Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You

[webfact]

Tourism Council eying to raise target of arrivals after political tension eases

BANGKOK (NNT)-- The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is eyeing to adjust the number of tourists expected to visit Thaiand this year up by 5-10% after the political situation has eased while next year’s target is set at 15.5 million visitors with an estimated revenue of 600 billion THB.

TCT President Kongkrit Hiranyakit said the overall tourism situation this year had recovered promisingly as evident in the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand in June. He anticipated the number to rise by another 5-10% from a total of 14.1 million visitors last year.

The TCT will hold a meeting on 15 July to confer about the situation and revise the visitors’ figure which was earlier set at 13 million as a result of the prolonged street protest in the capital. However, the domestic situation has now returned to normal and other countries have already lifted travel warnings against Thailand.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said the number of foreign tourists is targeted at 15.5 million in 2011, or 9% higher than this year, with an estimated revenue of 600 billion THB. Meanwhile, domestic tourism will also expand by 3% next year with at least 91 million trips to be made by Thai tourists, generating around 432 billion THB to the industry.

The TAT will still emphasize on the campaign “Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You” next year while additional marketing plans will be made on spa and green tourism businesses.

-- NNT 2010-07-06

[Thai at Heart]

Amazing TAT always amaze with their stats.

As for “Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You” strewth. What a fag pack of an effort that one is.

[lonewolf99]

TAT's "Rose tinted" Crystal Ball is working over time again.

What political situation has eased ? Tell that to the families of the Thai soldiers killed down South.

Red Shirts are out of sight but not out of hearts and minds.

Why is that political propaganda slogan written in English but not Thai? "Together we can" Can what?

It would be easy to predict domestic Tourism in Europe. Because millions do not have the spare cash to come and be Amazed in Thailand.

Amazed - - Shock and stunned more like.

I only wish that TAT's prediction were to come true, if there is one thing Thailand needs soon, its a boom in Tourism.:jap:

Edited July 6, 2010 by lonewolf99

[givenall]

Amazing TAT always amaze with their stats.

As for "Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You" strewth. What a fag pack of an effort that one is.

Actually I do see a rise to the number of customers which are more than 95% tourists. It is still not the same as last year.

If I was a Red Shirt member I would pay a lot of attention to the amount of revenue from the Tourisms industry that I tried to destroy. It is substantial in excess of 400 billion THB even if the estimate is too high, and most of this ends up in their pocket.

[webfact]

Thailand's tourism sector begins to recover, says TAT chief

BANGKOK (TNA) -- Thailand's tourism sector has begun to recover with the number of foreign tourists set to increase to 15.5 million next year, earning the country around Bt600 billion in 2011, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which projected the domestic tourism sector to have 91 million trips with a revenue of Bt432 billion next year.

TAT Governor Suraphon Svetsreni said the agency met last week to work out the marketing plan for 2011 and sought opinions of the private sector on

the tourism situation.

The meeting concluded the foreign arrivals next year would reach 15.5 million, earning Bt600 billion, and the number of domestic trips would rise to 91 million, creating revenue of an estimated Bt432 billion.

Kongkrish Hirunyakit, chairman of the Federation of Tourism Industry of Thailand (FTIT), however, said, the number of foreign tourists targeted by TAT at 15.5 million is too small.

He projected the foreign arrivals would reach 16 million, earning the country at least Bt600 billion, on the assumption that Thailand's political situation is stable.

Mr Kongkrish said the number of foreign tourists began to increase in June as Asian tourists remain key targets because economies in the region began

to pick up.

“The federation raises its projection for the number of foreign tourists because it considers the political turmoil has eased. The number of Chinese tourists is likely to increase continuously since Beijing has lifted its warning against travel to Thailand.

“The federation will meet on July 15 to consider raising its projection on the figure officially,” he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-07-06

[Just1Voice]

Regardless of what TOT says, or maybe in spite of it, Insurance companies will not issue travel insurance to anyone traveling to a country that is under a State of Emergency. And while some governments may have eased their travel warnings, that hasn't necessarily alleviated the situation, and until those warnings are petty much downgraded to "normal", most tour operators won't even bother trying to book tours to Thailand, and will, instead, encourage their travelers to try other destinations. Such as Vietnam, Bali, Malaysia, Indonesia.

