Thailand’s once mighty foreign tourism industry lastingly damaged with lower spends and numbers

[webfact]

(Left) French Tourism Minister Olivia Gregoire told a press conference in Paris this week that tourist spending in July and August nationally was 22% ahead of the level seen in 2019 and that foreign visitor numbers had already returned to 2019 levels. The situation is in marked contrast to Thailand where government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek emphasised that the country’s target in 2022 for foreign tourist numbers was 25% of the number seen in 2019 with figures released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) showing that from January to the end August 2022, the spend per foreign tourist was down by at least 11.5%. The situation raises disturbing questions about the setback suffered by the kingdom’s foreign tourism sector since 2020.

 

by Joseph O' Connor

Figures this week from Paris show a French foreign tourist industry achieving revenues nationally at 22% ahead of figures for 2019 while Thailand will be aiming to achieve, at best, only 33% of the numbers seen three years ago or a 67% loss. This news must be disturbing for the sector in Thailand and raises questions about the permanent damage inflicted on the Thai industry since 2020.

Thailand’s foreign tourism sector appears to have suffered permanent damage due to the country’s emergency since 2020 with projected visitor numbers and a foreign tourism revenue stream this year which will be between 65% and 75% lower than that seen in 2019. The situation is in marked contrast to France which recorded bumper visitor numbers in July and August with expenditure in hotels up 22% on 2019 figures. 

On Tuesday, executives at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) talked up the possibility of targeting wealthy Indian families to come to Thailand to celebrate wedding events as the kingdom approaches the high season for the foreign tourism sector which begins in October.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/08/31/thailand-tourism-industry-damaged-contrast-to-france/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-09-01

 

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[StayinThailand2much]

Not to worry, Indian trillionnaires to save the day! 1 million of them expected to arrive on Dec. 31st, on 99 chartered airplanes...

[thaibeachlovers]

Seems all good to me. The country was being destroyed by the tourist hordes prior to covid, so any serious reduction can, IMO, allow a rethink of the tourist model.

I doubt there will be a return to the cheap and cheerful model as in the 90s, but Thailand could concentrate on providing a quality experience for tourists that want more than to blob around a swimming pool, or get drugged up on a beach.

 

We put up with low quality accommodation and transportation back then because it was cheap. Probably not cheap any more, so wise up and do more than mouth platitudes about so called "quality" tourists. They ain't going to come unless the destination is worth it.

 

Who knows, this could be the time to return Thailand to the Land of Smiles for real.

[BarraMarra]

Watched a video on u-tube walking down Bangla Rd the guy was filming all the bars and side soi's. It was early all the bars were empty just the girls sat around waving their boards most walking up and down were Indians drinking water none were filmed in a bar.

[Sheryl]

They need to address the unnecessarily cumbersome and difficult new evisa process.

 

It is completely absurd to require tourists from first world countries to submit proof of having $1,000 in the bank (most are paying that much or more just for the air ticket) to get a tourist visa.

 

And unreasonable to expect would be tourists to upload bank statements and similar sensitive documents to an insecure government website.

 

Most of the information demanded in the tourist visa application is unnecessary, can be hard to provide (people often want to select their hotel on arrival, for example) and it discourages people or leads them to instead come for a shorter time visa exempt.

 

Easy to increase tourists: (1) Extend the duration of visa exempt enter from 30 to 45 days as has been proposed.  (2) Change the evisa for tourist visas to a simple process like that used by Cambodia (nothing needed but name,. address, passport data).

[smedly]

what magical scheme will they come up with next to reduce the numbers further, there has to be something that excels beyond anything they have done up to now.....can they out do themselves in blatant stupidly ?, tall order but I bet they succeed 

[ukrules]

15 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They need to address the unnecessarily cumbersome and difficult new evisa process.

This is one of my long standing gripes - it's destroying things slowly but surely everwhere they roll it out.

 

Auditing peoples bank accounts is fine if they want to move and live in a country permanently - doing the same thing for someone who wants to go on holiday is absolute insanity.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

This is one of my long standing gripes - it's destroying things slowly but surely everwhere they roll it out.

 

Auditing peoples bank accounts is fine if they want to move and live in a country permanently - doing the same thing for someone who wants to go on holiday is absolute insanity.

 

I wasn't aware that such was necessary, but if I had been considering a visit, now that I know the situation I would be cancelling any visit to ( once upon a time but no longer ) LOS.

 

I can remember when Thailand actually welcomed tourists and made it easy. I got 90 days visa exempt at the border and unlimited back to back visa runs to Malaya. Happy days back then.

[Tarteso]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) talked up the possibility of targeting wealthy Indian families to come to Thailand

And please, Don’t forget to bring all yours gold chains..????

[mania]

57 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They need to address the unnecessarily cumbersome and difficult new evisa process.

Exactly!

