Most of Thailand’s foreign arrivals in July were Malaysian tourists

[sanuk711]

With the reopening and dropping of restrictions --You expect--short term- -the closer the country, the more the visitors.

 

Most European/American  families  would plan 1 year ahead for an Asian  holiday, many are still trying to get their deposits back from travel agencies/Airlines etc.

Some hard times  (world wide) Yes-but In spite of it all--it doesn't look like Thailand is about to collapse--or the Baht being any worse off.

 

I know its a great disappointment to some of the posters on here---sorry Guys.............

 

 

Why is the THB strong?---Bloomberg-15 August 2022 at 7:00 am GMT+7Updated on15 August 2022 at 11:47 am GMT+7

Tourists Pouring Back Into Thailand Underpin Outperforming Baht

Baht’s 2.3% gain this month leads the region by a wide margin

Narrowing current-account deficit, weak dollar helped baht too

Thailand’s baht rebounded so rapidly in the past few weeks on optimism about

the country’s tourism-led growth that it’s already hit year-end analyst targets.

The currency jumped 2.3% to about 35.45 per dollar this month, leading gains

in Asia by a wide margin. In addition to rising forecasts for tourists arrivals, the

advance is also being driven by a narrowing current-account deficit due to falling oil prices.

The surge means the baht has already touched the 35.2 level forecast for the fourth quarter

by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The rapid gains also feed into the debate over whether the

dollar has peaked, as analysts start to weigh in on the right time to return to emerging markets,

which had seen capital outflows as the US embarked on aggressive rate hikes.

 

[Isaan sailor]

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Indeed Indians won't spend on booze [and ST] as much as the single Brits and Ozzies, they [their wives] spend on Louis Vuitton, while they stay on 4 and 5 star hotels.

 

I find it interesting that your only measure of tourist spending be alcohol consumption.

 

But the isn't such thing as a perfect tourist.

Don’t forget about us Americans—we love to party, too.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Isaan sailor

[vandeventer]

1 hour ago, Sparktrader said:

Thats not true. Visited 6 cities great weather everyday. Not 1 day was rained out. Rained 4 or 5 nights, small amount during the day.

 

Stop watching the tv.

So what country are you visiting? As floods are everywhere up northern Thailand.

Edited September 13, 2022 by vandeventer

[Stocky]

Yes, Hat Yai is busy, almost getting back to normal.

 

It's school break in Malaysia so holiday time. Money's tight, as it is for many in the current economic climate, so a near home holiday in Thailand is a great option. I've a Malaysian friend visiting Hat Yai next week, bringing wife and kids up on the train, it's only about 5 hours from KL to Padang Basar. 

 

No flooding here, weather here has been very pleasant this last week.

[aseanfan]

I flew from the UK August 31.  Flight was full.  Surprising considering the massive price hikes in air fares.  I got a one way ticket for 500GBP.  I had to book my hotel at the last minute and most of my preferred options were full.

[KhunLA]

Only proves the elite have succeeded in crushing the middle class travelers' income with loss of jobs, and fake inflation the past 2.5 yrs.

 

Hook, line & sinker ... ????  

 

[bang saen guy]

Do Malay visitors that cross the border, go ST, then return to Malay counted as tourists?

Edited September 13, 2022 by bang saen guy

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, bang saen guy said:

Do Malay visitors that cross the border, go ST, then return to Malay counted as tourists?

Yep, same as the western farangs that save all year for that 1 week of hooker sex in Patts ????

[Colabamumbai]

Asalomalikum. 

[arithai12]

51 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

So what country are you visiting? As floods are everywhere up northern Thailand.

Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand I think. No flooding there at least that I know of - it does rain on and off as it should in this season. Plenty of tourists. Ping river level very high, but still about 1m below critical.

[Sparktrader]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

So what country are you visiting? As floods are everywhere up northern Thailand.

Country is Thailand

 

Phuket

Nong Khai

Udon

Kk

BK

CM

 

No floods stopping me.

 

Not everywhere. 0/6 for me.

[Sparktrader]

9 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand I think. No flooding there at least that I know of - it does rain on and off as it should in this season. Plenty of tourists. Ping river level very high, but still about 1m below critical.

Mild rain. No flooding Ive seen.

[Hanuman2547]

Most of the Malaysian tourists are guys coming up for the weekend.  Very few venture north of Hat Yai.  I think most are here taking dancing lessons.  Primarily learning the horizontal Ramwong! 555

[RafPinto]

I know that Chinese have still very strict restrictions but  not even 40k tourists?
What about the Arabs?

 

Indians, there are too many for my liking.

[tigerbeer]

4 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Seriously?  India is 1.38 billion people with a with a high spending  middle class of  about 80 million. Indeed Indians won't spend on booze [and ST] as much as the single Brits and Ozzies, they [their wives] spend on Louis Vuitton, while they stay on 4 and 5 star hotels.

 

I find it interesting that your only measure of tourist spending be alcohol consumption.

 

But the isn't such thing as a perfect tourist.

