11 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

 

Same as my experience 10 days ago...........................I tend to ask that question of the girls in the bars or massage shops  - same answer though.

 

 

A key test was soi 6........the girls seemed keen to catch my eye......not sure that's happened for many a year.....555

On 9/30/2025 at 10:37 AM, champers said:

I hope there truly is a surge in numbers; many small and SME businesses need the custom.

The main issue is getting the Chinese back in somewhere near to pre-Covid numbers.  

Negative reporting about Thailand in China is because a state controlled media there has deemed it to be so. Why? Do they want to promote domestic tourism? Do they have fundamental problems with the Thai Government? What does Thailand have to do to restore favourable relations regarding tourism?

Nobody wants the chinese back. You obviously don’t live here. They spend next to nothing and then only in chinese businesses. They take but give nothing back to Thai people. 

11 hours ago, Mason45 said:

Pattaya will never be the same as it used to be. If you're a long term resident like me you would be amazed at the number of businesses that have closed down never to return. Take Second Road between Central Road and the Dolphin Roundabout. There's not much tourist action there if any whereas years ago it was very busy.

Plenty of chinese businesses there. You would think you were in China 😡

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes, very much so.

 

Thailand the hub of expectations, but in reality disappointments!

Well said. A lot of it is hype. A street can be full of bars with many girls shouting and loud music. When I actually look in there for customers I can see one guy in there. There are many places like that in Pattaya.

 

There is not much else they can do without other employment options. The only other options would be to just sit there and do nothing or not show up at all. The best option for them is to pretend it's all successful and Ok and hope for the best.

1 hour ago, Reddavy said:

Nobody wants the chinese back. You obviously don’t live here. They spend next to nothing and then only in chinese businesses. They take but give nothing back to Thai people. 

 

 

100%

17 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Wea are only 6 hours into October!

 

Don't people book holidays, hotels, flights etc in advance or do they do it the day before if they are coming from Europe for example?

 

Stats could be drown from that info.

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

100%

 

Do they all sleep on the beach instead of hotels, do not eat, or go on tours?

On 9/30/2025 at 4:07 PM, champers said:

Why? Do they want to promote domestic tourism?

 

Yes, they do. Besides, Chinese travellers prefer other destinations this year (Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore...) Also, if you follow in the media, many Chinese are unemployed, or had their salary cut, having no money, or saving money, with trips abroad being the last thing on their mind...

8 hours ago, Reddavy said:

Nobody wants the chinese back. You obviously don’t live here. They spend next to nothing and then only in chinese businesses. They take but give nothing back to Thai people. 

Complete rubbish. I have lived here for 9 years and my Thai lady better half has a business that used to get a lot of Chinese customers. They were young, monied independent travellers, not off a tour bus. They are fewer in number since Covid and they are missed by very many businesses

It's like they dust off the same articles over and over depending on the time of year.  Only a month or two ago they were doing the "oh noezz, where are all the tourists" thing.  Ignoring the fact it's low season. 

 

Oct is still wet rainy low season.  There will be no surge.  Nov-Dec there will be, like there always is, because it's the beginning of high season, duh.

11 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

A key test was soi 6........the girls seemed keen to catch my eye......not sure that's happened for many a year.....555

 

Was your fly zipper down again?

 

Seems to work for me.

6 hours ago, JamesPhuket10 said:

 

Don't people book holidays, hotels, flights etc in advance or do they do it the day before if they are coming from Europe for example?

 

Stats could be drown from that info.

According to the article it is also about schools reopening which isn't an October thing in Europe. Article is fluff.......

On 9/30/2025 at 4:19 PM, snoop1130 said:

influx of foreign tourists in October, driven by school reopenings

Absurd nonsense.

Where in world do schools re-open in October?

And if so, how would this drive travel from foreign tourist?

 

And where do schools close for October?

In Thailand!

This at least would make some minuscule sense for domestic tourism.

 

@jacko45k was faster 😊

 

15 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Thailand is becoming a been there done it got the hat kind of location, No need to return

I think that's true for the typical mass tourism.

One stroll on Walking Street.

Take a hundred selfies and that's it.

22 hours ago, actonion said:

Tourists drawn to pattaya beaches ? hard to believe that 

Especially if you've been for a walk or two ON the beach. I've walked the entire length of sand from Walking Street to the other end many times this year, and the most accurate description I can make is "giant ashtray", as every square meter of sand is full of cigarette butts. There are some quite clean beaches, but I won't give their location away as I want them to stay clean LOL.

 

Here are some photos I took on a Jomtien Beach walk, back in early June 2025. That was the last time I walked on that beach. On that day, I was barefoot, which was quite dangerous.

 

53 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Absurd nonsense.

Where in world do schools re-open in October?

And if so, how would this drive travel from foreign tourist?

 

And where do schools close for October?

In Thailand!

This at least would make some minuscule sense for domestic tourism.

 

@jacko45k was faster 😊

 

The whole article is total nonsense. There will be no surge or major increase in prices until the tourists are actually here and bookings get tight, which is very unlikely. There is a major oversupply of accommodation in Pattaya, along with all other services, which keeps the prices down. The market determines prices, not some fool writing stupid articles.

