How did a topic supposedly about European tourism to Thailand turn into yet another argument between potheads and boozers?

Regardless of anything else, more westerners and less Chinese are alwys good.

6 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Not necessarily true in Thailand. It seems that the older western dope smokers in SE Asia  bring with them multiple mental health issues and the  cannabis allows the  behavioral problems to  manifest themselves.

Cannabis has a calming effect whereas alcohol encourages aggression.

A troll post in violation of the following forum rule has been removed:

 

17. ASEAN NOW news team collects news articles from various recognised and reputable news sources. The articles  may be consolidated from different sources and rewritten with AI assistance These news items are shared in our forums for members to stay informed and engaged. Our dedicated news team puts in the effort to deliver quality content, and we ask for your respect in return. Any disrespectful comments about our news articles or the content itself, such as calling it "clickbait" or “slow news day”, and criticising grammatical errors, will not be tolerated and appropriate action will be taken. Please note that republished articles may contain errors or opinions that do not reflect the views of ASEAN NOW.

If you'd like to help us, and you see an error with an article, then please use the report function so that we can attend to it promptly.

Arrivals up and down more times than a bar girls knickers 😁

The wife's small and highly regarded homestay in northern Nan province had an unexplained fourfold increase in bookings from Europeans this last high season. Made up for the near collapse of bookings by Thais. Bookings by expats living in Thailand stayed the same.

Almost 2 million Russians coming to Thailand. 

 

That's stunning and concerning in equal measure. If you add in Ukrainians, Poles, Czechs and Serbs it's a Slav invasion.

I really don’t know who to believe one minute Thailand is panicking due to huge drops in tourists visiting then you have this announcement about millions of Europeans having swelled the numbers between January and April and were only half way through May as an islander i can honestly say it’s super quiet and has been for a while so who is telling the truth 

8 hours ago, hotsun said:

Bitcoin is way better dude. Thailand exists to take your money, bitcoin only gives you more

Thailand is not a person, so it doesn't do anything. Or do you mean the Thai people? 

🎵Thailand swings like a pendulum do, one day a million next mutiplied by two🎵

One day they plummet, the next one they rebound...happy country 

4 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Liar. Please show us examples of law abiding tourists being jailed by crazies at the US border. 

I don’t have a link but I did read about a U.K.female back packer getting stopped at the Canadian border and held in an immigration camp. And then the story in the UK newspapers about a guy with a tattoo which apparently could be construed as a gang tattoo, worried that he would be accused of being a gang banger.

 

Stories don’t have to be true to put people off, but these two were high profile news in UK papers.

 

Cant say that I would visit USA now, or allow my half Thai daughter to visit. The chance of being killed as a result of gun crime, or police action, is minute, but it is exponentially higher than in any other developed country. Plenty of stats to back that up, just a simple google on gun deaths says it all.

 

So yes, I would say by gut feel that fewer Europeans are visiting USA and maybe Thailand is a beneficiary of that. Although the increases TAT has touted seem far fetched, other than the Russian one. Don’t forget, people like me who returned to Thailand after a European holiday last month, get counted as a tourist.

5 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Stories don’t have to be true to put people off, but these two were high profile news in UK papers.

 

Propaganda works in some crowds

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Propaganda works in some crowds

And sex sells. What to do 🤷‍♂️

12 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo courtesy of Kasikorn Research Center

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is positively beaming as European tourists flock to the country. The TAT governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, reveals that the visitor count from Europe has soared, with a stunning 3.5 million arrivals between January and April.

 

This marks a significant 18.91% increase compared to last year, with tourists from Britain, France, Germany, and Russia leading the charge.

 

Remarkably, Russia boasted 1.74 million visitors last year, with a 17.72% jump, while Germany's tourist numbers surged by 19.78%, bringing in 873,364 visitors.

 

The UK and France also made hefty contributions with 965,862 (up 18.19%) and 281,803 visitors (up 29.81%) respectively. The first four months of this year saw a breathtaking rise: Israel's tourist influx ballooned by 91.07%, Uzbekistan by 62.57%, Poland by 38.94%, and Romania by 32.54%.

 

New and resumed direct flights from major European cities like London, Paris, and Madrid have played a pivotal role in bolstering these figures.

 

Flights from cities such as Brussels and Stockholm have opened new avenues for tourism, significantly contributing to this positive trend. As of now, Britain's visitor count has risen by 20.83%, France by 21.41%, and Germany by 13.03%.

 

Looking ahead, bookings for the July-September period have increased by 21%, and the TAT anticipates a further 17% rise during the high season from October to December.

