Thailand's 2011 Annual Tourism Income Rises 30%

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[Thai at Heart]

I sure love to know where these guys get the data. Just because there are 30 increase in the number of tourist does not mean the tourism income also went up by 30%. More tourist but they spend a lot less because the world economic problems

I am in the business and I do not see any increase

It looks slow or almost Dead for many businesses when I ride around town.

Try going to tourist areas or go online and check out prices and availability at International Hotels in tourist areas. Take a look at the Hard Rock or Hilton in Pattaya for this Friday night and you'll find limited availability and rooms starting at 7,000 baht ... and we are already in the low season. Check Koh Samet and you won't find any mid-upper priced rooms available on the beach for this weekend ... people are now booking near a month in advance.

Thanks for your suggestion, I see they have many rooms available at HRC this weekend, I just might zoom on down there for a bit of fun.

Ah, but did they sell them in blocks at 7,000 baht to the package groups???

[Nisa]

I sure love to know where these guys get the data. Just because there are 30 increase in the number of tourist does not mean the tourism income also went up by 30%. More tourist but they spend a lot less because the world economic problems

The average stay period for foreign tourists was 9.64 days with an average spending of 4,187 baht per day, an increase of 2.66 per cent.

I guess its easier to quote figures without taking into consideration the % attributed to inflation of prices. 4000+ is not the world for the European... its 100.00 Euros per day. That including hotel and food is a good deal. 30% INCREASE... has to be seen in the light of many factors... 10 days at 1000 for the week that seems like a bargain????

I'd be curious to know how much hotel rates have gone up. I am just shocked at the prices when going on mini-vacations to tourist spots. Maybe just my perception but they seem to have gone up incredibly the last year or so. I just booked for one night in Pattaya for 4700 at a place I remember staying for 2700 a few years ago. There is also a place I used to stay in Koh Samet (never booking in advance) where a bungalow facing the beach was 800 or 1000 (weekend) and now it is 2800 and sold out... though they have renovated the place. It would seem, especially where tourist purchases are involved, inflation has probably played a major role in tourist expenditures.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

How about a comparison with say 2006-2007?

[JSixpack]

Same thread every few months. Nobody here ever remembers.

Dec 5 2011

http://www.thaivisa....tourism-record/

Yeah, same thing. Good news of any kind really brings out the DYING THAILAND crowd. In the Pattaya forum we do DYING PATTAYA every 6 months or so despite a gangbusters economy. As for small business owners, they're notorious poor mouths. Whole country would have been boarded up and shut a decade ago if they were to be believed.

Edited May 22, 2012 by JSixpack

[anterian]

Looking at the chart that Nisa provided, it seems that tourism figure always rose after a national disaster. Thus the obvious approach for Tat is to have an annual disaster.

Perhaps it is a form of "rubbernecking"

[ginjag]

I sure love to know where these guys get the data. Just because there are 30 increase in the number of tourist does not mean the tourism income also went up by 30%. More tourist but they spend a lot less because the world economic problems

The average stay period for foreign tourists was 9.64 days with an average spending of 4,187 baht per day, an increase of 2.66 per cent.

I guess its easier to quote figures without taking into consideration the % attributed to inflation of prices. 4000+ is not the world for the European... its 100.00 Euros per day. That including hotel and food is a good deal. 30% INCREASE... has to be seen in the light of many factors... 10 days at 1000 for the week that seems like a bargain????

I'd be curious to know how much hotel rates have gone up. I am just shocked at the prices when going on mini-vacations to tourist spots. Maybe just my perception but they seem to have gone up incredibly the last year or so. I just booked for one night in Pattaya for 4700 at a place I remember staying for 2700 a few years ago. There is also a place I used to stay in Koh Samet (never booking in advance) where a bungalow facing the beach was 800 or 1000 (weekend) and now it is 2800 and sold out... though they have renovated the place. It would seem, especially where tourist purchases are involved, inflation has probably played a major role in tourist expenditures.