 

The stupidest comment was about taking alternative routes. Any alternative routes have already been taken and are already congested. There is no easy way for cars to navigate the roads in Pattaya. Thai residents with cars have already choked all the roads, before the peak season arrives. Why would tourists need routes anyway? They don't normally rent cars to drive around.

3 hours ago, champers said:

Complete rubbish. I have lived here for 9 years and my Thai lady better half has a business that used to get a lot of Chinese customers. They were young, monied independent travellers, not off a tour bus. They are fewer in number since Covid and they are missed by very many businesses

     Thank you.  I was just about to respond once again to the terminally clueless.   Absolutely true, your post.   Some AN posters are fond of spewing the nonsense that Chinese tourists contribute nothing to the Thai economy, when the opposite is true.  The majority, as you pointed out, are independent travelers, not in tour groups.  This was true in 2019, when it was something like 64%, and even more so today, when it is around 80%.  But, even those in tour groups, no matter what nationality, are also contributing, as does any tourist that visits.  

    The fact that Chinese tourists are valuable to the Thai economy is borne out by the mighty efforts of the Thai government to try to win them back.  If they were worthless, why would they bother?  They would direct their efforts elsewhere.  

    In 2019, 11 million Chinese visited Thailand, spending an average of around 45,000 baht each.  That same year, about 950,000 British visited Thailand, spending about 68,000 baht each. 

    Do the math and you'll see what each group contributed to the Thai economy that year.  Or, the easier way:  I'll ask my usual question once again.  Would you rather have 11 million Chinese give you 45,000 baht each or 950,000 British give you 68,000 baht each?   

   

10 hours ago, champers said:

Complete rubbish. I have lived here for 9 years and my Thai lady better half has a business that used to get a lot of Chinese customers. They were young, monied independent travellers, not off a tour bus. They are fewer in number since Covid and they are missed by very many businesses

BS I have lived here 20 and never heard a thai say a good word about the chinese. They take over thai business they are hated by the vast majority of thais. Your bias is in your post with your partners business needing chinese money. 

6 hours ago, newnative said:

     

    Do the math and you'll see what each group contributed to the Thai economy that year.  Or, the easier way:  I'll ask my usual question once again.  Would you rather have 11 million Chinese give you 45,000 baht each or 950,000 British give you 68,000 baht each?   

   

Ok but before doing the math best to have realistic numbers. So far in 2025 , 3.3 million Chinese visitors. And I was just all along Beach road in Pattaya today and saw zero Chinese anywhere along Beach. 

On 9/30/2025 at 4:37 PM, champers said:

Negative reporting about Thailand in China is because a state controlled media there has deemed it to be so. Why? Do they want to promote domestic tourism? Do they have fundamental problems with the Thai Government?

 

It could be that their economy is collapsing and they are just pretending to go elsewhere. Or for some reason they are trying to mess with Thailand. I assume they are behind the Cambodian border dispute as well.

47 minutes ago, Reddavy said:

BS I have lived here 20 and never heard a thai say a good word about the chinese. They take over thai business they are hated by the vast majority of thais. Your bias is in your post with your partners business needing chinese money. 

Then you have have never visited the North of Thailand and spoken to them!

1 hour ago, morrobay said:

Ok but before doing the math best to have realistic numbers. So far in 2025 , 3.3 million Chinese visitors. And I was just all along Beach road in Pattaya today and saw zero Chinese anywhere along Beach. 

        China and Malaysia are running neck and neck  to be the top country sending visitors to Thailand in 2025.   As you say, 3.3 million Chinese visitors this year so far.  Reuters says Malaysia is at 3.38 million so far this year.  Chinese visitors, you say, spend 42,428 baht each.  Malaysian tourists, however, only spend 28,700 baht each, with lots of quick, cross the border jaunts.

     So, once again, I'll ask my question.  Would you rather have 3.3 million Chinese tourists give you 42,428 baht each or 3.38 Malaysian tourists give you 28,700 baht each?    Or, how about 1.4 million Russians this year giving you 47,400 baht each, vs. the 3.3 million Chinese giving you 42,428 baht each?   I'll choose the Chinese, thank you very much.  Even with its reduced numbers this year, China is projected to remain the top country for international tourist revenue for Thailand.

2 hours ago, Reddavy said:

BS I have lived here 20 and never heard a thai say a good word about the chinese. They take over thai business they are hated by the vast majority of thais. Your bias is in your post with your partners business needing chinese money. 

      Here's a news flash.  If you're running a business you're looking to sell a product, be it a restaurant meal, a hotel room booking, a souvenir, a widget, whatever.  Selling keeps you in business, and if you don't sell, you'll soon be out of business.

     It doesn't much matter where the customer is from, or whether you personally like them or not--you're selling them a product, not marrying them.  If you don't get a tourist into that hotel room you have, that day's revenue for that room is lost for good, no way to get it back.

     When my spouse and I have a property for sale, we could care less where the buyer is from; we're delighted to sell to anyone who shows up with the right amount of money in hand.  Again, not marrying them, or likely ever hanging out with them.   It's no different if you're an astute business owner, running a business, which can be a challenge.

