Pattaya Welcomes 2.5 Million Tourists So Far Since Full Reopening

[snoop1130]

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) revealed that Pattaya has welcomed as many as 2.5 million tourists so far after the country fully opened for tourism until April of 2023.

 

Despite being in the low season at the moment, the director of the Pattaya Office of TAT, Ms. Anoma Wongyai, told Thai media that there are still a considerable number of financially independent travelers (FIT) visiting Pattaya.

 

So far after Thailand fully opened its borders to tourists until April of 2023, 2.5 million people have travelled to Pattaya, 1.2 million of which are Thais and 860,000 are foreign tourists. The latter mostly consisted of Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese.

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/06/23/pattaya-welcomes-2-5-million-tourists-so-far-since-full-reopening-after-covid-19-russians-were-number-one/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-06-23

 

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[Pink Mist]

A trolling Meme Post and another troll post have been removed.  If you have no interest in the OP just do not post.  Continue and face a suspension.

[CartagenaWarlock]

What happened to the bride seekers and orgy seekers? They have given up Pattay?

[Harsh Jones]

I remember hearing and reading all about Pattaya's demise from 2008 to 2015. Because gogo bars and other p4p were dwindling. That part was true. But the Pattaya doomers thought this was an indicator of Pattaya's demise as a whole. When in reality, Pattaya was transitioning to more of a mainstream holiday destination. 

 

 

[tomacht8]

2.5 million people have travelled to Pattaya, 1.2 million of which are Thais and 860,000 are foreign tourists.

 

And the rest, - 440000 - must be aliens.

[jacko45k]

5 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

What happened to the bride seekers and orgy seekers? They have given up Pattay?

We got old, tired and married!

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite being in the low season at the moment, the director of the Pattaya Office of TAT, Ms. Anoma Wongyai, told Thai media that there are still a considerable number of financially independent travelers (FIT) visiting Pattaya.

They just can't help slipping that in.

[mikebell]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

people have travelled to Pattaya, 1.2 million of which are Thais

Every weekend they clutter up the roads knowing the police don't work.

[Almer]

Guess work or fact but who is to know and it keeps TAT people in work

[Almer]

7 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

I remember hearing and reading all about Pattaya's demise from 2008 to 2015. Because gogo bars and other p4p were dwindling. That part was true. But the Pattaya doomers thought this was an indicator of Pattaya's demise as a whole. When in reality, Pattaya was transitioning to more of a mainstream holiday destination. 

 

 

I guess a true reflection is hotel occupancy or a census, how in hell do they know 2.5 million is the figure, or is it the figure that all want to here 2.5 sounds better than 1.4

[Mickeymaus]

They need to build more red light districts to attract even more tourists - or so. I would like to know how many of these tourists visited sex businesses. I see many (often empty) bars occupying larger parts of the city. Some people still do whatever it takes to keep this Sin City image alive because they love these businesses so much - for whatever reason... 

[Harsh Jones]

28 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

They need to build more red light districts to attract even more tourists - or so. I would like to know how many of these tourists visited sex businesses. I see many (often empty) bars occupying larger parts of the city. Some people still do whatever it takes to keep this Sin City image alive because they love these businesses so much - for whatever reason... 

The whole red light scene has been dying and some ppl just cant let it go. Because they want to continue to mock Pattaya for it. Like you are trying to do right now

[Skeptic7]

Had some Thai friends down from Udon recently who've never been to Walking Street, so we took them. I hadn't been in years and tho it's not quite the same...still plenty of "hooks & crooks"❗We walked a good portion and spent an hour in each of 2 live band bars and it was a good enough time. Overrun with Chinese, Indians and Mid-Easts for me, but they weren't interested in live music. ????

[Sydebolle]

1.2 million of which are Thais and 860,000 are mostly Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. 

So the dirty farang are no longer a momentum and, despite all the endeavors of the goons at the tourism promotion board in the dunes of the Middle East and papadam parties in South Asia, those target groups did not make it onto the top of the list. 

It was a price game with quality tourists helping the local providers to upgrade their product which resulted in earning X with, for argument's sake, 100 guests. The volume game did not require any upgrade (possibly even downgrading the product/offering) and today it takes 1'000 guests to earn X. 

