TAT: Bangkok Named The 3rd-Top Destination In The World

[webfact]

TAT: Bangkok named the 3rd-top destination in the world

BANGKOK, 21 June 2012 (NNT) - The Thai Tourism Authority revealed that the latest survey by a major credit card issuer has named the Thai capital one of the top 3 destinations among world travelers.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Prakit Piriyakiet said that a survey by MasterCard Worldwide, published on www.CNNGo.com which is a popular international leisure and travel website, found that Bangkok was international holiday-makers's third-most favorite destination in 2012.

According to the survey, Bangkok follows London and Paris in the rankings and is expected to draw around 12.2 million visitors, who will spend approximately 19.2 million dollars this year.

It also stated that Thailand was number-4 in the rankings of tourist spending in 2011, with the record of 14.4 billion dollars, after UK, the US and France.

Mr. Prakit added that a leading US-based travel website, www.fodors.com, has also named Phulay Bay - a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi Province as one of the top-10 spa resorts in the world.

The Deputy TAT Governor believes that both results will shed more positive lights on Thailand in the eyes of foreign travelers.

-- NNT 2012-06-21

[clockman]

More crap, from T.A.T

[chowny77]

I think Thailand needs to take its head out of its arse and sort the problems it does have internally before Thailand is shadowed out by vietnam, Loas, Malaysia and now Burma as a tourist destination.

[Reasonableman]

Right on cue.

[Skywalker69]

Does TAT live in the real world, or are the on drugs?

[james255]

Maybe it was a mistake headline and missed off the credit card fruad by accident ?

lol

[h90]

These rankings are only for the domestic propaganda.

When you read a lot international news papers you'll find that every city was already the worlds most beautiful/best life quality, best this best that.... from Paris to Mumbai

Second comes the we have the best army, pilots, marines or similar.

All from "independent" international surveys....

[PaullyW]

And, almost as if on cue, immediately following several questionable tourist deaths and maimings. What a disgusting group.

[Unkomoncents]

Well, they're gonna need all the help they can get with Thailand's image, considering that an middle-aged Australian woman was stabbed in the heart for her purse right in the middle of one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations yesterday. Hopefully these surveys will continue to convince everyone of the health of Thailand's tourist sector, because in other news, it's not looking so good.

[ginjag]

It's impossible to have some fair words for this department-TAT- I have rarely come accross such a load of BU## S#i##ers they are a joke, every statement they make is full of balderdash. This survey must have been done when a vast amount of people in BKK last November helping flood victims. Maybe it ranked 3rd behind Venice etc. TAT ought to go and join the 4 rallies organised,as they have not anything better to do with their time.

[klubex99]

Utter <deleted>, There must be 500 surreys done by all the different supposed authorities.

Mastercard.. Indeed.... huh.

What about New York City? Amsterdam? Prague? Rome, they all get huge numbers of travelers.. I been to these places, the tourists are a lot more plentiful than i see in Bangkok.

Even though BKK is popular, the TAT ought to ask themselves exactly what it is popular for... Even though they will try to hide it, but the whole world knows exactly what it is famous for.. THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS!!!

Also, I think you will find that the majority of people hitting BKK as tourists are all filtering out to different locations like Pattaya, Chiang Mai and the south... they are all funneled through BKK airport where they use their credit cards to get their first baht.

This is because Thailand is so far behind the rest of the world with its lack of international airports infrastructure.

Personally I hit BKK many times a year... I live in Korat, but if i want to go anywhere, i usually have to make my way to BKK, cambodia... via BKK, Laos.... via BKK, Vietnam...via BKK. Every time I return, I am counted as a statistic. So many falangs doing this, while living on tourist visas..... its all smoke and mirrors.

[WhizBang]

Is this why my American credit cards refuse the transaction until AFTER I call them and swear that yes it really is me, and yes I am currently in Thailand and yes that is my purchase?

Way to go TAT.

[AngryParent]

Thailand sure does get the low class travellers ($1.57 per person 19.2 / 12.2) or would it be low class journalists?

[hansgruber]

Well, they're gonna need all the help they can get with Thailand's image, considering that an middle-aged Australian woman was stabbed in the heart for her purse right in the middle of one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations yesterday. Hopefully these surveys will continue to convince everyone of the health of Thailand's tourist sector, because in other news, it's not looking so good.

This story has nothing to do with Phuket or anywhere else in Thailand, its about Bangkok. Stop riding on the emotion of the woman being murdered and get a grip.

[AngryParent]

Well, they're gonna need all the help they can get with Thailand's image, considering that an middle-aged Australian woman was stabbed in the heart for her purse right in the middle of one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations yesterday. Hopefully these surveys will continue to convince everyone of the health of Thailand's tourist sector, because in other news, it's not looking so good.

This story has nothing to do with Phuket or anywhere else in Thailand, its about Bangkok. Stop riding on the emotion of the woman being murdered and get a grip.

I guess your Bangkok is in another country!

[Yunla]

Bangkok is waiting for you amazing miracle hub of blindfolds.

[Huayrat]

Las vegas, london, paris , new york the list is endless before you even get to bangkok.. more bullshit

[dantilley]

Should have been higher - would be #1 on my list for sure.

[TheCure]

TAT, for once, is actually not lying trough its teeth, albeit by lack of details.

Thailand is , without any possible contest, the world's first destination for sex tourists, much to the dismay of our beloved Minister of culture, .

I still remember one of her predecessor in some useless ministerial post , who went on a tour of Pattaya and said she saw no sign of prostitution over there.

