Big Drop In Visitors To Koh Samui

[churchill]

Th number of visitors to Koh Samui is down 40-50 per cent, especially foreigners, for the first six months of the year, compared to the same period last year, Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association, Senee Phuwasetthavorn, said on Tuesday.

Mr Senee attributed the disappearance of tourists from the resort island to the global economic recession, the political turmoil and the swine flu pandemic.

Phanu Worramith, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Surat Thani office, took the same tone.

continued at http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...by-flu-outbreak

-- Bangkok Post 30/06/09

[Birdman]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

[MSingh]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

Well unless they're made of Glass, i can't see them..

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

[Birdman]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

Well unless they're made of Glass, i can't see them..

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

....it could be that you can't see them, because you are not there. At the major hotels on Chaweng.

[sbk]

What's a "FIT" Birdman?

[samuibeachcomber]

yes it is eerily quiet especially around banrak and fishermans village.I would think the only one's doing ok are the big resorts if they specialise in package tours.

Indians and asians who come here dont support the local bars and restuarants(only westerners do)and they are suffering big time.And looking at what's happening in europe and the UK re unemployment i dont see many returning here for a long time.

People are beginning to get worried.

[Birdman]

What's a "FIT" Birdman?

Foreign Individual Traveller. Tourists not on group tours.

[MSingh]

What's a "FIT" Birdman?

Foreign Individual Traveller. Tourists not on group tours.

So are you saying that the Foreign Individual Travellers ( Backpackers ?? ) are in the Major Hotels in Chaweng ??

[baza]

i dont suppose that the drop in tourism,could be effected by the public shootings/executions in full veiw of holiday makers. at tourist hot spots,ive lost count ,of how many ,over the 5 years ive lived here. if 200 people bare witness ,at least,2000 others hear of the tales and are scared off ,cant they keep thier personal arguments away from innocent,by standers. the locals are dstroying the place,not the farang

[Birdman]

What's a "FIT" Birdman?

Foreign Individual Traveller. Tourists not on group tours.

So are you saying that the Foreign Individual Travellers ( Backpackers ?? ) are in the Major Hotels in Chaweng ??

FITs are package tourists not on a group tour. The average tourist couples/singles/families here. They booked at a travel agency in their home country a tour package or a part of that by tour operators like Thomson, Kuoni...and they are the main customers at the major hotels on Samui.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Birdman

[livinthailandos]

agreed that its more quiet than in the past, anyone here remember 2006 that year some many people on the island. anyways, just wanted to point out i'm glad in a way that downturn has happened any business than can survive during bad times should do just as well during good times. To many business that copy one another. To much oversupply and not enough demand. If nothing else happens during the next 6 months next year should be different by not by much.

[MSingh]

What's a "FIT" Birdman?

Foreign Individual Traveller. Tourists not on group tours.

So are you saying that the Foreign Individual Travellers ( Backpackers ?? ) are in the Major Hotels in Chaweng ??

FITs are package tourists not on a group tour. The average tourist couples/singles/families here. They booked at a travel agency in their home country a tour package or a part of that by tour operators like Thomson, Kuoni...and they are the main customers at the major hotels on Samui.

Sorry, i was under the impression that the word " individual " meant something completely different than Families & Couples...

[MSingh]

i dont suppose that the drop in tourism,could be effected by the public shootings/executions in full veiw of holiday makers. at tourist hot spots,ive lost count ,of how many ,over the 5 years ive lived here. if 200 people bare witness ,at least,2000 others hear of the tales and are scared off ,cant they keep thier personal arguments away from innocent,by standers. the locals are dstroying the place,not the farang

I saw it happen in Chicago about 10 Years back, never put me off of Holidaying there...

Probably would others though admittedly, but it takes all sorts to make a World.

[samui04]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

Well unless they're made of Glass, i can't see them..

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

Indians on 4 star resorts? Nice for them, and good luck for the resorts....

Us european are in deep s**t, no money and unemployed....

In any case a Paradise island must be quiet, there is no noise in Heaven

and after 1 or 2 years of tourist down 50% maybe the price will go back half way, like 5 years ago.....increasing price 20% every december is working until there are idiots paying....now they all went to Bahamas, half price....

[MSingh]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

Well unless they're made of Glass, i can't see them..

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

Indians on 4 star resorts? Nice for them, and good luck for the resorts....

Us european are in deep s**t, no money and unemployed....

In any case a Paradise island must be quiet, there is no noise in Heaven

and after 1 or 2 years of tourist down 50% maybe the price will go back half way, like 5 years ago.....increasing price 20% every december is working until there are idiots paying....now they all went to Bahamas, half price....

So are you agreeing with what i wrote or just quoting me as " Indians " were mentioned, & my User Name suggests i'm Indian, or of Indian Heritage, at least ??