A matter of philosophy; I still believe it is easier on the price game - less staff, smaller infrastructure, less capital tied up but I am not in the local tourism industry. 

[Mickeymaus]

50 minutes ago, Harsh Jones said:

The whole red light scene has been dying and some ppl just cant let it go. Because they want to continue to mock Pattaya for it. Like you are trying to do right now

I don't mock Pattaya. These (sex) businesses allow income for some people like no other businesses. For instance they can be easily rented out to foreigners, they can employ unskilled staff, they provide opportunities for bribes, they mostly don't need much investment, they can be easily removed, they keep water buffaloes in good shape, they... 

 

But I think they should be moved to special zones for special tourists and not dominate the image of Pattaya. Most tourists have nothing to do with such businesses and are even annoyed - prostitution in many places in the city, noise pollution and other negative things. 

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

But I think they should be moved to special zones for special tourists and not dominate the image of Pattaya. Most tourists have nothing to do with such businesses and are even annoyed - prostitution in many places in the city, noise pollution and other negative things. 

They have moved these businesses to a special zone .......... and that zone is called Pattaya.

If it annoys you, go somewhere else.

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

What happened to the bride seekers and orgy seekers? They have given up Pattay?

I actually think they priced themselves out of the market.

Back in 2009 it was 500bht, now it's 1,500bht and my income hasn't significantly changed.

Now I'm a bit older, beer seems better value for money, and it hasn't got much more expensive.

[Mickeymaus]

6 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I actually think they priced themselves out of the market.

Back in 2009 it was 500bht, now it's 1,500bht and my income hasn't significantly changed.

Now I'm a bit older, beer seems better value for money, and it hasn't got much more expensive.

You see yourself - we don't need so many bars anymore ????.  Things changed. 

[Guderian]

The numbers sound a bit suspect to me, but that's par for the course with TAT.

 

For example, in 2017 the official numbers say that over 13 million tourists stayed in guest accommodation in Pattaya, roughly one-third Thai and two-thirds foreign. By 2019, before the pandemic messed everything up, that 13 million was probably well over 15 million as visitor numbers had been increasing by over a million people a year. It must be a year since Thailand fully reopened to foreign tourism, yet they're claiming that in the year from, say, mid-2022 to now a mere 2.5 million people have visited the city, including 1.2 million Thais, less than a quarter of the number before the pandemic. Meanwhile, they claim that foreign tourists have numbered just 800,000, less than a tenth of the number before Covid visited us. That doesn't make any sense, why would the Bangkokians suddenly decide that they'd sooner spend their weekends at home? On top of which, as anyone knows who lives on the Bright Side, the high season was very busy. I live on the south side and I'd hazard a guess that Jomtien had its best tourist season ever, the idea that 90% of foreign visitors have gone AWOL this year is ludicrous. The Songkran week was also busy, especially the final two Wan Lai days, there must have been hundreds of thousands of people who visited the city just for that.

[newnative]

5 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

1.2 million of which are Thais and 860,000 are mostly Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. 

So the dirty farang are no longer a momentum and, despite all the endeavors of the goons at the tourism promotion board in the dunes of the Middle East and papadam parties in South Asia, those target groups did not make it onto the top of the list. 

It was a price game with quality tourists helping the local providers to upgrade their product which resulted in earning X with, for argument's sake, 100 guests. The volume game did not require any upgrade (possibly even downgrading the product/offering) and today it takes 1'000 guests to earn X. 

A matter of philosophy; I still believe it is easier on the price game - less staff, smaller infrastructure, less capital tied up but I am not in the local tourism industry. 

   Actually, it's more like 2 to 1.  According to Statista, the biggest international spenders in Thailand in 2019 were from the Middle East, spending around 81,000 baht each.  Spending the least were visitors from ASEAN countries, spending around 41,000 baht each.  So, two of them spent about the same as one highest spending visitor.  China, by the way, came in at 49,500 baht each.  Europe and the Americas were around 71,000 and 69,000 baht.  So. less than 2 Chinese to equal the spending of 1 of them.

