Thailand targets high-spending Middle Eastern tourists for tourism growth

[webfact]

Image courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

by Alex Morgan

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is focusing on attracting high-spending visitors from the Middle East in the latter half of this year, with the goal of utilising this market as a new tourism growth engine.

 

Apichai Chatchalermkit, TAT’s deputy governor for tourism products and business, has stated that since Thailand re-established full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia in early 2021, the authority has been increasing efforts to bring in high-spending tourists from the Middle East. Chatchalermkit also mentioned that Middle Eastern consumers hold a positive image of the quality of health and wellness businesses in Thailand.

TAT reported that in 2021, there were a total of 314,882 Middle Eastern tourists visiting Thailand. Approximately 100,000 of them were from Saudi Arabia and about 66,000 from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

Middle Eastern travellers are regarded as a high-spending demographic with relatively more extended stays in Thailand. For instance, in 2019, tourists from the UAE stayed in Thailand for an average of 11.4 days, spending more than US$220 per day.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/business/thailand-targets-high-spending-middle-eastern-tourists-for-tourism-growth

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-05-11

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[Will B Good]

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

 

One day it might just occur to them that farangs spend a pretty penny here.

[dinsdale]

Congradulations on picking a pic that could not be anything but the complete opposite to the article. Well done. 

[RandolphGB]

15 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Congradulations on picking a pic that could not be anything but the complete opposite to the article. Well done. 

From the same excuse for a news site that uses African elephants to illustrate stories about elephants in Thailand.

 

 

[trainman34014]

Yada Yada; heard it all before.   Nobody much left on The Planet to 'Target'; except for perhaps 'High Spending Eskimo's'....Lol.

[cnx101]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

 

One day it might just occur to them that farangs spend a pretty penny here.

Yes where’s the Chinese oh there at a seafood buffet

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

 

One day it might just occur to them that farangs spend a pretty penny here.

first they were replaced with the Sri Lankians, it din't work, Now they turn to the middle east but with this type of activities/publicity one has to wonder if the middle east will close their eyes...555

 

Couple condemned for having sex on a public beach in southern Thailand

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, RandolphGB said:

From the same excuse for a news site that uses African elephants to illustrate stories about elephants in Thailand.

 

 

Also:

Paetongtarn Shinawatra gives birth to her first child 

As I said they must have meant her first child after her first child. I get the feeling this is work from home and ChatGPT and children are involved in creating these articles. If not then why? How can anyone get this stuff soooooo wrong?

[RandolphGB]

23 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Also:

Paetongtarn Shinawatra gives birth to her first child 

As I said they must have meant her first child after her first child. I get the feeling this is work from home and ChatGPT and children are involved in creating these articles. If not then why? How can anyone get this stuff soooooo wrong?

Yes, there's a lot of ChatGPT going on.

 

They seem to be going for quantity over quality.

 

[bendejo]

Might be a little too much pork in the diet for them.

I stayed in Penang for a while, Middle Easterners tend to pour in during the summer months.  They seem to love McDonalds (which is halal down there). 

 

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is focusing on attracting high-spending visitors from the Middle East in the latter half of this year, with the goal of utilising this market as a new tourism growth engine.

He we go again... 

The Indians are coming, the Saudis are coming, The Danes are coming, the Chinese are coming, The Russians are coming...

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

Well, the Indians at least have been subsidizing the Thai economy by donating their gold necklaces in Pattaya...

The Chinese, hmm they probably spend directly into the BiB's coffers, circumventing the economy.

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians (...)

Not sure whether they have Thai nationality or not, but many on Walking Street, promoting the Russian a-go-gos, working in malls (e.g. Mike's), or (shhh...) secretly selling leather belts in alleys near Tip Plaza...

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Middle Eastern travellers are regarded as a high-spending demographic with relatively more extended stays in Thailand. 

Since when is Thailand interested in travellers staying for an 'extended time'? Oh yes, since all the coveted Asian visitors have lowered the average tourist's stay to a week or so...

Edited May 11, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[sqwakvfr]

Wealthy people from the Middle East are very demanding and have very high expectations.  Doubt very few hotels in LOS can meet these expectations.  

