Despite Floods, Thailand Poised For Tourism Record

[terminatorchiangmai]

Nope, it is not fiction. Don't forget that Phuket is Thailand's 2nd biggest tourist destination and in comparison to last year, the number of visitors is way up. Occupancies at the mid to upper end hotels were robust. This is due in large part to the increased number of direct flights from Australia, Asia and Russia that brought in additional package groups. Indian visitors also surged this year. Toss in the Koh Samui and surrounding regions and the tourist trade had a vibrant lifeline. Nor should one lose sight of Chiang Mai another pillar of the tourist trade. It has a loyal and steady tourist base that appreciates the region. As for Pattaya, well the city would have to be under a massive zombie attack before its visitors paid attention.

Yes the Bangkok floods hurt, but tourists don't want to hang around Bangkok for more than a couple days. Many of the betterorganized tour operators changed their itineraries around and moved the tourists to other venues. In any case, BKK operated, and aside from a few weeks, the popular tourist areas of BKK were ok.

I know that many will disagree, but the only real historical dent to the tourist trade came when the airports were occupied. Even at the height of the Bangkok Redshirt protests, key tourist areas in Chiang Mai and Phuket were humming along. Yes, many people were hit hard by the floods, but those areas doon't hold the big tourist draws, which remain, beaches, sun and golf courses. I predict that the December 2011 tourist numbers are going to surge.

Don't believe me? Check out the room availabilities on Phuket and Samui.

Got to agree with you on this one. Here in Chiang Mai there is a lot of tourists. I can't remember seeing this many.

The manager of the hotel I am in told me that in December they had a few days where they were booked up completely. As it is now there is a lot more people than usual here.

Of course part of them are people fleeing Bangkok. But not the ones booked for later in the month are fleeing Bangkok.

Actually a lot of people here talking to hear them selves talk. They have absolutely not one bit of information other than there own observations and what they see is through eyes that want to see negativity.

Does no good to give them information they have a cousin who has a friend that has a cousin that said there are no tourists coming and he knows because one of the offices he cleans is a travel agent.

We will never have the whole story but we can be assured that the Government is overstating the figures and the TV posters are clueless and content to be that way.

Don't know where you have seen tourist ?

For me Chiang Mai looks like a gost town again.

Maybe after the 15th it will be busy again.

Edited December 6, 2011 by terminatorchiangmai

[kimamey]

Nope, it is not fiction. Don't forget that Phuket is Thailand's 2nd biggest tourist destination and in comparison to last year, the number of visitors is way up. Occupancies at the mid to upper end hotels were robust. This is due in large part to the increased number of direct flights from Australia, Asia and Russia that brought in additional package groups. Indian visitors also surged this year. Toss in the Koh Samui and surrounding regions and the tourist trade had a vibrant lifeline. Nor should one lose sight of Chiang Mai another pillar of the tourist trade. It has a loyal and steady tourist base that appreciates the region. As for Pattaya, well the city would have to be under a massive zombie attack before its visitors paid attention.

Yes the Bangkok floods hurt, but tourists don't want to hang around Bangkok for more than a couple days. Many of the betterorganized tour operators changed their itineraries around and moved the tourists to other venues. In any case, BKK operated, and aside from a few weeks, the popular tourist areas of BKK were ok.

I know that many will disagree, but the only real historical dent to the tourist trade came when the airports were occupied. Even at the height of the Bangkok Redshirt protests, key tourist areas in Chiang Mai and Phuket were humming along. Yes, many people were hit hard by the floods, but those areas doon't hold the big tourist draws, which remain, beaches, sun and golf courses. I predict that the December 2011 tourist numbers are going to surge.

Don't believe me? Check out the room availabilities on Phuket and Samui.

I don't usually agree with you but this kind of makes some sense.

[kimamey]

715,000 'tourists' from Laos.

The fact they have 'England' and not the 'UK' is enough to disregard those statistics posted above as nonsense IMO.

It depends who gave the figures. In my experience Thais have no idea what United Kingdom or UK mean.

