Tourism plunges 22 per cent

[sukeroku]

Tourism is probably pretty steady on the whole. Sure, arrivals are 22% down this year over last; but, one has to remember that the average arrival is getting much bigger. Obesity is rampant worldwide. There may be less numbers, but the total weight of tourists has not decreased one kilo, I'm sure. Go look at the size of them and tell me honestly that you see a reduction.

[jackr]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are.

Complaining of expensive hotels how about you try and travel around a developed country...

Blah blah blah.

What a bunch of tangential, uninformed diatribe.

[Publicus]

49 years ago as a little boy I saw very few tourist in Thailand, mostly yanks and other farangs working at embassies around soi polo where we lived. Being a blond little boy, I used to be the star attraction when I played in Lumpini park, Thais came to touch my hair and smiled and hugged me. How times have changed, now days everytime I come to BKK I have to deal with scammers and rip off merchants, the smiles are now mercenary, friendliness is tied to extract money from farangs. I am lucky that I live in a quiet part of Phuket where I am accepted as a "crazy local farang" but over all I feel less and less welcome here and a seriously considering moving to a place where I am accepted as an equal. Maybe it is time to give LOS a miss.

Of course I won't, because at least for 6 month of the year this is home, the rest of the year in Australia I tank up with sanity, but dream of coming back to weird, wonderful, frustrating LOS

Well taken.

[brahmburgers]

Today my Thai wife attempted to book 3 hotel rooms at a modest, 'boutique' style hotel in Chiang Rai for two nights--six room-nights all told--so my golfing buddies can try out the area courses next month.

Sounds like Wiang Inn. Or could be Wang Come, both downtown, Chinese owned.

I'm no longer a backpacker, but even so, I don't even consider staying in upper crust places like that, tho I do sometimes go to their buffets or hang out at their pools - tho the pools are shaded all day and often have Thai-style radio (or other noise) blaring nearby. I prefer the Bt.250/night places, but to each his own....

No, but they don't get charged double because of the colour of their skin in Europe . Foreman's experience is another reason why the Thai tourist industry is biting the hand that feeds. It really is quite nonsensical.

imagine in our home countries if we charged people on a sliding scale depending on the passport that they hold (based on Thai logic)

The double/triple/quadruple pricing is not so much based on passport type, IT'S BASED ON PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. If you have a pointy noise and hairy arms, you're charged more.

[HakimKlunker]

However, he said Thai tourists would help generate an estimated 430 billion baht in revenue this year.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-07-23

Does this include Western Union transfers from overseas?

[grantbkk]

Some Thai Visa posters can be expected to claim unfair visa rules are the root cause of declining tourism in Thailand. Get real! Most people go on vacation for two week to a month and most can enter the country visa free and enjoy whatever they want. News flash: You are not a tourist if you have a Thai wife and live in the Thailand with her two illegitimate children. You are not a tourist if you spend more than 50 weeks here a year and five nights a week in Soi Cowboy. That is not what tourism is and not why they have an immigration department for.

Since I've been in Thailand it has been one disaster after another. Some are natural disasters and some are government policy driven. Just when the Thais see a light at the end of the tunnel it seems like a contest erupts as to who can put their foot simultaneously in their mouth and up their rear-end.

Right now tourism is front and center for this government. If left alone tourism will eventually return under its own power but mark my words, the TAT will come up with another bright idea to slow progress.

[2beornot2be]

Som nam naa!

(That serves you right...!)

They say they believe in Lord Buddha's teachings but don't understand it so they turn to superstition and praying to ghosts and spirits. Thailand's huge problems are mostly home made and there's no need to blame anybody else. Bring this back to your faces and stop tearing your country apart!

[minxwhale]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !!

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think you are 10 years off. Very few G.I.'s in 'Nam in 1960.

There were plenty of american military types in viet nam then.

U.S. military advisers arrived in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed starting in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.

YOU PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HINGE ON EVERY WORD AS IF EVERYONE'S AN EXPERT. BE KIND< LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Then there are some people that choose to remain alseep and turn a blind eye, while the next TET OFFENSIVE builds within Thailand, only to complain how they got scr&wed out of their life savings, imprisoned, shaken down by the BIB and everybody from the time they landed to the time they are sent back.

Thats right my friend, close your eyes and go back to sleep.... it will all be better when you wake up.

AS usual...another poster misses the point...

If things are going the way of the Tet offensive, with such incredible sagely foresight, you'd better pack your bags now before the boogy man comes and gets you.

