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

[Pops]

(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.)

Wow that means they spend 1,57 Usd (47 THB) per visitor on average.

I knew Bangkok was cheap compared to London and Paris, but it seems like the average tourist in Bangkok get into a taxi at the airport drives into the city and then leaves.

In this equation I must assume most people share a taxi for with a service charge for taxis at the airport of 50 THB the average 47 THB will not get them far.

[JohnAllan]

Difficult to misinterpret the statement by the TAT. So I think it safe to call it blatant manipulation of the facts. Why? Because I don't believe for one minute, with all the global competition for tourists, the political strife still weighing on sentiment towards Thailand, and much of the world in the midst of an economic downturn, that Bangkok is likely to come anywhere close to 3rd place in choice of tourist destinations.

[JohnAllan]

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?

Have you not heard of manipulation? Or do you simply fail to understand the concept? It is something that happens all the time, to a greater or lesser extent, within all large organisations, within all governments and their departments. Ask yourself what, with the current state of the global economy and Thailand living in a constant state of fluctuation, never mind all the bad press it is receiving at present, would make Thailand your destination of choice, even third ranked.

[JohnAllan]

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?

And many TV posters are equal opportunists. They bash their own country at least as often; albeit, perhaps, on a different forum.

[belg]

i guess they have those numbers thanks to all the 30 or 90 day border runners, in and out and counts as a new tourist, over and over again

[Payboy]

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.

I guess the vacancy was created by the demolition of the Downtown Inn.

[Banzai99]

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?

Anyone who lives there by choice must like it, anyone who visits there on a regular basis must like it, I mean, they have a choice, there are so many places in the world they could go, why there if it's so bad ?

It can't be that bad.

Edited June 22, 2012 by Banzai99

[intravox]

Where are we in the hit parade of stabbing and mugging tourists; beach rapes and murders; poisoning of innocent travelers; killing retired Scandinavians; boiler room scams; on and off-duty police killing innocent citizens; homicidal rich kids killing pedestrian and other drivers in cars they can't drive..the lists go on. Surely the TAT must have this kind of valuable data to make available to tourists and travel professionals. Surely they are not trying to pretend that Phuket, Pattaya and the various outlying islands are not among the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world. Are they?

[TackyToo]

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

Don't tell me you are still in doubt about it...

[Banzai99]

Where are we in the hit parade of stabbing and mugging tourists; beach rapes and murders; poisoning of innocent travelers; killing retired Scandinavians; boiler room scams; on and off-duty police killing innocent citizens; homicidal rich kids killing pedestrian and other drivers in cars they can't drive..the lists go on. Surely the TAT must have this kind of valuable data to make available to tourists and travel professionals. Surely they are not trying to pretend that Phuket, Pattaya and the various outlying islands are not among the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world. Are they?

You know about it all, that's why you stay away from Thailand.

You do stay away don't you ?

Edited June 22, 2012 by Banzai99

[theblether]

You are joking.......it's on my top 3 list of places to avoid.

[theblether]

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?

And many TV posters are equal opportunists. They bash their own country at least as often; albeit, perhaps, on a different forum.

it's great fun in the visa forums just now.............the same people who complain monotonously about immigration to the UK are complaining it's now been made harder to immigrate to the UK.

I think we're needing a new " Hypocrite " sub forum..............oh hold on.......that would destroy the traffic on the website, as there are hypocrites all over the place here.

[brit1984]

I love Bangkok.

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[kimamey]

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?

Well in my case it's because my gf is from Isaan so this is where I live. I'm sure many others are the same.

I'm going to BKK on Sunday with my gf but that's for her job so I'm going as well. I quite like Bangkok but I think the point that's being made is that these figures seem to relate to people entering Thailand through Bangkok. It doesn't mean they stay there.

If you look at the CN page you can see it's very confusing

.

Firstly the headline says

Top tourist destinations for 2012 named. Will you be there?

It then mentions travel destination and visitors.

The report does seem to identify those who are returning home rather than it being their outward destination and transit passengers but I can't see anywhere that it differentiates between tourists and say business visitors and ex pats. Ex pats should be excluded as they are resident but due to the visa rules many use tourist visas I believe. I think you also have bear in mind that the provision and use of international airports. I've just done a very quick check and I can't find a flight from any London airport that flies into Chiang Mai so obviously you need to go to BKK. If you closed a few US airports in the east then more passengers would go through New York. You could use the numbers for the whole of Thailand but of course you then have the problem of differing size and population.

