American tourists spend more money than Europeans in Thailand: survey

[webfact]

Tourists wait for their boats in Phuket, Thailand. Photo by Reuters

 

By Hoang Phong

Americans spend an average of 96,269 baht (US$2,887) per person while traveling in Thailand, higher than European visitors, who spend $2,684, a survey shows.

U.S. tourists spend an average of 2,000-3,000 baht on accommodation a night and they always stay in the country up to 15 days per trip, according to the survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand, which polled 200 Western tourists during the final quarter of last year.

 

The survey also showed that European tourists spend 1,000-2,000 baht per night on accommodations and stay in Thailand for 13 days on average.

 

In Vietnam, foreign tourists spent $117.80 a day in 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic, according to statistics from the General Statistics Office (GSO).

 

On average, foreign tourists in Vietnam spent about $35.50 for accommodations, $25.80 for food, $18.90 for transportation, $19.70 for shopping and about $18 for other expenses, such as sightseeing and medical services.

 

Vietnam welcomed a record 18 million foreign tourists in 2019. The country reopened its borders in March 2022 and received 3.6 million foreign arrivals for the year.

 

Thailand welcomed 11 million foreign visitors last year thanks to its open visa policy, making its tourism industry among the fastest to recover in the region following the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

SOURCE: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/american-tourists-spend-more-money-than-europeans-in-thailand-survey-4566525.html

 

-- © Copyright VN EXPRESS 2023-02-06

 

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[khaowong1]

That's about $200.00 a day.  Yeah, I can see that with hotel, food, gifts, etc.  

[neeray]

I guess I'm a Cheap Charlie (Canadian). I never spent anywhere near that amount. Yet I never lacked for anything either. My gf of the time was very frugal and didn't spend my baht unnecessarily and she knew all the right places to shop or dine. Perhaps the fact that neither one of us consumed alcohol helped stretch the budget.

[Expat68]

That does not take much working out!! Seeing that the pound/euro has been hammered by the Thai bhat in recent years. That alongside the British government is hanging out to dry the expat pensioner 

[Boomer6969]

I just couldn't feel I was on vacation in a 1000 Baht hotel room. My guess is that "real" US tourists don't have too many holidays, so they want to get the best out of them.

[JayLeno]

Yes but USD is much more used as an alternative currency. Still doesn't make any sense but yeah... The things I like the most on this website are the comments more than the articles 

[Pique Dard]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Americans spend an average of 96,269 baht (US$2,887) per person while traveling in Thailand, higher than European visitors, who spend $2,684, a survey shows.

no wonder! the dollar is omnipotent, ubiquitous

[spidermike007]

When considering the distance and time spent going to Thailand and back, it makes sense that Americans would stay longer. Basic reasoning would have told me that. 

[kwilco]

Americans have to travel a lot further than Europeans to get to Thailand and my experience is they tend to spend extra in an effort to "isolate" themselves from the vagaries of travel - so a hotel of international appearance is more appealing than a local hotel and westernised food - to prove they've experienced a country, rather than immerse themselves in the culture they prefer to buy souvenirs as object based proof of their visit.

[findlay13]

That makes them more "quality" tourists according to the Thai standard then.

[flexomike]

Where do they come up with these numbers, do they check how much you bring in and then recheck when you leave?

[ikke1959]

difficult story... Eu has euros, Us has dollars, why split the money spent in Vietnam and not in Thailand where the tourists spend their money and why a compare with Vietnam of 2019??? just a few questions...Staying 13 days and 15 days maybe to do with time differences??

[tanner]

46 minutes ago, JayLeno said:

Yes but USD is much more used as an alternative currency. Still doesn't make any sense but yeah... The things I like the most on this website are the comments more than the articles 

Snap !.

[nigelforbes]

Appalling news, Europeans must be banned immediately, Thailand wants a better higher spending class of tourist and they're not playing their part....you know who you are.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Americans spend an average of 96,269 baht (US$2,887) per person while traveling in Thailand, higher than European visitors, who spend $2,684, a survey shows.

Thailands fantasy dreamers again.

[BananaStrong]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Yet I never lacked for anything either.

I never lacked for anything either, until I got behind the wheel of a nice car, visited a few nice million dollar homes, and ate Kansas City steak.   Watches, phones, computers, etc.........

 

Once you enjoy a nice lifestyle, it's pretty hard to want things that you know are better.