[rippedoff]

I really don't think there were more than 11 million tourists 48 years ago in Thailand. Or 47, or 37, or 27, or 17 or even 7 years ago. What a crock of sh#t piece of journalism.

I think tourists are just fed up and tierd of getting rippedoff

[Publicus]

THAILAND quit whining about the loss of tourism and do something positive to fix it!!!! What would make you want to visit another country? More censorship is not the answer as you can't keep the tourist from returning home to tell about their visit,which might be their first and only, to Thailand. Word of mouth is the BEST ADVERTISING(or WORST) any country could have and every baht spent for it would be in a positive direction. WAKE UP PEOPLE! YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! YOU CAN FIX IT!

Spent four years in Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict and LOVED every minute of it! Now that I've returned after a 35 year absence I am saddened. The pollution, political unrest, peoples attitudes toward someone of a different race, the cataclysmic gap between rich and poor, greed, etc., etc., etc. It will take years for corrective actions to be effective as your decline has taken years to form roots. Every aspect of Thai life needs to be adjusted. Thailand, make your steps forward. I hold hope for a better Thailand and all it's people. That includes the immigrants and visitors as well. Beware of becoming NATIONALISTIC. It's an ugly and frightening thing.

After ten years in the LOS the pointed nationalism and intensifying ethnocentricism combined to become the proverbial last straw, causing me to leave. Your post provides an important perspective in this respect.

Thais have become frustrated over their increasing inability to organize their country to become a prosperously developing and successful modernizing society. The reason is that many Thais don't want to become any such place. Neither side can prevail, hence the continuing decline into a state of chaos.

As Thais have come to feel increasingly inferior they don yellow to try to reconnect themselves to the lost eternal verities which have forever evaporated. So Thais become more nationalistic and ever more ethnocentric. The cycle has become endless and the mask is truly ugly.

As always, the farang are identified as the root cause of the problems inherent to Thailand and to Thainess. We are indeed no longer welcome even to throw money around (which I wasn't ever able to do). Now the Thais want rich Asians to visit and to replace the farang.

Thais continue to try anything except to face the reality of a dynamic everchanging world. Consequently Thais and Thailand are being left behind. That's good news to far too many Thais.

[selftaopath]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !! Oh how true

Always the same: Blame someone or something but NEVER admit. Reacting instead of acting! That is part of the "saving face" mentality right?

Always the same: "Prung-nee dee cuen nae-non" - tomorrow it will improve for sure

The Land of Smiles is turning into the Land of Greek Tragedy - sad but true

And the most true thing is, that it is not stopping but continues to get worst...

Perhaps we are viewing signs that The West and Westerners are really tired of this Thai game of deceipt/exploitation/CORRUPTION etc. In my home country - USA - when people have had enough, they finish w/...... , and usually do not return quickly to what they have recoiled from.

Do any or us think the rich and powerful will change LOLOLL ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh I crack myself up some times. :-)

[thetitan99]

I really don't think there were more than 11 million tourists 48 years ago in Thailand. Or 47, or 37, or 27, or 17 or even 7 years ago. What a crock of sh#t piece of journalism.

You should read the article. It said the sharpest decline in 49 years. I wonder what made it decline more than that in 1960? Probably the godless commie horde...

[PatinBKk]

Yet regular tourists/expats that cant get a Non O/B or retirement visa are now being turned away from Penang if asking for a tourist visa...OK they alraey have 3 but these people stay here and spend money on everything from food/entertainment and services.....beggars beliefe....why dont they just make it easy for people to stay here....lost count how many people I know have moved to Malaysia and Cambodia where it is more visa friendly.....wake up immigration, you want the revenue...be a bit more inviting..

[PatinBKk]

I really don't think there were more than 11 million tourists 48 years ago in Thailand. Or 47, or 37, or 27, or 17 or even 7 years ago. What a crock of sh#t piece of journalism.

You should read the article. It said the sharpest decline in 49 years. I wonder what made it decline more than that in 1960? Probably the godless commie horde...

I live here and have left and entered Thailand 6 times already this year.....I suppose I have been counted as 6 tourists...so all the border runners etc...11 million isnt a true figure

[TopDogger]

I thought I would go back to my pet love (Udon Thani) and was shocked to find the town I fell in love with 2 years ago had gone from about 20 bars to 240 bars and become the mini pattaya of Isaan, filled with sex tourists. Good thing I have real friends there to keep me away from all 240 of those bars.

Don't talk sh1t..