I was stopped at a police check point and the cop asked where I was from and I said United Kingdom which seemed to confuse him. My gf said tell him England because when he hears United he thinks you're going to say United States.

When we stopped off at a restaurant on the way to Amphawa (probably at Mueang Samut Songkhram) I saw a poster with flags of the world. The Uk flag was listed as England.

On a website for a dental clinic in Bangkok there were testimonials from satisfied patients. These were done in sections by country. A few Scots had shown impressive restraint by posting theirs in the England section.

Basically if these figures come from a Thai source then they probably think the UK is England.

This misconception may be common in Asian countries.

I took my gf on holiday with my family to Scotland last year so she at least knows different. Next year I'll be educating her daughter as well.

[Ricardo]

Since we have limited information on how the figures are calculated how can you be sure that the same criteria are being used.

TAT have a vested interest in reporting increasing numbers to justify an increase in budget and any potential rewards in meeting targets.

Agreed !

Business is bad, TAT need more money, to try to win back the tourists !

Business is up, TAT need more money to service the increased numbers !

Win-win situation for the poo-yais at TAT, and anyway what matters equally are other factors such as the spending-mix of tourists, and the length-of-stay, which would be even-less-accurately recorded/reported. Call for a properly-funded TAT market-survey to establish these numbers, and report that everything is fine, and Thailand remains the unchanged Hub of Global Tourism !

[mca]

News Tweets Updates......Alien invaders destroying Bangkok....people fleeing for their lives............God announces Armageddon will be fought in Lumpini Park.....Satan says " Bring it on Beardy".....Ebola virus discovered in somtam...........20km wide asteroid heading for earth.....arriving Thursday....impact point Central Chidlom.............Reports of the dead rising from their graves and attacking and eating the living confirmed in Hat Yai......TAT predicts tourist arrivals rising in the next month......TOT predicts that posters on TVF will still confuse them with TAT....

Edited December 7, 2011 by mca

[QED]

I just spent a long weekend in Koh Chang, stayed in a mid-range hotel just outside of White Sands. Hotel was a little bit run down (not unusual here), but the room was nice, 2 really nice pools, right on the beach.

Hotel has 110 rooms, we were the ONLY guests over the entire holiday weekend.

Kind of surreal, I kept thinking about books like The Shining and Psycho , but it was great having 12 staff dedicated to running around after us, and a really enjoyable stay (even though I felt a little bit guilty).

Every bar and restaurant we went to was quiet, and the ones where the staff could be bothered to talk to you said they have been really quiet this year.

[luangtom]

Two things one must ask....first, just exactly where does the figure for Lao "tourists" come from? Second,

if Thai Airways says it feels a loss, just who flew these tourists around Thailand?

[Felt 35]

I flew over to Kuala Lumpur in the morning today (I regularly use a Joint & spine specialist centre just outside Kuala Lumpur) from HKT and are just back now.

HKT airport was idyllic today, no queue for luggage screening and no queue for checking in.

The only queue I could see was people checking in for Thomas Cook Airlines. Glad I reached the immigration before them

Not an officer to see at the customs when returned and outside the Taxi drivers were as usual overwhelming but to my surprise in a polite way. Immigration was a breeze both ways. The flight out was approximately half filled with passenger on the return to HKT I counted 46 passengers.

However the Europeans/Americans need 7-10 days more before they can take their long planned and extended Christmas Holiday so let see how it is out there around 15-20 this month, I bet it will be crowds!

But as today it was so quiet that I nearly got sentimental. :jap:

[IsaanUSA]

if Thai Airways says it feels a loss, just who flew these tourists around Thailand?

All the other airlines that fly around Thailand.

[kimamey]

News Tweets Updates......Alien invaders destroying Bangkok....people fleeing for their lives............God announces Armageddon will be fought in Lumpini Park.....Satan says " Bring it on Beardy".....Ebola virus discovered in somtam...........20km wide asteroid heading for earth.....arriving Thursday....impact point Central Chidlom.............Reports of the dead rising from their graves and attacking and eating the living confirmed in Hat Yai......TAT predicts tourist arrivals rising in the next month......TOT predicts that posters on TVF will still confuse them with TAT....

