Bangkok named Thailand’s most popular city among tourists

BANGKOK, Dec 28 – Thailand’s capital Bangkok was ranked at the top of this year’s top ten popular cities among Thai and foreign tourists in a survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Ministry Permanent Secretary Suwat Sidthilaw and Spokesman Watchara Kannikar on Wednesday told a news briefing that the ministry had carried out the survey of the most popular Thai cities among domestic and foreign tourists for the first time by compiling statistics from the Department of Tourism, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the association of tourism business operators and guides

Mr Watchara said the ministry hoped that the survey would drive relevant agencies and tourism operators to compete and improve their performance next year.

Following the first tourist survey ever by the ministry, the capital won first place as most popular city among Thai and foreign visitors with the total number of tourists visiting the metropolitan at 20.7 million this year.

The main popular tourist attractions in Bangkok were the historic Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn Temple (Wat Pho), and Old Bangkok’s Rattanakosin Island, Mr Suwat explained.

Meanwhile, the eastern seaboard province of Chon Buri, particularly Bang Saen, Pattaya, Ko Lan and Nong Nooch Garden, was ranked second, attracting about six million tourists, followed by the southern Andaman resort of Phuket and the historic city of Ayutthaya respectively.

Kanchanaburi of River Kwai fame ranked fifth while the northern province of Chiang Mai was sixth, followed by Rayong, Songkhla, Nakhon Ratchasima and Krabi respectively. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-12-28

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Wow - who'd have thunk it!

Someone will be telling us next that London is the UKs favourite city for tourists and Paris won the France vote.

I was surprised to see CM so far down the list though.

"The main popular tourist attractions in Bangkok were the historic Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn Temple (Wat Pho), and Old Bangkok’s Rattanakosin Island, followed by Nana Plaza and soi Cowboy Mr Suwat explained"

Another useless self serving survey designed to keep the illusion that all things are good in Thailand. How about a survey about the satisfaction over the levels of corruption, or a survey on the inaction of police investigations......I am sure the results would be far more interesting

Where did the beer garden soi 7 feature?

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Bangkok is a very beautiful city and it is my favorite city in the world.

Still a lot of work to be done .... World's top destinations for 2012 http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/27/travel/top-destinations-2012/?hpt=hp_bn7 Sweet FA about Asia just some poor soul who went throw Thailand to Myanmar and said it was scary ....

Ask a Thai 'where is his favourite city?' places a burden on him that goes beyond honesty. I supect the answers reflect a) home town and honourable loyalty.

I can imagine the first answer as being 'what are the choices?

Ahh so Buriram isnt listed...

the first tourist survey ever by the ministry

By the Ministry of Tourism and Sports...

Guess they have been busy with Sports until now.

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

I guess tourists loved the flooding and really really really really love the pollution that resulted from it

Ask a Thai 'where is his favourite city?' places a burden on him that goes beyond honesty. I supect the answers reflect a) home town and honourable loyalty.

I can imagine the first answer as being 'what are the choices?

Ahh so Buriram isnt listed...

Of course Buriram isn’t listed.

Its Khmer territory which Thailand had taken in a war with Cambodia and later was allowed to keep by the French because it was west of the Mekong River which the French used as the Indochina border, the French kept what was East of the river. This is also why Buriramies are the most anti farang of the people living in Thailand. More so even than the people in the 3-Southern provinces, “present” from the British.

They didn't ask me.........I can't stand the place!

Good for Bangkok. It really is an amazing city with so many diverse attractions for visitors. However, it is centrally located, the capital and where most international flights arrive making the survey results unsurprising.

If the tourists had to live in Bangkok (like I did for 4 years at a stretch), they might change their mind perhaps. But seriously, which other city would it be (apart from Chiang Mai, I doubt Pattaya would get many votes), which other Thai city do tourists even visit and experience?

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Bangkok is a very beautiful city and it is my favorite city in the world.

oh my god do you wear glasses...........

personally i hate the place and only go there as my travel hub because i have to.............crap food, too busy and too dirty for me.....cant believe chiang mai is 5th and not even a mention for koh chang/ phi phi although the later can get a bit much in high season but in low its stunning. i can imagine why Pattaya and Korat is on there..........pickup point and visiting point for mia noi's lol

think i remember reading that bkk is 80% bigger than the second city in thailand, they do seem tiny in comparison , .. seem to be of a similar size to say.... plymouth, alicante , swansea ,reading ,coventry,.. around 200-300,000 pop,...... and not much nightlife or tourist attractions ,i find them all pretty boring , ... a few exeptions chiang mai, ayyuthaya maybe, but after 2-3 days ,you seen them !, ......... now, get near the sea ,......and its a top place ,diff story......... and if there is a city nearby , great ! the further from bkk the better, ... how can you relax there ??? , ........if the air or the water dont get you , the traffic will !, "get the hell outa there "! ,...... did,nt you come here for an easier life ?

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Bangkok is a very beautiful city and it is my favorite city in the world.

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Away from downtown Bangkok is mostly like every other urban sprawl in Thailand - a cats paw of unsightly above ground electricity cables and instant decay new builds. Nothing remotely beautiful about it unless you believe the tourist brochures. Interesting yes but only in small doses.

I live in BKK and consider it the most exotic city in the world. Luv it

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Bangkok is a very beautiful city and it is my favorite city in the world.

Somebody has been drinking the flood water

This should go on page one of the miracle brochure.

Bangkok is a very beautiful city and it is my favorite city in the world.

Very well put and why shouldn't it be you may think differently when you actually get away from the brochures and arrive here be sure to note down the places you enjoyed the most, keep us informed please.

Just be sure to remain alert thailand needs lerts.