Your paying near 5,000 bht for a night in Pattaya-more fool you, There are some super places for under 1,500 bht, with buffet breakfast, It is your choice, but for 1 night it's not worth the trip. maybe you are staying at similar places that are frequented by more the posh end stayer, these are the places that are getting bookings. When we are talking general tourist small hotels g.houses where majority stay tourists are not around. So if your not amongst them you will not see them.

[Nisa]

Baring a major event, it looks like Thailand (as well as many other countries) are going to have another great tourism year.

Top 10 tourist arrivals during April 2012

The data was collected by the Immigration Bureau from all checkpoints – air, land and sea and is preliminary data subject to review.

This kind of helps gives an idea (at least for the Sonkgran month) of where and how people are entering the country ...

In April, Suvarnabhumi Airport welcomed 1,109,918 tourists (+10.55%) followed by Phuket Airport, 186,265 (+22.25%); Sadao Checkpoint on the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla province, 74,769 (-38.25%); First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Nong Khai province, 56,765 (-19.95%) and the Aranyaprathet checkpoint on the Thai-Cambodian border in Srakaew province, 43,288 (-4%)

http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_news.php?id=6291&a=4

[Nisa]

When we are talking general tourist small hotels g.houses where majority stay tourists are not around. So if your not amongst them you will not see them.

That's the idea

[ginjag]

Enjoy your tourist hotels that cater for Chinese Nisa, They are so friendly, they always integrate with Thai, tip with thousands of bht. I love my time chatting to them on the beach and in supermarkets. Thai girls flock to marry Chinese men, and the boys cannot get enough of them, Without stats Nisa you would be completely lost, Trying to find middle ground to discuss anything is near out of the question, as I hate talking through Google. By the way my Chinese car is fantastic, love it.

[rubl]

Baring a major event, it looks like Thailand (as well as many other countries) are going to have another great tourism year.

Top 10 tourist arrivals during April 2012

The data was collected by the Immigration Bureau from all checkpoints – air, land and sea and is preliminary data subject to review.

This kind of helps gives an idea (at least for the Sonkgran month) of where and how people are entering the country ...

In April, Suvarnabhumi Airport welcomed 1,109,918 tourists (+10.55%) followed by Phuket Airport, 186,265 (+22.25%); Sadao Checkpoint on the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla province, 74,769 (-38.25%); First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge checkpoint in Nong Khai province, 56,765 (-19.95%) and the Aranyaprathet checkpoint on the Thai-Cambodian border in Srakaew province, 43,288 (-4%)

http://thailand.prd....php?id=6291&a=4

Something is not right here. The data on First Thai-Lao FB checkpoint and Aranyaprathet, I mean. This April we had huge numbers of people crossing the border to see and maybe even be able to touch k. Thaksin. Obvious there's a dark influence trying to distord these figures

[Nisa]

Enjoy your tourist hotels that cater for Chinese Nisa, They are so friendly, they always integrate with Thai, tip with thousands of bht. I love my time chatting to them on the beach and in supermarkets. Thai girls flock to marry Chinese men, and the boys cannot get enough of them, Without stats Nisa you would be completely lost, Trying to find middle ground to discuss anything is near out of the question, as I hate talking through Google. By the way my Chinese car is fantastic, love it.

Dude, you really are going off on the rant about the Chinese which doesn't have anything to do with anything (except an obsession you seem to have) and is really short sited and incorrect thinking. I really don't want to go down this road but it is getting a bit played out your constant need to put entire groups, you feel threatened by, into single categories but also this notion that money poured into the country by the Chinese doesn't directly help Thais is far off the mark. There are so many reasons why this is incorrect but take the simple fact that be it spending a few hundred baht at the 711 or a nice Hotel, both of those companies employee Thais who in turn spend their wages. The more profitable a company, the more they will hire and expand. The tax revenue they bring in also DOES goes to the Thai people via government services. It is just ridiculous to think that a a person averaging a daily spending spree of 5000 baht is less valuable to Thailand than a budget sensitive traveler spending a lot less per day because they spend it at places like street food stalls.

