Thai Tourism Minister: "Floods Not Hurting Tourism"

[george]

"NO PROBLEMS"

Thai Tourism Minister Chumpol: Floods not hurting tourism

BANGKOK: -- The wide-spread flooding in many provinces is having no impact on the tourism sector for the moment, Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Slipa-archa said on Tuesday.

Mr Chumpol said he had discussed the situation with tour operators, who said foreign tourists normally travel by plane so were not affected. For example, the number of Japanese tourists visiting Thailand has not gone down.

The number of foreign tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi airport remained atthe normal level of between 37,000 and 39,000, he added.

The minister said he stood by the ministry’s projection that 19 million foreign tourists will visit Thailand this year.

-- Bangkok Post 2010-10-11

[jimbeam1]

How sensitive, at least they have their priorities right?

jb1

[bkkjames]

Always liked an optimistic tourism minister.

Next (two months) will come the obligatory 747 roadshow to all lands without television, internet and mobile phones to offer free tourist visas and proclaim that its ok to visit.

I wonder how forward bookings are looking in CM or even BKK for that matter.

So as long as the airports remain open we are fine then? Who need hotels, roads, infrastructure.

[webfact]

Thai tourism still unhurt by floods

BANGKOK, 11 October 2011 (NNT) – The Minister of Tourism and Sports said the current flooding situation has not affected Thailand's tourism yet. The International Horticultural Exposition Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011 will not be postponed, as a result.

Mr Chumpol Silpa-archa, Minister of Tourism and Sports, claimed that other countries had issued only low-level travel warnings about Thailand's flooding for their citizens while the number of incoming tourists remained normal. He added that officials still have to identify sizes of leisure travelers and business travelers entering Thailand.

The Minister admitted that some provinces have already been affected by the flood such as Ayutthaya, but tour operators still manage to take their customers to nearby provinces. Moreover, the minister is confident that flooding in Chiang Mai will not affect the upcoming International Horticultural Exposition Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011 which is to be held in November.

-- NNT 2011-10-11

[Gonzo the Face]

In my opinion the main requirement to be appointed a minister would be that you must be able to lie like hell, and must believe it.

An added benefit would be that of threatening to sue anyone who didn't say they believed you

Sad Sad

[EyesWideOpen]

This must come from bizarre Thai tourism play book. Like a knee jerk reaction, after every disaster the tourism dept comes out and says tourism will not be affected. With hundreds of people dead, and billions of baht lost, it seems a trifle insensitive to be talking about tourism numbers.......

[webfact]

Despite floods, 40,000 tourists arrive per day

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa said Tuesday that despite the floods, Suvarnabhumi Airport saw 40,000 tourist arrivals per day.

The government has expected to achieve the target of 19 million visitors this year, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-11

[laurentbkk]

whatever the government can say ....its impossible to check if its the truth or not ...... the house is burning but we have time to call the fire brigade .... and for tourists if the beaches are not affected ,then they will still arrive in here for sure ...

[animatic]

In my opinion the main requirement to be appointed a minister would be that you must be able to lie like hell, and must believe it.

An added benefit would be that of threatening to sue anyone who didn't say they believed you

Sad Sad

Or have you daddy, slippery snake, back the winning horse at the last moment, yet again, and keep you in the job.

[SomchaiCNX]

B.S. they should look at the travelling advises some Embassies have on their site.

[richard10365]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

[robblok]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

They are critical about the lies he is selling. Look this is Thailand they cant say anything bad about their country unless they really cant deny it. Its normal behavior of ministers. If they air bad news then they will catch flack.

But even a child can see this will affect tourism.

[richard10365]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

They are critical about the lies he is selling. Look this is Thailand they cant say anything bad about their country unless they really cant deny it. Its normal behavior of ministers. If they air bad news then they will catch flack.

But even a child can see this will affect tourism.

How do you know how many people are arriving in Thailand? Did immigration call you to report the arrivals? I doubt it. However, I bet the Ministry of Tourism does have access to this information. You guys are making assumptions and have no idea what you are talking about. You just assume no one will want to come to Thailand. Yes...it can have an effect on tourism but it is having no effect on the industry as a whole. People are still arriving as normal. They might change their plans. Instead of Bangkok this week they go to Chiang Mai and last week instead of Chiang Mai they went to Phuket. Who knows? The only fact is what is recorded in tourist arrivals in Thailand.

There is already a flood. It's bad news already. Who do you think would give them flack for saying tourism is down? There is no reason for the minister to be afraid to tell the truth.

[Foggy Bottom]

...snip...,

... the minister is confident that flooding in Chiang Mai will not affect the upcoming International Horticultural Exposition Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011 which is to be held in November.

