National—On January 2nd, 2024, Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, the Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, publicly revealed statistics of foreign tourists visiting Thailand in 2023, with more than 28 million individuals, generating income of over 1.2 trillion baht.

The top five countries were Malaysia (4,563,020 tourists), China (3,519,735 tourists), South Korea (1,658,688 tourists), India (1,626,720 tourists), and Russia (1,481,878 tourists).

During the last week of December 2023, the statistics showed a decreasing number of foreign tourists by 0.9% compared to the week before as the group of tourists, especially in Asia, slowed down international traveling as of December 30th, 2023.

 

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-01-03

 

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Been traveling to airport regularly for last few months as daughter is an air hostess, arrivals seemed quiet but the car parks seemed very busy with people leaving the country for the holidays 

 

looking at foreign arrivals but not looking at how much local tourism is being lost 

Quantity over quality only works if you're selling $1 items at a swap meet. Massive quantities of low to middle income tourists do not improve the experience for anybody, it just creates congestion without necessarily bringing in the needed revenue. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

On January 2nd, 2024, Ms. Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, the Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, publicly revealed statistics of foreign tourists visiting Thailand in 2023, with more than 28 million individuals, generating income of over 1.2 trillion baht.

Speculation.

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Quantity over quality only works if you're selling $1 items at a swap meet. Massive quantities of low to middle income tourists do not improve the experience for anybody, it just creates congestion without necessarily bringing in the needed revenue. 

Thailand has never been bothered about "quality" more the merrier.

Pulling numbers out of their A$$ again.

  Count out Malaysia most come over the border at weekends for a bargirl then straight back home to the wife or GF

Remember - Anyone flying into Thai Airspace is counted as a tourist arrival - even if they're on route to Vietnam ! 

"Thai Tourism Minister Unveils 2023 Foreign Tourist Figures"

 

What exactly counts as a 'tourist' according to the figures?

Malaysia (4,563,020 tourists), China (3,519,735 tourists), South Korea (1,658,688 tourists), India (1,626,720 tourists), and Russia (1,481,878 tourists).

Somchai must have been very busy counting again, if the figures are out less than 48 hours later - despite everybody still on holidays ;-) 

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Quantity over quality only works if you're selling $1 items at a swap meet. Massive quantities of low to middle income tourists do not improve the experience for anybody, it just creates congestion without necessarily bringing in the needed revenue. 

 

Yes, just saw that; Big C full with Chinese tourists, buying the cheapest instant noodles and snacks... (And before you mention me; I sometimes shop at Big C, being an expat, rather than on a 1-week holiday as the Chinese tourists are.)

Edited January 3, 20242 yr by StayinThailand2much

6 hours ago, crazykopite said:

  Count out Malaysia most come over the border at weekends for a bargirl then straight back home to the wife or GF

 Then when I would cross the border preach to me about living in sin not being married to my Thai GF. If not for the Thai hookers Malay's would be strung tighter than a cork.  You haven't lived until you head to Kolok for the weekend and watch the Malays come in. 

No! You are never showing the 100% right figures.!

14 hours ago, Phuket Pete said:

Remember - Anyone flying into Thai Airspace is counted as a tourist arrival - even if they're on route to Vietnam ! 

Incorrect. Arrives have to land, pass through Immigration, not be transit passenger's to be counted. Exactly how Thailand would be able to count passengers by nationality in a plane from another country, flying at 35,000 feet overhead, boggles the mind!

Big loss of face for the regular commentators on here who have said all year that TAT's forecast of 25m-30m was not likely to be achieved. Now scrambling around resorting to their spurious factless second and third lines of defence, hilarious. Better luck next year chaps, hopefully you won't be wrong 3 years in a row as it must be embarrassing being proved so wrong by an organisation you continually claim is incompetent. 😂

Edited January 4, 20242 yr by kinyara
Addition

9 minutes ago, kinyara said:

Big loss of face for the regular commentators on here who have said all year that TAT's forecast of 25m-30m was not likely to be achieved. Now scrambling around resorting to their spurious factless second and third lines of defence, hilarious. Better luck next year chaps, hopefully you won't be wrong 3 years in a row as it must be embarrassing being proved so wrong by an organisation you continually claim is incompetent. 😂

So very very true. This will be a signal for them to move on to the, "Baht is manipulated by the elites so they can buy villa's in the south of France", storyline, an oldie but goodie that never fails to please. 