Actually I was just wondering. That was a joke?.............Wasn't it?

[mca]

News Tweets Updates......Alien invaders destroying Bangkok....people fleeing for their lives............God announces Armageddon will be fought in Lumpini Park.....Satan says " Bring it on Beardy".....Ebola virus discovered in somtam...........20km wide asteroid heading for earth.....arriving Thursday....impact point Central Chidlom.............Reports of the dead rising from their graves and attacking and eating the living confirmed in Hat Yai......TAT predicts tourist arrivals rising in the next month......TOT predicts that posters on TVF will still confuse them with TAT....

Actually I was just wondering. That was a joke?.............Wasn't it?

To be honest after reading about the constant Alice In Wonderland On Whizz And Special K With A Large Dose Of 'Shrooms Thrown In For Good Measure that is Thailand circa 2011 the lines between satire and reality become increasingly blurred....

[Ricardo]

News Tweets Updates......Alien invaders destroying Bangkok....people fleeing for their lives............God announces Armageddon will be fought in Lumpini Park.....Satan says " Bring it on Beardy".....Ebola virus discovered in somtam...........20km wide asteroid heading for earth.....arriving Thursday....impact point Central Chidlom.............Reports of the dead rising from their graves and attacking and eating the living confirmed in Hat Yai......TAT predicts tourist arrivals rising in the next month......TOT predicts that posters on TVF will still confuse them with TAT....

Thanks for an excellent post !

Although I must confess to concern about the zombies in Hat Yai, since I'm travelling down there shortly, to escape the expected tsunami in Chiang Mai and the wide-spread shortage of Coke-Zero up here ! The sky is falling ! We're all doomed, doomed I tell you !

[tlansford]

Nope, it is not fiction. Don't forget that Phuket is Thailand's 2nd biggest tourist destination and in comparison to last year, the number of visitors is way up. Occupancies at the mid to upper end hotels were robust. This is due in large part to the increased number of direct flights from Australia, Asia and Russia that brought in additional package groups. Indian visitors also surged this year. Toss in the Koh Samui and surrounding regions and the tourist trade had a vibrant lifeline. Nor should one lose sight of Chiang Mai another pillar of the tourist trade. It has a loyal and steady tourist base that appreciates the region. As for Pattaya, well the city would have to be under a massive zombie attack before its visitors paid attention.

Yes the Bangkok floods hurt, but tourists don't want to hang around Bangkok for more than a couple days. Many of the betterorganized tour operators changed their itineraries around and moved the tourists to other venues. In any case, BKK operated, and aside from a few weeks, the popular tourist areas of BKK were ok.

I know that many will disagree, but the only real historical dent to the tourist trade came when the airports were occupied. Even at the height of the Bangkok Redshirt protests, key tourist areas in Chiang Mai and Phuket were humming along. Yes, many people were hit hard by the floods, but those areas doon't hold the big tourist draws, which remain, beaches, sun and golf courses. I predict that the December 2011 tourist numbers are going to surge.

Don't believe me? Check out the room availabilities on Phuket and Samui.

Got to agree with you on this one. Here in Chiang Mai there is a lot of tourists. I can't remember seeing this many.

The manager of the hotel I am in told me that in December they had a few days where they were booked up completely. As it is now there is a lot more people than usual here.

Of course part of them are people fleeing Bangkok. But not the ones booked for later in the month are fleeing Bangkok.

Actually a lot of people here talking to hear them selves talk. They have absolutely not one bit of information other than there own observations and what they see is through eyes that want to see negativity.

Does no good to give them information they have a cousin who has a friend that has a cousin that said there are no tourists coming and he knows because one of the offices he cleans is a travel agent.

We will never have the whole story but we can be assured that the Government is overstating the figures and the TV posters are clueless and content to be that way.

Yesterday the Lomprayah BKK - Chumpon (then ferry -> KT, KP, KS) buses were booked full - just one data-point, but surprised me anyway.