[klubex99]

I have flown into BKK 3 times thus far this year alone and its only half way through the year. I count as 3 tourists and will probably fly in again another 3 times before the year is through. i am not a tourist, even though i am on a tourist vise, and yes,.... I have a Mastercard.

Wonder how many more of the 1 million foreigners living here on tourist visas can bump that number up.

Don't confuse tourists with foreigners entering the country... If you actually counted all those entering Bangkok genuinely for a holiday, and had the true stats in hand, then you will find it is a mediocre destination and probably would not even be in the top 20.

Sorry TAT, I just don't see hardly any foreigners in Bangkok who are on holiday there. As a matter of fact, I can't ever remember having a conversation with a tourist. most are living and working here or passing through.

Strangely, the last couple of farangs i chatted with were living in Cambodia and only in BKK for a visa. Having lived for a few years in Thailand, actually really dislike it now and say that its much better there. I have to agree. I love visiting Cambodia, it is a lot more chilled out and I can see that probably in 10 years time, it could be the new Thailand. Same as Myanmar... TAT need to really look at the looming threats posed from those 2 countries right on its doorstep.

[klubex99]

TAT, for once, is actually not lying trough its teeth, albeit by lack of details.

Thailand is , without any possible contest, the world's first destination for sex tourists, much to the dismay of our beloved Minister of culture, .

I still remember one of her predecessor in some useless ministerial post , who went on a tour of Pattaya and said she saw no sign of prostitution over there.

They ought to have sent a man.

[Pib]

Here's the CNNGO.com article/survey. Link Bangkok is indeed ranked #3.

However, the survey also lists the Top 20 fastest growing destinations in 2012...no location in Thailand is on that list...with the #20 position being Caracus whose annual tourism is growing at 7%. Seems stats we get from TAT usually project Thailand tourism growth in the percent double digits...apparently the Mastercard survey don't support that.

[ginjag]

We have to not get mixed up here, How many people stay in the 3rd in the world DESTINATION. BKK IS NOT THE FINAL DESTINATION for most of arrivals. I still rebuff the TAT figures. TAT is sort of saying it's the third most loved place on earth.????

[mrtoad]

Hub of bullshit

[AngryParent]

We have to not get mixed up here, How many people stay in the 3rd in the world DESTINATION. BKK IS NOT THE FINAL DESTINATION for most of arrivals. I still rebuff the TAT figures. TAT is sort of saying it's the third most loved place on earth.????

I think you have solved the issue of the misleading data - transit flights through BKK!!!

Yup I think most of the XX million TAT keep rambling about can be discarded based on transit, visa runs and border crossings e.g. the lady with a basket on her head that crosses the Myanmar border and enters Thailand on market days (multiplied by all such similar low level border movements) etc. The rest of the numbers are just dreamt up.

Edited June 21, 2012 by AngryParent

[damo]

Poor Thailand, if only they had colonisation they would'nt have such a fuedal society. Cambo, your next Malaysia 20 + years,

Thailand more like bangladesh in 20 yrs.

[gamini]

I agree entirely. Fantastic hotels budget prices. Night life shopping and many interesting places to see. And the food fabulous. I have visited most capitals in my long life and Bangkok is my favoutate city. I do not live there but love going ther one or two times a month

[pomchop]

The Thai Tourism Authority revealed that the latest survey by a major credit card issuer has named the Thai capital one of the top 3 destinations among world travelers.

Did any of you "thailand is awful" and Thai Tourism is awful keyboard warriors even READ the first sentence of the story before you started blasting the Thai tourism people. THEY DID NOT do the survery...it was done by MASTERCARD and they simply reported the results just like EVERY OTHER TOURIST BUREAU does when their country/city/etc wins ANY award....google it and you'll see other tourism departments also promoting that THEY were named in this survey.

They would be absolutely stupid NOT to promote these INDEPENDENT surveys that make Bangkok look good.

Some of you thailand tourist authority bashers truly need to get a grip on reality...if they did not promote this survey would you be blasting them for failure to take advantage of some positive press???

Why so many Thailand bashers continue to live in thailand or at least spend hours on a thai related forum is beyond understanding. If it is truly the awful cesspool then one would have to question why in the world would you choose to live or visit so often?

[mca]

I find it truly amazing that the vast majority of tourists come to Thailand for their fortnight's holiday or whatever and just have a lovely time encountering no problems whatsoever. Reading some of the posts on this forum it sounds as if Thailand is a cross between Mogadishu and Helmand.

[PaullyW]

The Thai Tourism Authority revealed that the latest survey by a major credit card issuer has named the Thai capital one of the top 3 destinations among world travelers.

Did any of you "thailand is awful" and Thai Tourism is awful keyboard warriors even READ the first sentence of the story before you started blasting the Thai tourism people. THEY DID NOT do the survery...it was done by MASTERCARD and they simply reported the results just like EVERY OTHER TOURIST BUREAU does when their country/city/etc wins ANY award....google it and you'll see other tourism departments also promoting that THEY were named in this survey.

They would be absolutely stupid NOT to promote these INDEPENDENT surveys that make Bangkok look good.

Some of you thailand tourist authority bashers truly need to get a grip on reality...if they did not promote this survey would you be blasting them for failure to take advantage of some positive press???

Why so many Thailand bashers continue to live in thailand or at least spend hours on a thai related forum is beyond understanding. If it is truly the awful cesspool then one would have to question why in the world would you choose to live or visit so often?

It's the timing, my friend. Think deeper.