 

1 hour ago, kinyara said:

Big loss of face for the regular commentators on here who have said all year that TAT's forecast of 25m-30m was not likely to be achieved. Now scrambling around resorting to their spurious factless second and third lines of defence, hilarious. Better luck next year chaps, hopefully you won't be wrong 3 years in a row as it must be embarrassing being proved so wrong by an organisation you continually claim is incompetent. 😂

     Ah, yes.  Been so amusing reading their excuses, wacky false explanations. etc.  When all else fails, there's the classic sour grapes: well, there may have been a lot but they didn't spend anything.

    I, myself, pity the poor TAT guy tasked with standing outside all day with a pair of binoculars trying to count the passengers in the planes as they fly by.  Not a job I would want but I guess the night shift guy has it even worse.  

On 1/4/2024 at 4:44 AM, Mike Lister said:

Incorrect. Arrives have to land, pass through Immigration, not be transit passenger's to be counted. Exactly how Thailand would be able to count passengers by nationality in a plane from another country, flying at 35,000 feet overhead, boggles the mind!

Try working on your sense of humour Mike ! 

Unless everyone is paying digitally, there is no way they can be anywhere near certain that income from tourim is that much. No where near, and not in Thailand.

 

Chinese, Indian tourism is really scraping the barrel in terms of looking for quality high spending tourism. 

 

But they seemed determined to just get as many people in as possible regardless of the long term impact it will have in turning away quality high spending tourists. 

7 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Unless everyone is paying digitally, there is no way they can be anywhere near certain that income from tourim is that much. No where near, and not in Thailand.

 

Chinese, Indian tourism is really scraping the barrel in terms of looking for quality high spending tourism. 

 

But they seemed determined to just get as many people in as possible regardless of the long term impact it will have in turning away quality high spending tourists. 

       Your negative comments regarding Chinese and Indian tourists aren't supported by actual statistics.  From 2015 to 2019, years in which Chinese and Indian tourists were increasing rapidly in Thailand, your so-called 'high spending tourists' did not decrease.  European countries that are tracked were all up, not down, during those years.  Tourists from the USA, another higher spending demographic, were up 34%.  

       If you do some observation yourself, in places other than 7-11 and Big C, you will find Chinese and Indian families staying at some of the nicer resorts.  A majority of the Chinese tourists in 2019, by the way, were independent travelers, not in tour groups.  My spouse and I go to the gym twice a week at a very nice resort in Wong Amat.  We see Chinese and Indian families staying there all the time.  A few months ago we were at Dusit in north Pattaya for dinner and there was a big group of Indian dentists and their families staying there. 

     Of course, tourists from these countries can also be found at cheaper hotels but that's exactly what you want, a diverse tourist demographic that fills the rooms at 5 star resorts and also 1 and 2 star places.  

6 hours ago, newnative said:

       Your negative comments regarding Chinese and Indian tourists aren't supported by actual statistics.  From 2015 to 2019, years in which Chinese and Indian tourists were increasing rapidly in Thailand, your so-called 'high spending tourists' did not decrease.  European countries that are tracked were all up, not down, during those years.  Tourists from the USA, another higher spending demographic, were up 34%.  

       If you do some observation yourself, in places other than 7-11 and Big C, you will find Chinese and Indian families staying at some of the nicer resorts.  A majority of the Chinese tourists in 2019, by the way, were independent travelers, not in tour groups.  My spouse and I go to the gym twice a week at a very nice resort in Wong Amat.  We see Chinese and Indian families staying there all the time.  A few months ago we were at Dusit in north Pattaya for dinner and there was a big group of Indian dentists and their families staying there. 

     Of course, tourists from these countries can also be found at cheaper hotels but that's exactly what you want, a diverse tourist demographic that fills the rooms at 5 star resorts and also 1 and 2 star places.  

 

Visitors from Europe, America, Australia has flatlined or fallen. 

 

Why would you go to a resort like Phuket when you can get luxury vacations elsewhere in peace. 

 

Basically Thailand wants mass tourism, to hell with locals and to hell with the experience. 

On 1/3/2024 at 5:27 PM, Sydebolle said:

Malaysia (4,563,020 tourists), China (3,519,735 tourists), South Korea (1,658,688 tourists), India (1,626,720 tourists), and Russia (1,481,878 tourists) (...)

 

That's less than 13 million... Where did the other 15 million arrive from; Kazakhstan? 

 

I bet, a certain percentage came from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, where Thailand as a 'tourism destination' is very popular...

Edited January 9, 20242 yr by StayinThailand2much