PHOTO: Flickr/Dennis Jarvis

 

By Peter Roche

Thai tourism officials have set a target of 80 million foreign visitors by 2027, but the tourism minister says congestion must be alleviated at the country’s tourist hotspots.

 

Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn insists there should be no return to the overcrowding seen at popular destinations prior to Covid-19.

 

“It might be harsh to say this, but Thailand should never return to the conditions of 2019, when almost 40 million foreign tourists flocked to the country, with many destinations overcrowded like slums.”

 

Phiphat says the goal of 80 million visitors can only be achieved with the help of other government ministries. He adds that the much-used term “quality tourists” doesn’t just refer to the rich, but to travellers who plan to stay longer in Thailand.

 

“Quality tourists doesn’t only mean those with deep pockets.”

 

Phiphat says anyone planning longer stays in the kingdom can be considered a “quality tourist”.

 

“They can be backpackers, as we’d rather focus on tourists who respect our laws and environment, agreeing to the rules set by each cultural and natural destination.”

 

Meanwhile, his ministry is focusing on green tourism over the next 5 years, to bring Thailand in line with global trends.

 

Phipat says there are plans to make the island of Kho Khao, in the southern province of Phang Nga, into Thailand’s first low-carbon destination by 2025. It’s understood the islands of Yao Noi and Yao Yai could be added later, with plans to make all of Phang Nga a low-carbon province by 2027.

 

Where is Kho Khao? Just north of Khao Lak.

 

In addition, Krabi is to be marketed as Thailand’s first “spa province”, with Phiphat saying a recent Japanese study has rated the saltwater hot springs in the district of Khlong Thom as one of the best in the world.

 

“The Khlong Thom district has a total area of 1,000 square metres. We aim to list the whole district as a health tourism destination, banking on the reputation of its saltwater hot spring.”

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/thailands-tourism-ministry-targets-80-million-foreign-arrivals-by-2027/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-03-10

 

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If we see 80 million tourists here, I'm orf, may as well be back home in farang land.

I see a big economic downturn in Europe. So it must be Chinese, Indian, Russian mostly. OK there are enough people.

You can't move in Pattaya now, imagine a few million more tourists !!

Up the curve,  the concave portion is simple enough,  the Convex part is far far more difficult. 

There is Maturity cycle,  and my prediction is NO and NO,   they will not get 80 millions in 2027. 

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

He adds that the much-used term “quality tourists” doesn’t just refer to the rich, but to travellers who plan to stay longer in Thailand.

 

“Quality tourists doesn’t only mean those with deep pockets.”

 

Phiphat says anyone planning longer stays in the kingdom can be considered a “quality tourist”.

He should tell that to Immigration, esp. at all entry points.

50 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

If we see 80 million tourists here, I'm orf, may as well be back home in farang land.

The noise, pollution, and overcrowding would be unbearable. A bit like a Chinese subway station at rush hour... ????

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thai tourism officials have set a target of 80 million foreign visitors by 2027

Is that all ???

"no return to the overcrowding seen at popular destinations prior to Covid-19."

But we want to double the amount of people.

Sure, that will work.

That would make Thailand the top destination in the world. I don't think so. Dream on, small minded guys. 

Now I see a new definition of quality tourists...

 

“Quality tourists doesn’t only mean those with deep pockets.” Phiphat says anyone planning longer stays in the kingdom can be considered a “quality tourist”.

Keep chasing that 20-25% GDP

So they intend to double the population now in Thailand with 80 million tourists. Silly question but where are these 80 million tourists going to stay? As far as I remember Thailand is a small country with limited land resources. Additionally how will these people get around? Traffic is bad now in Bangkok and probably elsewhere, doubling the number of people on the move is not going to help the situation,

28 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

So they intend to double the population now in Thailand with 80 million tourists. Silly question but where are these 80 million tourists going to stay? As far as I remember Thailand is a small country with limited land resources. Additionally how will these people get around? Traffic is bad now in Bangkok and probably elsewhere, doubling the number of people on the move is not going to help the situation,

Thailand occupies twice the land mass that the UK does, 198K square miles versus 98,000, yet it has a similar sized population.

