Thailand Tourist Arrivals Up Over 13 Percent.

[Thai at Heart]

If these numbers do correlate with immigration, it really does beg the question where have all the tourists gone?

They aren't on the beach, they aren't in the mountains, they don't appear to taking one day trips to Bangkok. Or are we to believe that the TAT is compelling immigration to jig the numbers? Sounds improbable to me, so in which case, what all these apparently non-existant visitors doing?

Is TAT importing people just to drive them back and forth across the border in Nongkhai or down South?

[asiawatcher]

Like all figures, they are easily manipulated and TAT is a master at manipulation and lies. And have been for years. Look at the former Governor Siriwan. Still at large after creaming off 1.6+M USD for her daughter and herself and a politician. The fish always stinks from the head down. Numbers are just a away of justifying to parliament the 'budget' they will receive and then the numbers determine how much they can skim. Bullshitting the public tourism is up? More PR from the Govt and its representatives when it is so far from the truth it would put Pinnocio's nose to shame. A bunch of pencil neck public servants trying to protect their jobs.

[Kron]

Well I certainly agree that these numbers do not reflect what you see on the ground.

A lovely beach near me a Thai family has started to build a resort (Thai style). I am sure they are inspired when they read the TAT stats. But they seem not to notice that the only other resort on the beach is all deserted having closed down through lack of business.

A bit off topic but what more concerns me here is that with the lack of planning control the beach is starting to lose it looks, certainly where the derelict resort is. The new builders have chopped down loads of coconut trees and placed 100’s of lorries of hardcore. Certainly most unsightly at the moment.

[mrtoad]

Interesting what Henry said as well about Phuket, which is the so called Jewel in the Crown for TAT. The last four flights that I have done this year - Singapore and KL, there have been no problems getting last minute seats. On two of the flights, I was the only person sitting in Business class. The other flights have been half full, other than one flight on a Friday evening - Singapore - Bangkok, which was relatively full.

Domestic flights, Bangkok to Trat, I think I have seen no more that 6 people on that flight on the last two times I have flown that route.

Speaking to friends in Bangkok - both in Hotel and Bar/Restaurant industry they are all saying the same - figures are well, well down on the same period last year.

I think it would actually do better for Government to actually be honest about the figures, as it may highlight to the morons that are accountable for a lot of the drop in numbers "Red/Yellow Shits", what they have achieved. It may make them think about going back out again to protest as well, as it is probably the average Somchai and Somporn that are getting hurt by this downturn.

[mrtoad]

Like all figures, they are easily manipulated and TAT is a master at manipulation and lies. And have been for years. Look at the former Governor Siriwan. Still at large after creaming off 1.6+M USD for her daughter and herself and a politician. The fish always stinks from the head down. Numbers are just a away of justifying to parliament the 'budget' they will receive and then the numbers determine how much they can skim. Bullshitting the public tourism is up? More PR from the Govt and its representatives when it is so far from the truth it would put Pinnocio's nose to shame. A bunch of pencil neck public servants trying to protect their jobs.

Siriwan, isn't that the criminal that denied actually being the Governor of Tat??

[maswov]

Remember the increase is over last years numbers so even though it is an impressive number tourism is still low. So yes, Sukhumvit vendors say business is bad, Chaing Mai is empty and Walking Street is quiet.

[Tanlic]

Bad is an understatement. You woud think the least affected would be the bars as it takes a lot to keep the type of tourists they attract away. No offence to meant to anyone.

I have a few friends who are owners. One in a well known and very popular bar is down 32% on last year and another in a small bar is down a massive 70% .

As someone mentioned you can do anything with figures. That 13% is about the equivilant of reducing someones 70% loss to about just under 60% if they get their fair share of the extra bodies arriving.

Nice to know more people are arriving but there' along way to go before the damage they have done to their own country is repaired.

Would take very little to knock any recovery on the head so hopefully they reaslise that and just let things slide until a peaceful resolution can be found.

[henryalleman]

Bad is an understatement. You woud think the least affected would be the bars as it takes a lot to keep the type of tourists they attract away. No offence to meant to anyone.

I have a few friends who are owners. One in a well known and very popular bar is down 32% on last year and another in a small bar is down a massive 70% .

As someone mentioned you can do anything with figures. That 13% is about the equivilant of reducing someones 70% loss to about just under 60% if they get their fair share of the extra bodies arriving.

Nice to know more people are arriving but there' along way to go before the damage they have done to their own country is repaired.

Would take very little to knock any recovery on the head so hopefully they reaslise that and just let things slide until a peaceful resolution can be found.

My experience exactly, In Phuket, Au Nang(Krabi) en last night (Saturday) in Hua-Hin I saw bars and nightclubs packed with Bargirls but hardly any customer except a few pool players.

[mommysboy]

I travel extensively in Laos and Cambodia. Over the last few months those places are full of tourists, while things here seem pretty slow........

Well they must have been hiding when I visited Laos recently as Chiang Mai was not great, but much busier than Vientiane.

