Thailand's Tourism Industry Has Recovered

[marsteele]

I wish this was true for thailand and every other country around the world, but the fact is, the UK where i am from is still in the recession and industry here is not good at all. This is also bad for the airline industry who have just had to apply a new airport tax to flights, meaning people can not afford any sort of holiday. Travel agents are struggling here, so this must impact on the rest of the globe. Work in england is still lacking, more people out of work than a month ago, again no money, no holiday. In 2008 i went to thailand to see my girlfriend 5 times, this year 2009 i have only been able to afford 2 times, simply pay cuts and fuel prices, cost of living in UK. This is still having an impact. Obviously the UK travllers account for only some percentage going to thailand, but realistically, the recession is still going on globally. The USA are saying they are out of it, but if you look deeply into there financial situation, the only way was up for them, it doenst mean thecitizens in USA have any more pocket money, they dont have much at all. Anyway good luck to Thailand for having belief in themselves, but i do think unfortunately they are blinkered to the realism that the world out side are skint and wont be travelling much.

My girlfriend says thailand is very quiet, the markets are empty and the shops like Big C are empty....7/11's are closing down and bars are cheap to buy due to the lack of customers.....4 of her friends have retuned to the country because theres no one to bar fine them. Bless you LOS, keep smiling, maye we will learn to smile with you...X X

PS I cant believe the prices of flights, so expensive and are going up daily

I just paid for my Chiangmai to Melbourne return flight and the price has gone up 10,000 baht on last months price and I was informed that on the 1st Dec there will be a further 5,000 increase. 15,000 in 2 months is huge more than a 50% hike. Was 27,000 in Oct on Thai airways.

Did you also know if I fly from BKK to Chiangmai at 7.50 a.m it is 2,000 bht more expensive than if I wait until 9.30 a.m.

[apetley]

Whilst not wishing to doubt the 'official' statistics personal experience says otherwise.

Kanchanaburi has been and still is almost devoid of tourists and friends who own a couple of very nice resorts along the River Kwai say trade is well down on previous years.

One of them in particular has done very well out of the Russians for a while and that market seems to have all but dried up for him.

Hopefully it will pick up but to say that it is as previously predicted, can't believe that.

[LuckyLew]

Was up in Korat and down on Phuket in the last two weeks

and both are very very quiet.

On a recent trip to Pratunam in BKK, I noticed a huge increase

in the number or travellers from Middle East, India and Pakistan.

Was very funny watching them try to get a bargain on crocodile

and stingray wallets, they were offering a 100 bath for croc.

wallets.

Just the high spending tourists Thailand wants

[johnwills]

We should make Thailand the comedy "hub" of S.E.Asia, these guys always make me laugh.

[grantbkk]

You can perhaps pull a few hundred tourists out of your butt, but millions? I don't think so. Just another puff press release in an attempt to shore up tourist and investor confidence. I live in Bangkok near the five-star hotels on the river. Almost all the rooms are dark every night except at State Tower where it appears that a conscious business decision has been made to turn on all the lights on the hotel floors.

It is all BS.