[h90]

4 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

 

One day it might just occur to them that farangs spend a pretty penny here.

Sure the do spend a lot....But it is not either Chinese or Farangs it is Chinese and Farangs

[h90]

26 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Wealthy people from the Middle East are very demanding and have very high expectations.  Doubt very few hotels in LOS can meet these expectations.  

I don't know much about middle eastern, but I have seen plenty who took it easy, both in Thailand as in Langkawi.

[Cake Monster]

There is nothing people enjoy more than to be openly Targeted

Not

[dinsdale]

47 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Wealthy people from the Middle East are very demanding and have very high expectations.  Doubt very few hotels in LOS can meet these expectations.  

Not sure if it's the hotels or who you can take to said hotels. Come to Thasiland to drink and have a bit on the side from countries where it is forbidden by religion and the state.

[sqwakvfr]

22 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Not sure if it's the hotels or who you can take to said hotels. Come to Thasiland to drink and have a bit on the side from countries where it is forbidden by religion and the state.

What is the Thai word for Concierge?  I knew a few Kuwaitis and Emiratis(you know people who pay $10,000 for First Class Airline tickets) and when they arrive at a hotel they want to be served and served and served.  

[h90]

6 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

What is the Thai word for Concierge?  I knew a few Kuwaitis and Emiratis(you know people who pay $10,000 for First Class Airline tickets) and when they arrive at a hotel they want to be served and served and served.  

And I have seen plenty of Arabs that didn't look well off....rent something cheap and still like holidays. Not everyone there is a Sheik and has an oil field in his backyard. From all Farangs are rich we are now at all Arabs and Persians are rich
Syria and Palestine are middle east and not super rich.....Turkey also counts as middle east, or?

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Congradulations on picking a pic that could not be anything but the complete opposite to the article. Well done. 

Maybe "Camel Republic" in Cha-Am would be more appropriate??

 

 

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, Burma Bill said:

Maybe "Camel Republic" in Cha-Am would be more appropriate??

 

 

Must be an Australian joint being that Australia has more camels than any other county. Not bad meat though and the milk is meant to be very good for you. As for the article it's just more we want rich people to come here and sod the rest of you.

[onthedarkside]

A totally inappropriate attempt at a racial slur joke has been removed along with numerous replies that led of it.

[sqwakvfr]

45 minutes ago, h90 said:

And I have seen plenty of Arabs that didn't look well off....rent something cheap and still like holidays. Not everyone there is a Sheik and has an oil field in his backyard. From all Farangs are rich we are now at all Arabs and Persians are rich
Syria and Palestine are middle east and not super rich.....Turkey also counts as middle east, or?

My experience has been different.  When I was living in Kuwait and I never realized an ATM could spit so much money I saw numerous Kuwaitis withdraw stacks of Kuwait Dinar.  Kuwait Dinar was almost $4 to a single Kuwait Dinar.   

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

From the same excuse for a news site that uses African elephants to illustrate stories about elephants in Thailand.

 

 

TAT have been known to use photos of beaches outside of Thailand to promote Thailand. They haven't got a  clue, and nor have the journalists.

[Purdey]

Wonder what Arabs see in Thailand? You don't see them in bikinis at the beach. Not filling up the go-go bars.

During the Gulf Wars, pubs put sarcastic signs outside their doors barring Arabs as they respect their religion. Goodness knows how welcome they will be.

[CartagenaWarlock]

Wealthy Arabs will go to London, Paris for sex orgy and let the people who are priced out in their own lands by their own kinds come to Thailand for cheap hanky panky. 

[zzaa09]

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

What happened to the high spending Indians and Chinese?

 

One day it might just occur to them that farangs spend a pretty penny here.

That could be argued among observers - are we talking tourists or residents? 

The latter have a reputation percentile of being Farang Khee Nok [generally speaking] ????

The contributions, in comparison, aren't that overwhelming. ????

[Deserted]

It's true that they are. The government has put a lot of effort into rebuilding relations with Saudi. I was there when it happened, and the Saudis see it as a new opportunity and an exciting place to come to. The only difficulty is they aren't used to drinking alcohol and either have accidents or get too drunk too easily.