Why Chinese tourists snub Thailand: New favourites revealed

[ignore it]

What is the problem here?

According to Thailand's great friend and buddy  ain't Taiwan part of china?

 

So Thailand is getting their china tourists.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

4 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Chinese, and Asians in general enjoy gambling.

 

Legalize gambling. 

While Thailand may want them (*their money), less Chinese means better treatment and lower prices for those of us who aren't Chinese. Don't legalize gambling! Taiwanese are great- they're basically like Japanese who speak Chinese  A lot of them are highly educated and well mannered. Bring 'em on!

[mokwit]

Unfortunately once Thailand had the Chinese market they snubbed the previous mainstays of their tourist industry.

[MrJ2U]

20 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

While Thailand may want them (*their money), less Chinese means better treatment and lower prices for those of us who aren't Chinese. Don't legalize gambling! Taiwanese are great- they're basically like Japanese who speak Chinese  A lot of them are highly educated and well mannered. Bring 'em on!

I can't stand the Chinese tourists also.

 

I'd love a nice clean air-conditioned Sports Book though here in Issan.

 

 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And they have made alot of effort to pasteurize and homogenize and puritanize the place. The exact opposite of what most want. They want character. Thailand is NOT Monte Carlo, or Singapore. It never will be. Give up that stupid dream. Preserve the character, cherish the character, don't erase it! No humility has been learned. None. 

This. People come to Thailand because it's (somewhat) seedy and unpredictable and the image of "anything can happen", or what you call character. Their past efforts to make it a wholesome family friendly destination are completely the wrong direction - western families have plenty of closer, cheaper places to go on vacation - why would an American family choose to fly 24 hours to Phuket when they can fly 4 hours to Puerto Rico, and they don't even have to worry about visa or currency exchange. For people to prefer to Thailand over other destinations there needs to be a differentiating factor, and that differentiating factor is character - and I'm not even talking about prostitution and all that - just the feeling that you're coming to a place where anything goes is exactly what young people want. Families won't come anyway - it's young couples and single people (all ages) Thailand should be aiming at.

 

A great example of them suffocating tourism is their insistence on regulating nightlife closing hours. Bangkok still hasn't nearly recovered fom pre-Covid levels and tourist nightlife have crowds which are a fraction of what they used to be as a result of the 2am curfew. No tourist wants to be told to go home at 2am - so next trip they just won't come - I know many people who used to come every month or two, now they don't come at all because Bangkok is too boring for them.

 

They are (finally!!) taking a step in the right direction with allowing nightlife (in designated areas) to open until 4am, however that is too little too late, and it still doesn't address major tourist areas in Bangkok like Nana/Asoke and soi 11, and Thong Lor - which are NOT allowed to open later under the new rules. There is a very limited number of tourist venues which will be allowed in Ratchadapisek and Silom, but the grand majority of venues affected are actually local Thai (RCA, Ratchadapisek are predominently Thai). Whoever made the rules clearly does not understand the tourist nightlife market at all.

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

Not one of the comments or the article mentions the actual reason that the Chinese are not coming to Thailand like they were before.

 

Thailand is on a list of countries around South East Asia which are unofficially 'banned' from travel outside of official tour groups. Unofficially being why some people are allowed to come and the masses are not.

 

This is the reason why they're not coming.

 

The Chinese wield their tourists like a weapon and this is the effect.

 

It's across many countries in South East Asia, not just Thailand.

Sources?

[Jimjim1]

11 hours ago, peter2186 said:

maybe the fact that they are not welcomed influences their decision to vacation elsewhere in place like, I don't know Taiwan!!

You have it in one sir, exactly the main reason why the western tourist is not here, we are not welcome here according to many government edicts during the time the last bunch ran the country, on top of that scamming us, double pricing, deliberate bureaucratic visa obstructions, exorbitant in necessary travel costs  to name just a few is it any wonder that westerners are voting with there collective feet and going to Loas, Cambodia,Vietnam, Philippines and many other south East Asian countries for much the same pleasures that are on offer in Thailand.

What is it with this government? Are they really so far up there own rear ends that they can not smell the smell.

 

The favourite term from one particular general was the we are ALIANS, I am not an ALIAN I am a human being just like him, ( though one wonders about that ) with just one serious difference  I / we appreciate and respect colour we do not denigrate with rascism or racist slurs.

[sidjameson]

6 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

 I know many people who used to come every month or two, now they don't come at all because Bangkok is too boring for them.

 

 

Where do they go instead?

[smew]

This was known since the very early stage, so why was TAT promoting Chinese visitors .. when they buy nothing and go to exclusively Chinese-run establishments, local businesses get fat ZERO 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

6 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Where do they go instead?