This may be an undeniable truth in his statement - the Ratchapreuk site is sufficiently far from the flood areas of Chiang Mai (both in terms of horizontal and vertical distance) and is on the foothills of the mountains, that even my four year old could predict the floods IN Chiang Mai would not affect it. In all honesty, he might as well have said that the floods in Chiang Mai city would not affect Wat Prathet Doi Suthep.

[bkkjames]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

They are critical about the lies he is selling. Look this is Thailand they cant say anything bad about their country unless they really cant deny it. Its normal behavior of ministers. If they air bad news then they will catch flack.

But even a child can see this will affect tourism.

How do you know how many people are arriving in Thailand? Did immigration call you to report the arrivals? I doubt it. However, I bet the Ministry of Tourism does have access to this information. You guys are making assumptions and have no idea what you are talking about. You just assume no one will want to come to Thailand. Yes...it can have an effect on tourism but it is having no effect on the industry as a whole. People are still arriving as normal. They might change their plans. Instead of Bangkok this week they go to Chiang Mai and last week instead of Chiang Mai they went to Phuket. Who knows? The only fact is what is recorded in tourist arrivals in Thailand.

There is already a flood. It's bad news already. Who do you think would give them flack for saying tourism is down? There is no reason for the minister to be afraid to tell the truth.

LOL. Anyways Richard, let's wait for a few people connected to the hotel industry here to say what they think about the near to medium term for bookings. I am still trying to come to grips with the 19 million statement in the original newspaper clipping.

[robblok]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

They are critical about the lies he is selling. Look this is Thailand they cant say anything bad about their country unless they really cant deny it. Its normal behavior of ministers. If they air bad news then they will catch flack.

But even a child can see this will affect tourism.

How do you know how many people are arriving in Thailand? Did immigration call you to report the arrivals? I doubt it. However, I bet the Ministry of Tourism does have access to this information. You guys are making assumptions and have no idea what you are talking about. You just assume no one will want to come to Thailand. Yes...it can have an effect on tourism but it is having no effect on the industry as a whole. People are still arriving as normal. They might change their plans. Instead of Bangkok this week they go to Chiang Mai and last week instead of Chiang Mai they went to Phuket. Who knows? The only fact is what is recorded in tourist arrivals in Thailand.

There is already a flood. It's bad news already. Who do you think would give them flack for saying tourism is down? There is no reason for the minister to be afraid to tell the truth.

Yes the minister has access to this information, but you are thinking he is telling the truth. Just like last time hotels were empty but tourist arrivals were up. He got something to win by lying. I don't. I had several friends cancelling their trips. Others still come because they could not change their ticket.

My gf works in tourism all her work is cancelled. So i guess its fair to say it will affect tourism. You got a hotel or a stake in tourism, then its in your best interest to act like there are no problems.

Kinda like the statement from the other government officials that the escaped crocodiles are harmless

I dont believe everything they say here.

[terminatorchiangmai]

What a joke Off course tourism is hurt by the floods.

[bkkjames]

Thai tourism still unhurt by floods BANGKOK, 11 October 2011 (NNT) – The Minister of Tourism and Sports said the current flooding situation has not affected Thailand's tourism yet. The International Horticultural Exposition Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011 will not be postponed, as a result.

Mr Chumpol Silpa-archa, Minister of Tourism and Sports, claimed that other countries had issued only low-level travel warnings about Thailand's flooding for their citizens while the number of incoming tourists remained normal. He added that officials still have to identify sizes of leisure travelers and business travelers entering Thailand.

The Minister admitted that some provinces have already been affected by the flood such as Ayutthaya, but tour operators still manage to take their customers to nearby provinces. Moreover, the minister is confident that flooding in Chiang Mai will not affect the upcoming International Horticultural Exposition Royal Floral Ratchaphruek 2011 which is to be held in November.

News ID: 255410110004

Reporter : Boonyanut Chompan

News Date : 11 October 2011

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255410110002

[bigbamboo]

I think we should all be congratulating Yingluck and her government on producing such a wonderful set of figures under such difficult circumstances with the flooding and the world recession. Obviously the Miracle Thailand budget has been well spent.

[WhizBang]

<br />B.S.  they should look at the travelling advises some Embassies  have on their site.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Not to mention the attention the floods are getting in the international media.

My mother emailed me this morning concerned Bangkok was underwater.

So yeah, this will not effect tourism... in a pigs eye.

[kevc]

Most people on here are forgetting that Thailand consists of Bangkok and Bangkok...we're not talking about other countries such as Ayutthaya or Pichit.

[Mosha]

Oh ye of little faith. Don't you realise another high season is just round the corner? The traditional increase in Baht's strength at that time and the hotels can increase the room prices on already overbooked rooms.