On the other hand, the fact that the TAT marketing campaign is starting on Dec 15th and did not start on Nov 15th or even Oct 15th means the campaign will have essentially zero impact for the xmas season... which is really disappointing.

[ginjag]

Nope, it is not fiction. Don't forget that Phuket is Thailand's 2nd biggest tourist destination and in comparison to last year, the number of visitors is way up. Occupancies at the mid to upper end hotels were robust. This is due in large part to the increased number of direct flights from Australia, Asia and Russia that brought in additional package groups. Indian visitors also surged this year. Toss in the Koh Samui and surrounding regions and the tourist trade had a vibrant lifeline. Nor should one lose sight of Chiang Mai another pillar of the tourist trade. It has a loyal and steady tourist base that appreciates the region. As for Pattaya, well the city would have to be under a massive zombie attack before its visitors paid attention.

Yes the Bangkok floods hurt, but tourists don't want to hang around Bangkok for more than a couple days. Many of the betterorganized tour operators changed their itineraries around and moved the tourists to other venues. In any case, BKK operated, and aside from a few weeks, the popular tourist areas of BKK were ok.

I know that many will disagree, but the only real historical dent to the tourist trade came when the airports were occupied. Even at the height of the Bangkok Redshirt protests, key tourist areas in Chiang Mai and Phuket were humming along. Yes, many people were hit hard by the floods, but those areas doon't hold the big tourist draws, which remain, beaches, sun and golf courses. I predict that the December 2011 tourist numbers are going to surge.

Don't believe me? Check out the room availabilities on Phuket and Samui.

Got to agree with you on this one. Here in Chiang Mai there is a lot of tourists. I can't remember seeing this many.

The manager of the hotel I am in told me that in December they had a few days where they were booked up completely. As it is now there is a lot more people than usual here.

Of course part of them are people fleeing Bangkok. But not the ones booked for later in the month are fleeing Bangkok.

Actually a lot of people here talking to hear them selves talk. They have absolutely not one bit of information other than there own observations and what they see is through eyes that want to see negativity.

Does no good to give them information they have a cousin who has a friend that has a cousin that said there are no tourists coming and he knows because one of the offices he cleans is a travel agent.

We will never have the whole story but we can be assured that the Government is overstating the figures and the TV posters are clueless and content to be that way.

Yesterday the Lomprayah BKK - Chumpon (then ferry -> KT, KP, KS) buses were booked full - just one data-point, but surprised me anyway.

On the other hand, the fact that the TAT marketing campaign is starting on Dec 15th and did not start on Nov 15th or even Oct 15th means the campaign will have essentially zero impact for the xmas season... which is really disappointing.

The TAT predictions and figures are too ridiculous for words, we posters are here in tourist areas (most) and do see how many tourists are around--on beaches- Chiang Mai - we are spread around more than any government or TAT officials, WE KNOW please don't tell the posters any more of your laughable figures==BULS##t there are pockets of busy bits that a minority of posters comment on--but these are the posters that ALWAYS defend anything Thai. Most persons fleeing Bkk because of the floods should be there-especially from dry protected areas-cleaning the place up, not expecting it to be spick and span for there return, these are the persons that TAT are making Thailand look busy-----5555555555555555 Ha Ha what a silly department and upper staff---hanging on to their inflated wages and free Thai Airways tickets, no wonder they are near bankrupt, are the new aircraft soon to be delivered ????????????

[SiamRose]

If business really is bad at up market hotels, why are so many new 4 and 5 star hotels being built all over Thailand?

[Ricardo]

If business really is bad at up market hotels, why are so many new 4 and 5 star hotels being built all over Thailand?

Surely not for money-laundering purposes ?

We have a 300-room resort out-in-the-fields near us, which I've never known have more-than a dozen-or-so guests, but who knows what the accounts might show ? My wife stayed there once, the power & water at home having been accidentally cut-off by builders, and the staff were horrified to be asked to produce breakfast-for-three the next morning.

