities to urge relevant agencies to adjust their strategies in line with current travel trends.

 

Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha thanked all related parties for cooperating in working to support the Thai tourism industry. He added that due to their tireless efforts, Google recently noted a surge in user searches for Thailand.

 

During this year’s Google Hotelier Summit, held on June 16 at the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Google’s chief of Travel Vertical Search for Asia-Pacific, Laura Marie Arens, said Thailand’s tourism industry is seeing clear signs of recovery following the suspension of the Test & Go scheme on May 1, with the number of searches for Thailand steadily increasing since the beginning of May.

 

According to the government spokesperson, the Tourism Authority of Thailand found that tourism trends are currently leaning towards workation activities, in which people travel abroad while working remotely. Tourists are also becoming more interested in sustainable tourism, environmentally friendly innovations and digital technology.

 

The spokesperson said these recovery indicators reflect the government’s successful tourism policy, which supports revitalizing the industry while continuing to observe public health measures based on the current pandemic situation.

 

He added that the prime minister has advised agencies to adjust and adapt their strategies to keep pace with current and emerging trends, as well as to support tourism research and development, improve supply chains and utilize digital transformations.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-06-20

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

 

[Laughing Gravy]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Google has indicated that tourism in Thailand is regaining interest among the international community,

Hardly a compelling statement.

 

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

prompting Thai authorities to urge relevant agencies to adjust their strategies in line with current travel trends

Well very late as usual in many ways and may have 'missed the boat' this year due to being far too slow.

[arithai12]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

Google’s chief of Travel Vertical Search for Asia-Pacific, Laura Marie Arens, said Thailand’s tourism industry is seeing clear signs of recovery following the suspension of the Test & Go scheme on May 1, with the number of searches for Thailand steadily increasing since the beginning of May.

That, or you could actually switch off the computer and take a look outside.

[timendres]

$2,500+ flights are still a serious deterrent, at least for friends of mine from the States.

[Zozod]

“Google says”??  Articles like this have me reading fewer articles.  

[RichardColeman]

Pretty sure that google would find 'thaI porn' searched for more on google than thai holidays - would that mean that people coming here are more interested in sex than seeing a monastery ? 

[jacko45k]

Didn't look like it yesterday.... bit of vehicular traffic on the Klang but Buakhao seemed quiet. Not sure if the forecast rain kept them out, but in reality it was clear and sunny, and oppressively hot. 

[ezzra]

Ahhh, Google said.. now if Google said, who are we to disagree right? now we can all rest assure that this is the gospel's truth and plan our lives accordingly...

Edited June 19, 2022 by ezzra

[ThailandRyan]

Since I use a VPN attached to a server in the US, which changes daily, I guess my search's using Google for Hotels and properties in Phuket and Hua Hin/Cha Am, which have been in the 100's just this month are helping tourism grow.....what a joke. Anything to believe it is happening makes them happy.  Guess TAT will be using the Google searches now as the new tourism number, expect to see 100 million visitors this year....lol

[Excel]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Since I use a VPN attached to a server in the US, which changes daily, I guess my search's using Google for Hotels and properties in Phuket and Hua Hin/Cha Am, which have been in the 100's just this month are helping tourism grow.....what a joke. Anything to believe it is happening makes them happy.  Guess TAT will be using the Google searches now as the new tourism number, expect to see 100 million visitors this year....lol

TAT really do live up to their name To**ers At Thailand ????

[ThailandRyan]

38 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Didn't look like it yesterday.... bit of vehicular traffic on the Klang but Buakhao seemed quiet. Not sure if the forecast rain kept them out, but in reality it was clear and sunny, and oppressively hot. 

Cha Am was the same, fairly quiet which was very nice.  This mornings beach walk is devoid of anyone else.....wonderful.

[steven100]

are they still using 'Thailand pass'  and QR codes ....  ?

because I doubt tourist numbers are increasing in any great numbers while ever they keep using that silly system. 

[jossthaifarang]

13 minutes ago, steven100 said:

are they still using 'Thailand pass'  and QR codes ....  ?

because I doubt tourist numbers are increasing in any great numbers while ever they keep using that silly system. 

Thailand News Today | Thailand Pass CANCELLED. Let's Party till 2AM! - Bing video

[Millcx]

Google bases on hits and searches .. Guaranteed it’s checking if the now pointless Red tape and bar closures are gone along with draconian rules against tourists … it’s a cert

[Fairynuff]

There are definitely lots of tourists in BKK at the moment. Particularly at Icon a few days ago. Plenty of non mainland Chinese too.