 

I am going thru this now with my Thai wife. Just trying to get my usual 90 day type O to visit family + we own a home there

We have been out of the country for almost three years due to Covid so my wife's Thai passport expired

We first tried to do a emergency travel doc for her which was so convoluted we decided to just go on 90 day Type O

since my wife is also a US citizen no problem to visit family

 

So she actually got her 90 days Type O after as you say all the unnecessary things were uploaded for even that simple visa from USA to Thailand (even though she is a Thai National albeit with expired PP)

 

I did the same but mine was rejected today as hers was accepted?

 

What they now want from me is documents showing her name change. Yet we have been married over 15 years & I have had at least 10

90 day visa's over the years + we lived in Thailand for 5 years back in 2012

 

So of course why ask why right? TIT right?

So today I uploaded those proof of name change from way back when my wife made her Thai ID & Thai passport match her married name

 

But why oh why do they now ask me for this? It is not even a requirement for a 90 day type O ????

 

As you said "unnecessarily cumbersome and difficult new evisa process."

 

 

[AsianAtHeart]

32 minutes ago, mania said:

Exactly!

 

I am going thru this now with my Thai wife. Just trying to get my usual 90 day type O to visit family + we own a home there

We have been out of the country for almost three years due to Covid so my wife's Thai passport expired

We first tried to do a emergency travel doc for her which was so convoluted we decided to just go on 90 day Type O

since my wife is also a US citizen no problem to visit family

 

So she actually got hers after as you say all the unnecessary things were uploaded for even that simple visa from USA to Thailand

 

I did the same but mine was rejected today as hers was accepted?

 

What they now want from me is documents showing her name change. Yet we have been married over 15 years & I have had at least 10

90 day visa's over the years + we lived in Thailand for 5 years back in 2012

 

So of course why ask why right? TIT right?

So today I uploaded those proof of name change from way back when my wife made her Thai ID & Thai passport match her married name

 

But why oh why do they now ask me for this? It is not even a requirement for a 90 day type O ????

 

As you said "unnecessarily cumbersome and difficult new evisa process."

 

 

It looks like you might be getting yourselves into a mess of trouble.  Thailand does not force people to have no dual citizenship, but they certainly do not like, and prefer not to know about, a Thai citizen becoming a citizen elsewhere as well.  This is why a Thai citizen should never show Thai immigration a foreign passport.  We've actually been hauled into a back office at a checkpoint and shouted at by an IO over this very thing--with them telling us point blank that a Thai should never use foreign ID at the checkpoint, and that they could refuse entry, or worse.  (The threats were left ambiguous as to the full extent of potential consequences--so I don't presume to know what they would be.)

 

It is my understanding that international laws state that a citizen of a country can use even an expired passport to return to the country of his or her citizenship.  Your wife should not need any "emergency" travel document, provided she is not attempting to use her Thai passport to visit other countries--merely using it to return to her own.

[mania]

14 hours ago, AsianAtHeart said:

It looks like you might be getting yourselves into a mess of trouble.  Thailand does not force people to have no dual citizenship, but they certainly do not like, and prefer not to know about, a Thai citizen becoming a citizen elsewhere as well. 

555 come on where have you been?

Tons of Thai's & pretty much all the well off ones also have dual citizenship

 

They do not frown on anything & yours is a often told false bar tale. They also like to claim (in the same bars) the dual citizens cannot buy land anymore

 

Lastly as I said in my post my wife got her Type O easily on her US passport

It was I a US citizen that is being asked for something not required for a 90 day Type O to visit family in

Thailand

 

As for all your nonsense about not needing a Emergency Travel Document I suggest you go to Thai Imm site & read up

 

Yes Thailand will not refuse you if you make it to their border but the airline in western countries will not let you board without either a visa or a VALID Thai passport

[AsianAtHeart]

2 minutes ago, mania said:

They do not frown on anything & yours is a often told false bar tale.

I don't go to bars, and I was personally in that office to be part of the "interrogation" at the checkpoint.  I heard the officer's words with my own ears--no idle tale coming from me.  But what is firsthand from me is third-party to you, so you may choose to believe what you wish.

 

All the best to you, and I hope you do not come up against the same kind of trouble we experienced.  I agree with you that such intolerance is wrong, but it certainly does exist.

[mania]

13 hours ago, AsianAtHeart said:

.  But what is firsthand from me is third-party to you, so you may choose to believe what you wish.

 

All the best to you, and I hope you do not come up against the same kind of trouble we experienced.  I agree with you that such intolerance is wrong, but it certainly does exist.

What was uttered to you at some backwater crossing has nothing to do with reality

 

[AsianAtHeart]

2 minutes ago, mania said:

You might even be surprised to learn those that cannot even be mentioned here also hold multiple passports

I am well aware that people can hold multiple passports.  That is not the issue.  Thailand, technically, does not care.  But a Thai citizen is never supposed to use another passport, other than his or her Thai passport, to enter Thailand.  That is what we were told in no uncertain terms.

 

You may not appreciate the information....yet.  You may regret having gone this route with your wife later when the experience becomes your own.  Some get away with it, some don't. 

[cnx101]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wasn't aware that such was necessary, but if I had been considering a visit, now that I know the situation I would be cancelling any visit to ( once upon a time but no longer ) LOS.