Depends on the person, some counties I've seen mentioned in travel plans were Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia... Overall they seem to be travelling less post-Covid, but these are rich guys so money is not the reason. I think for most of them in the past they travelled to Thailand on a regular basis to party, but once that's stopped they haven't really replaced it with anything.

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, peter2186 said:

Chinese tourists spent 543.7 Billion Baht in 2019, by far and away the biggest spenders in Thailand, maybe the fact that they are not welcomed influences their decision to vacation elsewhere in place like, I don't know Taiwan!!

The per capita number is probably more relevant. 

 As is usual by those waving a red flag, you supply totals for many millions.

I did not see that they are not welcomed, they no longer need a Visa for example.

 

[CDG931]

21 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

What you want is not relevant.

 

I find his comment relevant.

[impulse]

10 hours ago, smew said:

This was known since the very early stage, so why was TAT promoting Chinese visitors .. when they buy nothing and go to exclusively Chinese-run establishments, local businesses get fat ZERO 

Staying in China like I do, I get to fly on a lot of flights, BKK to China. And I am amazed at the suitcases full of goodies they haul back with them. 

 

My GF used to come with a shopping list from all her friends.  She'd shop like a fiend while i was at work.  Not to mention the queues at the VAT refund kiosks at the airport. 

 

They spend lots of money. Not always on the same stuff we'd buy.  But spend, they do. And not all at Chinese owned shops.

[brianthainess]

On 12/15/2023 at 12:45 PM, IamNoone88 said:

Taiwanese are very nice and polite. No complaints about their behavioir.  Good country to visit.

Nice to hear, so do they not spit everywhere? do public toilets have water?  did you get out in the sticks?

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Chinese, and Asians in general enjoy gambling.

 

Legalize gambling. 

That would really please the loan sharks even more.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The per capita number is probably more relevant. 

 As is usual by those waving a red flag, you supply totals for many millions.

I did not see that they are not welcomed, they no longer need a Visa for example.

 

          The Chinese spend in 2019 was about 49,000 baht/tourist.  543 billion baht.  Europeans spent about 69,000 baht/tourist.  462 billion baht.  'Americas' spent about 71,000 baht/tourist.  116 billion baht.  Even though their spend was less per tourist, the nearly 11 million Chinese tourists collectively spent more than Europe's 6.7 million visitors, and a great deal more than the visitors from 'Americas'.  All three markets, of course, are important, as you can see by the revenue numbers. 

          Left out from the above is a fourth category, and the biggest--Asia, not including China.  The spend, at 41,000 to 45,000 baht/tourist, was the lowest, but the tourist number was the largest, at over 18 million visitors.  Using the lowest spend, 41,000, yields 738 billion baht.  738 billion baht in non-China Asia revenue plus China's 543 billion baht in revenue shows pretty clearly, I think, the importance of the Asian market to Thailand.  All four markets contribute to a diverse tourist economic demographic, important when a country like Thailand has a wide range of price points for tourist businesses.

[wealthychef]

The question as to "Why Chinese tourists snub Thailand" was not addressed or mentioned in the article.  

[Mike Lister]

23 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Thailand's faultering economy has been a self-inflicted wound.

Thailand exports of goods and services (G&S) in % of GDP in 2012 was about 69%.

2013 was marred by massive street anti-democratic (demand unconstitutional change in government by other than election) protests aimed at regime change through disruption/shutdown of many government functions to somewhat lower G&S to about 67%.

Following the May 2014 military coup GDP for G&S rose to about 68%, likely due to pro-military Street protests to back off their disruption of government functions.

Then the junta apparently redirected the Thai economy focused more on Chinese tourism, causing (perhaps impacted by the Covid pandemic) by a steep decline by 2020 GDP for G&S to about 21%. 

https://wits.worldbank.org

Exports of G&S in 2022 was about 66%.

By 2023Q3 fell 0.23%. In any case no recovery to the 2012 level with substantial increase in public debt.

Compare now the new 2023 government's economic priorities: tourism, more debt and long-term infrastructure.

The government needs more GDP innovation and action in the G&S sectors. Such needs may not agree with China.

International Tourism is an exported Service, within Goods and Services, G&S did not decline to 21% of GDP in 2020.

 

https://tradingeconomics.com/thailand/gdp

[Gknrd]

China is in a recession. Households are keeping their money in the bank. 

This whole discussion is getting boring, TAT knows the score. Typical nonsense.

[mokwit]

25 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

The question as to "Why Chinese tourists snub Thailand" was not addressed or mentioned in the article.  

Reactions to Thailand:

 

1st time: Bowled over with it

2nd visit: notice the undercurrents

3rd visit; not sure if will come back

 

Thailand has already marketed deep into third tier cities in the Chinese hinterland.

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Nice to hear, so do they not spit everywhere? do public toilets have water?  did you get out in the sticks?