Walk down areas like Sukimvit or Silom and you can find many street vendors specifically catering to tourists. Like any other country, there are business that cater to tourists and profit considerably more from them. An expat is not a tourist and some retiree with a 60k a month (2k a week) is still not going to be as valuable to the economy as somebody pumping in 5000 a day no matter how you slice it. A good economy and a strong GDP is good for all Thais ... not just the guy selling noodles on the Soi.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Nisa

[quandow]

This article is pure bunk. EVERY shop owner, independent entrepeneur and indentured servant I spoke to said business was just BAD last year. Just cuz you print it doesn't make it so . . .

[Nisa]

This article is pure bunk. EVERY shop owner, independent entrepeneur and indentured servant I spoke to said business was just BAD last year. Just cuz you print it doesn't make it so . . .

I am not sure how people you know having rough economic times relates to International tourism numbers unless everyone you know caters to international (mainly Asian based in the increases) tourist and are equally dispersed throughout all the typical tourist spots including places like Hat Yai which would have been a top destination for visitors from Malaysia who made up the biggest number of visitors.

Total tourism (international & domestic) in Thailand is only 6% of GDP and Domestic travel/tourism typically makes up 40% of total tourism revenue.

Consider that that the US tourism numbers and revenue (both domestic & international) also surged last year but you are not going to find many people or business' there claiming not to be going through a rough time.

[waza]

Looking at the stats I see some interesting between the lines information.........66% are return customers 40% of the tourists arent there for holidays or to attend meetings, they must be expats on visa runs. The average foriegn tourist spends $135US while the average Thai overseas tourist spends $150US per day. So much for attracting quality tourist and Thailand being a cheaper destination.

Edited May 23, 2012 by waza

[Nisa]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

[waza]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

I guess to maitain and increase their budget the folks at the TAT find way to redesinate people such as ex-pats and transit passengers returning citizens as tourists to Thailand

[kerryk]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

I guess to maitain and increase their budget the folks at the TAT find way to redesinate people such as ex-pats and transit passengers returning citizens as tourists to Thailand

Do you have any evidence to support this?

[gand]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

They want to keep their job.

[Thai at Heart]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

I guess to maitain and increase their budget the folks at the TAT find way to redesinate people such as ex-pats and transit passengers returning citizens as tourists to Thailand

Do you have any evidence to support this?

The issue isn't the numbers per se as a total, it is the lack of analysis to categorise "tourist".

Someone nipping across the border from Malaysia or Laos for a day trip, should be handled in the numbers differently than a person flying 10 hours with wife and kids for a 2 week holiday.

I believe the local hoteliers associations in the resorts and the hoteliers in Bangkok have far better analysis themselves of the health of the Thai tourism situation than immigration figures. I don't know if they do that much analysis of exactly who is spending what, staying at what level of accommodation, for how long, but in these figures a Laos person entering crossing the border 7 days a week counts as 7 tourist visits or a visa runner making 3 or 4 runs per year counts as 4 visits, so it skews the numbers completely

http://tourism.go.th/2010/upload/filecenter/file/stat_2554/Sep/Thai%20mak%201/Inter_Tourist.pdf

I don't know if they do a lot of analysis in private, but using global "totals" of immigration numbers doesn't help to plan a tourism strategy.

[Nisa]

Looking at the stats I see some interesting between the lines information.........66% are return customers 40% of the tourists arent there for holidays or to attend meetings, they must be expats on visa runs. The average foriegn tourist spends $135US while the average Thai overseas tourist spends $150US per day. So much for attracting quality tourist and Thailand being a cheaper destination.

Good catch and observation re: only 63% being here for holiday or meetings but I doubt real expats could have a significant impact on these numbers. An expat (as I believe we are talking) is typically not here on a tourist visa or doing 15 or 30 day boarding crossings but simply long term tourists with hopes of moving to Thailand. Consider too that the average stay being around 9-days.

No doubt multiple entries by a single individual are part of these numbers but would but the report is not providing all category options available or chosen. I mean if a person activating a 2nd part of a dual entry tourist visa, after already being in country 90-days, is given relevant choices for reason entering as a)Holiday b)meeting or c)other ... I'd guess most would pick "other" and not consider themselves on holiday for 6-months.