    As I've said before, if you're Thailand, do you want a few Middle East visitors spending 81,000 baht each or do you want 11 million Chinese spending 49,500 baht each?   In reality, Thailand wants both, and visitors from Europe and the Americas, but the China market is far more important revenue-wise--to the tune of over 500 billion baht in 2019, the most, by far, of any individual country.

 

 

[Jiggo]

22 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Had some Thai friends down from Udon recently who've never been to Walking Street, so we took them. I hadn't been in years and tho it's not quite the same...still plenty of "hooks & crooks"❗We walked a good portion and spent an hour in each of 2 live band bars and it was a good enough time. Overrun with Chinese, Indians and Mid-Easts for me, but they weren't interested in live music. ????

Live 10 mins away, never go their though, full of Rubber Neckers and overpriced bars........and shady middle eastern types

[Victor Laszlo]

Thais are very adaptable when it comes down to their preferred tourist nationality. 

[jacko45k]

5 hours ago, Victor Laszlo said:

Thais are very adaptable when it comes down to their preferred tourist nationality. 

Well yes, anybody with money.

[Sydebolle]

On 6/24/2023 at 3:05 PM, newnative said:

   Actually, it's more like 2 to 1.  According to Statista, the biggest international spenders in Thailand in 2019 were from the Middle East, spending around 81,000 baht each.  Spending the least were visitors from ASEAN countries, spending around 41,000 baht each.  So, two of them spent about the same as one highest spending visitor.  China, by the way, came in at 49,500 baht each.  Europe and the Americas were around 71,000 and 69,000 baht.  So. less than 2 Chinese to equal the spending of 1 of them.

    As I've said before, if you're Thailand, do you want a few Middle East visitors spending 81,000 baht each or do you want 11 million Chinese spending 49,500 baht each?   In reality, Thailand wants both, and visitors from Europe and the Americas, but the China market is far more important revenue-wise--to the tune of over 500 billion baht in 2019, the most, by far, of any individual country.

 

 

When hunting a rabbit; missing it by left and next shot missing it by right = by statistical value the rabbit is ready for your pan. 
On a more serious note I wonder, where the 49'500 Baht/Chinese come from. Even if this amount is correct, i.e. that is what Mr and Mrs China spend on an average Thailand trip, they do that with their agency in China. They fly on Chinese carriers, use Chinese travel agents for ground arrangements (buses etc.), stay in Chinese owned/run hotels and get hushed-hushed through Thailand by Chinese operators. The net value staying behind for Thailand and its people is a fraction of this. That is, why they call them the zero-dollar tourists. 
The customer base from the Middle East is less than welcome; Thais have a thing with "dark skinned" people and call them "Khaek" which also covers Southasians and our friends in Africa. 

[newnative]

14 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

When hunting a rabbit; missing it by left and next shot missing it by right = by statistical value the rabbit is ready for your pan. 
On a more serious note I wonder, where the 49'500 Baht/Chinese come from. Even if this amount is correct, i.e. that is what Mr and Mrs China spend on an average Thailand trip, they do that with their agency in China. They fly on Chinese carriers, use Chinese travel agents for ground arrangements (buses etc.), stay in Chinese owned/run hotels and get hushed-hushed through Thailand by Chinese operators. The net value staying behind for Thailand and its people is a fraction of this. That is, why they call them the zero-dollar tourists. 
The customer base from the Middle East is less than welcome; Thais have a thing with "dark skinned" people and call them "Khaek" which also covers Southasians and our friends in Africa. 

      You 'wonder' where the 49,500 baht China spending figure comes from but, apparently, don't wonder where the higher spending figures for Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East come from.  A bit selective in your wondering. 

     In reality, even someone on a budget tour contributes to the Thai economy.  In regard to the Chinese tourists, the majority of them, in 2019, were independent travelers, not in tour groups, budget or otherwise.  So, that was over 5 million Chinese independent tourists in 2019--traveling and staying wherever they wanted, spending wherever they wanted.  That's far more than the number of visitors from the Americas, at 1.7 million.  It's less than all of Europe, at 6.7 million, but far more than any individual European country.