The one thing I find truly "Amazing" about Thailand is their ability to act as if absolutely nothing is wrong, everything is perfect, and everyone loves them. I live in Chiang Mai, and while I realize this is "low season", this is the lowest I've seen it in the last 3 years. I'd like to know where the 7.5 million tourists so far this year went, as most of the major hotels here are running at around 20% occupancy, which is very low, even for this time of year. When I go into town near the mall, I see twice as many tuk tuks sitting idle than I do on the street with customers, and most of those customers are Thai.

Yeah, it's "Amazing" all right.

[lonewolf99]

This link below takes you to the latest from the BBC.

It looks like Tourism Dept of Thailand are not aware of CRES.

A country still in a state of emergency.

http://news.bbc.co.u...ic/10518197.stm

:jap:

Edited July 6, 2010 by lonewolf99

[Thai at Heart]

Amazing TAT always amaze with their stats.

As for "Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You" strewth. What a fag pack of an effort that one is.

Actually I do see a rise to the number of customers which are more than 95% tourists. It is still not the same as last year.

If I was a Red Shirt member I would pay a lot of attention to the amount of revenue from the Tourisms industry that I tried to destroy. It is substantial in excess of 400 billion THB even if the estimate is too high, and most of this ends up in their pocket.

I don't mind that they make estimates, it is just that they have proven extremely inaccurate over the years, and despite all their protestations the numbers would probably suggest a medium term flattening out of arrival numbers, and it will be very interesting to see what happens next year. They will be extremely lucky to get 70% of the same volume of arrivals for the next 6 months as they did last year, and yet they want to paint a rosy picture. Why?

I think it is extremely likely with the state of the world economy that next year overall numbers will probably be equal to this, add in all the crap that has gone on I find it extremely likely that a drop will occur. To what level, no one knows. If the TAT wants to really wants to get everyone's attention about their worries about the future, there is little or no point continually putting out predicted increases when there is a very real possibility it won't happen.

As for the reds, yes it is true the industry supports a lot of low to medium wage earners and an awful lot of them are from red areas. That said, are we saying that if the mess hadn't happened, we would be looking at 20mn tourism arrivals next year, and the mess has cost Thailand 5mn arrivals? I don't think so.

[basjke]

Breaking News

My neighbour has just put his finger in a tub of water and after that into the wind and he predicts now tourist arrival of 18 Million people next year.

Please inform TAT that if they want to stay in the newsheadlines they will have to announce a higher number.

[batblaster]

600 billion THB , of course with the actual exchange rate they can have 10 million tourist and 800 billion THB. the baht is the strongest currency in the world at the moment, incredible...

[BlackJack]

Gov just announced the 3 month extension of the emergency rule.

NO insurance co will pay out for civil or riot events

go figure

[kuffki]

LMAO, thats most likely why one of the busiest bars in Pattaya just put up the price of their drinks.

[biscuitz]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha wot a load ov ;@=+%

[laocowboy2]

<BR>Amazing TAT always amaze with their stats.<BR><BR>As for "Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You"  strewth.  What a fag pack of an effort that one is.<BR>

<BR><BR>Targets are easy to set - the harder part is achieving them. Even without the troubles, Thailand would be set for a poor tourism year given the strength of the THB against the USD, GBP and now the EUR. Plus with economic recovery in Europe about as real as the tourism recovery in Thailand, many people will be dropping long distance/overseas holidays this year. Add in austerity, job losses and higher air fare taxes and it makes a jolly in Thailand look less and less affordable.<BR><BR>Where the trouble will have had the most damaging effect will have been with the high end Swiss tourists, the other Asian countries and the Middle East. Moreover many of the potential visitors will have already been to Thailand at least once before and will be ready to take a look at newer alternatives such as Vietnam.<BR><BR>I was in BKK last month (from Delhi) and very few people got off the Cathay flight in BKK (or on on the way back) and my colleagues here say that Thailand is now off their list. And during my 10 days in town I could see how empty places were.<BR>

[sedeflonga]

Who wants to believe that?

[AlanL1275]

Shouldn't that read Red Shirt Terrorist?

.

.

If I was a Red Shirt member I would pay a lot of attention to the amount of revenue from the Tourisms industry that I tried to destroy. It is substantial in excess of 400 billion THB even if the estimate is too high, and most of this ends up in their pocket.

Edited July 6, 2010 by AlanL1275

[happygirl]

Amazing TAT always amaze with their stats.

As for "Amazing Thailand Always Amazes You" strewth. What a fag pack of an effort that one is.