It's a wonderful country. My daughter taught English there for a year. She took me on a round trip around the whole island. Spotless! The trains, buses, pavements, roads. Everything runs on time. Incredible food. Lovely people. And the Pacific ocean, not some cess pool. Cliffs, chasms, parks. And 30 day visa free stay.

[Chris Daley]

because thailand is boring.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, mokwit said:

Reactions to Thailand:

 

1st time: Bowled over with it

2nd visit: notice the undercurrents

3rd visit; not sure if will come back

 

Thailand has already marketed deep into third tier cities in the Chinese hinterland.

     I think it's a bit unrealistic to expect someone from China to visit Thailand 2 times, let alone 3, unless they own property here.  There are lots of countries that my spouse and I only plan to visit once.  For example, we visited Portugal and Spain last year and enjoyed both countries.  But, we saw about all we wanted to see so it's highly unlikely we will make a second trip to either one--there are too many other countries we want to see for the first time.   We've been to Australia,  and could go again, but we haven't been to New Zealand yet so we would probably choose to go there rather than make a second trip to Australia.

     If I was still living in the US, with no ties to Thailand, I would likely just visit Thailand once, if at all.   A second visit to Asia would take me somewhere else new.  I think that's fairly normal for many travelers.  Lots of countries to see, limited time.  Luckily for Thailand, there are 1.4 billion Chinese.  Even if most Chinese choosing to visit Thailand only come once, that 1.4 billion should provide a steady stream of first-time visitors.   

 

      

[10baht]

On 12/14/2023 at 10:56 PM, peter2186 said:

find the comment that the Chinese tourists tended to frequent Chinese businesses, a bit strange

I find your comment more than a bit strange, open eyes, sure there are exceptions , but the facts are the facts.

[Stargeezr]

I wonder how many hotels in Thailand are owned by Chinese? In Jomtien there was one getting built in 2020,

and it is likely open by now.  I have to wonder how many Chinese are working in that Hotel with permits of course?

How many years it will take for the cost of the hotel to be paid off for their owners? I also wonder how many shares the

nese have in the buses that transport the Chinese tourist around the Pattaya area and other areas of Thailand?

So many questions.

  

[newnative]

3 hours ago, 10baht said:

I find your comment more than a bit strange, open eyes, sure there are exceptions , but the facts are the facts.

What are the facts?

[newnative]

23 minutes ago, Stargeezr said:

I wonder how many hotels in Thailand are owned by Chinese? In Jomtien there was one getting built in 2020,

and it is likely open by now.  I have to wonder how many Chinese are working in that Hotel with permits of course?

How many years it will take for the cost of the hotel to be paid off for their owners? I also wonder how many shares the

nese have in the buses that transport the Chinese tourist around the Pattaya area and other areas of Thailand?

So many questions.

  

      Instead of wondering, why don't you go to that supposedly Chinese-owned hotel in Jomtien and ask the manager how many of the employees are from China?  Then it's on to the tour bus companies.  How many of the drivers are from China?  And the mechanics and the rest of the staff?   While you're doing that I'll tackle the Holiday Inn and see if I can find out how many Americans they have cleaning the rooms and so on.  Together, we can get to the bottom of this!   Inquiring minds want to know!

[jacko45k]

6 hours ago, newnative said:

      Instead of wondering, why don't you go to that supposedly Chinese-owned hotel in Jomtien and ask the manager how many of the employees are from China?  Then it's on to the tour bus companies.  How many of the drivers are from China?  And the mechanics and the rest of the staff?   While you're doing that I'll tackle the Holiday Inn and see if I can find out how many Americans they have cleaning the rooms and so on.  Together, we can get to the bottom of this!   Inquiring minds want to know!

Off topic but isn't Holiday Inn owned by IHG Group , UK based? So the cleaner will be from Nigeria and India!

[DonniePeverley]

I dont understand the reason they are so obssesed with Chinese tourists. They are looking solely at visitor numbers rather than quality spending tourists. 

 

The problem with higher numbers is it will turn away higher spending tourists. 

 

Instead of focussing in on rip off practises, making the experience more pleasurable, gentrifying the main cities and making them less appealling was wrong - all we seem to get is an obsession with Chinese numbers.

 

The last thing you need is ZERO DOLLAR TOURISTS BACK. 

 

QUALITY not QUANTITY. 

[DonniePeverley]

I dont understand the reason they are so obssesed with Chinese tourists. They are looking solely at visitor numbers rather than quality spending tourists. 

 

The problem with higher numbers is it will turn away higher spending tourists. 

 

Instead of focussing in on rip off practises, making the experience more pleasurable, gentrifying the main cities and making them less appealling was wrong - all we seem to get is an obsession with Chinese numbers.

 

The last thing you need is ZERO DOLLAR TOURISTS BACK. 

 

QUALITY not QUANTITY.