Thailand’s tourism recovery under threat from safety concerns and sluggish Chinese economy

[webfact]

 

The future of Thailand tour packages hangs in the balance as safety concerns plague the minds of tourism operators in China. They forecast that tourism levels might only return to pre-pandemic figures by 2025.

Tourism bookings take an immediate hit whenever safety incidents occur in Thailand, and Chinese social media plays a significant role in the rapid dissemination of such news, according to Yu Ping, Southeast Asia manager at Shanghai Wan Guo International Travel Service.

 

“The sluggish Chinese economy is also causing a dent in the sales of tour packages that target the middle class,”

Highlighting the steady sales rate of tailor-made tours for upscale travellers. As a result, many operators have pivoted to domestic groups, which currently have more appeal than international travel.

 

Ping made these comments at the Association of Thai Travel Agents’ roadshow in Shanghai and Chengdu. She mentioned that her company’s Thailand tour packages currently sit at half the 2019 level, and although there is gradual improvement, she estimates it will take until 2025 for a full recovery.

 

Ping urged the Thai government to address safety concerns swiftly and extend the visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists throughout 2024 to attract more visitors.

 

by Alex Morgan

PHOTO: via WKBT

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-16

 

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[Geoffggi]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

They forecast that tourism levels might only return to pre-pandemic figures by 2025.

Some good news at last ..................LOL

[ozz1]

That's what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket

[daveAustin]

Let’s hope that safety concerns plague the minds of Chinese tour operators for years to come!

[impulse]

Gotta love the way some posters don't mind seeing so many local businesses suffer because they don't like the Chinese. Or the Russians. Or the Indians. Or the...

[Will B Good]

A private hospital leaving that Chinese man (from Taiwan???) to die in the road in BKK is not going to go down well.....555

[Dcheech]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

“The sluggish Chinese economy is also causing a dent in the sales of tour packages that target the middle class,”

 

After the obligatory deflections, finally a bit of the truth - a small bit, comes out. When you tie your little donkey cart, to the great Celestial engine, only to have that engine throw a rod. Explaining this is not going to be easy. Better cue up more fake news, evil influencers, naughty movies, as the economic news from the Great Celestial Engine, is getting worse with no end in site.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The future of Thailand tour packages hangs in the balance as safety concerns plague the minds of tourism operators in China.

Not only China..... Thailands stance on health and safety has always been slack.

Now with social media bad press gets around the world in seconds,and unlike the past, Thailand cannot bury it.

[wealthychef]

I might venture to add that part of the problem was the draconian worldwide CoVid restrictions that harmed the economies and psychologies of many nations.  Not sure how big a factor that was;  I wonder if anyone is going to do an article on that sometime.  

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ozz1 said:

That's what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket

Or kill the golden goose.

[CANSIAM]

I guess the Chinese tourist caught in the Royal Thai tight brown uniform was some sort of safety patrol hint……

[ftpjtm]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

and extend the visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists throughout 2024 to attract more visitors.

But don't bother trying to incentivize visits from the west (90 day tourist visas for all visa exempt countries)? Only Chinese tourism matters. 

[gwapofarang]

15 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

I might venture to add that part of the problem was the draconian worldwide CoVid restrictions that harmed the economies and psychologies of many nations.  Not sure how big a factor that was;  I wonder if anyone is going to do an article on that sometime.  

 

Careful now, telling the truth is dangerous these days.

[mran66]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Gotta love the way some posters don't mind seeing so many local businesses suffer because they don't like the Chinese. Or the Russians. Or the Indians. Or the...

 

Who likes Russian, Chinese or Indian tour groups if they happen to hang around where you live or move around? Even the owners of the hotels don't, that's why they live elsewhere if they can. And if they can't, they just try to tolerate them with combination of earplugs, eyepatches and noseplugs... It's about like bar girls liking fat smelly farangs...not their money!

[mran66]

3 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Let’s hope that safety concerns plague the minds of Chinese tour operators for years to come!

 

...better yet, start creating and spreading horror stories to Chinese social media with fake profiles to improve the safety concerns

[HonkieH]

It's not the safety of Thailand that is the concern of Chinese tourists, the average mainlanders  are simply struggling with  with their bills and Xi has been telling his people to spend their money domestically. Gone are the days of zero Rmb tours and those who still can afford prefer Japan or better still, Europe, etc.

Youtubers, Tiktokers from China had been belittling and giving false informations just for hits.

Thailand, after Hong Kong is still a tourist destination for the average mainlanders.

 

 

[kentrot]

When is this News Outlet going to admit that TOURISM is only  12-15% of the GDP ?

 

Can we PLEASE get some news about the general state of the economy  and the other 85% of the GDP

or is that asking too much ?

 

For many of your readers, we are full time residents.

We don't need  heavy rotation of  "tourist" stories !

 

There - I vented and feel slightly better

until the next "tourist in trouble" story pops up

 

[Kwaibill]

I recall Bhumibol the Great talking about the “slow life “. It appears to not be in character for Thailand generally. “ We need a solution NOW. Get the Chinese! They are many, many.”

Never mind Chinese tour packages notoriously let as few “ baht” as possible escape their hands, or so I have read.

[spidermike007]

It is not just China. If you want to put the blame in the place it belongs, blame Prayuth and Prawit. Call it what it is. The Prayuth Decimation. They are the architects of the downfall of Thailand, the increased suicides, homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unhappiness of the people. 

 

Let us never forget. Though alot of nations shut down, Thailand waited far too long, and displayed a huge degree of timidity, when re-opening, with draconian restrictions and quarantine. That turned off millions of potential tourists. 