 

Hey, tonight get 20 baht noodle soup?  No, how about we try that new Sushi restaurant? OK!!  Hey, want to live in a room that gets 100 C all day for 3000 baht a month?  NO, how about 30,000 a month with a nice view?  OK!!!

 

Right now I'm lacking for single sourced Guatemalan espresso beans, which I just ordered same day delivery for only 4000 baht delivery charge!!!! lol

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, JayLeno said:

I didn't know that Europe was a nationality.... This article lacks of serious analysis. How can you compare different countries with different economy and label them as European without going in details...

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/countries-by-share-of-of-global-economy

2022: using GDP data from the IMF. US ranks no. 1 despite all the political nonsense. US is energy independent, energy exporter, high employment, etc.

US workforce is the third largest (in need of a vacation), second youngest, most educated in years of schooling, and most productive ( in need of a vacation) among major powers. 11/21/2019 

Top 10 countries includes Germany, Italy, France and UK with GDP's at about 10% of US.

[Purdey]

Just asking 200 people sounds suspiciously too few in order to be statistically significant. 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Boomer6969 said:

I just couldn't feel I was on vacation in a 1000 Baht hotel room. My guess is that "real" US tourists don't have too many holidays, so they want to get the best out of them.

They also have a habit of tipping well and widely.... 

[phetphet]

Would the strength of the dollar have any bearing on the spending difference?

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by phetphet

[nigelforbes]

2 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Would the strength of the dollar have any bearing on the spending difference?

I doubt it. If the spends were calculated in Baht and then converted back to home currencies, that would mean Americans would have been spending less because they would have received more baht for their dollars.

[Red Forever]

1 hour ago, nabashalam said:

That's because the Europeans dont tip! 

Oh yes we do!

[K2938]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

When considering the distance and time spent going to Thailand and back, it makes sense that Americans would stay longer. Basic reasoning would have told me that. 

 

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

Americans have to travel a lot further than Europeans to get to Thailand

Distance Chicago - Bangkok according to Google:  8,553 miles, distance Berlin - Bangkok: 8,598 miles.   So there is pretty much no difference!  According to the latest findings, the earth is actually not flat????

Edited February 6, 2023 by K2938

[jeffriesbkk]

There is no such country called Europe. These stats are meaningles.

However . if Americans do spend more thats because they get pitifully few paid days off per year compared with Europeans and Austalians. Most Yanks dont even get paid maternity or sick leave.

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, K2938 said:

 

Distance Chicago - Bangkok according to Google:  8,553 miles, distance Berlin - Bangkok: 8,598 miles.   So there is pretty much no difference!  According to the latest findings, the earth is actually not flat????

And tell me, which airline flies directly from Chicago to Bangkok? Quite  a few direct flights from Germany, not the case for  USA.. So a change in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong etc adds to the travel time. 

Edited February 6, 2023 by jacko45k

[DUNROAMIN]

Different girlie bars, different prises.

[spidermike007]

37 minutes ago, K2938 said:

 

Distance Chicago - Bangkok according to Google:  8,553 miles, distance Berlin - Bangkok: 8,598 miles.   So there is pretty much no difference!  According to the latest findings, the earth is actually not flat????

The distance from Paris to Bangkok is about 5,400 miles. A direct flight is 10 hours. Berlin is NOT 8,600 miles. It is about 8,600 km. Also about 10 hours, direct. 

 

The distance from Los Angeles to Bangkok is about 8,600 miles, via Taipei. That is a long flight. From New York it is about the same distance. 20 hours, minimum. And there are a very limited number of direct flights from the US. Big difference. And if the earth were flat it would be alot further! 

Edited February 6, 2023 by spidermike007

[cdemundo]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

Americans have to travel a lot further than Europeans to get to Thailand and my experience is they tend to spend extra in an effort to "isolate" themselves from the vagaries of travel - so a hotel of international appearance is more appealing than a local hotel and westernised food - to prove they've experienced a country, rather than immerse themselves in the culture they prefer to buy souvenirs as object based proof of their visit.

I know a lot of Americans who think of themselves as well-traveled.

A lot of them stay in American chain motels in the cities they visit and go on guided tours to see the sights.

So they have experienced Hiltons around the world and carefully curated tour experiences; often shopping oriented.

They do kind of isolate themselves from experiencing the places they visit.

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, flexomike said:

Where do they come up with these numbers, do they check how much you bring in and then recheck when you leave?

Depends if you get stopped at a road check on the way home. 

[metisdead]

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