 

I can remember when Thailand actually welcomed tourists and made it easy. I got 90 days visa exempt at the border and unlimited back to back visa runs to Malaya. Happy days back then.

Yes then it was a great place to be, happy days, but not now all that finished long time ago.

[Willy Wombat]

A lot of people don’t want to holiday in a tropical country and wear a mask too.

Especially if they don’t have to wear masks in their home countries.

Australia yesterday dropped mandatory masks on domestic air travel. 

[2baht]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s foreign tourism sector appears to have suffered permanent damage due to the country’s emergency since 2020

So, the chooks have finally come home to roost! Predictable for most.

[Dukeleto]

It’s the same old story. They slap on as much as they can until it people stop and then they reduce it to get back to what they want. They never learn and always but always have to do it the hard way. My guess is that their thinking is if people accept a higher threshold than before then it’s a win for them. There ultimate goal has and will always be for you to send ALL your holiday funds to Thailand but don’t come! Something many bar girls have managed to accomplish.????

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

while Thailand will be aiming to achieve, at best, only 33% of the numbers seen three years ago or a 67% loss. This news must be disturbing for the sector in Thailand and raises questions about the permanent damage inflicted on the Thai industry since 2020.

These numbers make no sense,

If Thailand is expecting a max 4M visitors

And those visitors are spending 11% less

that's a 90+% loss.

[Boomer6969]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Figures this week from Paris show a French foreign tourist industry achieving revenues nationally at 22% ahead of figures for 2019 while Thailand will be aiming to achieve, at best, only 33% of the numbers seen three years ago or a 67% loss. This news must be disturbing for the sector in Thailand and raises questions about the permanent damage inflicted on the Thai industry since 2020.

Good. Looks like the French just understood they don't have to get scammed in LOS.

[mania]

43 minutes ago, AsianAtHeart said:

I am well aware that people can hold multiple passports.  That is not the issue.  Thailand, technically, does not care.  But a Thai citizen is never supposed to use another passport, other than his or her Thai passport, to enter Thailand.  That is what we were told in no uncertain terms.

 

You may not appreciate the information....yet.  You may regret having gone this route with your wife later when the experience becomes your own.  Some get away with it, some don't. 

 Ok move along now nothing to see here ????

[Classic Ray]

50 minutes ago, AsianAtHeart said:

I am well aware that people can hold multiple passports.  That is not the issue.  Thailand, technically, does not care.  But a Thai citizen is never supposed to use another passport, other than his or her Thai passport, to enter Thailand.  That is what we were told in no uncertain terms.

 

You may not appreciate the information....yet.  You may regret having gone this route with your wife later when the experience becomes your own.  Some get away with it, some don't. 

In that situation she should surely check in with the US passport, which satisfies the airline she is visa exempt, then on arrival in Thailand show only the expired Thai passport.

[KhaoYai]

Its hardly surprising that tourists are spending less - have you seen the price of flights??

[malibukid]

CM is looking pretty tacky lately.  literally starting to stink.  tree branches hanging down blocking the sidewalks, time for a trim.  sidewalks are in shambles.  wires dangling down from power polls.  unsafe crossings with lack of pedestrian signals and or crosswalks.  town needs a makeover.

[jacko45k]

Just now, malibukid said:

sidewalks are in shambles

Sidewalks, you got sidewalks........?

[mania]

12 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

In that situation she should surely check in with the US passport, which satisfies the airline she is visa exempt, then on arrival in Thailand show only the expired Thai passport.

Yes that sounds great in theory but the reality is at the Airlines check in they will not let you board on visa exempt (30 days) when they see your round trip ticket departure from Thailand is 88 days later

 

But really folks lets drop it because one poster just went off on a tangent that is totally irrelevant to this thread

 

I mean really? What does he think that a US citizen that holds dual citizenship will show up in Thailand with what ?

with a T-shirt that reads

"I'm a Thai entering on US Passport" ????

 

Come on she is a US citizen entering with US ID's & US passport end of story

Not like she is going to say...By the way you know I'm also a Thai?

 

While we are at our Thai home she will go renew her Thai Passport for our trip next year & use it then

 

NO big deal really except in someones mind

[mania]

7 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Its hardly surprising that tourists are spending less - have you seen the price of flights??

ANA & United have some good deals going.

Also not sure if true as we couldn't wait to book but some say airfares always drop after Labor day in the US

Will see as that is Monday

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

what magical scheme will they come up with next to reduce the numbers further, there has to be something that excels beyond anything they have done up to now.....can they out do themselves in blatant stupidly ?, tall order but I bet they succeed 

Slam another 300 Baht on tax on entry will help.

[bkk6060]

Bangkok seems to be mostly Arabs walking the malls and going for medical tourism.

Big influx of Indian males in Pattaya walking around, getting massages hitting on girls on Beach Road.

That is the majority of tourists I have seen can't remember the last time I saw a western family here on holiday. School has started now they won't be coming anyway.

The Chinese will change the numbers significantly when they start coming, but a world wide recession could kill any large recovery until 2024.