Tourism Thriving Despite Floods: Thailand

[webfact]

Tourism Thriving Despite Floods

The Tourism Department is confident that the number of tourist arrivals continues to grow after floods.

However, he admits that many of the tourist attractions in the central region have been damaged by the floods.

Tourism Department Director General Suphon Sripan said the devastating floods have damaged about 2,300 tourist attractions in the central region.

They include historical sites, mosques, temples, and communities.

Efforts are already in place to repair those attractions.

Despite the popular belief, Suphon is confident the flood crisis has not deterred foreign tourists from visitng the Kingdom.

In fact, he said the number of tourist arrivals has risen after floods have subsided.

According to Suphon, 17-18 percent more travelers have visited Thailand this year compared to last year.

He went on to say that Thailand still has many attractions in the southern and northern regions that were untouched by the floods.

These attractions are ready to welcome tourists from across the world.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has implemented proactive measures to promote tourism.

It projected that the number of tourists will reach nearly 20 million next year.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-14

[striderman]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

Edited December 14, 2011 by striderman

[RedNIvar]

What again! It looks like tourism in Thailand flourishes when there is a calamity here.

[exeter]

I dont believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[geriatrickid]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

Peak arrival time is in the morning and the busiest days are Sat-Sun. Be there at 6 Am when the big jets (AB 330, 340, B747, B777) arrive within a few minutes of each other arriving from Stockholm, Milan, Moscow, Tokyo and Melbourne. A lot more Pax on those flights than on the 18:00hrs arrivals that with the exception of a couple B777, are mostly low Pax load AB 320 and B737 equipment.

Meanwhile Phuket is still operating past its capacity.

[CraigSchuler]

Hope that dancing dude has his shoes on!

[ricku]

I'm leaving BKK and heading down to Koh Tao for a couple of weeks during xmas and new year.

When I booked my hotel, I noticed that many hotels are fully booked. The hotel I'm staying at only had 3 rooms left.

Damnit. I was hoping that the floods would have a bigger impact on the tourism. The less tourists, the better.

Edited December 14, 2011 by ricku

[jalansanitwong]

It makes you wonder how much of the worlds tourism industry is propped up by airlines offering very low airfares to entice people to fly. Sooner or later these airlines will go bust and will probably be bailed out again and again and again.How can an airline offer rtn airfares for 550 euros europe -bkk-euro. they must be losing a chunk of money.

if airlines charged full economy fares the tourism industry would collapse.

Edited December 14, 2011 by jalansanitwong

[JacknDanny]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

Peak arrival time is in the morning and the busiest days are Sat-Sun. Be there at 6 Am when the big jets (AB 330, 340, B747, B777) arrive within a few minutes of each other arriving from Stockholm, Milan, Moscow, Tokyo and Melbourne. A lot more Pax on those flights than on the 18:00hrs arrivals that with the exception of a couple B777, are mostly low Pax load AB 320 and B737 equipment.

Meanwhile Phuket is still operating past its capacity.

Phuket operating past its capacity???

Tell that to the bar and restaurant owners!! All complaining its like the low season!!. Passing through Kamala is like a ghost town!!

Patong is a lot quieter than it was last year!!

[hellodolly]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

Peak arrival time is in the morning and the busiest days are Sat-Sun. Be there at 6 Am when the big jets (AB 330, 340, B747, B777) arrive within a few minutes of each other arriving from Stockholm, Milan, Moscow, Tokyo and Melbourne. A lot more Pax on those flights than on the 18:00hrs arrivals that with the exception of a couple B777, are mostly low Pax load AB 320 and B737 equipment.

Meanwhile Phuket is still operating past its capacity.

Phuket operating past its capacity???

Tell that to the bar and restaurant owners!! All complaining its like the low season!!. Passing through Kamala is like a ghost town!!

Patong is a lot quieter than it was last year!!

Can't say about Phuket but here in Chiang Mai tourism is booming. Now there is a different type of tourist. Not so free with their money. I see many groups of women. Also families and yes single men. But this year I am seeing more couples back packing also.

Even if I didn't see it I would know they were here getting harder to find a tuk tuk they are busy now.

