Doubts over Thai target of 8.2 million Chinese visitors in 2024

[ChipButty]

Here in the south of Phuket it's not as busy as last year, I've just been speaking to a girl I know who works in a 5 star hotel she said they are not busy, she said last year she never got a day off, 

The local laundry she says the same she's busy but not like last year, 

Last Saturday we went to We Café by the time we were leaving around 7pm it was almost empty that's a huge place loads of staff, 

[Kopitiam]

3 hours ago, shackleton said:

The Thai tourist board always find ways of producing high tourist numbers especially from China 

Need to get the Crystal 🔮  ball out for 2024 

Don't forget to polish it first before use.

[TheFishman1]

TAT predictions I think they’re smoking crack TIT

[Eric Loh]

5 years ago, 2 tour boats sank off Phuket that left 47 Chinese tourists dead. Chinese tourists fell soon after over safety concern. A year later, the tourists are back in numbers. Mishaps happened everywhere in the world. It will not deter tourists that want to travel. 

[geisha]

3 hours ago, stoner said:

 

visited nai harn beach for the first time a few weeks ago. absolutely beautiful....until it isn't.

 

the infrastructure etc surrounding the beach area is appalling. with the amount of money that pours into phuket there is zero excuse... but as you point out.  

 

 

Same problem in Kata beach and elsewhere, beautiful beach surrounded by a shanty town worthy of poorest Africa, terrible roads, no lighting, and mostly inexistant or crumbling pavements. Ruined by lack of maintenance and vision .

[stoner]

4 minutes ago, geisha said:

Same problem in Kata beach and elsewhere, beautiful beach surrounded by a shanty town worthy of poorest Africa, terrible roads, no lighting, and mostly inexistant or crumbling pavements. Ruined by lack of maintenance and vision .

 

massage bar restaurant bar massage bar tourist gifts exchange bar bar restaurant massage. 

[ChipButty]

5 minutes ago, geisha said:

Same problem in Kata beach and elsewhere, beautiful beach surrounded by a shanty town worthy of poorest Africa, terrible roads, no lighting, and mostly inexistant or crumbling pavements. Ruined by lack of maintenance and vision .

You can add Karon to that list especially on that back road it's a dump, 

[stoner]

6 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

You can add Karon to that list especially on that back road it's a dump, 

 

a few months back i stayed in a hotel that claimed to have seaview on that road. i mean you could see the ocean .....kinda way off just at the edge of a tree line you could see ...the sea. 

[Hanuman2547]

With a number of detractors going on right now, shooting at the mall fresh on their minds, wariness of the Chinese economy, fear of a global recession, and now the strengthening of the Thai baht to the USD these all put a damper on the Chinese tourists ability to travel outside of their country and specifically Thailand.  

[Bobydog]

5 hours ago, shackleton said:

The Thai tourist board always find ways of producing high tourist numbers especially from China 

Need to get the Crystal 🔮  ball out for 2024 

Nhaa, they will just change hands at, 65?

[adrin]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

"With the shooting incident at Siam Paragon in early October, we believe it is unlikely for Thailand to see a sharp rise in the number of Chinese tourists in the fourth quarter,” remarked Kasem, following a meeting with TAT Deputy Governor Nithee Seeprae.

 

Always an excuse, never a willingness to take responsibility and admit that perhaps Thailand's doing something wrong, perhaps there's policy that can be improved, perhaps a reduction in luxury taxes might attract more wealthy tourists. Always deflection, always denial, always blame, on something outside of us. 

 

 

This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways. 

 

 

thailand is one of the most travelled country, and you come up with lowering wine tax? alcoholic?

the air in dubai is even worse than in thailand, just saying

[Gknrd]

Don't worry, the BIR project will bring the Chinese back..  Chop chop.. A billion baht loan here , a billion baht loan there.. no time at all China will be flooding back..

[attento]

The Chinese tourist situation has little to do with cannabis, flu in China, tourist deaths, reduced flights, etc., as some people suggest.

" It's the economy, stupid  ".  A comment that appeared during the 1992 US presidential election.

The Chinese economy is in a bad way ( same for many countries world wide) and the effects are felt most by that section of society who join group tours. Also, unemployment amongst the young, is high in China, which restricts the travel instincts of the younger, solo traveller. 

 

[Gknrd]

47 minutes ago, adrin said:

 

thailand is one of the most travelled country, and you come up with lowering wine tax? alcoholic?

the air in dubai is even worse than in thailand, just saying

As a proud alcoholic I resent that.. I know I have had enough when crawling down the road on my hands and knees, and hit a speed bump... If I can get over it then I head for the next bar.. If I cannot I hail a cab...

