Thailand Prepares for New Year Tourist Boom: Phuket Leads With 230,000 Visitors

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Thailand is gearing up for a huge influx of tourists this New Year, with Phuket expecting over 230,000 visitors from December 28 to January 1. This surge is set to bring nearly 8 billion baht into the local economy. According to Lertchai Wangtrakuldee from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office, tourists are likely to spend about 35,000 baht each, with daily expenses reaching 9,000 baht.

 

Phuket's hotel occupancy is expected to exceed 80%, with events such as countdown parties, fireworks, concerts, and a coffee festival planned to entertain visitors. The Tourism Authority is also encouraging the use of electric public transport to reduce congestion.

 

Phuket is attracting more young tourists by combining traditional spiritual activities with art toys and is seeing a rise in visitors from Australia and Saudi Arabia.

 

 

In Chiang Mai, the airport is preparing for 33,000 passengers daily, a 22% increase from the previous year. There will be 205 flights each day during the holidays, and airport manager, Wing Commander Ronnakorn Chalermsanyakorn, recommends travelers arrive early for added security.

 

From the beaches of Phuket to the mountains of Chiang Mai, Thailand is ready to welcome 2024 with a festive tourist boom.

 

-- 2024-12-27

 

 

[kuma]

whats the numbers for Pattaya and Krabi?

[koolkarl]

Wouldn't go near popular tourist spots. I would get more relaxation at the bus terminal. 

[LALes]

Happily ensconced in my Fortress of Solitude until the hordes go home around late Feb-early March.  I'd  say good for Thailand to make a bunch of money during high season but no one ever saves anything here.  By April, they'll be crying again that there aren't enough tourists.

[DonniePeverley]

Cheap tourists. 

 

Revenue from tourism is down, so the Thai logic is to flood the country with more to makeup the short fall.

 

I hazard a guess that non of the Thai politicians who have allowed this flood of tourists (with their open door visa policy) will not be holidaying in these areas. 

 

Utterly disgusting. 

[kinyara]

20 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Cheap tourists. 

 

Revenue from tourism is down, so the Thai logic is to flood the country with more to makeup the short fall.

 

I hazard a guess that non of the Thai politicians who have allowed this flood of tourists (with their open door visa policy) will not be holidaying in these areas. 

 

Utterly disgusting. 

 

Easy for you to criticise when you are not one of the millions of working class Thais  servicing the tourist industry who rely on customer volume to scrape a living. Vendors, restaurant & bar staff, moto & taxi drivers, housekeeping staff in guesthouses, 2 star hotels etc etc.

[mdr224]

Hope the visitors enjoy little russia

[John Drake]

Another day, another tourism boom.

[Patong2021]

The  main roads are choked in Hua Hin.It is miserable being stuck in traffic.

[GammaGlobulin]

34 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The  main roads are choked in Hua Hin.It is miserable being stuck in traffic.

 

It's now almost impossible to venture forth.

I will stay in my compound until at least Jan 15.

Then...I MIGHT go the my banking branches....but they were flooded this past week.

Where are all these people coming from?

I noticed two Russians in one branch this week, here on the outskirts of Chiang Mai?...and it was eyewatering, meaning suprising.

 

 

[CANSIAM]

Tourism Tourism,  numbers numbers numbers... tourists spending 35,000 baht each -  daily expenses 9,000 baht per day, Bangla Road Brawls.......busy police, numbers numbers.... billions and billions of baht....numbers numbers..... 

[DonniePeverley]

16 hours ago, kinyara said:

 

Easy for you to criticise when you are not one of the millions of working class Thais  servicing the tourist industry who rely on customer volume to scrape a living. Vendors, restaurant & bar staff, moto & taxi drivers, housekeeping staff in guesthouses, 2 star hotels etc etc.

