Thailands Tourism Industry Situation Has Improved

[webfact]

Tourism situation improved: PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Friday that the tourism industry situation has improved with more foreign tourists visiting Thailand.

For example, in September the number of foreign tourists was about 200,000 higher than the same month last year, Abhisit said.

He said the Tourism and Sports Ministry expected a total of 14 million foreign tourists would visit Thailand this year.

"I affirm that the number of foreign tourists has increased a lot," the prime minister told reporters after the monthly meeting of permanent secretaries.

-- The Nation 2009/10/30

[LawnGnome]

Swampy was packed last week, when I was there, and flights looked rather full as well. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of people.

[hardy1943]

They be all smiles let really jack up farang prices

[LaoPo]

It's always odd that those messages come out whilst it's impossible at the same time to find RELIABLE statistics and numbers.....IMPOSSIBLE.

If the PM knows so well, why don't they produce the statistics ?

LaoPo

[JR Texas]

They be all smiles let really jack up farang prices

I would not believe any data published by the Thai govt.........especially TAT if that is where the numbers came from.

According to a recent story by Al Jazeera, the people on the ground seem to disagree that numbers are up:

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/20...3650894888.html

[chiang mai]

I'm not sure about that, I met a chap today who works the Jetstar Aus/Thai run on a regular basis and he tells that all flights are full or close to.

[johnwills]

Still able to get good discounts at hotels in BKK, my usual is still selling their top room at 1100 baht, compared to the normal price of 3000 baht. So they cannot be that busy.

[tenpounds]

Samui is very very very quiet and has been all year.

[LuckyLew]

Of course it is up over this time last year

Wasn't it 12months ago that the yellow shirts

were running wild in Bangkok

Pretty sure it was november that tourist could not

land in Bangkok

So I guess 1 person arriving would have been an

increase

[gotlost]

Still quite in CM not counting Loy krathong. Are these so called tourist bring money or are they backpackers?

[waza]

I have been looking at the flight to and from Thailand and they seem to be fully booked at the moment

[basjke]

Of course it is up over this time last year

Wasn't it 12months ago that the yellow shirts

were running wild in Bangkok

Pretty sure it was november that tourist could not

land in Bangkok

So I guess 1 person arriving would have been an

increase

You might take a look at your calendar and notice that we are october now.The airport siege was end of november,too lazy to look it up but I think it started 24 november.

[givenall]

Swampy was packed last week, when I was there, and flights looked rather full as well. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of people.

Is it time for the RED shirt to mass things again so the economy gets worse so Thaksin happy thinking he is coming back. Can someone tell him he will come back when hel_l freezes over

[johnwills]

I have been looking at the flight to and from Thailand and they seem to be fully booked at the moment

My Flight was full coming over last month, but a lot a people seemed to be going on to Taiwan.

[EnhancePlus]

My flights are always full coming into Taipei, HK or Manila, but are always half filled on the next leg to BKK. But last december it was a beech getting a hotel in BKK and Hua Hin during xmas and new years.

[mommysboy]

Doesn't matter a jot!

As we all know Thailand doesn't need or want tourism! and it accounts for only 6-7% GDP at most with no profit.!

Where's the irony icon?

[Thai at Heart]

Ummm....

As for planes being full, it is very nice, but an explanation could be that there are fewer scheduled flights?

[salty]

I have been looking at the flight to and from Thailand and they seem to be fully booked at the moment

My Flight was full coming over last month, but a lot a people seemed to be going on to Taiwan.

Eva (I presume) always seem to be full when I travel.

[asiasurfer]

I would say Abhisit knows as much about tourism as a Goldfish has knowledge about Maths.

[rolypie]

there seem to be a few more people in pattaya and close to it but my bar friends and local business owners tell me nobody is spending so whats the point in coming here?

[MHM]

Kanchanaburi quiet, backpacker sorts, water bottle carriers

[Thailand]

Ummm....

As for planes being full, it is very nice, but an explanation could be that there are fewer scheduled flights?

That is certainly the case and Air Asia have postponed receipt of 8 new aircraft I don't see Tony Fernandes doing that if he thinks business is picking up.

[mccw]

Still quite in CM not counting Loy krathong. Are these so called tourist bring money or are they backpackers?

Backpackers are also a vital part of the economy. Depends which end of the scale your business is. Especialy useful for the cheaper family run thai places around which all too often are/ have been pulled down and turned into another souless resort, falang pub or retail outlet. This was MrTs 'great' development push, big business over small, turn everywhere in to a thai themed resort singaporesqe for the rich, plus no party no fun, my dee loi

[toptuan]

I would say Abhisit knows as much about tourism as a Goldfish has knowledge about Maths.

Bad analogy. My goldfish multiply pretty well...

[LomSak27]

The PM wants it to be so ... so why not claim it is. Why let reality stop you.

Suvv was indeed packed on Thursday b ut it was with the school - uni bound and LKrotong CM crowd. Chiang Mai was dead on thursday night, for that matter last night, for a friday night was slow. Just flew in from Southrn euroland where a number of cafe owners told me it was their worst summer season in 10 years or more. Don't see how the PM's words will change that, but hey its the best he can do, so let him burble.

[h90]

I would say Abhisit knows as much about tourism as a Goldfish has knowledge about Maths.

means that he has the best knowledge since Chuan Government.

[Rumfoord]

I would say Abhisit knows as much about tourism as a Goldfish has knowledge about Maths.

means that he has the best knowledge since Chuan Government.

the picture below was taken yesterday, can everybody spot who sit in the middle of the front? (click on photo to see bigger version)

understand now? evidently He is Da Man, the awesome leader of the fun.

source

[siddv]

If it's quiet now while flights from west coast of the USA are @ mid $600s might be very very dead after Nov 30 the price spikes to $1600-2000 for the cattle section.

I would imagine holiday fare increases will effect all originating countries.

[mahtin]

In Lamai, Samui, the bargirls are hungry you.

[Ricardo]

Swampy was packed last week, when I was there, and flights looked rather full as well. Doesn't seem to be any shortage of people.

Surely because the actual number of flights is down, over recent months, helpfully giving Swampy a chance to move back Thai's operations from Don Muang, rearrange the security-scanners, polish the floors, crack down on taxi-touts or ciggie-smugglers, etcetera ?

Still quite in CM not counting Loy krathong. Are these so called tourist bring money or are they backpackers?

I would suggest that backpackers also spend real money, perhaps more overall than shorter-stay elite tourists, they merely spend less money per-diem and stay for longer (visas permitting). Their money is very welcome to guesthouses & bungalow-operations, cheaper eating/drinking-establishments, local laundry-operations or beach-massage operatives. But they do tend to avoid the 4/5-star hotels ... can't say that I blame them.

Lastly that late-October/early-November is hardly the high-season here, in my own experience, but that anyone hoping for a full-resumption of normal business in the tourism-industry may have a few years to wait yet. The high-unemployment back home (Europe/USA) and strong-baht (increasing apparent-costs) are still with us, also oil and airfares are not yet cheap, so who can realistically expect otherwise ?