Thailand Aims to Attract 150,000 Tourists from Saudi Arabia This Year

[webfact]

PHOTO: Bangkok Post

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

National — Thailand has set a big objective of attracting 150,000 high-value Saudi Arabian tourists to the country in order to stir up tourism.

Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) revealed that the improved diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia have greatly impacted the tourism industry in Thailand.

 

According to statistics from 2015 to 2023, there has been significant growth in the number of Saudi Arabian visitors to Thailand. In 2015, Thailand welcomed 25,153 Saudi Arabian tourists. In 2016, that number grew to 33,038, and in 2017 it grew even further to 42,610.

In 2018, the number decreased slightly to 35,090, but it increased again in 2019 to 36,783. In 2022, the number surged to 96,389, which is a remarkable increase, according to Siripakorn and has to do with improved relations between the two countries diplomatically.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/04/11/thailand-aims-to-attract-150000-tourists-from-saudi-arabia-this-year/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-04-12

 

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[champers]

If 53% visit for the first time and 43% have been before, what's with the remaining 4%?

[2baht]

....and spend 25 squillion baht? None of that will be spent on alcohol of course!

[sammieuk1]

Hotels will need to audit their linen immediately ????

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, 2baht said:

....and spend 25 squillion baht? None of that will be spent on alcohol of course!

The Indian restaurants will be doing a massive trade in lamb Korma.

[RichardColeman]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand has set a big objective of attracting 150,000 high-value Saudi Arabian tourists to the country in order to stir up tourism

Sure bet they wont be here for songkran - never seen a muslim with a water pistol 

[Enoon]

13 hours ago, champers said:

If 53% visit for the first time and 43% have been before, what's with the remaining 4%?

 

They have visited Thailand before, in secret,  on "fact finding missions" to the "entertainment areas".

 

It was a regular thing a few years ago. I met a bunch of them in the Diamond Beach hotel........is it still there?..... it had a Soapy on site as I recall.

 

One of them, a CPVPV bloke......bonkers, huge fun to be with, absolutely stonked on "Baileys",  told me all about the visits

 

Obviously that cannot be publicly stated.......keep it to yourself.

 

If you ask anyone concerned with creating the stats they will just smile sheepishly at you, say nothing, and look a bit uncomfortable.........Thainess!

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Enoon

[Darksidedude]

Is that good news 

[Darksidedude]

17 hours ago, 2baht said:

....and spend 25 squillion baht? None of that will be spent on alcohol of course!

Ha Saudis say allah cannot see the goings on in Bahrain, Thailand will be no different

[still kicking]

10 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sure bet they wont be here for songkran - never seen a muslim with a water pistol 

But they have real guns 

[pomchop]

It is hard to imagine how Saudis and their culture fit with Thai culture.... Thailand wants to lure Russians, Chinese, Saudis and Indians as dominant tourists.  Wonder what the Thai people think about that mix?

[still kicking]

Saudis have more money than all the other countries listed they may not spend money on alcohol. but they are rich, most Chinese or Indians are very poor 

[thaibeachlovers]

59 minutes ago, still kicking said:

But they have real guns 

Do you base that on a fact? I lived in Riyadh and they didn't have guns, except for the police, so why would they have them in Thailand?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Darksidedude said:

Ha Saudis say allah cannot see the goings on in Bahrain, Thailand will be no different

Yeah, I flew back from Bahrain with a sozzled Saudi next to me.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Darksidedude said:

Is that good news 

I suspect not for the Thais that have to deal with them. Not one of the people I worked with would have stayed in Saudi except for the very large pay packets.

[still kicking]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Do you base that on a fact? I lived in Riyadh and they didn't have guns, except for the police, so why would they have them in Thailand?

Read my post after that, those having guns was just a joke. But Saudis are rich compared to Chinese or Indians 

Edited April 12, 2023 by still kicking

[thaibeachlovers]

Obviously the jewel theft and subsequent murders of Saudi officials has ceased to be a thing for which the Saudis refused to allow citizens to visit Thailand, but was it officially forgiven or just quietly forgotten about?

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, still kicking said:

Read my post after that, those having guns was just a joke. But Saudis are rich compared to Chinese or Indians 

OK, but some indication that it was joke, like a smiley face or a LOL would have been helpful.

 

Yes Saudis are very rich and were blessed by Allah for living over a large puddle of oil, else IMO they'd still be riding camels and living in mud houses.

There was a saying when I lived there in the 90s that their grandfather rode a camel, and their sons will ride a camel, but obviously the oil didn't run out yet. Perhaps their great grandsons will be riding camels again.

[2baht]

4 hours ago, pomchop said:

It is hard to imagine how Saudis and their culture fit with Thai culture.... Thailand wants to lure Russians, Chinese, Saudis and Indians as dominant tourists.  Wonder what the Thai people think about that mix?

Kaching kaching, that's all they think!

[Darksidedude]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I suspect not for the Thais that have to deal with them. Not one of the people I worked with would have stayed in Saudi except for the very large pay packets.

yep i worked there for 4 years that was enough, it boggles my mind why expat family's live there

 

Saying that it is improving for the better with the younger guy in power, lot of changes going on removing the stupid old ways of life there could possibly be ok in the future.

[pomchop]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Kaching kaching, that's all they think!

i know $$ important but i also remember few years back lot of bars etc had no arabs, no this and that signs on their doors....also not sure the average bar gal given a choice would choose to go with some of these guys rather than other guys....and of course we have all heard the stories of indians trying to share one drink or one girl among several...no idea if true but most thai folks probably would not much like that....also lots of reports of airbnb and hotels renting a room and suddenly 6 people staying there......just saying that my guess is that most thai people might wish that the mix being promoted were a bit different but it is what TAT seems to be intent on....

[jacko45k]

Yet more money inspired rubbing together of palms!