[ThePunPun]

As one who is directly involved in the hospitality industry, all I can say is this is just another political BJ If they want to be spin doctors, at least learn how to do it...... what a bunch of tripe Maybe they expect Thaksin and entourage to return and as they are now citizens of Montenegro , they will be coming in as tourists......ergo about 10 new tourists, ='s a jump in the tourism rate.

Edited July 6, 2010 by ThePunPun

[happygirl]

Don't know how they work that one out. Only this week I heard from a friend who regularly travels on a certain cruise ship,that one of the biggest cruise ship company's  has cancelled Thailand from its itinerary because of the un rest.

[cardinalblue]

TAT or whatever initials they wish they call themselves, they are nothing but a propaganda arm so of course they will report only positive or made-up numbers. Throw in a facing saving culture, and we will return to normal by the end of the third quarter...

Numbers generating in a country like this is pretty much worthless to offer any numerical legitimacy...

Better to count noses via observation....

CB

[atyclb]

on an international flight to suvanabum airport last week arriving at 10PM, the immigration stalls were empty til our arrival. I have never ever arrived to find my flights passengers are the sole entrants.

[asiawatcher]

If you do the maths (maths with an 's' for all you North Americans!) 600 billion divided by 15.5 million tourists - kinds leaves you gasping at how much TAT worked out they spend per capita?

[alant]

when i see posts like this i wonder what the number of tourists used to be, 7 or 8 years ago, or even 4 years ago when you went to Pattaya the place was packed, the bars doing good business buzzing all the time. not only Pattaya, Chiangmai night bazaar area was full in the evening, you had to push past people around the market stalls.<div>yes i have seen a small increase in the last month or so but from what to what and how many are needed to bring back the activity of old?</div>

[Thai at Heart]

If you do the maths (maths with an 's' for all you North Americans!) 600 billion divided by 15.5 million tourists - kinds leaves you gasping at how much TAT worked out they spend per capita?

don't worry about what they spend, they still haven't even realised that they double count all the visa runners yet.

[junglist]

If you do the maths (maths with an 's' for all you North Americans!) 600 billion divided by 15.5 million tourists - kinds leaves you gasping at how much TAT worked out they spend per capita?

don't worry about what they spend, they still haven't even realised that they double count all the visa runners yet.

nice....5555555

[puyaidon]

I just got back from Pattaya yesterday and asking and looking at the restaurants and some of the bars, they are asking, 'where are the tourists?' Most of what I saw in my travels were expats who lived there. Seeing ten waitresses and no patrons tells you something. Walk into a beer bar and you got mobbed. Don't know where they get the stats at but they better start looking before they start with the rumor of an increase in tourism. They must be sampling too much of something.

[Pib]

TAT propaganda is like real estate propaganda, in that silver linings are always found (fabricated) from even bad statistics and these silver linings are then hyped up.

[Jimi007]

on an international flight to suvanabum airport last week arriving at 10PM, the immigration stalls were empty til our arrival. I have never ever arrived to find my flights passengers are the sole entrants.

I agree. a very good friend that has lived in Thailand for many years arrived on an EVA flight from the USA to Taipei. He said the connecting flight from Taipei to BKK had maybe 50 people on it. I love these rosy projections that "The Tourism Authority of Thailand" comes up with. I guess they can't read english language news. We are on the verge of a double dip recession according to most. I went and looked at Nai Harn Beach Phuket yesterday and it was pretty deserted. But TAT has a big budget, they have to show something for all that money they waste, like a projection. Where did they get this projection? Did one of their staff go see a fortune teller lately?

[ricardofel]

SURE.......TAT.....keep the baht strong and that will certainly lure hoards of tourists to amazing Thailand.....and Thai Airways....keep your fares 2-3 times HIGHER than every other airline and they will certainly chose to fly TA!!!!!

[Thai at Heart]

on an international flight to suvanabum airport last week arriving at 10PM, the immigration stalls were empty til our arrival. I have never ever arrived to find my flights passengers are the sole entrants.

I agree. a very good friend that has lived in Thailand for many years arrived on an EVA flight from the USA to Taipei. He said the connecting flight from Taipei to BKK had maybe 50 people on it. I love these rosy projections that "The Tourism Authority of Thailand" comes up with. I guess they can't read english language news. We are on the verge of a double dip recession according to most. I went and looked at Nai Harn Beach Phuket yesterday and it was pretty deserted. But TAT has a big budget, they have to show something for all that money they waste, like a projection. Where did they get this projection? Did one of their staff go see a fortune teller lately?

Maybe they will think up a masterplan to fly people out of the country so they have to come back to boost the arrival numbers.