[Boater]

agreed that its more quiet than in the past, anyone here remember 2006 that

try 2005 , pound was 70 to the THB, you could stay in a decent hotel for 1000THB, beer was 60 THB a bottle in all bars and a decent meal was 200-300 THB

fast forward to 2009 , pound 50 to the THB, Descent hotel 2000 THB, and bars charging 90 - 120 THB a bottle and a decent meal 400 - 500 THB

untill that lower the prices, clean things up , it will carry on dying

[Soulwy]

It has improved already. Thanks to Indians and Middle Easterners and young European FITs.

Well unless they're made of Glass, i can't see them..

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

Indians on 4 star resorts? Nice for them, and good luck for the resorts....

Us european are in deep s**t, no money and unemployed....

In any case a Paradise island must be quiet, there is no noise in Heaven

and after 1 or 2 years of tourist down 50% maybe the price will go back half way, like 5 years ago.....increasing price 20% every december is working until there are idiots paying....now they all went to Bahamas, half price....

+ mentality change = I'd reconsider visiting Samui again...

[samui04]

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

So are you agreeing with what i wrote or just quoting me as " Indians " were mentioned, & my User Name suggests i'm Indian, or of Indian Heritage, at least ??

Agree, and before you mentioned it i did not get from your name that you are Indian.

you write like a british.....

[LaoPo]

Th number of visitors to Koh Samui is down 40-50 per cent, especially foreigners, for the first six months of the year, compared to the same period last year, Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association, Senee Phuwasetthavorn, said on Tuesday.

Mr Senee attributed the disappearance of tourists from the resort island to the global economic recession, the political turmoil and the swine flu pandemic.

Phanu Worramith, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Surat Thani office, took the same tone.

The non-sense reasons TAT is screaming off the roofs about tourism would make me laugh is it wasn't that serious for Thailand and it's workers.

There is only one serious reason that tourists stay away - global economic recession -. 99% of the tourists never heard about any political turmoil in Thailand and IF they heard something, it's long forgotten.

The Swine Flu Pandemic is a weak excuse, very weak because it's worldwide and NOT related to Thailand exclusively. In my opinion there is no panic, where ever in the world about H1N1 Flu, apart from worries now in Argentina and some special smaller parts/countries in the world; but no panic.

I don't know about Oz/NZ tourists or N/S American tourism but the majority of Europeans are still going on (shorter) holidays but not far; they stay closer to home although overall, the tourism industry in the EU is complaining also since they had a lousy spring.

I know for a fact (for instance) that many -around 50%- of the Spanish tourist hotels in tourist areas didn't open yet until mid June....

Next to that, we shouldn't forget that more than 60% of Thai tourism (inbound) is from South and East Asia; about 25% is from Europe and the rest divided amongst the rest of the world.

LaoPo

[MSingh]

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

So are you agreeing with what i wrote or just quoting me as " Indians " were mentioned, & my User Name suggests i'm Indian, or of Indian Heritage, at least ??

Agree, and before you mentioned it i did not get from your name that you are Indian.

you write like a british.....

[koheesti]

Next to that, we shouldn't forget that more than 60% of Thai tourism (inbound) is from South and East Asia; about 25% is from Europe and the rest divided amongst the rest of the world.

LaoPo

Do those numbers also include the day trippers from Malyasia, Cambodia, Laos? Since here we are talking about Samui/KPG tourism, what % of tourists here are from South & East Asia? 5%?

As for the overall Thai numbers - how many of that 60% stay at hotels in tourist areas and how many are just making short day trips along the border areas?

[Mark Wolfe]

LaoPo:

There is only one serious reason that tourists stay away - global economic recession -. 99% of the tourists never heard about any political turmoil in Thailand and IF they heard something, it's long forgotten.

I am in 100 percent agreement.

Coming here from the West takes a bit of money in plane tickets and whatnot; and with the way things are economically, taking a trip to Thailand (of all places) now seems to many as wildly extravagant. Of course, you still see the scattering of independent travelers out for a good time, but people with homes and families are weighing the costs against what is an uncertain future in their own countries.

When the global economy picks up enough for people to feel more confident and secure, they will start coming back to faraway destinations like Thailand.

Still, many people, at least here in Lamai, don't seem to get it or are investing in projects that are for fun, and not for profit. As an example, the redesign of the alcove of bars across from the Shamrock is a real mystery to me. It appears that the original bars idea will be retained and only a cosmetic makeover job is being done (a costly one at that). A fresh coat of paint isn't going to make six more bars out the nearly 130 in Lamai more attractive to customers, when they are all 99 percent the same. But the Thai owner of the land might be crazy as a fox -- rent the places out to six clueless farang and sit back and count your money.

If you can convince someone to buy your bar/restaurant/shop now in Lamai, you must be either a salesman god or have luckily stumbled upon one of the truly gullible.

[Nirvana]

It's eerily ( sp ? ) quiet in my opinion & the quietest i have seen the Island in the 6 Years i have been here..

