Initial Tourist figures for Pattaya released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

On Wednesday Morning, we spoke with Khun Akarawit, the Deputy Director of the local Tourism Authority of Thailand Office located half-way up the Pratamnuk Hill to discuss the state of the tourism industry here in Pattaya. He began by telling us that the official figures indicate an increase in Tourism so far this year of 11.5% compared to last year. This includes data from January to 15th December 2007. He also mentioned that he is encouraged by the tourist numbers over the festive season and expects numbers to be slightly higher than last year. He is slightly disappointed and expected higher tourist numbers over this festive season and believes that the General Election and continuing violence in the South and the potential for a spread of the violence to other parts of Thailand may be the cause.

Pattaya City News.

Wednesday 26th December 2007

Initial Tourist figures for Pattaya released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

On Wednesday Morning, we spoke with Khun Akarawit, the Deputy Director of the local Tourism Authority of Thailand Office located half-way up the Pratamnuk Hill to discuss the state of the tourism industry here in Pattaya. He began by telling us that the official figures indicate an increase in Tourism so far this year of 11.5% compared to last year. This includes data from January to 15th December 2007. He also mentioned that he is encouraged by the tourist numbers over the festive season and expects numbers to be slightly higher than last year. He is slightly disappointed and expected higher tourist numbers over this festive season and believes that the General Election and continuing violence in the South and the potential for a spread of the violence to other parts of Thailand may be the cause.

Pattaya City News.

Wednesday 26th December 2007

:D

The violence in the south????

The election, well, maybe if the intended tourists were well informed.

Maybe Pattaya is gaining a reputation in some of its target markets. All the high quality visitors deciding that the beaches are not up the standard the brochure shows. The touts and the double priced items getting noticed. The decaying infrastructure with power outages and water shortages, internet that does not work sometimes, credit card surcharges. These things upset the folk at the top end more than what happens 1000km away.

As a suggestion TAT should target the markets that don't need these things as a determining factor for their destination. The folk who have come here before and enjoyed them selves. Oh that's right we don't want that type of visitor.

Edit to fix formatting.

Initial Tourist figures for Pattaya released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

On Wednesday Morning, we spoke with Khun Akarawit, the Deputy Director of the local Tourism Authority of Thailand Office located half-way up the Pratamnuk Hill to discuss the state of the tourism industry here in Pattaya. He began by telling us that the official figures indicate an increase in Tourism so far this year of 11.5% compared to last year. This includes data from January to 15th December 2007. He also mentioned that he is encouraged by the tourist numbers over the festive season and expects numbers to be slightly higher than last year. He is slightly disappointed and expected higher tourist numbers over this festive season and believes that the General Election and continuing violence in the South and the potential for a spread of the violence to other parts of Thailand may be the cause.

Pattaya City News.

Wednesday 26th December 2007

Both happy and disappointed at the same time.

I don't know how high season is going at the moment - but when I was in Pattaya mid-June last year (low season), I could have fired a shotgun down any of the sois after dark and not hit anybody! I have never seen Pattaya's low season so quiet!

Peter