40 million was a nightmare with overcrowding at all major tourist destinations, facilities airports and immigration offices. 80 million, if it were to actually happen, would obviously be twice as bad. 

32 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Thailand occupies twice the land mass that the UK does, 198K square miles versus 98,000, yet it has a similar sized population.

It is still limited and hotels etc are not going to be built and ready are they? Use a bit common sense in the requirements. As for land it would mean giving up a lot of land currently used for food production.

4 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

It is still limited and hotels etc are not going to be built and ready are they? Use a bit common sense in the requirements. As for land it would mean giving up a lot of land currently used for food production.

Thailand has over 800,000 hotel rooms which when multiplied by 365 nights equals 292 million guest nights or 350% of the required need

 

If there's anything else I can help you understand, please feel free to ask.

 

Best

 

https://www.statista.com/topics/6907/hotel-industry-in-thailand/

The man is a genius. He will double tourist numbers and alleviate overcrowding in popular areas!!!

However, with an election looming there's a good chance he won't be tourism minister for much longer so let';s hope the next incumbent is just as intelligent????

Maybe not so dumb, the laws of supply and demand. If the demand numbers do start to rise, they can put a cap on the number of tourists that can be admitted, that will let everyone drive up prices.

targets and reality is never the same

2 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

Thailand has over 800,000 hotel rooms which when multiplied by 365 nights equals 292 million guest nights or 350% of the required need

 

If there's anything else I can help you understand, please feel free to ask.

 

Best

 

https://www.statista.com/topics/6907/hotel-industry-in-thailand/

That's fine if they all stay for just 1 night

 

 

30 million, 40 million, 80 million tourists next year who bet more???

When tour operators and tourists discover and understand how polluted the air is in Thailand, the choice will probably fall on other countries that take the environment seriously.

In parts of Pratumnak you can see the change, the increase in numbers but you  can also see the degentrification of a once pleasant suburb, parts of which were  inhabited by royalty. Now we have squalid rubbish  dumps, litter, garish bars with Western themes and hundred of poor Russian families in crumpled clothing wandering around, some say, escaping the fearful misery of Putins war. They are sad to behold. Compared to them the Walking Street  Indian  are sophisticated and minted

3 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

Thailand has over 800,000 hotel rooms which when multiplied by 365 nights equals 292 million guest nights or 350% of the required need

 

If there's anything else I can help you understand, please feel free to ask.

 

Best

 

https://www.statista.com/topics/6907/hotel-industry-in-thailand/

Guest nights vs number of tourists, care to explain the 350%?

10 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Guest nights vs number of tourists, care to explain the 350%?

All the Indians share one room.

Sure they can add 80 million.  Let China annex Thailand…

The tourism minister is a big fan of Supertramp... 

 

 

 

 

 

... Dreamer 

80 million? Conjured a number from the rabbit hat. Doesn't matter. At 80 million, Thailand's infrastructure would collapse.

1. Water supply

Even before C19, resorts on some islands had to close due to a lack of water in the dry season. Unauthorized deep well drilling that sucks off the last fresh water.

2. Garbage Disposal

It's unbelievable how many mountains of rubbish have already been created. At the moment most of it is just buried or burned.

3. Air pollution

Alarming values that are already classified as harmful to health in many regions.

4. Power supply

Power outages are common these days even with "only" 20 Million Tourists.

5. Marine Pollution

The ocean and many beaches are already covered with rubbish.

6. Traffic chaos

Congested streets, traffic jams, outdated trains and ferries, streets full of parked cars, streets in need of repair, etc.

7. Unregulated development

More and more flat-roof glass concrete blocks/ hotels/villas with swimming pools that waste a lot of aircon power, fresh water and architecturally don't fit into the landscape at all. Increased deforestation and hillside development.

8. Sewage Disposal.

Zero processing. Most of it in self-made septic tanks or simply pumped into the sea at night.

 

Thailand definitely does not have an integrated long-term tourism development plan that takes all the problems ( which caused by large tourism numbers ) into account. There prevails more the short-term -quick - money - thinking.

Edited March 10, 20233 yr by tomacht8

Will they have enough oxygen masks to fit all these tourists queueing up to get lung cancer?