I suppose the most important figures are those comparing year on year rather than comparisons between various cities across the world. As far as I can see Bangkok is doing OK but then again there may be other factors involved which I know nothing about.

[TheCure]

Where are we in the hit parade of stabbing and mugging tourists; beach rapes and murders; poisoning of innocent travelers; killing retired Scandinavians; boiler room scams; on and off-duty police killing innocent citizens; homicidal rich kids killing pedestrian and other drivers in cars they can't drive..the lists go on. Surely the TAT must have this kind of valuable data to make available to tourists and travel professionals. Surely they are not trying to pretend that Phuket, Pattaya and the various outlying islands are not among the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world. Are they?

You know about it all, that's why you stay away from Thailand.

You do stay away don't you ?

Yes I stay away from sycophants

[khaowong1]

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

Personally, my favorite asian food is Chinese. And I'm not talking about the Thai version, I'm talking the real thing. I can think of many other ethnic foods I like better than Thai. Decent budget hotels, yes, interesting places to see, yes, food, not my favorite.

[HerbalEd]

More crap, from T.A.T

No, the story came from CNN, not TAT.

[cdnski12]

Do bar girls take credit cards ... Kaa Ching! dam_n the ATMs ...

[intravox]

Where are we in the hit parade of stabbing and mugging tourists; beach rapes and murders; poisoning of innocent travelers; killing retired Scandinavians; boiler room scams; on and off-duty police killing innocent citizens; homicidal rich kids killing pedestrian and other drivers in cars they can't drive..the lists go on. Surely the TAT must have this kind of valuable data to make available to tourists and travel professionals. Surely they are not trying to pretend that Phuket, Pattaya and the various outlying islands are not among the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world. Are they?

You know about it all, that's why you stay away from Thailand.

You do stay away don't you ?

I have lived here for 30 years. And my irony is obviously a bit too much for some newcomers....but I reiterate my point...the dangers tourists face here are very real...if they happen to be carrying enough cash or pick the wrong bar girl...TAT is a sham...hundred nay thousands of staff hiding behind an enormous budget spent almost entirely on global ad space and TV ads..leaving 'just enough' to pay themselves salaries their US counterparts would envy...TAT wins awards based on how much they spent that year on advertising with the magazine awarding the kudos...

[harada]

Carefull TAT or you will get a pimple on your tongue.

[spidermike007]

12.2 million tourists who will spend 19.2 million dollars. That is an average of $1.50 each. What a deal! No wonder Thais are considered by many, to have some of the lowest math skills in the world. Even the major news outlets cannot do basic math. And believing the TAT is like believing Putin, the tooth fairy, Yingluck, or Obama.

[Payboy]

12.2 million tourists who will spend 19.2 million dollars. That is an average of $1.50 each. What a deal! No wonder Thais are considered by many, to have some of the lowest math skills in the world. Even the major news outlets cannot do basic math. And believing the TAT is like believing Putin, the tooth fairy, Yingluck, or Obama.

Damnnnnn, must get a 12 digit calculator.

Edited June 24, 2012 by Payboy

[zydeco]

"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."

Aren't there six more months to go in 2012 after this month? Did the person writing this article use a time machine?

[osiboy]

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

Personally, my favorite asian food is Chinese. And I'm not talking about the Thai version, I'm talking the real thing. I can think of many other ethnic foods I like better than Thai. Decent budget hotels, yes, interesting places to see, yes, food, not my favorite.

have to agree, i think its terrible food, not just becouse most of it its cooked in un-hygienic places and conditions , ..it just tastes crap , and with little variety,...if it's not spicy and with rice , it's sour and with rice,......and spicey , given an alternative and the rate i see thais hitting mcDonalds and bakers shops i think they are going off it too !

Edited June 24, 2012 by osiboy

[maidu]

How much of the $14.4 billion (spent in Thailand by tourists) is spent on jet ski rental extortions?

.....is 'sin sod' (dowries) figured in to the figures? Probably every one reading this, knows at least one middle aged farang who has spent several thousand or several tens of thousands $$'s on sin sod for some pretty Thai gal half (or a third) his age. Does he get the cash (to dole out to the girl's family) by credit card? Doubtful.

