On 9/3/2022 at 6:07 AM, webfact said:

Thailand is seeing a steady tourism revival, with nearly two million foreign visitors coming on shore in the first six months of this year.

Wasn't there an article here that the figure was 4 million 'tourists' had arrived so far this year recently?  My memory must be going as I can't keep up with the ever changing figures of 'tourists'.

I am not an expert, but it would seem that it isn't the number of tourists, but how much they spend.  Indians don't seem to have a reputation as big spenders.  The Chinese 

were coming in on Prepaid package tours and eating prepaid meals.;  So the numbers can be big but how much money is added to the economy. Then again, if you make it easy for retirees to come you have a steady cash flow.

Just had a gander at the recently posted YouTube videos on Pattaya and the place looks deader than a doornail. So much for TAT's overly inflated tourist rebound figures. The most recently uploaded videos certainly fail the proverbial eye test for an uptick in tourism in my eyes. All the comments seem to say roughly the same thing: it's a ghost town and the the prices of flights from Europe are the main cause. Bangkok also looks to be struggling quite badly. Maybe some will say Phuket is doing nicely, I dunno?

 

The government really needs to do more to entice Western tourists back to their country such as waiving all visa fees for all visitors like they did in 2016-17 high season, otherwise this will be the new normal for Thailand for many years to come.

Last time I saw an official count ( about 3 yrs ago,) there were a few million Laotians, a few million Cambodians, and the same Vietnamese and Burmese on the list !!!!!!! Really ???

On 9/3/2022 at 8:13 PM, Sparktrader said:

Its not their fault farangs are scared of living. Western media brainwashing.

 

500 and 600 baht rooms galore. Just turn up.

 

Probably better they dont come back. No airport lines.

Where did you get that foreigners are scared of living?

15 hours ago, Senior Player said:

Just had a gander at the recently posted YouTube videos on Pattaya and the place looks deader than a doornail. So much for TAT's overly inflated tourist rebound figures. The most recently uploaded videos certainly fail the proverbial eye test for an uptick in tourism in my eyes. All the comments seem to say roughly the same thing: it's a ghost town and the the prices of flights from Europe are the main cause. Bangkok also looks to be struggling quite badly. Maybe some will say Phuket is doing nicely, I dunno?

 

The government really needs to do more to entice Western tourists back to their country such as waiving all visa fees for all visitors like they did in 2016-17 high season, otherwise this will be the new normal for Thailand for many years to come.

Add in the major flooding Pattaya is now having, one could go on a scenic river cruise down the roads....

No it's not. Probably an increase in  locals from bordering countries coming over the border for the day

On 9/3/2022 at 11:18 PM, Sparktrader said:

Phuket full of well off people

Well off? maybe   "rich" ?   not in the grand scheme of things, maybe a tiny minority of shady characters

On 9/5/2022 at 9:03 AM, Gottfrid said:

Where did you get that foreigners are scared of living?

Get out and see

 

 

Well i dont know whwere they are all going the wife and i were showing a friend of a friend around Pattaya a couple of days ago  he was here for 3 days, we saw hardly any tourists ,bars were empty, his hotel was so cheap ,just to attract people,bjt very few there,went to Big  C north ,shelves half empty ,hardly anyone in there,