Foreign Arrivals Expected To Reach 16 Million This Year

[george]

Foreign arrivals expected to reach 16 million this year

BANGKOK: -- The number of foreign tourists this year is expected to reach 16 million as targeted if there are no serious political disturbances nor epidemics, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Speaking on the first day of assuming the TAT governorship, Governor Surapon Sawetseeranee said he would attempt to increase the number of foreign arrivals to the target set by Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa.

“Unless there is political chaos or epidemics, the number of foreign tourists will edge up to 15-15.5 million against the target number of 14 million,” he said.

For local tourism, the target number of local tourists is expected to reach 90 million with combined revenues of Bt430 billion this year.

He said strategies to attract foreign tourists are to expand, maintain, and retrieve the 3 groups of markets including ASEAN, Oceania (Australia-New Zealand and the Pacific) and China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Canada where there are several million targeted foreign tourists.

The TAT chief added that the New Year celebrations this year were more joyful than those of last year, which could help boost tourism.

The New Year celebrations generated incomes of at least Bt3.2 billion. Of this, Bt1.1 billion came from foreign tourists and Bt2.1 billion baht from domestic tourists.

Thailand’s most favoured destinations are major provinces including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phuket, Songkla, Samui and Pattaya.

-- TNA 2010-01-05

[Thai at Heart]

Foreign arrivals expected to reach 16 million this year

“Unless there is political chaos or epidemics, the number of foreign tourists will edge up to 15-15.5 million against the target number of 14 million,” he said.

Christ they can even start to reduce their targets in mid interview these days. Whats a million between friends heh? Didn't anyone explain that rounding up should only apply for true decimals, rounding 15,500,000 to 16,000,000 is not how it is meant to be used.

I hope the finance ministry doesn't use this type of maths.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[Ricardo]

I hope the finance ministry doesn't use this type of maths.

The Finance Ministry uses maths ? Must be creative-math for dreamy-beginners !

Havinf said which, I personally doubt that the world/Thai-economy will bounce back fast enough, to deliver on these wishful figures, so don't bet the farm on their coming true !

[moskito]

Foreign arrivals expected to reach 16 million this year

1. Do they count all the VISA runners in too?

2. Is every Thai who is using a bus from one city to another a tourist?

TAT is lying in their own pockets like usual. Phuket, for example, was never empty until one week befor christmas since the 90s

[dom samui]

They certainly made a mistake.....must be 160 millions....

[rheinwiese]

yep, the good old crystal ball prediction

[SM7WGP]

They must be blind fold, in Chiangmai its very easy to count the tourists .

They are not many and huge Hotels are total empty , and still the idiots are building more giant hotel complex.

This can only be so in Thailand.

[moo9]

Who does not believe in Santa Claus?

Only increase could come from China, Middle East, India...other regions will turn every earned coin before deciding to go on vacation. Furthermore Thailand is destroying the charme and atmosphere of many popular destination by trying to develop "World Class Tourism" and creating Cote D'Azurs where ever it is possible. That's simply not what the Western tourists are expecting of Thailand.

[timekeeper]

They must be blind fold, in Chiangmai its very easy to count the tourists .

They are not many and huge Hotels are total empty , and still the idiots are building more giant hotel complex.

This can only be so in Thailand.

and who would want to visit RED Central HQ in the current political climate?

[salty]

They have been told a million times not to exaggarate.

[Portlandstone]

Just wondering, when they say these figures does it mean for example, sixteen million unique people, or does it mean sixteen million entries (i.e. really could be around five million but many go in/out two or three times a year)? Edit: also do they count things like flight crews, traders and workers who only come in and go back out, not out sightseeing and likely not out dumping a lot of personal money into the country. Even at the airports their numbers are large. If you look at the land borders such as with Poipet, those workers seem to make the majority of entries/exits, outnumbering tourists.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Portlandstone

[hhgz]

"I hope the finance ministry doesn't use this type of maths."

Plural or not, math is not a governmental strength. Early last year, the government predicted that a million MORE people would be unemployed, due to the financial crisis. A couple weeks after that, the government corrected itself - a TOTAL of a million people would be unemployed. They were wrong on both counts. With all of the strife and havoc, Thailand's unemployment is a tad over 1%, significantly better than most other countries.

[livinthailandos]

people lets remember this is thailand, practically all thai government agencies look through crystal balls, seriously can't expect actual news reporting or any statics of any kind here especially with the thai government's giant imagination and fantasy land these people live in

[slapout]

The 1% unemployment rate bandied around over the past few years is mind boggling. CM must have the highest number of motorcycle taxis/couriers or whatever to account for the motorcycle traffic during working hours. Guess their family, friends, enemies, etc travel with them during their work as most have multiple riders. Many cities of the world have relative minor traffic in the business district during working hours. If you can believe numbers thrown out, there are 3 to 4 million men residing in temples through out Thailand. Wonder where they fit in, in the grand count?

[Thailand]

And in another report we are told the government are spending 7.5 million US dollars on providing the army with additional riot shields and rubber bullets etc.

That's an encouraging sign for tourism-not.

[hunglikea]

"I hope the finance ministry doesn't use this type of maths."