[silsburyhill]

If business really is bad at up market hotels, why are so many new 4 and 5 star hotels being built all over Thailand?

For the same reason that Phuket Province is inundated with row upon row of empty shop houses. Money laundering. Or, 'Black Money' if you are Thai.

[Buchholz]

If business really is bad at up market hotels, why are so many new 4 and 5 star hotels being built all over Thailand?

Surely not for money-laundering purposes ?

We have a 300-room resort out-in-the-fields near us, which I've never known have more-than a dozen-or-so guests, but who knows what the accounts might show ?

100% occupancy, 365 days a year, with all payments made in cash.

A hotelier here has the same accountant.

.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Buchholz

[harryfrompattaya]

Talking about corruption , I had to pay the immigration officer 3,000bath under table money so I can get 1 month visa ..then of course for my one year visa they will ask again for money , beside the fact that all my documents were correct and good , after 18 years here I still have to pay for those ...not to mention that they know I am a flood victim and still cannot go back to my house .... is this what they want in Thailand ? so much consideration for floods victim. How can they pretend to be a real democracy ....

It is against the law to corrupt any Government officer in any Country. You are breaking the law and bragging about it.

You should lose you right to post on Thai Visa

[animatic]

I have re-entered the country 36 times so far this year, and will be up to 38 or 39 by the year end due to business trips. If they are counting everyone of these entries as 1 tourist then I can understand where they get the figures from.

Do I still get classed as a tourist if on a business visa? Are they just simplistically counting all arrivals at airports and borders?

They are counting the highest number of people crossing all borders and not checking Business.

[bigbamboo]

Well I think we have to say congratulations to whoever is responsible for these wonderful figures. In spite of a massive global downturn which has seen a severe reduction in European and American holidaymakers to winter destinations such as Thailand and with the more competitive markets in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos sweeping up a lot of the low budget travellers and Malaysia's continued untroubled excellence it is truly incredible they have achieved this record.

Edited December 11, 2011 by bigbamboo

[NxaiPan]

Well I think we have to say congratulations to whoever is responsible for these wonderful figures. In spite of a massive global downturn which has seen a severe reduction in European and American holidaymakers to winter destinations such as Thailand and with the more competitive markets in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos sweeping up a lot of the low budget travellers and Malaysia's continued untroubled excellence it is truly incredible they have achieved this record.

While floods, economic wobbles etc are the latest short-term headwinds that Thailand faces, there is a more material long term threat that the LOS faces.

30 years ago Thailand had a virtual monopoly on tourism in SE Asia. It was the only viable option for mainstream tourism (albeit that fighting with the CPT was still in full swing in N. & NE Thailand, and the Golden Triangle section in Thailand meant a lot more than a tourist label).

Since then Thailand has basically jogged on the spot in tourist appeal terms and in some senses has gone backwards (the overdevelopment of Pattaya, Phuket, Samui etc). The attractions and destinations of Thailand have basically been matched and bettered as the rest of SE Asia has come online as a tourist destination.

The shortsightedness is epitomised in the example of the Andaman Sea dive sites. Sure, the widespread bleaching in 2010 was due to a rise in sea temperatures but the management of this area has been woeful. The latest wizard wheeze is to boost the existing 200 tuna fishing boats based out of Phuket by an additional 300 Taiwanese fishing boats. So dead coral and no fish, no wonder many of the dive operators are relocating to Komodo in Indonesia, where not only is there world class diving but the navy shoots (or at least shoots at) fishermen encroaching on the Marine park, rather than busying themselves towing Rohingya refugees out to sea in boats without engines as the RTN allegedly likes to do.

The situation here is similar to the demise of tourist destinations in the UK such as Blackpool, Brighton and Margate in the UK. Once Brit tourists could get cheap flights and holiday packages to Spain, Greece etc these places went into long term decline (though Brighton has reinvented itself as the San Francisco of England). Here the combination of LCCs such as Air Asia and Lion Air coupled with better options throughout the region present a massive challenge to tourism in Thailand.