 

This all spells out a thriving and bustling tourism landscape for Thailand, driven significantly by European enthusiasm. The nation's hospitality, paired with accessible flights, is crafting an inviting narrative that is enticing droves of tourists from across Europe.

 

As the year progresses, Thailand remains a prime holiday destination, outshining past records with no indications of slowing down.

 

With strategic earlier investments in tourism and connectivity paying off, the TAT's optimism appears well-placed. As such, the future holds promising potential for even more visitors seeking the tropical allure of Thailand's shores.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-19

 

 

Must be the biggest game of hide and seek in the world. Everywhere in Thailand is empty. 🙈

TAT do realize that the first 4 months of the year are crap in Europe, unless you are a Polar Bear

Hence the tourist surge

I'm sorry I am showing my ignorance; TAT are the smartest folk around  

28 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

I don’t have a link but I did read about a U.K.female back packer getting stopped at the Canadian border and held in an immigration camp. And then the story in the UK newspapers about a guy with a tattoo which apparently could be construed as a gang tattoo, worried that he would be accused of being a gang banger.

 

Stories don’t have to be true to put people off, but these two were high profile news in UK papers.

 

Cant say that I would visit USA now, or allow my half Thai daughter to visit. The chance of being killed as a result of gun crime, or police action, is minute, but it is exponentially higher than in any other developed country. Plenty of stats to back that up, just a simple google on gun deaths says it all.

 

So yes, I would say by gut feel that fewer Europeans are visiting USA and maybe Thailand is a beneficiary of that. Although the increases TAT has touted seem far fetched, other than the Russian one. Don’t forget, people like me who returned to Thailand after a European holiday last month, get counted as a tourist.

This is the story

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/i-was-a-british-tourist-trying-to-leave-america-then-i-was-detained-shackled-and-sent-to-an-immigration-detention-centre

1 minute ago, MarkBR said:

This is the story

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/i-was-a-british-tourist-trying-to-leave-america-then-i-was-detained-shackled-and-sent-to-an-immigration-detention-centre

and some more https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/12/ice-tourist-detention-border-trump-immigration/82740260007/

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The UK and France also made hefty contributions with 965,862 (up 18.19%) and 281,803 visitors (up 29.81%)

Are they suddenly beginning to learn that turning their collective backs on Europeans in favour of the Chinese was a stupid move given that we pumped sh- - t loads of genuine money into the economy for years

Perhaps someone should also tell The airline that they are also overcharging for a one hour flight, I used to be able to get a OAP discount of 10% but not anymore and the reason is I am not Thai and my frequent flyer LOYALTY card means nothing.

Racist of what???

"The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is positively beaming as European tourists flock to the country. The TAT governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, reveals that the visitor count from Europe has soared, with a stunning 3.5 million arrivals between January and April."

 

But, but, but yesterday was all "doom and gloom"?:-

"Thailand's tourism sector faces a pressing situation as foreign arrivals nosedive, with both leisure and corporate travellers dwindling.

Former TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn stresses urgent reform is needed to revive the industry and proposes the creation of new destinations to attract higher-quality visitors. Visitor numbers have dropped 1% as of May 11, with particular declines from key markets like China, Hong Kong, and South Korea."

 

"I would rather believe Keir Starmer than anyone from TAT, and his turnarounds are legendary (in the UK)!

Yesterday they’re saying how the tourism is going down in 24 hours now it’s OK I’m confused TIT

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

So he wasn't an attractive man then? Would fit right in here in hansumanland.

 

Actually, he was 18-19 at the time, and like most  Swedes of that age, was tall, lean and quite good looking. I envied his ease with women.   He was even smiling in the videos, which is unusual for Swedes. He went into a career in the Swedish military,, took up with an attractive Swedish woman, and they had puppies. A veritable Ikea advertisement.

Frequency of tourism up and down changes going up. Wonder where could get Thai-tourism-up-down-frequency measurement device.

 

Measured frequency number would be sure bet in lottery. 

TAT , do you really believe we are that stupid?

yesterday you were crying rivers of how Thailand had no tourists and was in dire straits. 
Think before you speak please, you are making a fool of yourselves. 

I assume total numbers are down, but Europeans as a percentage of the decreased total have gone up.  USA not currently popular due to jail fears. So, more booking to other places, and I suspect Thailand has to thank Trump for what is a disaster for US tourism.

I cannot believe these TAT morons, their last news flash was that tourism had slumped dramatically, then they claim down by 1% which is hardly a slump! Also just recently they claimed whilst numbers were down spend per tourist was up which probably confirms their statement that Chinese numbers were down & being budget tourists that makes sense. Now they are "positively beaming" because European numbers are up which is good news but I have a restaurant and I can tell you my numbers are well down this month on 2023 & 2024 & April wasn't flash either!!