REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

by Miabell Mallikka

Thailand’s tourism is on the way back. The country’s national bank predicts that the country will receive 28 million tourists this year. The figure is almost as high as in 2015, where almost 30 million visited the Land of Smiles.

 

This comes on top of three years in which the covid-19 pandemic cost the tourism industry greatly around the world. 6.7 million tourists came to Thailand in 2020. Only half a million came in 2021 and 11 million in 2022.

 

But with fewer restrictions worldwide, things are starting to look brighter for the tourism industry in Thailand. According to the national bank’s governor, it expects the economy in the country to grow by 3.6 percent this year. This is not least due to the fact that tourism will grow by 42 percent in the last half of the year.

 

Source: https://www.bt.dk/udland/thailands-turisme-er-tilbage

 

Full story: https://scandasia.com/thailands-tourism-is-back/

 

-- © Copyright ScandAsia 2023-05-01

 

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It can't be true because many of the glass half full types on here said Thailand would never recover.

40 minutes ago, sidjameson said:

It can't be true because many of the glass half full types on here said Thailand would never recover.

The western type tourism's?  India with 1,4 billion will become the nr 1 country with China, Malaysia, Singapore and Arabs 

Edited April 30, 20233 yr by Hummin

14 minutes ago, Hummin said:

The western type tourism's?  India with 1,4 billion will become the nr 1 country with China, and Arabs 3. 

I think Malaysia is number one at present and India is number two, I suspect there's more money in Chinese tourism than Indian.

This is how Phuket tourism looks with the top five arrival nations.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s tourism is on the way back. The country’s national bank predicts that the country will receive 28 million tourists this year. The figure is almost as high as in 2015, where almost 30 million visited the Land of Smiles.

Most being Chinese and Russian.

Arrivals are not tourists, and with the increasing prices for flights I don't think it is reliable that tourist industry will recover so quickly. Even for the Russians and the Chinese, who has already a problem with the new visa rule for them.

6 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Arrivals are not tourists, and with the increasing prices for flights I don't think it is reliable that tourist industry will recover so quickly. Even for the Russians and the Chinese, who has already a problem with the new visa rule for them.

All money. Russians eat food too.

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

It can't be true because many of the glass half full types on here said Thailand would never recover.

The most knowledgeable experts on all things Thailand....

????????

Its all rosy then ... lol ????. 

 

Seems that vast swathes of the west coast of Phuket haven't gotten this wonderful new injection as of yet. Tonnes of closed, boarded-up, and abandoned businesses to see. People here still doing it very hard.

9 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Its all rosy then ... lol ????. 

 

Seems that vast swathes of the west coast of Phuket haven't gotten this wonderful new injection as of yet. Tonnes of closed, boarded-up, and abandoned businesses to see. People here still doing it very hard.

The same as we saw the week after Songkran as we took a trip all the way around the island while visiting and staying in different places.

Can there be 28 million dog-loving, lung-cancer scorning people in SE Asia?

1 hour ago, bignok said:

All money. Russians eat food too.

7-11 pot noodles!

5 hours ago, sidjameson said:

It can't be true because many of the glass half full types on here said Thailand would never recover.

   Perhaps you mean glass half-empty types, as they are deemed to be pessimists--oh, dear, the glass is already half-empty, woe is me.  Glass half-full types, which I try to be, take a more optimistic approach--great, the glass is still half-full, life is good!

This is according to BDC, 

 

Guest demand for Rawai Beach over the past 14 days

+23%

Change in demand

Total demand in Rawai Beach has increased over the last week compared to the previous week,

I must say when I drive around the area it is very quiet on the roads,

 

Saudi Arabia is leading they again according to BDC, The Russians have dropped back to 3rd on the list, 

Yes, in all its glory. Traffic in Pattaya has never been worse.

Back?  Overrun is more like it.  Come on rain!

So a bank is now Predicting a high influx of tourists, do they know more TAT? or will TAT roll out a spokesman tomorrow to say the Bank has got their numbers wrong WE predict 35 Million tourists.

The number of tourists is one thing. How much they spend is another.

In recent months, I've been to Pattaya, Jomtien, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and a few other places. Everywhere many people relying on tourism to make a living are struggling big time. As long as inflation keeps destroying purchase power in the West, Thailand's tourism industry won't improve much. Leisure money is still very much a western thing.

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s tourism is back.

Then: Thailand’s tourism is on the way back

 

Dueling quotes?

Edited May 1, 20233 yr by fusion58

I can't keep up. Tourists up. Tourists down after Sonkkran. Hordes of Chinese coming for May Day holiday. Tourism back. Tourism on it's way back. 30 million. 25 million. 28 million. This is only in the space of a couple of weeks.

12 hours ago, sidjameson said:

It can't be true because many of the glass half full types on here said Thailand would never recover.

You got the saying the wrong way round!!!

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Arrivals are not tourists, and with the increasing prices for flights I don't think it is reliable that tourist industry will recover so quickly. Even for the Russians and the Chinese, who has already a problem with the new visa rule for them.

I'm very confused as I got a BA flight recently however the aircraft was Qatar it had passengers from 3 other airlines so one aircraft catering for 4 airlines including itself. Surely if all was back to normal that would have been 4 separate aircrafts full of people instead of now just one. And prices aren't coming down as already looked for next year and prices up.... not many families will lay £4k just on flights on the table and that's not even thinking of accommodation, food and spending money. A good family holiday in Thailand will now set you back £10k which is for most people a huge chunk of change.

12 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

I think Malaysia is number one at present and India is number two, I suspect there's more money in Chinese tourism than Indian.

Official ranking based on figures to end of March was :

1) Malaysia - 921k

2) Russia - 567k

3) China - 517k

4) South Korea - 442k

5) India - 323k

 

Would think China will likely have overtaken Russia in April

3 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

So a bank is now Predicting a high influx of tourists, do they know more TAT? or will TAT roll out a spokesman tomorrow to say the Bank has got their numbers wrong WE predict 35 Million tourists.

TAT forecast for 2023 was within the range 24m-30m, the bank figure is not deviating outside of that.

8 minutes ago, kinyara said:

Official ranking based on figures to end of March was :

1) Malaysia - 921k

2) Russia - 567k

3) China - 517k

4) South Korea - 442k

5) India - 323k

 

Would think China will likely have overtaken Russia in April

I'm guessing the Malaysian numbers is counting those who pop over the border to do shopping and pop back again. Not exactly tourists.

20 hours ago, kinyara said:

TAT forecast for 2023 was within the range 24m-30m, the bank figure is not deviating outside of that.

It was a tongue in cheek post kinyara. As we get stupid comments from TAT so I thought to outshine TAT a bank would come out with Tourist figures and not to be outdone TAT chips in to beat them with another silly prediction.

On 5/1/2023 at 12:41 PM, BarraMarra said:

So a bank is now Predicting a high influx of tourists, do they know more TAT? or will TAT roll out a spokesman tomorrow to say the Bank has got their numbers wrong WE predict 35 Million tourists.

It sometimes reminds one of an auction. If an optimistic figure is dropped, one can be sure that only days later that prediction is topped by 5 or 10 million more tourists...

Tourism cult-like obsession.

Can never have enough.