[Dibbler]

8.2 million woken up to scams, cheating and rip offs in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok have decided instead to take their vacations in Sihanoukville, Luang Prabang and Vientiane.  Chinese tour companies already scheming with local governments there how to take advantage of the coming tourist wave. Good riddance, lets have more quality tourists in Thailand!!

[Caldera]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Analysts have expressed doubts over the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) ambitious target of attracting 8.2 million Chinese visitors next year.

 

It's not ambitious, it's ridiculous. 

[natway09]

They had a great opportunity during Covid to clean the place up, put tourist infrastructure in place, reeducate the taxis & 

get the taxi mafia & other rip off merchants sorted.

The quality of spoken english could also have been improved during this time for the tourist areas along with the police needing to somehow make the roads safer on the vastly improved roads.

They blew it.

The tourist industry will roll along but the opportunity to have really top quality tourism in lesser numbers but really  high spending  has gone as although there are many really good quality hotels the amenities outside of their establishments

just does not stack up 

 

[bristolgeoff]

Always wonder where they facts and figures come from,but they must come from somewhere and some person.Whether it is true we wait and see

[Karma80]

The Chinese side of my family has made it clear that Thailand is dangerous and Chinese shouldn't go. At least, that's what is being rolled out on Chinese "news" and chats. Once that gets traction, good luck with coming back from it. Ultimately, the CCP has a very good reason to try to keep tourism domestically focussed right now. The TAT machine stands no chance.

[spidermike007]

the very things people were coming here to enjoy, have been diminished. Less nightlife, less color (due to the pasteurization and homogenization of the place), fewer resorts and restaurants, and alot of visible decimation of the economy. Whatever happens, the numbers will be lower than before. Thailand's days as a tourist mecca are behind it now. They will have to live on scraps. None of the myriad of issues that existed long before Covid have been addressed, and the quality of tourist Thailand attracts has been declining for years. Nearly anyone in the industry will attest to that. Few tourists will be interested in visiting a Quaker state, built on a foundation of fake purity, stripped of its character, by fools who know nothing about anything.

The recession that is likely coming next year will not help. But, a lot of Thailand's current economic woes are largely self inflicted. This exceedingly reckless administration engaged in multiple, highly selective economic shutdowns, that favored their cronies, and punished the masses. They also kept the nation closed off for far too long, and decimated tourism. Then they partially re-opened, with draconian restrictions. So, if you want to put the blame in the place it belongs, blame Prayuth and Prawit. They are the architects of the downfall of Thailand, the increased suicides, homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unhappiness of the people. 

 

There are countless issues here, which prevent wealthy people from visiting, much less living here. There are a few wealthy ex-pats living here. Maybe 50. Likely, most of them are single. I doubt if any of those issues are being addressed. In order for a problem to be solved, it requires smart people, with open minds, and some humility, who are willing to admit the problem exists to begin with. The current crop are dull, completely lack creativity and initiative, and their level of hubris makes improvement nearly impossible. They are only capable of moving backwards, hence the generally backward movement of the nation. 

[Phuket Pete]

23 hours ago, stoner said:

 

please educate us ignorant people who are unaware what getting hooked on the stench of cannabis means ? and can one seriously be executed in china for being hooked on the stench of cannabis ? 

 

i think we need @liverpool lou for this one.

Sounds like you're stoned again Stoner ! - and as if I would listen to anyone from self-pity city, where people are born with 'Injustice' stamped on their forehead !

[DULEROY]

November 30, 2023

Here is the latest official report from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOT)
From January to October 2023 as of 11/22/2023

A total of 22,200,989 incoming tourists

Legend
Note 1) P means preliminary information. that may be improved and perfected later
                  2) Expenses incurred by foreign tourists Currently being collected and processed.
                  3) The grouping of countries by region according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been improved.

Source: Economic, Tourism and Sports Division (as of 22 November 2023P)

 

Conclusion

It will be impossible for China to reach 8 million
In addition, China's ''Internal'' tourism in the latest report
is a record number of tourists,
with the number of domestic tourists reaching 1.839 billion and tourism revenue reaching 1.21 trillion yuan.
The introduction of visa exemptions will not change the situation in any way
total current entries for 10 months is 2,784,888

 

 

 

[stoner]

17 minutes ago, Phuket Pete said:

Sounds like you're stoned again Stoner ! - and as if I would listen to anyone from self-pity city, where people are born with 'Injustice' stamped on their forehead !

Whatever all that means. Point was made and you avoided it.

 

No one gets addicted to the stench of cannabis. Absolute ludicrous statement. 