My buddy who owns a successful business there must be lying to make me feel sorry for him as all he does is complain. I wonder how he kept the streets and his shop so empty for a whole week.

It's simply amazing how diverse opinions are on Thai Visa, almost a real life parallel universe.

Awesome!!

[mommysboy]

Well I certainly agree that these numbers do not reflect what you see on the ground.

A lovely beach near me a Thai family has started to build a resort (Thai style). I am sure they are inspired when they read the TAT stats. But they seem not to notice that the only other resort on the beach is all deserted having closed down through lack of business.

A bit off topic but what more concerns me here is that with the lack of planning control the beach is starting to lose it looks, certainly where the derelict resort is. The new builders have chopped down loads of coconut trees and placed 100's of lorries of hardcore. Certainly most unsightly at the moment.

"Well I certainly agree that these numbers do not reflect what you see on the ground."

In fact we might extend this to the whole Thai miracle growth IMHO.

[mrtoad]

I travel extensively in Laos and Cambodia. Over the last few months those places are full of tourists, while things here seem pretty slow........

Well they must have been hiding when I visited Laos recently as Chiang Mai was not great, but much busier than Vientiane.

My buddy who owns a successful business there must be lying to make me feel sorry for him as all he does is complain. I wonder how he kept the streets and his shop so empty for a whole week.

It's simply amazing how diverse opinions are on Thai Visa, almost a real life parallel universe.

Awesome!!

When you view it from saffron tinted glasses it's so much better.

[naboo]

i'm not sure about other areas, but everywhere i go in cm there are tourists EVERYWHERE.   2 friends with guest houses, their guest houses are never less than 80% capacity.  every morning somphet is FULL of people doing cooking classes and the like.

You must live in a very different Chiang Mai to me!

[mrtoad]

i'm not sure about other areas, but everywhere i go in cm there are tourists EVERYWHERE.   2 friends with guest houses, their guest houses are never less than 80% capacity.  every morning somphet is FULL of people doing cooking classes and the like.

You must live in a very different Chiang Mai to me!

There are glasses that are available - only in saffron though . I have not spoken to anybody yet in the hospitality industry that isn't hurting.

[lee68]

Well i dont know were they all are.not to many here in chaing mai.my next door neighbour is food and beverage manager for one of the 5 star hotels and they had a handfull of people there this week.septembers usualy quiet anyway.

Edited September 26, 2010 by lee68

[elcent]

Now this is a real record. Not in Thailand but Bulgaria. The Beaches and Hotels were jammed this summer.

[naboo]

 

My idea of hel_l.

[tijnebijn]

The other day i walked from Siam square to Pratunam which used to be full of tourists.I counted about 7 farangs and a small group of clueless looking Taiwanese on the 15 minute walk. Alot of thai staff dont want to work in the big hotels because theyre full of indians and iranians on cheap TAT sponsored tours.They want massage and the LOT for a few hundred baht. Thailand is too expensive (airfares) and farangs are sick of being treated like dirt.Theyre going elsewhere. Kao-san road for backpackers was virtually deserted a while back.Guest house?800 baht a night.Crazy thailand

In my first days of travelling here in '99 the rooms at Kao San were apprx 300 baht ,

in Chiangmai as cheap as 80 , normal rooms 200 or so , 800 seems to be a too large an amount

for the basic rooms given , guess backpacking in thailand now ould be the same price as 3 star 10 or so years ago , not good for tourism and the thing that made Thailand so attractive , but what we can do about it ? .....silence .

[tijnebijn]

In Chiangmai I do see a lot more Middle Eastern tourists , Malays , Indians and Eastern Europe looking and Africans ( but still not much ) walking everyday past my wifes place .

Europeans are still there but lot less , but thats the same story since the coup came really , most you see are farang residents hanging around the same places .

While driving by the 'Nightbizarre 'it is mostly quite for some time , but still much better then the time of the protests , that killed all the local spending , there was no business but very few when lucky . The mix of tourists is looking awkward and not very much willing to spend .But money does move around better I guess , my wife is going up significantly but no great .

But me guess those buses full of Chinese who spend nothing do make the numbers up but have no real spending power , Thailand a the moment is in fiction imho , only lookie lookie tourists , as us expats

Edited September 26, 2010 by tijnebijn

[tartempion]

Number of tourist might be up later this year.

I checked my flights availability out of Thailand tomorrow and still many seats available in all fare classes, but many classes sold out already on my return 28 October.

[SamritT]

I believe there are many posters in here that say " More bomb, more arrives". This is just a pure coincidental statistics. I don't think there are related. Just pure coincident.

[dumball]

tartempion' timestamp='1285540123' post='3910534']

Number of tourist might be up later this year.

I checked my flights availability out of Thailand tomorrow and still many seats available in all fare classes, but many classes sold out already on my return 28 October.

You gave all kinds of reasons why "I am out of here tomorrow " , made it sound like you were going for good , what you are actually doing is going on a 'Re-civilisation ' course to get your head back in gear ready for the onslaught on your return , looks good on you and I hope it is successfull .