Political uncertainty forces tourism industry to cut arrival estimates by 2 million

[webfact]

Delay in the formation of the new government has caused the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to adjust its estimate of tourist arrivals this year down to 28 million, from 30 million, which will reduce estimated tourism revenue by about 100 billion, said TCT chairman Chamnan Srisawat.

 

He attributed the anticipated revenue shortfall to the delay in the disbursement of budget for tourism promotion during the third quarter of the year, which is the low tourism season. He also said that concern about political protests is another factor which may discourage tourists from visiting Thailand.

 

Tourist arrivals for the first and second quarters of the year have met the targets of 6 and 7 million respectively, but the 8 million arrivals targeted for the third quarter is likely to be missed by about two million.

 

Tourists gather and take pictures at Maya Bay on Thailand’s Phi Phi Leh island on March 17, 2023. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/political-uncertainty-forces-tourism-industry-to-cut-arrival-estimates-by-2-million/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-08-08

 

- 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.

[Goat]

That is a shame. TAT and TCT have done a wonderful job luring 100's of millions of tourists to Thailand.

I hope this prediction doesnt come true.

I would not have thought so many people would care.

[ikke1959]

Good  move from Pheu Thai ... the first negative results are already here.... Go ahead Pheu Thai do everything to bring Thaksin home and try to take the power, unless what it will take, Voters will not accept your betrayal

[Drop the dead donkey]

TAT have just realised what the decreased percentage button means on their golden tourist prediction calculator, that they have on their desk.

[DonniePeverley]

On the ground at the moment Bangkok is absolutely rammed. Never seen so many tourists around before. Vast majority from India and the Arabian sub continent. 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Delay in the formation of the new government has caused the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) to adjust its estimate of tourist arrivals this year down to 28 million, from 30 million, which will reduce estimated tourism revenue by about 100 billion, said TCT chairman Chamnan Srisawat.

The current hiatus in forming a new government has zero affect on tourism.

The earlier prediction from TAT was way off the mark.

[kinyara]

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The current hiatus in forming a new government has zero affect on tourism.

The earlier prediction from TAT was way off the mark.

Apart from the fact the article refers to the Tourist Council of Thailand and not TAT,  TAT's forecast for this year was between the range of 24 million to 30 million which it will be, so no they won't be way off the mark.

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, Drop the dead donkey said:

TAT have just realised what the decreased percentage button means on their golden tourist prediction calculator, that they have on their desk.

Like tourists care, or even know about, the political situation in Thailand, this isn't Ukraine after all. They've miscalculated their exaggerations and the political impasse will have to make do as an excuse. Why would they be wary of demonstrations, they would watch the punch up, not take part in it. 

[swm59nj]

I don’t think this type of political uncertainty is going to sway tourists not to visit. 
 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, swm59nj said:

I don’t think this type of political uncertainty is going to sway tourists not to visit. 
 

Perhaps not Europeans or USA guys who don't take instability as seriously or let it deter them. But Chinese seem to be impacted by it....

[Dcheech]

45 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

But Chinese seem to be impacted by it....

From what I am reading (always suspect) it is economic issues in China not political instability in Thailand, that slowed the expected china tourist wave. The future appears none to good. From dreams of world domination three years back, pre wuhan flu, to real concerns about employment & the grain harvests in flooded provinces in the north. 

[Karma80]

Cutting a purely fictional number pulled from your behind and blame something else? Sure, why not. Interesting stats for July in Phuket. Which speaks more to a reliance, as always on Chinese tourism, which has not materialised to the numbers they dream of.

 

Why ? Because chat on social media in China is that tourism isn't safe in Thailand because of the incidents of kidnapping and human trafficking, and sure there is a noise about policital instability. But more than that - Thailand isn't the only country which is trying to attract tourists and that competition is fierce. Japan is seeing a massive upsurge, for example. What's left for Thailand is skewed to the bottom end of tourist spending and that's impacted by the economic downturn.

 

 

 

[Skeptic7]

Broken record. 

[Scouse123]

All this macaroni for the public sounds better than saying ' Hey guys, we overestimated and got our figures wrong! '

[Stargeezr]

I just hope that airfares will go down a bit for the Winter months.  Hopefully the USSR will quit their 

illegal invasion of Ukraine by this Winter as well. I never call that Place Russia, as I still believe that 

it is a Union of Republics, unfortunately the Leaders are all following Putin, so I hope they are all

considered war criminals when this war is over. I know the Generals will be.

Hopefully the weather from November to April will be nice and sunny, and not too hot.

  Thankfully all the places I stay at have AC.

[newnative]

     Had a big, hearty laugh over their first reason for the tourist shortfall--TAT hadn't gotten its money yet.  Right, guys.  Nice try.   I will buy political uncertainty having some effect--in 2014, the year of the coup, international tourism dropped a bit, but I don't think by anywhere near 2 million.

[Don Chance]

30 day visa is too short for jetlag from America or Canada. Extending is too much of hassle in the middle of trip too.

[kinyara]

The absence of Chinese compared to the 5 million forecast is the sole reason for numbers likely to end up in the middle of TAT's 24-30 million range forecast, nothing else. 

[steven100]

tourists :   hey dear '   that trip to Thailand may have to be cancelled  !

wife   :   why's that honey' what's wrong?

tourists :   there's no new government sworn in yet so it's politically uncertain     !!

wife  :    oh yes honey '     we better cancel then     !

 

haha .....    what <deleted>     !!    

 

so 2 million acted like the above .....      haha

[jacko45k]

On 8/9/2023 at 2:25 PM, Don Chance said:

30 day visa is too short for jetlag from America or Canada. Extending is too much of hassle in the middle of trip too.

It should not be a big deal with the new improved Pattaya immigration building, How about getting a tourist visa before travel? I have herd the online process is a bit onerous.