     In your clueless post, there was one nugget of truth: 'your partner's business needing chinese money'.   Yes, indeed.   Needing Chinese money.  Needing Indian money.  Needing Russian money.  Needing American money.  Etc., etc.   Most tourist businesses will be needing, and welcoming, money from all tourists.  

    By the way, these days Chinese tourists are around 80% independent travelers.  They are going where they want to go, seeing what they want to see, staying where they want to stay, and eating where they want to eat.  That was also the case, pre-covid, but it was around 64% independent travelers then,  and it has been increasing.

5 hours ago, newnative said:

        China and Malaysia are running neck and neck  to be the top country sending visitors to Thailand in 2025.   As you say, 3.3 million Chinese visitors this year so far.  Reuters says Malaysia is at 3.38 million so far this year.  Chinese visitors, you say, spend 42,428 baht each.  Malaysian tourists, however, only spend 28,700 baht each, with lots of quick, cross the border jaunts.

     So, once again, I'll ask my question.  Would you rather have 3.3 million Chinese tourists give you 42,428 baht each or 3.38 Malaysian tourists give you 28,700 baht each?    Or, how about 1.4 million Russians this year giving you 47,400 baht each, vs. the 3.3 million Chinese giving you 42,428 baht each?   I'll choose the Chinese, thank you very much.  Even with its reduced numbers this year, China is projected to remain the top country for international tourist revenue for Thailand.

 

The negative replies to the tourists visiting here by the long term temporary farang residents is they seem to think the country should revolve around them with their two pounds six shillings and sixpence allowance a day to live here and we should get rid of the tourists who are contributing billions of baht to the Thai economy.

 

I think Thailand should increase the deposit on the farang old bloke visa extensions from 800k baht to a two million baht deposit in a Thai bank so we can get rid of the moaners and increase the minimum pension income per month requirement. (Tongue in cheek comment).😄

 

 

I do not have medical insurance as the cost and the returns do not match at 69 years old so I keep the would be payments in my bank account and it mounts up to pay for any medical bills in the future.

 

But I have an immediate £70k cash reserve and instant access to over £100k in credit, that should get be me back home to the UK in an emergency or for emergency treatment here. 

 

I don't want to be fighting an insurance company for payouts when ill plus what we are covered for is limited as far as I can see.

 

But if anyone can give me any information and facts ,eg amount covered by their insurance company and the cost per month and their age roughly I would be helpful for me to be proven wrong. 

 

This is not an argument or arrogance on my part it is just as I see it and I am willing to be wrong. 

16 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Was your fly zipper down again?

 

Seems to work for me.

 

 

One of them did shout "no thanks I roll my own"

 

 

3 hours ago, newnative said:

      Here's a news flash.  If you're running a business you're looking to sell a product, be it a restaurant meal, a hotel room booking, a souvenir, a widget, whatever.  Selling keeps you in business, and if you don't sell, you'll soon be out of business.

     It doesn't much matter where the customer is from, or whether you personally like them or not--you're selling them a product, not marrying them.  If you don't get a tourist into that hotel room you have, that day's revenue for that room is lost for good, no way to get it back.

     When my spouse and I have a property for sale, we could care less where the buyer is from; we're delighted to sell to anyone who shows up with the right amount of money in hand.  Again, not marrying them, or likely ever hanging out with them.   It's no different if you're an astute business owner, running a business, which can be a challenge.

     In your clueless post, there was one nugget of truth: 'your partner's business needing chinese money'.   Yes, indeed.   Needing Chinese money.  Needing Indian money.  Needing Russian money.  Needing American money.  Etc., etc.   Most tourist businesses will be needing, and welcoming, money from all tourists.  

    By the way, these days Chinese tourists are around 80% independent travelers.  They are going where they want to go, seeing what they want to see, staying where they want to stay, and eating where they want to eat.  That was also the case, pre-covid, but it was around 64% independent travelers then,  and it has been increasing.

 

No you have it wrong, the Thais should be selective who they sell to, let rooms to who they choose, at least they are sticking to their principles.

 

They will be proud to declare they are true patriots and have proven to be one when their businesses collapse. 🤣

Is today's message, tourism booming? Last week, it was collapsing and the economy was crumbling.

These stories are up and down like a toilet seat.

Cost can make a huge difference to deciding which month's to travel, I can't speak for the Chinese and their prices but coming from the UK with my Thai partner we paid £1100 for return flight tickets in September (staying 3 months), now if you wan't to book for late November onwards 2 x return tickets £3000 upwards for economy on a well known comparison site.  Add to that hotel and spending money for two weeks, Thailand is not a cheap option for europeans.

15 hours ago, Reddavy said:

BS I have lived here 20 and never heard a thai say a good word about the chinese. They take over thai business they are hated by the vast majority of thais. Your bias is in your post with your partners business needing chinese money. 

My Mrs has said something positive about them, must be the extra couple of years I have on you! 

She said they actually weren't bad tippers when she used to work at a hotel as a cleaner......yup, surprised me too!