Not sure if these numbers were compiled by the same surveys taken at boarding crossings & airports that came up with daily spending numbers or if these numbers came from the arrival cards.

My point (opinion) is that the numbers are almost surely inflated by dual entries or border runs but most of these should be categorized as tourists such as wanna be expats who truly are nothing but long term tourists and end up heading back to their home country within a year or sooner when they realize they can't maintain a life in Thailand or the relationship didn't work out or they couldn't get their partner a visa.

The 60 to 40% ratio of return visitors is interesting too but initially assumed this may be typical for tourists figures in terms of many tourist having preferred vacation spots they return to as well as it including the number of folks who visit from neighboring countries.

[Nisa]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

I guess to maitain and increase their budget the folks at the TAT find way to redesinate people such as ex-pats and transit passengers returning citizens as tourists to Thailand

Do you have any evidence to support this?

The issue isn't the numbers per se as a total, it is the lack of analysis to categorise "tourist".

Someone nipping across the border from Malaysia or Laos for a day trip, should be handled in the numbers differently than a person flying 10 hours with wife and kids for a 2 week holiday.

Why would one of these people not be a tourist and the other be? I think you are wanting to simply distinguish if somebody is here on holiday or not. Regardless if a sex tourist or medical tourist or day shopping tourist, they are all tourists.

[Thai at Heart]

Looking at the stats I see some interesting between the lines information.........66% are return customers 40% of the tourists arent there for holidays or to attend meetings, they must be expats on visa runs. The average foriegn tourist spends $135US while the average Thai overseas tourist spends $150US per day. So much for attracting quality tourist and Thailand being a cheaper destination.

Good catch and observation re: only 63% being here for holiday or meetings but I doubt real expats could have a significant impact on these numbers. An expat (as I believe we are talking) is typically not here on a tourist visa or doing 15 or 30 day boarding crossings but simply long term tourists with hopes of moving to Thailand. Consider too that the average stay being around 9-days.

No doubt multiple entries by a single individual are part of these numbers but would but the report is not providing all category options available or chosen. I mean if a person activating a 2nd part of a dual entry tourist visa, after already being in country 90-days, is given relevant choices for reason entering as a)Holiday b)meeting or c)other ... I'd guess most would pick "other" and not consider themselves on holiday for 6-months.

Not sure if these numbers were compiled by the same surveys taken at boarding crossings & airports that came up with daily spending numbers or if these numbers came from the arrival cards.

My point (opinion) is that the numbers are almost surely inflated by dual entries or border runs but most of these should be categorized as tourists such as wanna be expats who truly are nothing but long term tourists and end up heading back to their home country within a year or sooner when they realize they can't maintain a life in Thailand or the relationship didn't work out or they couldn't get their partner a visa.

The 60 to 40% ratio of return visitors is interesting too but initially assumed this may be typical for tourists figures in terms of many tourist having preferred vacation spots they return to as well as it including the number of folks who visit from neighboring countries.

This card doesn't help completely either, because why would you tick the box that you are on business, when you are actually being issued a tourist visa if you come here for a meeting. People don't want to run the risk of getting into a discussion at immigration about their visa or purpose for coming into Thailand, so the vast majority of people tick tourist.

[waza]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

I guess to maitain and increase their budget the folks at the TAT find way to redesinate people such as ex-pats and transit passengers returning citizens as tourists to Thailand

Do you have any evidence to support this?

evidence to support a guess? What planet do you live on?

Edited May 23, 2012 by waza

[Thai at Heart]

Why would one of these people not be a tourist and the other be? I think you are wanting to simply distinguish if somebody is here on holiday or not. Regardless if a sex tourist or medical tourist or day shopping tourist, they are all tourists.

There are hundreds of small traders every day coming across the border to buy and trade goods either side of the border. They come in and leave often on the same day. My boss alone represents 24 visits from a British citizen every year coming in from Singapore twice a month, myself I contribute between 18 to 20, leaving and returning.

[Nisa]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

They want to keep their job.

