Thailand wants to see far more US and Canadian tourists as long-haul visitors spend twice as much

[webfact]

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Siripakorn Cheawsamoot explains how Thailand aims for more long-haul travellers in 2024. The tourism promotion agency will especially target the United States and Canadian markets.

Thailand aims to see more US and Canadian tourists in 2024, focusing on the long-haul market. Plans include cheaper flights, visa liberalisation and spreading the word about the new Songkran All Month festival, an international celebration of Thailand.

Thailand’s tourism promotion executives plan to target the long-haul market in 2024. They are particularly seeking more the US and Canadian travellers. Significantly, a key aim is to increase flight connectivity and lower airfares with chartered flights.

 

Additionally, with a new Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Chicago, executives will spread the word about the new Songkran All-Month festival to American audiences. It comes as figures show that 39% of foreign tourists in 2023 were long-haul travellers. They spent an average of ฿74,000 per trip, nearly twice as much as short-haul Asian visitors.

 

Some weeks after the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool announced that the tourist promotion agency was switching its emphasis to domestic tourism, the tourist promotion body has outlined exciting new plans to develop Thailand’s long-haul tourist market, particularly in the United States.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyenin

 

Full story: Thai Examiner.com 2023-12-28

 

- 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.

 

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[Keep Right]

Justin Trudeau announces plans to install taxpayer-funded free tampon dispensers in parliament building's MEN'S bathrooms

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12877163/Justin-Trudeau-tampons-transgender-taxpayers-Canada-bathrooms.html

 

More quality Canadian tourists?

[Bobthegimp]

17 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

More quality Canadian tourists

 

Trudeau would take Boystown by storm.  He'd be up on stage, slapping the faces of the fellas in gyno row with his schlong and tossing loonies out to the crowd.  He can come out of the closet now that "Sophie the Beard" has moved on to a hetero man.

 

One thing I'll say about Americans and Canadians is that they have the decency to keep their shirts on and don't parade around the beach in a banana hammock and black dress socks. 

 

The number of shirtless yobs from the UK is quite disturbing. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Bobthegimp

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Additionally, with a new Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Chicago, executives will spread the word about the new Songkran All-Month festival to American audiences.

 

Chicago is a cesspit. TAT employees will be lucky not be mugged or murdered.

[Bday Prang]

I wish they would make their minds up, who they want and who they don't, and how on earth do they know how much people spend on average per trip

[Trippy]

For decades they haven't given a cr*p about us, now with Chinese visitors way down they want us again. The TAT can kiss my as*

[daveAustin]

14 minutes ago, Trippy said:

For decades they haven't given a cr*p about us, now with Chinese visitors way down they want us again. The TAT can kiss my as*

They don’t, it’s Chinese yanks and mounties they’re after. 😂

[Real Name Hidden]

Songkran all month?  That’s supposed to attract tourists?

[daveAustin]

44 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

One thing I'll say about Americans and Canadians is that they have the decency to keep their shirts on and don't parade around the beach in a banana hammock and black dress socks. 

 

The number of shirtless yobs from the UK is quite disturbing. 

Nice dig, second post too. So automatically every dude with his shirt off at the beach is British and a yob? Who’d have thunk it, people at the beach baring their chests!

[Trippy]

3 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

Songkran all month?  That’s supposed to attract tourists?

Backpackers with a 500 baht daily budget love Songkran. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Trippy

[HappyExpat57]

So NOW they're finally waking up to the fact that Russians/Chinese/Indians don't have the disposable income, or spend it in shops owned by their countrymen, while yanks and canucks make it rain when on vaca. Slow AND dense, not a good business model.

[Real Name Hidden]

10 minutes ago, Trippy said:

Backpackers with a 500 baht daily budget love Songkran. 

Yes but this is not the target market, they want higher spenders.

[2baht]

5 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

Yes but this is not the target market, they want higher spenders.

They should set a minimum million baht entry requirement, no money, no enter! 

[Isaan sailor]

Last I checked, the Baht was burning up the Dollar—down more than 8% since early October.  And I know these currency traders (from halfway round the world) aren’t through sinking the USD.

[Khyron]

We (the wife and I) usually make the trip once every 2 or 3 years, since 94. As we are getting older the long flights are getting longer it seems. A non stop from the west coast would be great. I know there is one from Vancouver, but that is sketchy in the winter when we usually go. When I retire in a few years, it won't be that big of a deal.

 

Alot of people up in No-cal were excited when they saw Thai airlines land in San Francisco for the Asean conference, having them come back would really do something for the US market. They do have one of the best liveries.

 

I don't think Thai is worth a crap anymore, but if Thai were to make the nonstop trip, other carriers would probably do as well. 

[timendres]

14 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Last I checked, the Baht was burning up the Dollar—down more than 8% since early October.  And I know these currency traders (from halfway round the world) aren’t through sinking the USD.

 

Since the Thai baht went off the "peg" in 1997, USDTHB has ranged between (roughly) 29 and 36. So we are still in the upper end of the range. The recent weakness is due to the expectations of an impending rate cut in the US, which seems quite likely. However, due to the EuroDollar system that the world is currently based on, there is a very high likelihood that the USD will "melt up" during the next financial crisis, which could bring USDTHB to near all time highs in the upper forties. Unfortunately, that event will be the proverbial canary in the coal mine, indicating the stress the system is under, and the other side of that event is both scary and unpredictable. But due to the levels of US debt, the US has only one reasonable choice, which is to try and "inflate away" that debt, which will result in USD weakness of the highest order. So I am planning long term for a weaker dollar. My only hope is that Thailand's infamous competence will help keep the THB weaker as well.