[adrin]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

the very things people were coming here to enjoy, have been diminished. Less nightlife, less color (due to the pasteurization and homogenization of the place), fewer resorts and restaurants, and alot of visible decimation of the economy. Whatever happens, the numbers will be lower than before. Thailand's days as a tourist mecca are behind it now. They will have to live on scraps. None of the myriad of issues that existed long before Covid have been addressed, and the quality of tourist Thailand attracts has been declining for years. Nearly anyone in the industry will attest to that. Few tourists will be interested in visiting a Quaker state, built on a foundation of fake purity, stripped of its character, by fools who know nothing about anything.

The recession that is likely coming next year will not help. But, a lot of Thailand's current economic woes are largely self inflicted. This exceedingly reckless administration engaged in multiple, highly selective economic shutdowns, that favored their cronies, and punished the masses. They also kept the nation closed off for far too long, and decimated tourism. Then they partially re-opened, with draconian restrictions. So, if you want to put the blame in the place it belongs, blame Prayuth and Prawit. They are the architects of the downfall of Thailand, the increased suicides, homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unhappiness of the people. 

 

There are countless issues here, which prevent wealthy people from visiting, much less living here. There are a few wealthy ex-pats living here. Maybe 50. Likely, most of them are single. I doubt if any of those issues are being addressed. In order for a problem to be solved, it requires smart people, with open minds, and some humility, who are willing to admit the problem exists to begin with. The current crop are dull, completely lack creativity and initiative, and their level of hubris makes improvement nearly impossible. They are only capable of moving backwards, hence the generally backward movement of the nation. 

thai tourism will hit yearly record numbers for decades to come, except there is a global crisis.

[DULEROY]

14 minutes ago, DULEROY said:

November 30, 2023

Here is the latest official report from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOT)
From January to October 2023 as of 11/22/2023

A total of 22,200,989 incoming tourists

Legend
Note 1) P means preliminary information. that may be improved and perfected later
                  2) Expenses incurred by foreign tourists Currently being collected and processed.
                  3) The grouping of countries by region according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been improved.

Source: Economic, Tourism and Sports Division (as of 22 November 2023P)

 

Conclusion

It will be impossible for China to reach 8 million
In addition, China's ''Internal'' tourism in the latest report
is a record number of tourists,
with the number of domestic tourists reaching 1.839 billion and tourism revenue reaching 1.21 trillion yuan.
The introduction of visa exemptions will not change the situation in any way
total current entries for 10 months is 2,784,888

 

 

The TAT is only an agency of the MOT
She is not in charge of tourism strategies only of its promotion
All the intelligence and strategy of Thai Tourism is found in the economic division at the Ministry of Sport and Tourism
Thailand's internal tourism reports should be consulted, it is gaining more and more importance in the share of the Famous GDP, i.e. more than 12% of the 20% attributed to the Thai GDP and growing strongly.

14 minutes ago, DULEROY said:

 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, adrin said:

thai tourism will hit yearly record numbers for decades to come, except there is a global crisis.

 

Such nonsense. There are so many variables, that predicting something like this is akin to saying you know exactly where the DOW will be in December of 2024. That tourism is diminishing. No doubt about that. Ask anyone in the industry. And the average spend of a tourist here has dropped significantly. Mostly lower to middle income Indians, Russians, Malaysians, Arabs and Chinese. Not much else these days. 

[adrin]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Such nonsense. There are so many variables, that predicting something like this is akin to saying you know exactly where the DOW will be in December of 2024. That tourism is diminishing. No doubt about that. Ask anyone in the industry. And the average spend of a tourist here has dropped significantly. Mostly lower to middle income Indians, Russians, Malaysians, Arabs and Chinese. Not much else these days. 

not much else these days? except every condo in bangkok stacked with wealthy chinese and farang.

it's much easier to predict than the dow.

tourism numbers will rise for decades to come. everybody is talking about thailand in europe etc.

maybe this hasnt reached pattaya, esan or wherever the boomers from this board live yet

[sambum]

Of course there's doubts! The figure was just another pie in the sky guess by that well known Thai "Hub of Guesses" - TAT

[spidermike007]

15 hours ago, adrin said:

not much else these days? except every condo in bangkok stacked with wealthy chinese and farang.

it's much easier to predict than the dow.

tourism numbers will rise for decades to come. everybody is talking about thailand in europe etc.

maybe this hasnt reached pattaya, esan or wherever the boomers from this board live yet

Yet very few Europeans can be found in Thailand now. They may be talking, but they are not acting. 

[adrin]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Yet very few Europeans can be found in Thailand now. They may be talking, but they are not acting. 

i see more farang and chinese walking around in bkk than thai, but ok