 

Add in the ridiculous army's fake sense of purity, and their attempt to homogenize and pasteurized the nation, and destroy the nightlife, and you have a huge degree of self sabotage and inane hubris. 

 

If Thailand ever figures out a way to drastically reduce the power and influence of their toxic army, it might be able to move forward and become a better version of itself. Until then, woe is the nation. 

[koolkarl]

There would almost no tourists if they knew how toxic the  air they are breathing.

[jimn]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Gotta love the way some posters don't mind seeing so many local businesses suffer because they don't like the Chinese. Or the Russians. Or the Indians. Or the...

Did you have to think about that reply or was it an Impulse?

[Chongalulu]

10 minutes ago, kentrot said:

When is this News Outlet going to admit that TOURISM is only  12-15% of the GDP ?

 

Can we PLEASE get some news about the general state of the economy  and the other 85% of the GDP

or is that asking too much ?

 

For many of your readers, we are full time residents.

We don't need  heavy rotation of  "tourist" stories !

 

There - I vented and feel slightly better

until the next "tourist in trouble" story pops up

 

Because it’s still a very significant part of the Thai economy and with the recent publication of Thailand’s poor and worsening position in PISA educational tables is not going to be replaced by lucrative higher skill industries . They have the existing infrastructure and are reasonably good at it given it suits the relatively low skill set of the average worker. They certainly need to cultivate and improve on its shortcomings and stop taking it for granted,but I’d suggest that’s an easier task than turning around their education and skill set issues. Not that those aren’t vitally important,but there’s little will or capability with the current political system to address those.

[Cabradelmar]

Increasingly unsafe (roads and personal), polluted (land, air and sea), scams, corruption, shoddy healthcare, foreign dependency (Chinese tourist)... yep. Unfortunately, this country lives and dies with agriculture and tourism/retail trade... Thailand has yet to face the reality that that is increasingly unwise and unsustainable. Until they start making some fundamental changes to allow for a better educated workforce (so to attract new high-tech manufacturing, etc.), diversify the economy, and attract new investment in growth industries, Thailand will continue to flounder. Agriculture and tourism/retail trade is fine, but it keeps the country poor and growth flat. And populist giveaways are not going to help the people in the long run. Take that money, and a whatever other money They have available to them, and invest in the infrastructure needed to truly lift the people up.

[Ben Zioner]

6 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

Some good news at last ..................LOL

Interestingly my friends accountant said that Government was considering doubling income tax rates for foreigners, 10% to 70% instead of 5% to 35%. 

 

They had a lengthy debate about the doubling the 0% in the first bracket but put that into  he too difficult basket for the time being. Anutin also suggested they could triple the rates but the consensus was that they have to go step by step.

[expat_4_life]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Gotta love the way some posters don't mind seeing so many local businesses suffer because they don't like the Chinese. Or the Russians. Or the Indians. Or the...

 

Exactly how many "local businesses" did they demolish to make way for the EmSphere? All in the name of "progress" of course 

[BestB]

First they allowed free for all to Chinese, then they found out with so many Chinese comes lots of fraud, scams and trouble, so they decided to tighten it to the max, once Chinese dried up, they again start to chase Chinese.

 

Make up your minds either chase Chinese and put up with what comes with it or stop chasing them.

[John Drake]

Waiting now to see the blue ringed octopus story to make its way to Chinese social media.

[connda]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The future of Thailand tour packages hangs in the balance as safety concerns plague the minds of tourism operators in China. They forecast that tourism levels might only return to pre-pandemic figures by 2025.

Something I've noticed over the last 15+ years living here in Thailand.
The Thai government pledges to protect tourists; tourists get assaulted and killed; every year for the last 15 years. Nothing changes accept the lip-service.

Understand now?

[it is what it is]

46 minutes ago, kentrot said:

When is this News Outlet going to admit that TOURISM is only  12-15% of the GDP ?

 

Can we PLEASE get some news about the general state of the economy  and the other 85% of the GDP

or is that asking too much ?

 

For many of your readers, we are full time residents.

We don't need  heavy rotation of  "tourist" stories !

 

There - I vented and feel slightly better

until the next "tourist in trouble" story pops up

 

 

true enough. a definite one eyed view, lack of perspective, lack of understanding(?) of the thai economy from the writers/posters/article cut and paste merchants on this site. it does become a little tedious after a while.

[Dogmatix]

AN keeps reporting these stories about how Thailand is so desperately trying to get Chinese tourists  and not succeeding, as if the average AN reader could really give a monkeys whether Chinese tourists are here or not. In fact most would probably prefer, if they never come back.  Some members may be running or working in tourist related businesses but most, being largely farangs, are likely to be working in businesses that depend on farang tourists, not Chinese.  

 

If the Chinse economy is is down the toilet, no amount of wringing of hands by Thai officials is going to bring them back.  But Srettha should try a digital wallet scheme directed at Chinese tourists - 10,000 baht for each arrival who earns less than 70,000 baht a month and has less then 500,000 baht in the bank (documents notarised by Chinese government and translated and notarised by a Thai consulate in China0.  Have Srettha go to the airport every day to greet tourists and personally hand over the package, showing how to download the app and block chain technology. That will him from impinging on the turf of Ung Ing, would be PM Anutin and others.  

 

The thought of receiving 10,000 baht personally from a 2 metre tall grinning cat PM would definitely dispel all fears of being abducted, shot dead in a shopping mall, blown up at the Erawan shrine, drowned in an unseaworthy and unlicensed tour boat, shaken down by cops for having vapes or being raped by someone met on an adult dating site.