[KhunLA]

19 minutes ago, timendres said:

 

Since the Thai baht went off the "peg" in 1997, USDTHB has ranged between (roughly) 29 and 36.

 more like 29 to 45+ (July 2001) and a good couple years (2000/2001) it was, new house build & car 👍

Edited December 28, 2023 by KhunLA

[timendres]

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 more like 29 to 45+ (July 2001) and a good couple years (2000/2001) it was, new house build & car 👍

 

Quite right. It was 44 when I visited in 2001. I was thinking of the range of the past 15 years after that financial disaster "settled down".

[jaideedave]

I'm a retired Canuck and from what I see on the news is the food banks are doing a roaring business these days.

Massive immigration has made reasonable housing a thing of the past.

Half of India is living in Ontario, mostly on student visas which is another scam.

Joe average is busy tring to pay his rent,food etc. A beach vacay in Pattaya is not the priotity these days.Splitting firewood is.

 

A 55-foot-tall statue of a Hindu deity is being built in Brampton and is said to be completed by 2024.

 

 

[KhunLA]

4 minutes ago, timendres said:

 

Quite right. It was 44 when I visited in 2001. I was thinking of the range of the past 15 years after that financial disaster "settled down".

I arrived/retired 14Sept2000, and built 1st house straight away, then 1st car couple years later.

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by KhunLA

[Gknrd]

30 day visa is a joke if from the US.  Pass.

Just returned from South America, same prices, same rip offs, same same but different.

Round trip 500 bucks. 

90 days on arrival and 90 day online extension if you want. Nice winter get away.

Flight time with one layover was 8 hours, no jet lag, same time zone.

Screw S.E. Asia. I can get ripped off elsewhere without the extra government zenophobic rules.

Best thing Thailand did for me was tighten the rules, start waving the red Chinese flag. 

My money will never pass from me to another Thai as long as I live. And I make sure everyone that asks  or mentions Thailand knows the score. And I have had  many ask as I travel.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Gknrd

[KhunLA]

42 minutes ago, timendres said:

So I am planning long term for a weaker dollar. My only hope is that Thailand's infamous competence will help keep the THB weaker as well.

If the past 15 years is any indication, they seem to like 30-35 range 

 

As long as it stays above 28.20 ish, I can continue doing ret. exts. 

Edited December 28, 2023 by KhunLA

[bkk6060]

They must spend more then twice that because I don't see how they can track money spent on booze, massages, and hookers.

[stoner]

canada sucks. eh.

[VocalNeal]

43 minutes ago, jaideedave said:

Half of India is living in Ontario,

 

The other half north of the Fraser🤔

[Isaan sailor]

2 hours ago, timendres said:

 

Since the Thai baht went off the "peg" in 1997, USDTHB has ranged between (roughly) 29 and 36. So we are still in the upper end of the range. The recent weakness is due to the expectations of an impending rate cut in the US, which seems quite likely. However, due to the EuroDollar system that the world is currently based on, there is a very high likelihood that the USD will "melt up" during the next financial crisis, which could bring USDTHB to near all time highs in the upper forties. Unfortunately, that event will be the proverbial canary in the coal mine, indicating the stress the system is under, and the other side of that event is both scary and unpredictable. But due to the levels of US debt, the US has only one reasonable choice, which is to try and "inflate away" that debt, which will result in USD weakness of the highest order. So I am planning long term for a weaker dollar. My only hope is that Thailand's infamous competence will help keep the THB weaker as well.

Good observations, thank you.  Ironic that in living here in Thailand, we find ourselves at the mercy of currency traders based halfway round the globe.  They have already priced in up to six rate reductions for next year.  After all, it will be an election year, and the Fed will happily accommodate the current administration. 

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They must spend more then twice that because I don't see how they can track money spent on booze, massages, and hookers.

 

And definitely way more on these things than the Chinese do.

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, Trippy said:

Backpackers (...) love Songkran. 

 

So do I. Songkran is always the time when I stay at home, spending hardly any money. Party time is after Songkran...

[mokwit]

4 hours ago, Trippy said:

For decades they haven't given a cr*p about us, now with Chinese visitors way down they want us again. The TAT can kiss my as*

My wealthy US friend who is their target market now will only come for 30 days as he has had enough of the nonsense they subject him to when applying for a simple 60 day tourist visa (Yes. Kazakhstan and Russia get 90 days on arrival).

 

Seriously Thailand i think you may find the Teflon has worn through on this one - maybe Srettha will get the one finger salute when he greets the "new" priority tourists at the airport.

[Bobthegimp]

5 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Nice dig, second post too. So automatically every dude with his shirt off at the beach is British and a yob? Who’d have thunk it, people at the beach baring their chests!

 

Shirt off at the beach is fine.  Bloated, bald, tattooed slobs wandering the streets without their shirts on is what spurred my comment. Pattaya is crawling with them again. Time to cut the UK's generous benefits plans and keep those fellas back on the council estates.  Maybe the £ will drop down to 32 and keep them at home.