 

 

Go tell that to the thousands of lcoal Thai's in Phuket who have had to move out their condos, and move to less developed areas and smaller places because of the hordes of draft dodging Russians who have taken over, pushed up rents and taken up all the space. Or those on pretend 'muay thai' courses staying long term, taking over jobs illegally and setting up businesses in direct rivalry with Thais. 

 

Thailand is not a rich developed country, where the smaller people can just be trampled on. They must be protected, especially when the state is not going to do anything for them. 

 

Or Go tell that to locals who are just going by doing work, but have to deal with drunken sex tourists in their face, littering, noisy.

 

Go tell that to the local Thai who just wants to go go to work, but has endless queues in traffic because the infrustructure cannot cope with 40 million tourists. 

[NativeBob]

Good news! 

On the second thought - Thai Gov will see zinch of tax revenues from that "Boost" 

[still kicking]

12 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Good news! 

On the second thought - Thai Gov will see zinch of tax revenues from that "Boost" 

https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/world/hell-video-shows-iconic-kyoto-street-overrun-by-hordes-of-tourists/news-story/6684e4e11a436008ebfc5cffe2a71b2e

[kinyara]

9 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Go tell that to the thousands of lcoal Thai's in Phuket who have had to move out their condos, and move to less developed areas and smaller places because of the hordes of draft dodging Russians who have taken over, pushed up rents and taken up all the space. Or those on pretend 'muay thai' courses staying long term, taking over jobs illegally and setting up businesses in direct rivalry with Thais. 

 

Thailand is not a rich developed country, where the smaller people can just be trampled on. They must be protected, especially when the state is not going to do anything for them. 

 

Or Go tell that to locals who are just going by doing work, but have to deal with drunken sex tourists in their face, littering, noisy.

 

Go tell that to the local Thai who just wants to go go to work, but has endless queues in traffic because the infrustructure cannot cope with 40 million tourists. 

 

We all know there are negatives that comes with tourism anywhere but throwing in sweeping derogatory generalisations of long-stayers and tourists for effect definately ignores the bigger picture.

 

1) Draft dodging Russians - ( long-stayers who can afford to acquire property has nothing to do with your original post of tourists and a lack of spend ). They have as much right to be here as you.

2) Drunken sex tourists

3) Visa type abusers

 

 

 

[DonniePeverley]

13 minutes ago, kinyara said:

 

We all know there are negatives that comes with tourism anywhere but throwing in sweeping derogatory generalisations of long-stayers and tourists for effect definately ignores the bigger picture.

 

1) Draft dodging Russians - ( long-stayers who can afford to acquire property has nothing to do with your original post of tourists and a lack of spend ). They have as much right to be here as you.

2) Drunken sex tourists

3) Visa type abusers

 

 

 

 

Thailand relies on tourism. 

 

But there becomes a limit when the country is just importing cheap mass tourism.

 

They've already seen revenue down from tourism, which indicates more cheapos are coming. 

[kinyara]

34 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

Thailand relies on tourism. 

 

But there becomes a limit when the country is just importing cheap mass tourism.

 

They've already seen revenue down from tourism, which indicates more cheapos are coming. 

 

Or tourists across the board are also spending less than they used to due to the economic situation in their home countries. Tourism like every other industry isn't a smooth guaranteed upward trend of increased revenue, in many ways the opposite since it's discretionary spend.

 

What are you suggesting :

1) Stop admitting tourists when you hit a certain arbitrary number that somebody thinks is enough

2) Only let people in if they promise to spend a certain amount per day

 

HIstory tells us Thailand is very proactive at adjusting its visa policy when economic necessity dictates. Is it the least bit surprising given what COVID reaped tourism wise and the general economic situation here at the moment, which isn't great, they are trying to get tourism numbers back to previous levels. 

 

What is the alternative employment wise  when you are trying to stimulate the economy ?  Seems to me I've read quite a lot lately about factories closing in traditional big employment industries  like car manufacturing, laying off several hundred workers at a time on the one hand, whereas the MOU's signed for the new tech they are trying desperately to attract will take time to develop.