Excuse me? Talk what? I presented numbers, real numbers from a friend that actually owns a prominent bar in Udon and has been in the business for some time. If you have a problem with the numbers or the facts I have presented, present your own. Trying to shoot someone down with abuse is deconstructive to the conversation and degenerative.

If you havent been there and think Im lying, take a look for yourself. Ask a local where you can find day/night (theres about 50 bars there, open literally from about 10am until 2-3am when the Police turn up to close them), or Nutty park, where you will find almost as many. Forgive me for stating the truth from personal experience.

The figures you gave amount to less than 100 so your 140 short....

Day/night has no more than 25 bars, more likely less than 20... Nutty Park, if its where I think u mean has even less.. So, lets call that 50 in total.

Thank you for confirming what I said.. I suggest you go and get your eye's checked.. You have @ least double vision, more likely triple vision.. Wheres the other 190 bars?

[marsteele]

I really don't think there were more than 11 million tourists 48 years ago in Thailand. Or 47, or 37, or 27, or 17 or even 7 years ago. What a crock of sh#t piece of journalism.

You should read the article. It said the sharpest decline in 49 years. I wonder what made it decline more than that in 1960? Probably the godless commie horde...

Noooo..... Americans, over sexed, over paid and over there... (Virus)

Edited July 24, 2009 by marsteele

[Pawpcorn]

22 per cent is a steep decline, but not the catastrophic end to tourism most of you guys seem to want to justify your views on the minor hassles of being a falang here.

Anybody have any comparitive data for other tourist destinations. I suspect they will be of the same order for longhaul.

the jet set goes to marrakech Morocco. it's an other destination

You ever been Marrakech and see any Jetset

Hilarious!!! In fact, HERE'S a picture of Marrakech, just CHOCK FULL of jetsetters...!!!

[Johpa]

As a veteran international travel writer, I can safely predict that it will take a lot longer than 6 months to undo the damage done by all the bad publicity the Land of Smiles has gotten in the last year - and, even worse, the bad word-of-mouth from travel industry professionals who no longer consider Thailand a reliable partner after the airport occupation, which had to be unique by any international standards. The fact that those responsible were not only allowed to do it, but now appear to be getting away with this very serious crime is causing Thailand to become a travel industry bete noir. The Foreign Minister and his cronies have succeeded in killing the fatted calf

Would that be the same fatted calf that the tourist industry professionals have been feasting upon for the past several decades? Rest assured that a few glib travel articles accompanied by glossy photos in the travel magazines along with the hints of promised affordable sexual pleasures will bring back the tourists. The tourist care not a whit about the local politics and have all but forgotten the airport occupation. If and when this recession/depression corrects itself, rest assured that the travel industry, from the biggies like Deithelm to the writers like yourself, will be quite pleased to support the same cast of characters to which you are now misdirecting your angst. As long as their are free tickets and kickbacks, the travel industry will forever be the cheerleaders and will not let internal political missteps get in their way.

[thaibeachlovers]

There's definitely something wrong with this article. The only way I can see a 49 year low, is on a comparison of monthly arrivals, e.g. the latest month's figures (June?, May?), were lower than for 49 years. The probability is, in view of the recent worldwide bad press about scams involving King Power, the Police etc, that this figure will continue to plunge further.

Failing that a 49 month low, which is a strange figure to quote, but then again we all know how accurate Thailands' english language papers are.

Tourism plunging, exports declining massively, Thailands Bank reserves climbing, and the baht strengthening, does not add up - and I'm an accountant (retired).

Agreed. Something very strange is going on!

The sound of chickens coming home to roost should be accompanied by a falling baht, but is just not happening.

Seems that the only increase to be expected is the crime and scam rate.

[thaibeachlovers]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are.

Complaining of expensive hotels how about you try and travel around a developed country and pay less than $100 a night for a hotel with a pool and breakfast. To be honest I rarely have to pay $100 for this but obviously most of you don't know how to find a deal. Why are you paying so much when there is so much available for much less??

150 baht ATM charges. if this 150 baht is the difference on your three week vacation how did you ever afford the plane ticket.

15 day visas? What the hel_l are you talking about? On entry most visitors are given 30 day. Which can be extended by 7 days or you can simply go to any border crossing and get another 15 days. My assumption is that most people with jobs back home don't need more than 5 weeks for the visa. The rest of you are trying to stay here on a long term basis on a tourist visa. So deal with it.

Double pricing. Get real you make more and the double pricing is so easy to get around in most cases it is a non issue. Once agian bitching about a hundred baht here or there is ridiculous.

They don't treat you right. Fake smiles. Lived her for three years and still haven't had many problems such as the ones you describe. You must be one of those farangs that bitch about everything. No wonder you get fake smiles.