[Travis179]

3 hours ago, timendres said:

$2,500+ flights are still a serious deterrent, at least for friends of mine from the States.

I just grabbed a $1,500 R/T fare from SFO on China Air. Leaving next month. 

[ThailandRyan]

31 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

There are definitely lots of tourists in BKK at the moment. Particularly at Icon a few days ago. Plenty of non mainland Chinese too.

Your equating a weekend which is always busy and the malls are filled, during the week it is miniscule.  That is when we drop by Icon Siam to sit outside in the Garden Area with a coffee and enjoy the view.....pretty much alone.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Travis179 said:

I just grabbed a $1,500 R/T fare from SFO on China Air. Leaving next month. 

Bargain basement deal, looks like they are trying to stay Afloat.......pun intended

[Peterphuket]

Who is Google?

[Joseph98765]

Search "Thailand" in the google bar doesn't mean they are coming...<deleted>! 55555555555

Only Skyscanner, agoda, and all this booking flight tickets platforms can say it...

[Fairynuff]

30 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your equating a weekend which is always busy and the malls are filled, during the week it is miniscule.  That is when we drop by Icon Siam to sit outside in the Garden Area with a coffee and enjoy the view.....pretty much alone.

I wasn’t only at Icon at the weekend, in fact I’m there 2 or 3 times a week. I was talking in general terms and not only about shopping malls.

[Baron Samedi]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

trends are currently leaning towards workation activities

In that case, there is no trends.

Workation is the new name for digital nomadism.

So essentially what that complete m0r0n at Google is saying is that tourism in Thailand is picking up because digital nomads are back in Chiang Mai.

You must be f*cking kidding me ????

[freedomnow]

What was the search term "Thailand weed now legal" ?

[wombat]

wombat dont need no google to tell him that in the future, what is now will be referred to as the wonderland of weed revival of tourism in Thailand.

[spidermike007]

It is likely people are inquiring about Thailand. Are the restrictions still in place? Are masks still required? Is nightlife re-opened? How has the nation fared due to the shutdowns? How are hotel prices now? 

 

Does that mean they will visit, once they find out the nation is still masked up? After closing your doors for over 2 years, it is not an easy thing to restart anything. They waited far too long to ease the restrictions. Only time will tell to what extent tourism will rebound. 

[arithai12]

If you care to go out, there are indeed lots of tourists. Here in CM you see since months a definite increase in young western tourists, yes with mask. Second but obvious, a good number of Singaporeans and Malays. And when I was transiting at Suvarnabhumi a few days ago, impressive (to be kind) numbers of Indians on flights to Phuket. Also, my flight from Europe was 100% booked and many were mixed western-thai couples, I don't know if you want to count them as tourists but they are indeed arrivals.

We are of course far from the crazy pre-covid numbers, good for me, and it will stay so until the Chinese resume travelling.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

During this year’s Google Hotelier Summit, held on June 16 at the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Google’s chief of Travel Vertical Search for Asia-Pacific, Laura Marie Arens, said Thailand’s tourism industry is seeing clear signs of recovery following the suspension of the Test & Go scheme on May 1, with the number of searches for Thailand steadily increasing since the beginning of May.

Hardly surprising, since the General decided it was time to drop the one thing that's been holding back tourists.

[Muzzique]

Google?.....   All that means is it's no longer pointing down towards the toilet. You've been flushed away and now you're looking up from the bottom of the drain hole.

Climbing back up is going to be a real tough job.

[sawadee1947]

Ask Google......and you will get all true facts........

Something for everybody.

Big yawn????

[ozimoron]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It is likely people are inquiring about Thailand. Are the restrictions still in place? Are masks still required? Is nightlife re-opened? How has the nation fared due to the shutdowns? How are hotel prices now? 

 

Does that mean they will visit, once they find out the nation is still masked up? After closing your doors for over 2 years, it is not an easy thing to restart anything. They waited far too long to ease the restrictions. Only time will tell to what extent tourism will rebound. 

There's almost no masks in sight on soi moo cow, LK, walking street or soi 6. Either in the bars or on the streets. The only people wearing masks are the occasional vendors and motorbike taxi riders.