Normally two or three out side my hotel in the morning lately lucky to get one. Have to go look. I don't mind them using the tuk tuk's but can't they be like the old time lets go to Thailand get drunk and get laid kind. They never go any where at 8:30 in the morning.

[spidermike007]

I'm leaving BKK and heading down to Koh Tao for a couple of weeks during xmas and new year.

When I booked my hotel, I noticed that many hotels are fully booked. The hotel I'm staying at only had 3 rooms left.

Damnit. I was hoping that the floods would have a bigger impact on the tourism. The less tourists, the better.

The busiest three weeks of the year, each and every year, in Samui, Koh Phangan, and Ko Tao are dec. 15th to about january 6th. So, you have booked during the highest of the high, when it comes to tourism. The industry is way down, but it went from every hotel being sold out a month in advance, to your hotel having 3 rooms left, which is very, very unusual for this time of year.

[spidermike007]

Yes, continue to believe ANYTHING the tourism department, TAT, AOT, or any other government related tourism dept. says, at your own peril. They get the fax every morning from the administration, and the newspapers prints the articles, word for word. ZERO investigation is being done. The falsehoods are being perpetrated, and only the most naive amongst us, believe them. Ask any hotel, restaurant operator, travel agent, or other tourist related professional what the reality is on the ground. Business is way, way down. Sure this is high season in the north, and in the south, and it is busy. But, compared to a "normal" year? Not even close.

[mr.buffalo]

I'm here

[TackyToo]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

Peak arrival time is in the morning and the busiest days are Sat-Sun. Be there at 6 Am when the big jets (AB 330, 340, B747, B777) arrive within a few minutes of each other arriving from Stockholm, Milan, Moscow, Tokyo and Melbourne. A lot more Pax on those flights than on the 18:00hrs arrivals that with the exception of a couple B777, are mostly low Pax load AB 320 and B737 equipment.

Meanwhile Phuket is still operating past its capacity.

Phuket operating past its capacity???

Tell that to the bar and restaurant owners!! All complaining its like the low season!!. Passing through Kamala is like a ghost town!!

Patong is a lot quieter than it was last year!!

I like the way of "innovative, positive" thinking at the Tourism Department!

However, it gets hilarious when they do their math!

Tourist arrivals rise from 100 to 200- that's when they celebrate and spread the news of a 100% increase.

No need to mention the 10.000 empty hotel rooms at the sametime- right?

[Just1Voice]

Have any of the officials of TAT ever been tested for hallucinogenic drug use?

[ccarbaugh]

Went to Koh Larn last weekend - the entire island's rooms were booked full! (Granted, most were Thai tourists,) but there were alot more people there last weekend than last June- when I was there last.

[ramrod711]

I dont believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMAAAAAAZING THAILAND!

[bigbamboo]

Count your blessings its only twenty million. It would seem that if ever Thailand manages another year without a political crisis or a natural disaster the whole world and his wife will be here.

[Shiver]

Here in Udon (not really a tourist place I know - more a retirement home ), I've noticed that a lot more farang are single lately, and if they're the type that like extra 'services' then they're developing a 'pay as you go' behaviour. I also see that there's a trend towards archa beer for the regular die-hards. I recall in 2008-2009 a lot of people you would see daily around the city in the restaurants eating out, started staying village, coming into the city only once or twice a week, and in the years after that, even that behaviour was canned, and they stayed at the mom & pop shop in the village, before finally dropping their regular brand beer for archa, a brand which is probably thriving in this climate.

On the tourism side of things, now probably about (and I'm just guessing here) 1/3rd of the people you see at night are backpackers rather than resident or long stay farang, which is a dramatic change for this area. Not sure why the influx of new blood. It's a welcome addition imho (someone new to talk to), but they're not spendy (I don't have a business here so that's not bitchin', just an observation). From a selfish point of view, I think some financial recalibration isn't such a bad thing once in a while. Maybe we'll get a new style of 'thrift tourist'. That wouldn't please some, but I do think it might be good for the country and its people, even if there's a bit of pain involved.

[tlansford]

I'm leaving BKK and heading down to Koh Tao for a couple of weeks during xmas and new year.