Plural or not, math is not a governmental strength. Early last year, the government predicted that a million MORE people would be unemployed, due to the financial crisis. A couple weeks after that, the government corrected itself - a TOTAL of a million people would be unemployed. They were wrong on both counts. With all of the strife and havoc, Thailand's unemployment is a tad over 1%, significantly better than most other countries.

Mathematics - Math's. Original English version. Not plural just a hyphenation.

Mathematics - math. American version of English I believe.

Both the same anyway.

[LaoPo]

Foreign arrivals expected to reach 16 million this year

LaoPo

[mca]

Foreign arrivals expected to reach 16 million this year

When the Cambodian army invades.

[basjke]

They were wrong on both counts. With all of the strife and havoc, Thailand's unemployment is a tad over 1%, significantly better than most other countries.

And how do they reach that number?There are no social benefits for unemployed ao they don't register themselves when they lose their job.

There is second to none social security so most of the employed people are not registered also.

So how do they get their figure.Maybe another of those Abac polls who interview 23 people nationwide and base their conclusions on that result?

[Thai at Heart]

"I hope the finance ministry doesn't use this type of maths."

Plural or not, math is not a governmental strength. Early last year, the government predicted that a million MORE people would be unemployed, due to the financial crisis. A couple weeks after that, the government corrected itself - a TOTAL of a million people would be unemployed. They were wrong on both counts. With all of the strife and havoc, Thailand's unemployment is a tad over 1%, significantly better than most other countries.

Mathematics - Math's. Original English version. Not plural just a hyphenation.

Mathematics - math. American version of English I believe.

Both the same anyway.

No apostrophe needed.

Maths in the UK, Math in the US.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/maths

Now as for colour, well, we will have to agree to disagree. But then what did ever happen to aluminIum as it crossed the Atlantic.

Now as a far more important measurement, 1% unemployment in the Thai definition of unemployment seems very nice. Do you honestly believe it as a figure in comparison with say the US which has 9%?

[Steve2UK]

and who would want to visit RED Central HQ in the current political climate?

Simple question: have you ever even set foot in Chiang Mai?

[mahtin]

Thailand’s most favoured destinations are major provinces including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phuket, Songkla, Samui and Pattaya./quote

... provinces?

[Brunus]

Hopefully they won't decide to shorten the length of stay on visas (in order to have more frequent visa runs) just to reach their target.

[animatic]

Arrivals means a farang crosses a border into Thailand.

I do that a minimum of 4 times a year.

Since can be reasonably assuming most all other resident farangs do the same

That certainly makes a big dent in their 16 million arrivals.

1 million farangs 4 million entries, Ok folks, 12 mil left.

Some folks go and come back, enter Laos, come back, two stamps,

go to Angkor Wat; two entries. Adds up...

but heck let's not mess with their maths!

[surangw]

And in another report we are told the government are spending 7.5 million US dollars on providing the army with additional riot shields and rubber bullets etc.

good idea till some some gov pooba figures out its cheeper to use real bullets

[Colabamumbai]

They must be blind fold, in Chiangmai its very easy to count the tourists .

They are not many and huge Hotels are total empty , and still the idiots are building more giant hotel complex.

This can only be so in Thailand.

The Chinese who build these hotels have to hid their money somewhere.

[LaoPo]

Arrivals means a farang crosses a border into Thailand.

I do that a minimum of 4 times a year.

Since can be reasonably assuming most all other resident farangs do the same

That certainly makes a big dent in their 16 million arrivals.

1 million farangs 4 million entries, Ok folks, 12 mil left.

Some folks go and come back, enter Laos, come back, two stamps,

go to Angkor Wat; two entries. Adds up...

but heck let's not mess with their maths!

Hear Hear....

But you're forgetting about visitors LIVING (mostly native citizens) in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Burma (minor) but Malaysia alone is "good" for 1,5 million visitors -called tourists- by the TAT.

Are those 1,5 million single entry visitors/tourists...?

I doubt it.

Same-same for the other countries.

It adds up

LaoPo

[ding]

The number of people in hotel rooms at specific intervals, including key holiday periods, is a better measure.

As for unemployment... figures lie.

The10% unemployment rate in the US is actually 18%.

There are chronic unemployed who drop off the count because they are not getting unemployment benefits.

There are people with degrees competing for McDonadls jobs. There are ILLEGAL hispanics on the sidewalks waving for jobs outside Home Depot - like HomePro. And if you say it's wrong for authorities to ignore that, you are a heritic. Don't look for the US to come to its senses folks.

Therefore, don't expect many of us to come 3-4 times a year anymore. We didn't go last year and this year looks the same. Many of us are working 10-20 hours a week and not counted as unemployed. But that doesn't buy a plane ticket, which has more that doubled in price now as well.

Edited January 5, 2010 by ding

[dumball]

Your plane ticket cost has almost doubled since last year ? I just enquired about a flight to Canada and it has gone DOWN since my flight last year , by $300.00 us on Cathay Pacific .

[dumball]

Sorry , you said MORE THAN DOUBLED , ouch , that would tend to deter me also , not to encourage rampant rip off .