The exchange rate isn't as favorable as it should be for little old me. What kind of load of shit is this. Go back to the early 90's when the Baht traded for around 28 baht to the US$. It is now 35 and you still bitch. I know it once was near the mid 40s but this was after the 97 crisis and it isn't probably the best time period to gauge what it should be on a long term basis. Currencies fluctuate all the time for a multitude of reason. If the once strong pound is no longer so strong don't complain to the Thai government it isn't their problem that the economy in England it shit or for that matter Japan, Korea and many other places in the world.

Lastly, it is so dam_n unbearable go home. Nobody I mean nobody will miss you. But I can bet you will miss Thailand. So stop your bitching and deal with the small problems. Life isn't perfect.

You're not making a very valid point when you say people shouldn't complain about the exchange rate. In the early 90's most things were a LOT cheaper, if I remember correctly about half present prices. Therefore to get equivalent purchasing power to the early 90's the dollar should be 56 baht. At 35 the baht is way too strong.

And don't say that I earn more than I did then. For the last 10 years my cost of living increases have been below inflation rates!

[brownlegs]

The other really bad news for Thai tourism is the Zig zag scams at The airport. The police, customs officials and local criminals are colluding together to intimidate, imprison and extort money from tourists, when they arrive and when they are leaving. If you want to know more about this abuse by the scum in thailand who are supposed to represent the law then just google Thailand zig zag scam and see what is happening on a daily basis. there are a variety of scams but all involve Thai police, Thai customs officials and Thai extortionsts and criminals. At the the airport!!!!!!!!! The first place where travelers arrive!! The Thais are proving to be not just greedy but more stupid than is believable. We farang always thought we had protection because we spend our money anyway but this is proving not to be the case. When will it end. One thing is for sure this theft from tourists at the airport would not hsppen under Thaksin.

[JSPS]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !!

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think there were dam_n few GIs in 1960. When I got there in 1968 Pattaya had one hotel (Nipa Lodge). There were 3 restaurants on Beach Rd and the RR Center. If you wanted "companionship" you would do best to bring her along because there are more girls at any little beach bar than there were in the whole dam_n town then. The islands were largely uninhabited and it was a novelty to meet a Farang who wasn't connected to the American military at that time.

I was stationed at Camp Vayama down the road at Dao Than, a little before you get to Sattahip. We used to get a group together and go to Pattaya when we were off. A few cases of beer, some hamburgers or steaks stolen from the mess hall would do us for a couple of days. We usually ended up sleeping on the beach, unless we had brought our teelock's with us.

Then back to work with a vicious sunburn and a pounding hangover. Those were the days.

[robenroute]

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think there were dam_n few GIs in 1960. When I got there in 1968 Pattaya had one hotel (Nipa Lodge). There were 3 restaurants on Beach Rd and the RR Center. If you wanted "companionship" you would do best to bring her along because there are more girls at any little beach bar than there were in the whole dam_n town then. The islands were largely uninhabited and it was a novelty to meet a Farang who wasn't connected to the American military at that time.

I was stationed at Camp Vayama down the road at Dao Than, a little before you get to Sattahip. We used to get a group together and go to Pattaya when we were off. A few cases of beer, some hamburgers or steaks stolen from the mess hall would do us for a couple of days. We usually ended up sleeping on the beach, unless we had brought our teelock's with us.

Then back to work with a vicious sunburn and a pounding hangover. Those were the days.

I guess we differ a generation or so; in 1968, I was just graduating from kindergarten... The point is, every bad new time will once become a good ole days time. So all we have to do is enjoy Thailand for what it is and think back with smiles on our faces 30 years from now.

[brownlegs]

I bl****y well do care about Thai politics when it messes up my travels arrangements, causes me grief, costs me hundreds of pounds! The Thugs who brutally occupied the Airport demonstrated to the whole world that Thailand is an unstable corrupt dictatorship and the majority of the Thai people happless, exploited, victims of the power elite.........And experienced travellers know that they them selves can easily become the next victims whilst travelling in Thailand. The Aiport Zig zag scam has led to hundreds of people cancelling their holidays in Thailand because they do not want to end up in Prison. So please do not blithely state people are not interested in Thai politics. Speak for yourself. Not for me!

[klikster]

Today my Thai wife attempted to book 3 hotel rooms at a modest, 'boutique' style hotel in Chiang Rai for two nights--six room-nights all told--so my golfing buddies can try out the area courses next month.