 

[DonniePeverley]

22 minutes ago, kinyara said:

 

Or tourists across the board are also spending less than they used to due to the economic situation in their home countries. Tourism like every other industry isn't a smooth guaranteed upward trend of increased revenue, in many ways the opposite since it's discretionary spend.

 

What are you suggesting :

1) Stop admitting tourists when you hit a certain arbitrary number that somebody thinks is enough

2) Only let people in if they promise to spend a certain amount per day

 

HIstory tells us Thailand is very proactive at adjusting its visa policy when economic necessity dictates. Is it the least bit surprising given what COVID reaped tourism wise and the general economic situation here at the moment, which isn't great, they are trying to get tourism numbers back to previous levels. 

 

What is the alternative employment wise  when you are trying to stimulate the economy ?  Seems to me I've read quite a lot lately about factories closing in traditional big employment industries  like car manufacturing, laying off several hundred workers at a time on the one hand, whereas the MOU's signed for the new tech they are trying desperately to attract will take time to develop.

 

 

 

 

Or tourists worldwide are not spending less, just rather Sretta ex-pm blind panic to restore tourism after the pandemic meant he has let in nations with economies worst than Thailand and enter and stay for a long period. 

 

What i suggest is you limit low spending tourists. Have a proper visa system. Aim for quality tourism. Clean up tourism properly. Standards. 

 

Most European countries, USA, Australia etc would have visitors in the hundreds of millions if they opened up tourism with the (non existent) visa rules Thailand has. But they seek quality tourists. 

[kinyara]

28 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Or tourists worldwide are not spending less, just rather Sretta ex-pm blind panic to restore tourism after the pandemic meant he has let in nations with economies worst than Thailand and enter and stay for a long period. 

 

What i suggest is you limit low spending tourists. Have a proper visa system. Aim for quality tourism. Clean up tourism properly. Standards. 

 

Most European countries, USA, Australia etc would have visitors in the hundreds of millions if they opened up tourism with the (non existent) visa rules Thailand has. But they seek quality tourists. 

 

I doubt hundreds of millions extra could afford the cost of holidaying in Europe and Australia regardless of the tourist visa situation, I find trips home ridiculously expensive compared to here.

 

I still don't see you can implement a guaranteed spend via a visa system, especially when you've spent 20-30 years developing a tourist industry to cater for all.

 

[Chris Daley]

but everything is closed and boarded up.

[kuma]

On 12/29/2024 at 11:06 PM, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Go tell that to the thousands of lcoal Thai's in Phuket who have had to move out their condos, and move to less developed areas and smaller places because of the hordes of draft dodging Russians who have taken over, pushed up rents and taken up all the space. Or those on pretend 'muay thai' courses staying long term, taking over jobs illegally and setting up businesses in direct rivalry with Thais. 

 

Thailand is not a rich developed country, where the smaller people can just be trampled on. They must be protected, especially when the state is not going to do anything for them. 

 

Or Go tell that to locals who are just going by doing work, but have to deal with drunken sex tourists in their face, littering, noisy.

 

Go tell that to the local Thai who just wants to go go to work, but has endless queues in traffic because the infrustructure cannot cope with 40 million tourists. 

how about we just tell whiney louts like you to move along...back to your welfare state

[zmisha]

On 12/28/2024 at 7:24 AM, koolkarl said:

Wouldn't go near popular tourist spots. I would get more relaxation at the bus terminal. 

Almost all the tourist destinations have lite versions with small number of tourists. For example, those who don`t like crowds in Phuket can visit Lanta island which is similar to Phuket but without crowds.

[DonniePeverley]

3 hours ago, zmisha said:

Almost all the tourist destinations have lite versions with small number of tourists. For example, those who don`t like crowds in Phuket can visit Lanta island which is similar to Phuket but without crowds.

 

 

There's crowds, then there is insanity.