[maidu]

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

Personally, my favorite asian food is Chinese. And I'm not talking about the Thai version, I'm talking the real thing. I can think of many other ethnic foods I like better than Thai. Decent budget hotels, yes, interesting places to see, yes, food, not my favorite.

have to agree, i think its terrible food, not just becouse most of it its cooked in un-hygienic places and conditions , ..it just tastes crap , and with little variety,...if it's not spicy and with rice , it's sour and with rice,......and spicey , given an alternative and the rate i see thais hitting mcDonalds and bakers shops i think they are going off it too !

Since you're talking about Thai and Chinese food, I'm compelled to pipe in and say I don't like either. Both have heaps of MSG, neither cuisine knows anything about fresh veges or organic, or natural tastes. All the dishes are slathered in bottled taste enhancers (which are also stoked with MSG). I reside in Thailand, but only go to Bkk when I can't avoid it (to catch a plane, for example), and I'll opt for a wealth of cuisines (Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, US, etc) if given a choice - over Thai or Chinese. To each his own.

[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?

Have you not heard of manipulation? Or do you simply fail to understand the concept? It is something that happens all the time, to a greater or lesser extent, within all large organisations, within all governments and their departments. Ask yourself what, with the current state of the global economy and Thailand living in a constant state of fluctuation, never mind all the bad press it is receiving at present, would make Thailand your destination of choice, even third ranked.

Well SHAME on all the people who participated in the survey for "manipulating" their responses to say that unlike so many Thai bashers/experts that they actually LIKE to come to Bangkok. Perhaps it is because the vast majority of tourists have no problems, love the friendly thai people, love the food, love being able to ride in a taxi for a couple of bucks, like the exotic sights, the shopping, the health care, the excellent value in hotel accommodations of all varieties, being able to eat wonderful food for a fraction of what most world capitals charge,.Maybe these poor misguided souls have actually traveled enough to know what THEY like and the risks or BS that they are willing to endure in various cities? Obviously these poor ignorant misguided people should have voted for some pristine place like Paris where they could get ripped off for serious money and treated like dog doo beacuse they don't speak the local language or want to pay $50 for a ten minute taxi ride or $100 for a lunch served by a snarling waiter?

Edited June 25, 2012 by pomchop

[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?

Have you not heard of manipulation? Or do you simply fail to understand the concept? It is something that happens all the time, to a greater or lesser extent, within all large organisations, within all governments and their departments. Ask yourself what, with the current state of the global economy and Thailand living in a constant state of fluctuation, never mind all the bad press it is receiving at present, would make Thailand your destination of choice, even third ranked.

Well SHAME on all the people who participated in the survey for "manipulating" their responses to say that unlike so many Thai bashers/experts that they actually LIKE to come to Bangkok. Perhaps it is because the vast majority of tourists have no problems, love the friendly thai people, love the food, love being able to ride in a taxi for a couple of bucks, like the exotic sights, the shopping, the health care, the excellent value in hotel accommodations of all varieties, being able to eat wonderful food for a fraction of what most world capitals charge,.Maybe these poor misguided souls have actually traveled enough to know what THEY like and the risks or BS that they are willing to endure in various cities? Obviously these poor ignorant misguided people should have voted for some pristine place like Paris where they could get ripped off for serious money and treated like dog doo beacuse they don't speak the local language or want to pay $50 for a ten minute taxi ride or $100 for a lunch served by a snarling waiter?

You didn't say "excellent value" did you? Hmmm, some of the other things you list can't be quantified, but value, by it's very definition, as long as we are not talking about intrinsic value, must be quantified. Thailand has rather poor value in several key areas (like most 'luxury' markets -- shopping, accommodation, food etc). Some of it has to do with the grossly segmented two-market economy here. Lower class (very low) and higher class (comparatively very high) with an almost non-existent middle class. Add to that, some of the highest customs import duties in the world (necessary evil of becoming an export-driven economy), and you have quite poor value indeed.

Now, on the other hand, I saw no mention of what could arguably STILL be the number 1 reason for travelling to Thailand, and that's the value of the women (and men) who spread their legs. Thai pussy (I mean, smiles and friendliness) is an incredible value. Good pussy is probably only more competitively priced in a few markets I've been to (Japan being one of them).

Edited June 25, 2012 by PaullyW