So are you agreeing with what i wrote or just quoting me as " Indians " were mentioned, & my User Name suggests i'm Indian, or of Indian Heritage, at least ??

Agree, and before you mentioned it i did not get from your name that you are Indian.

you write like a british.....

can you not be British and an Indian then ?

[samui04]

agreed that its more quiet than in the past, anyone here remember 2006 that

try 2005 , pound was 70 to the THB, you could stay in a decent hotel for 1000THB, beer was 60 THB a bottle in all bars and a decent meal was 200-300 THB

fast forward to 2009 , pound 50 to the THB, Descent hotel 2000 THB, and bars charging 90 - 120 THB a bottle and a decent meal 400 - 500 THB

untill that lower the prices, clean things up , it will carry on dying

Correct, even for Euro the drop was not so big, i remember it always just below 50....

But we have 10% unemployment rate in UE so for another year short range vacations...

[LaoPo]

Next to that, we shouldn't forget that more than 60% of Thai tourism (inbound) is from South and East Asia; about 25% is from Europe and the rest divided amongst the rest of the world.

LaoPo

1. Do those numbers also include the day trippers from Malyasia, Cambodia, Laos?

2. Since here we are talking about Samui/KPG tourism, what % of tourists here are from South & East Asia? 5%?

3. As for the overall Thai numbers - how many of that 60% stay at hotels in tourist areas

4. and how many are just making short day trips along the border areas?

To answer your questions more easy I've divided your post into 4 points if you don't mind

1. Yes; every time a visitor (which is a better word than tourist) visits Thailand and he/she has to cross the Thai border and show a passport and fill in the reason why they are coming to Thailand (as tourist). So, yes, day trippers are counted as tourists every time they cross the border.

That's the same for a Farang tourist or visa-runner is he/she visits Laos and/Or Cambodia or even Myanmar and crosses the Thai border. He/she will be counted as -another- tourist.

It adds up!

2. I have not a single clue what kind of % would be traveling to Samui/Phangan/Tao also, but I don't think that % is very high (out of the 60% South and East Asian tourists)

3. If you're talking about tourists from Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, India and the like, I would say that almost 100% stay in hotels, somewhere in Thailand; a lot of them might be on a tour, visiting various places (and thus hotels) in Thailand.

If we're talking visitors from Malaysia, Burma/Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia it's a bit of different story; I can't answer the question where the majority of those visitors/tourists stay but I doubt if it would be in upscale hotels (for the majority). I imagine that a lot of them stay with friends or family or small guesthouses; I really have no idea.

4. There is detailed info HOW LONG (average) a tourist from any given individual country stays in Thailand. Sorry, I don't have the link at hand, but it's there!

But the duration of stay in days from for instance Europe is more than tourists from the Far East.

There's also info how much every tourist from any give country spends per day in Baht.

LaoPo

[Birdman]

Latest stats were from 2007. So nothing of relevance to the present situation. But if someone would like to check that out, be my guest

http://www2.tat.or.th/stat/web/static_tst.php

click 2007/Surat Thani > the xls file of interest and go to guests(month)

Edited July 2, 2009 by Birdman

[PatinBKk]

Global recession, sadly Samui same as Phuket has its head in the sand and is suffering from the greed factor. Sex pests and a few gap year students will always visit Samui but for families.....must be joking with Thailands reputation and the prices charged now..

[Birdman]

Considering prices of main tourist destinations like Dominican Republic, Seychelles, Kenya, Greece, Spain, France, USA.......Samui is a good bargain.

No shit! Just order a fresh fish in a seafood restaurant at that places, or make snorkelling trips there, or ....!!!

Edited July 2, 2009 by Birdman

[PatinBKk]

Considering prices of main tourist destinations like Dominican Republic, Seychelles, Kenya, Greece, Spain, France, USA.......Samui is a good bargain.

No shit! Just order a fresh fish in a seafood restaurant at that places, or make snorkelling trips there, or ....!!!

Considering an 'All Inclusive' can be had in the Dominican Republic for just over £500 for 2 weeks, cant see myselfe that Samui is good value....family and 2 kids would pay under £2,000 for 2 weeks including food and drinks....no way could you do that in Samui...not even if Charlies Hut was still there and you ate noodles 3 times a day

[Birdman]

Considering prices of main tourist destinations like Dominican Republic, Seychelles, Kenya, Greece, Spain, France, USA.......Samui is a good bargain.

No shit! Just order a fresh fish in a seafood restaurant at that places, or make snorkelling trips there, or ....!!!

Considering an 'All Inclusive' can be had in the Dominican Republic for just over £500 for 2 weeks, cant see myselfe that Samui is good value....family and 2 kids would pay under £2,000 for 2 weeks including food and drinks....no way could you do that in Samui...not even if Charlies Hut was still there and you ate noodles 3 times a day

No, you seriously can't have the DomReb for 500 AI for 2 weeks.

apropos the DomReb, excursions there are double the price like on Koh Samui.