When I booked my hotel, I noticed that many hotels are fully booked. The hotel I'm staying at only had 3 rooms left.

Damnit. I was hoping that the floods would have a bigger impact on the tourism. The less tourists, the better.

Where are you diving ?

I have heard that the bus/ferry has been very full going to KT. Will see for myself in a day or two.

And it is good news for the people working / businesses there...

[givenall]

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

This is bunch of BS. My business in MBK depends on tourist for 95% of its income.it is down by 35% for past 2.5 month

[RichardL]

It makes you wonder how much of the worlds tourism industry is propped up by airlines offering very low airfares to entice people to fly. Sooner or later these airlines will go bust and will probably be bailed out again and again and again.How can an airline offer rtn airfares for 550 euros europe -bkk-euro. they must be losing a chunk of money.

if airlines charged full economy fares the tourism industry would collapse.

The actual cost of flight is cheaper than you'd think with a full plane, especially with those people at the front paying very high prices.

Around half of the cost of any long haul flight, often more, is tax. I believe they can cut taxes, as well as make savings of econony, by having planes operate out of regional hubs. That's why the cheap fares are almost never direct flights.

The very cheap fares are unusually either promotional rates, or last minute rates when they want to fill up the plane. They certainly aren't typical.

[bangon04]

Have any of the officials of TAT ever been tested for hallucinogenic drug use?

You mean like the finance minister who stood up the other day and predicted 7 per cent growth for Thailand over the next year, while a senior bank expert was muttering about flatlining?

Another day, another announcement, another failure for maths in the thai education system....

The Ministry of Silly Announcements is working overtime during crisis period.

Where do you think all those inactive posts are physically located?

Edited December 14, 2011 by bangon04

[johnmtjames]

I was in Bkk last week stayed at Asia Hotel had the hire car all to myself. Driver said was so quite because of the floods and peoplw not coming. Hotel was only $59.00 per night with breakfast thrown in The air port was dead went through passport in 10mins A rrecord as I always have to wait 1/2 hr or more so where is every body North or south?

[prvtdetdave]

I can't believe tourism is thriving either. Last week we stopped overnight in Pattaya (High Season) it was like a ghost town.

Even in the slowest of low season we had never seen it so vacant.

Edited December 15, 2011 by metisdead
Font resized to normal.

[Sharp]

1323852948[/url]' post='4911746']

Yes, continue to believe ANYTHING the tourism department, TAT, AOT, or any other government related tourism dept. says, at your own peril. They get the fax every morning from the administration, and the newspapers prints the articles, word for word. ZERO investigation is being done. The falsehoods are being perpetrated, and only the most naive amongst us, believe them. Ask any hotel, restaurant operator, travel agent, or other tourist related professional what the reality is on the ground. Business is way, way down. Sure this is high season in the north, and in the south, and it is busy. But, compared to a "normal" year? Not even close.

Spot on mate

[Sharp]

+111111

[Pesche]

"They include historical sites, mosques, temples, and communities."

Ohyeah!! Now the Mosques ARE an attraction?!

"Yes, continue to believe ANYTHING the tourism department, TAT, AOT, or any other government related tourism dept. says, at your own peril. They get the fax every morning from the administration, and the newspapers prints the articles, word for word. ZERO investigation is being done. The falsehoods are being perpetrated, and only the most naive amongst us, believe them. Ask any hotel, restaurant operator, travel agent, or other tourist related professional what the reality is on the ground. Business is way, way down. Sure this is high season in the north, and in the south, and it is busy. But, compared to a "normal" year? Not even close. "

That's WHY we have 26% less customers in Ko Lanta! The Resorts are right now at 46% compared to 82% last year!!

Additionally, the ONLY business going fine are the 7/11 while the restaurants are empty...

what a BS!!

[jgm005]

Landed same day but earlier at 11:30am. Immigration slammed with long lines.

One of the longest I've had to deal with in a long time. Lots of bloody idiots without

their paper work fully prepared. Clueless

Depends on arrival time.

airport extremely quiet when i landed dec 8 th 18 00 hrs.

from plane door to exit customs in 21 mins (inc collecting 2 items of checked luggage)

[Just1Voice]

TAT = This Ain't True, but.....