Sounds like Wiang Inn. Or could be Wang Come, both downtown, Chinese owned.

You consider the Wiang Inn and Wangcome boutique hotels?

Local businessmen do get better rates, but I have stayed at the Wangcome more than once and never experienced "double" the rate. Matter of fact, my last time there I walked in looking as farang as one can look, announced my name at registration and told them that K. Surapon had made my booking. They smiled, welcomed me and gave me that reduced rate.

Have you stayed at either hotel? Both? Or is your information .. um .. colloquial?

[jesimps]

One reason is the highwaymen they call the traffic police. I was ambushed for 200 baht yesterday when I pulled into the outer lane of a dual carriageway to overtake a line of slower moving cars. They said I spent too much time in the overtaking lane! Waste of time to argue with them so I gave them their lunch money, my children who were in the car with me on a visit from UK were left speechless. I just told them TIT.

[ParadiseLost]

Fundamentally, it has to do with the issue of trust. I mean when a farang come to Thailand for a vacation he/she is trusting that Thailand will take care of them to the best of her ability. Which means beautiful beaches, friendly and well attentive services etc...

However, if those criteria is not met. For example you are unable to return to your home country for some reason. e.g., flight canceled, H1N1 or something. Then you will have to reconsider your options next time you travel. I mean there are other destinations besides Thailand that the vacationers could go to, such as Bali, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Japan, Brazil, United States, Australia,...etc.

I would be very keen to know how these other places have finally got rid of those pesky flight cancellations - and H1N1

What I am stating is that if Thailand does not care for the Tourist dollars that is out there. I think there are plenty of alternatives that the rest of the world will avail themselves of. Then Thailand is just stuck with the cheap foreign tourists that wants cheap female companionship.

My guess is those are just the kind of tourists Thailand is ridding itself of by clamping down on back to back tourist visas etc. "Normal" tourists will continue to visit; perhaps not in ever increasing numbers but they will never stop completely.

[ParadiseLost]

One reason is the highwaymen they call the traffic police. I was ambushed for 200 baht yesterday when I pulled into the outer lane of a dual carriageway to overtake a line of slower moving cars. They said I spent too much time in the overtaking lane! Waste of time to argue with them so I gave them their lunch money, my children who were in the car with me on a visit from UK were left speechless. I just told them TIT.

Wow!! 200 baht! 4 pounds!

Only you will know if what you did was actually an offense, but perhaps the biggest crime you commit is to instill your pathetic superior attitude towards police into your kids: "Who does he think he is!!". This attitude is so common in the UK I wonder how you have anyone wanting to join the police at all.

[JR Texas]

Yet regular tourists/expats that cant get a Non O/B or retirement visa are now being turned away from Penang if asking for a tourist visa...OK they alraey have 3 but these people stay here and spend money on everything from food/entertainment and services.....beggars beliefe....why dont they just make it easy for people to stay here....lost count how many people I know have moved to Malaysia and Cambodia where it is more visa friendly.....wake up immigration, you want the revenue...be a bit more inviting..

Thailand is the country with the worst visa system in the region.........nobody talks about "perpetual tourists" or "border runners" or "real tourists" in Cambodia or the Philippines or Malaysia.

Why? Because those governments are smart enough not to care......it actually makes no difference at all in terms of security.

It makes a big difference in terms of whether you are seen as expat friendly or tourists friendly.

It makes a big difference if you want money from tourists and expats.

It is Thailand's social engineering program that is the problem.....with all of its nonsense about what a "real tourist" is.

I have mentioned this so many times now I feel like a talking parrot: One simple solution is to introduce a pay to stay visa system (for permanent residents/tourists simply require a security check).

Under this type of system (similar but not identical to both Cambodia and the Philippines), the tourists/expats are happy.........and the security function of the immigration department is met.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are....

The exchange rate isn't as favorable as it should be for little old me. What kind of load of shit is this. Go back to the early 90's when the Baht traded for around 28 baht to the US$. It is now 35 and you still bitch. I know it once was near the mid 40s but this was after the 97 crisis and it isn't probably the best time period to gauge what it should be on a long term basis. Currencies fluctuate all the time for a multitude of reason.

In all your excitement, you are missing an important point. In the early nineties, the baht may have been 28 to the US$, but then a plated meal was only five to ten baht.

In fact, I remember paying exactly ten baht for my Khao Phat Gai on Samui in '92. I'd venture that same meal has gone up at least 300%, but our purchasing power has only risen by 25% according to your figures.

Of course we would need a basket of products and services in order to create a more accurate representation, but you get the idea, don't you?