Anything to back up this up such as people being let go in the years tourism was down? Ignoring the fact that the people who could fire anybody would know the numbers are bogus, I just don't find it plausible that people will lose their job because International tourism didn't increase dramatically during a year that saw a severe natural disaster and tourists from some major countries reducing travel to anywhere else. However, there are certainly many well publicized actual blunders & corruption by government agencies and employees where nobody is fired.

[Nisa]

This card doesn't help completely either, because why would you tick the box that you are on business, when you are actually being issued a tourist visa if you come here for a meeting. People don't want to run the risk of getting into a discussion at immigration about their visa or purpose for coming into Thailand, so the vast majority of people tick tourist.

Agree with your thoughts and why it does seem strange that 40% didn't pick Meeting or Holiday .. if the info came from the cards. I am going to guess that many people coming here for business on a 30-day entry are going to tick business and not be concerned with or be asked about a work permit. Not sure how many people come here to take classes (Education) or Conventions but seems to be the only other ones that would rate even close to top given the options. A transit passenger? They shouldn't have a need to fill out this card unless they are on a long layover and decided to enter the country but I guess some could consider themselves transit passengers if after visiting Thailand their itinerary has them visiting another country.

Who knows, there are lots of people who think differently and maybe who come here to experience the culture while on vacation consider themselves on an education trip.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Nisa

[waza]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

They want to keep their job.

Anything to back up this up such as people being let go in the years tourism was down? Ignoring the fact that the people who could fire anybody would know the numbers are bogus, I just don't find it plausible that people will lose their job because International tourism didn't increase dramatically during a year that saw a severe natural disaster and tourists from some major countries reducing travel to anywhere else. However, there are certainly many well publicized actual blunders & corruption by government agencies and employees where nobody is fired.

its also been a year when the cabinet has been shuffled for "bad performance". and will be again.

[Thai at Heart]

This card doesn't help completely either, because why would you tick the box that you are on business, when you are actually being issued a tourist visa if you come here for a meeting. People don't want to run the risk of getting into a discussion at immigration about their visa or purpose for coming into Thailand, so the vast majority of people tick tourist.

Agree with your thoughts and why it does seem strange that 40% didn't pick Meeting or Holiday .. if the info came from the cards. I am going to guess that many people coming here for business on a 30-day entry are going to tick business and not be concerned with or be asked about a work permit. Not sure how many people come here to take classes (Education) or Conventions but seems to be the only other ones that would rate even close to top given the options. A transit passenger? They shouldn't have a need to fill out this card unless they are on a long layover and decided to enter the country but I guess some could consider themselves transit passengers if after visiting Thailand their itinerary has them visiting another country.

Who knows, there are lots of people who think differently and maybe who come here to experience the culture while on vacation consider themselves on an education trip.

Some do tick business, but I know for a fact that the recommended statement given to all our employees when entering the country is to tick tourist even if they are coming for a meeting or business. People just don't instinctively write business, when they are coming for a 3 day meeting, because they don't want the possibility of being accused of working here, when they are going to be issued with a tourist visa stamp. No one wants to mess with immigration anywhere in the world. There is no such thing as a "meeting visa" so, asking immigration to be responsible for collating "tourist" numbers is not going to get the right result.

[Nisa]

Why would one of these people not be a tourist and the other be? I think you are wanting to simply distinguish if somebody is here on holiday or not. Regardless if a sex tourist or medical tourist or day shopping tourist, they are all tourists.

There are hundreds of small traders every day coming across the border to buy and trade goods either side of the border. They come in and leave often on the same day. My boss alone represents 24 visits from a British citizen every year coming in from Singapore twice a month, myself I contribute between 18 to 20, leaving and returning.

I am not sure about other border crossing but folks coming in from say Cambodia for work during the day are not counted and simply get passes for the day and not passport stamps, 15-day entry permits or passport stamps or ID checks.

If somebody is coming in on a 30 or 15 day entry or tourist visa than I can see no reason why they shouldn't be counted as a tourist regardless of the time they spend which as we know averages about 9 or 10 days.