[kamakashi]

Doesn't Thailand relize whats going on in their own country? The people of Thailand look up to their superiors. Why doesn't their superiors tell the people of Thailand to start helping each other. I strongly feel that if Thailand were to issue a nation wide emergency then the people of Thailand would help each other more. Tell them to take a 2-3 day holiday to help those who are in need. This announcement will reach the news all over the world. Many tourists will flood into Thailand to lend a hand. Thailand needs to show how much they love their country. I love this qoute " Pride is the Root of all Evil." If you really want to reach that special 19 million number then show the world what makes Thailand a great nation. This is a great opportunity for Thailand to change. I also think that if they notified the northern areas of Thailand to hold the water and endure the floods. Bangkok wouldn't be in the state it's in right now. The military in Thailand and the Thai people in the north can evacuate and relocate to other areas while their hometowns are flooded. It's a lot cheaper to let the northern area flood rather than Bangkok. It's also a lot easier to fix.

[Samuian]

Despite floods, 40,000 tourists arrive per day

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa said Tuesday that despite the floods, Suvarnabhumi Airport saw 40,000 tourist arrivals per day.

The government has expected to achieve the target of 19 million visitors this year, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-10-11

that's ~ 1.2 Mill. a month, wonder if they are all dwarfs or invisible ones... seems to me like Russel's teapot orbiting between mars 'n earth, so small no one has seen it yet!

[warfie]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

They are critical about the lies he is selling. Look this is Thailand they cant say anything bad about their country unless they really cant deny it. Its normal behavior of ministers. If they air bad news then they will catch flack.

But even a child can see this will affect tourism.

How do you know how many people are arriving in Thailand? Did immigration call you to report the arrivals? I doubt it. However, I bet the Ministry of Tourism does have access to this information. You guys are making assumptions and have no idea what you are talking about. You just assume no one will want to come to Thailand. Yes...it can have an effect on tourism but it is having no effect on the industry as a whole. People are still arriving as normal. They might change their plans. Instead of Bangkok this week they go to Chiang Mai and last week instead of Chiang Mai they went to Phuket. Who knows? The only fact is what is recorded in tourist arrivals in Thailand.

There is already a flood. It's bad news already. Who do you think would give them flack for saying tourism is down? There is no reason for the minister to be afraid to tell the truth.

LOL. Anyways Richard, let's wait for a few people connected to the hotel industry here to say what they think about the near to medium term for bookings. I am still trying to come to grips with the 19 million statement in the original newspaper clipping.

The next (potential) booking we have is December 29... I think that says it all.

[kmj]

<quote>

I hope the rains keep pouring down.. and wash away all the shit...!

</quote>

One can only hope... 555

but I don't see bookings down from before the floods as they were already down.

[bigbamboo]

I'm not sure why you guys are so critical. It's a valid concern just as much as anything else. If you own hotels or are part of the industry you will want to know the situation so you can plan your business appropriately. The world doesn't stop just because of a disaster. Life goes on. There are other people who are in charge of taking care of the disaster and it's not the Minister of Tourism. He is just responding to the question of the state of affairs in this industry.

Also, it's possible to check if this is true or not. Immigration has number of the number of people entering and leaving the country. Hotels provide information on how many foreigners are using their hotels. If anything, numbers should increase with all the displaced people needing a place to stay.

I never can understand why people who say they love Thailand so much jump at any opportunity to put down anything the Thai government or their citizens are doing. If you don't like it so much there are other countries you can move to. However, chances are, you will complain about those countries as well.

Richard, some of us have been here a very long time and have wives and children who are Thai, not easy to uproot them and move to another land. . So , pray tell me where should I take my lovely Thai wife and my beautiful half Thai childrens... ? you are an absolute idiot. why are we so critical, Just look at who the brain-dead Thai people voted in to lead this country.. and I can tell you without doubt, the present situation in Thailand is affecting tourism as I am in the tourist business.. I hope the rains keep pouring down.. and wash away all the shit...!

Richard, it seems to me that all Bakseedaa is asking for is a bit of honesty. Most of us who live here do so because love the country and many of us have wives and families and interests here. There is nothing to be gained by spinning tangled webs of deceit.

[Arkady]

The typical Asian approach of giving good news which flies in the face of all known facts and then disappearing from view or blaming some one else when it turned out to be bare faced lie. It Thailand it is particularly bad because puu yai are used to get away with lying in public without contradiction from grovelling underlings and journalists to the extent that many may even begin to believe their own BS.

Things might recover quickly, once the waters recede, but there is no way on earth that the floods won't result in a lot of cancellations. Making mendacious "all blue skies" statements like this doesn't help anyone. It just reinforces the feeling that Thai politicians are a waste of space.

[arfamo73]

Most people on here are forgetting that Thailand consists of Bangkok and Bangkok...we're not talking about other countries such as Ayutthaya or Pichit.

Bet you didn't study geography or perhaps you are student of Sarah Palin!

[bangkockney]

I think you'll find external pressures are much more significant than the floods.