I was just in Phuket last week. Many Indians and Arabs, Singaporeans, Malaysians. They were spending big money!. Now where are they "rich" Brits Americans etc etc etc??? hmmmm..... 

[MrJ2U]

Malaysian tourists, Interesting.  Definitely not a wealthy country.  Mostly Muslim., No drinking.  Malaysian beaches are much nicer.  

 

They must be coming for the temples and Thai culture.  

[Almer]

15 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

wont be any farangs till the debts have been paid and they will be large gas bills for yearrs to come

Yep just because Covid is on the mend it dosnt mean the money will start flowing 

[tigerbeer]

54 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Malaysian tourists, Interesting.  Definitely not a wealthy country.  Mostly Muslim., No drinking.  Malaysian beaches are much nicer.  

 

They must be coming for the temples and Thai culture.  

you obviously don't know Malaysians. Border cities have always been bustling with Malaysian tourists and they are big spenders. They love to dine and love drinking. 

 

i do agree that Malaysia has beautiful beaches. Its an amazingly beautiful country with great food and nice warm people. 

[Mavideol]

58 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Malaysian tourists, Interesting.  Definitely not a wealthy country.  Mostly Muslim., No drinking.  Malaysian beaches are much nicer.  

 

They must be coming for the temples and Thai culture.  

were there muslim holidays/long week ends in July, usually that's when they cross the border but wonder if they make it all the way up to BKK, the majority of them drive thus mostly would stay in the south

[MrJ2U]

56 minutes ago, tigerbeer said:

you obviously don't know Malaysians.

Obviously.

 

20 years here and I have never ran into one.  Most Muslims I know don't drink. Perhaps Malaysian Muslims are exempt? 

[MrJ2U]

55 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

were there muslim holidays/long week ends in July, usually that's when they cross the border but wonder if they make it all the way up to BKK, the majority of them drive thus mostly would stay in the south

That's good reasoning.  

 

There's plenty of Muslims food, minarets,etc. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by MrJ2U

[AnotherFarang8]

Comparing farang tourists to asian tourists and lumping them as one number of arrivals is obfuscating the picture. Farang tourists stay on average 4 weeks. One Malaysian tourist will spend much less time, often only a weekend, that is 10x less time and money than a typical farang. Both will be counted as equal. On the other hand, a Malaysian tourist may visit more times in a year. What can show a more real picture of what is happening is a count of tourist-days.

[Muzzique]

I see they have targeted the correct demographics for the high rollers they want.

 

It's the $1 a day brigade. 

[Muzzique]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

They must be coming for the temples and Thai culture.

That's what I tell my wife too....

[edogthong]

5 hours ago, wandasloan said:

I don't remember much about what you describe, because most of it didn't happen.

You don't remember it because you didn't own a business in the tourism sector. Those of us who did certainly remember it. 

[arithai12]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Obviously.

 

20 years here and I have never ran into one.  Most Muslims I know don't drink. Perhaps Malaysian Muslims are exempt? 

When in their usual environment (=social stigma) they do not dare.

When abroad, they feel "free". Not too different from Catholics that go to church every Sunday in their home country and despise prostitutes if they see them while driving with their wives, and then on arrival in Thailand they run to the go-go chapel at night.

[3NUMBAS]

7 hours ago, crazykopite said:

Most of those are men who come over at the weekends to meet up with Thai woman before heading back home to the wife 

for rumpy pumpy you mean ???

[newnative]

2 hours ago, AnotherFarang8 said:

Comparing farang tourists to asian tourists and lumping them as one number of arrivals is obfuscating the picture. Farang tourists stay on average 4 weeks. One Malaysian tourist will spend much less time, often only a weekend, that is 10x less time and money than a typical farang. Both will be counted as equal. On the other hand, a Malaysian tourist may visit more times in a year. What can show a more real picture of what is happening is a count of tourist-days.

    In 2019, European tourists stayed an average 16.8 days in hotels; Americans, 14.4 days.  Not 'an average 4 weeks'.  The average for all international hotel guests that year was 9.26 days.  Sounds about right to me.   My sisters visited in 2017 for 10 days.  That average stay has remained pretty consistent since 2010--always 9 days and change except 2012 when it was 10.2 days.

[spidermike007]

8 hours ago, Sparktrader said:

Not really. Farangs are told by their own gov to stay home due to covid. Also inflation is 6 to 10%.

 

Farang leaders ruined their economies. Farangs are second guessing what to do.

 

Thailand is cheaper now than 5 years ago in terms of hotel deals. So many bargains.

Most of my friends and I are referring to ourselves as foreigners these days. I am not a PC guy, nor am I thin skinned. But, I leave that term farang to those who do not know any better. At a minimum it means white skinned outsider. 

[Sparktrader]

11 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Most of my friends and I are referring to ourselves as foreigners these days. I am not a PC guy, nor am I thin skinned. But, I leave that term farang to those who do not know any better. At a minimum it means white skinned outsider. 

Every Thai uses it. We are farangs.