Mass tourism from Russia and China will probably fill the gap in the short term but even they will probably wise up and seek out alternative destinations in years to come. but this type of tourism will do little but undermine Thailand's appeal in the long run as it becomes Asia's version of the Spanish Costas and Benidorm, Torremolinos and Loret del Mar are recreated in a Thai setting.

The likelihood that Burma/Myanmar fully opens for tourist business is on the verge of becoming reality and this will eat another chunk of Thailand's tourist lunch. Phuket or Ngapali; Ayutthaya or Bagan; "trekking" in Chiang Rai area or trekking in Northern Shan state; Doi Inthanon with a RTAF/NSA station on top or Putao's mountains with snow on top; and so on.

it's not too late for Thailand to get it's tourist act together but it seems that TAT (never has an acronym been more appropriate, as in English vernacuar "tat" means rubbish or trash) revels in complacency and ineptitude fully supported by bucket loads of spending money and highly dubious statistics. Spain has pulled its tourist industry back from the brink, and I would love to see Thailand pull off the same trick, but I'm not going to hold my breath....

See the attached and make your own mind up where on this graph Thailand currently is and which of the Options A through E is the most likely outcome over the next 10 years.

[CosmicSurfer]

TAT is counting International "ARRIVALS"... Which includes Transit passengers.. Not just True Tourists!

A Perfect example of "Fuzzy Logic"... Or Political Stats padding.

CS

Edited December 11, 2011 by CosmicSurfer

[Nisa]

TAT is counting International "ARRIVALS"... Which includes Transit passengers.. Not just True Tourists!

A Perfect example of "Fuzzy Logic"... Or Political Stats padding.

CS

Transit passengers are not included in the totals for tourists.

[Mosha]

Nope, it is not fiction. Don't forget that Phuket is Thailand's 2nd biggest tourist destination and in comparison to last year, the number of visitors is way up. Occupancies at the mid to upper end hotels were robust. This is due in large part to the increased number of direct flights from Australia, Asia and Russia that brought in additional package groups. Indian visitors also surged this year. Toss in the Koh Samui and surrounding regions and the tourist trade had a vibrant lifeline. Nor should one lose sight of Chiang Mai another pillar of the tourist trade. It has a loyal and steady tourist base that appreciates the region. As for Pattaya, well the city would have to be under a massive zombie attack before its visitors paid attention.

Yes the Bangkok floods hurt, but tourists don't want to hang around Bangkok for more than a couple days. Many of the betterorganized tour operators changed their itineraries around and moved the tourists to other venues. In any case, BKK operated, and aside from a few weeks, the popular tourist areas of BKK were ok.

I know that many will disagree, but the only real historical dent to the tourist trade came when the airports were occupied. Even at the height of the Bangkok Redshirt protests, key tourist areas in Chiang Mai and Phuket were humming along. Yes, many people were hit hard by the floods, but those areas doon't hold the big tourist draws, which remain, beaches, sun and golf courses. I predict that the December 2011 tourist numbers are going to surge.

Don't believe me? Check out the room availabilities on Phuket and Samui.

What an earth are you on? THERE'S NO ONE HERE. Everyone's complaining re the 'Ghost Town' atmosphere and lack of customers from Thais to farang businesses. And of course, once again prices soaring 'to compensate' as is Thai stupidity, er, custom, willingly taken up bar all but my local Muslim grocery store and Thai run wine shop, already the cheapest anywhere and nothing on the shelves as he (Thai owner) doesn't want a reputation for gouging. Unlike most who don't give a toss. And that includes the farang run businesses 100%.

You must be talking about the 'high end' (how I hate that term), overpriced 'resorts' who's customers barely venture a toe outside the armed gates, preferring to pay through the nose for these prisons er, hotels' crap food and tailored tours and not spend a penny in the local economy, ergo, never visible.

As an aside, after a necessary trip into Chalong today I wouldn't come here for my hard earned rip off holiday now either. I understand British Airways has just started a direct flight to Vietnam.

You in the tourist trade by any chance?

If he was he wouldn't post such tripe.