Tat Set To Attract High-Spending Tourists To Help Hit Tourism Revenue Target Of Thb2Tril In 2015

[Thai at Heart]

" high-spending tourists" all heading to singapore ^__^

It would be a good exercise to compare. Money doesn't go nearly as far because of the higher costs, however it is a popular destination. Is it because of its proximity to other destinations, or because there are (mostly) no scams? the place is safe for families, and stuff that people like to buy such as electronics are priced pretty good

Is cuz the 5 start experience can cover the whole Singapore experience. There isn't a complete 5 star experience in a complete resort in Thailand.

Some hotels are 5 star but the moment u leave the hotel. Well..........

[F430murci]

Great in theory, but majority of Westerns I know with means, even though spending long vacations in Thailand for 20 or more years, have become pretty fed up with many issues of late and are looking to other destinations. Thailand tends to attract bargain tourist, a bit like Cancun Mexico. High rollers will opt to Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Caribean Islands, French Riveria, and other popular destinations inside USA.

[PattayaParent]

BANGKOK, 15 July 2012 (NNT) – The Thai Tourism Authority has already strategized about how to achieve the ambitious tourism revenue target of 2 trillion baht within 3 years' time.

Easy. Just follow earlier plan and they are half way there.

Thailand Elite Card, the brainchild of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is TPC's sole owner

the goal was to attract a million subscribers in five years for revenue of 1 trillion baht.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4383836

.

And what a coincidence!

Thaksins sister having exactly the same idea as he did

10 years after his original scheme failed!!

[waza]

The only way Thailand is going to attract big spenders, clean up all the trash everywhere, paint everything in tastefull colors, and allow big casino's to operate here. You dont have to leagalize gambling everywhere, only in certain and specific areas, just as many other countries do.

At least for the foreseeable, with the economy as it is, asians are the ones with the money, and its not the ones coming here now on budget tours.

Before everybody freeks out and say all the locals will spen everydime they have. Singapore seems to have a pretty good system to prevent that.

By definition, the big spenders don't want to sit with the riff raff, and want clean organized efficient luxury wherever they go.

Where do tuk tuks, stinky drains and "hey u, fut masaj" fit into this unless they are never to venture out if their resorts?

Not sure if you read the first part of my post. "Clean up the trash everywhere" is kind of a broad statement, but I dont like to type either.

Of course high rollers do often spend an entire trip at one or two resorts.

2 trillion baht is a lot of money in any country. going from 700 mill thb to 2 trillion in a few years is a pretty tall order and real wishfull thinking and truely unrealistic. That being said, Thailands only chance at hitting this lofty goal is getting the Big casinos here. Sands, MGM, or one of Steve Wynns Encores

Or they could just offer free 30 day tourist visa's again. They may have gave up on that to early.

They may have missed that boat............

Are you ready for a China implosion?.........

• Casino stocks once known for their Las Vegas riches now depend on Macau for their profits. A Chinese hard landing could hurt the entire East Asian region, in turn leaving gaming customers with less to gamble. Not great news for Crown (ASX: CWN) major shareholder James Packer. Even though most casino stocks are well off their highs, they’re still arguably not pricing in the risk of a full economic collapse.
  
• http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/motley/8499321/are-you-ready-for-a-china-implosion
  

[Felt 35]

In doing so, the TAT will be focusing on the development of popular tourism-related products for the market with high purchasing power, particularly Russia, China, South Korea and Australia.

Do this transelate to: TAT see this as the market with high purchasing power because they are the only ones coming!

[Thai at Heart]

The only way Thailand is going to attract big spenders, clean up all the trash everywhere, paint everything in tastefull colors, and allow big casino's to operate here. You dont have to leagalize gambling everywhere, only in certain and specific areas, just as many other countries do.

At least for the foreseeable, with the economy as it is, asians are the ones with the money, and its not the ones coming here now on budget tours.

Before everybody freeks out and say all the locals will spen everydime they have. Singapore seems to have a pretty good system to prevent that.

By definition, the big spenders don't want to sit with the riff raff, and want clean organized efficient luxury wherever they go.

Where do tuk tuks, stinky drains and "hey u, fut masaj" fit into this unless they are never to venture out if their resorts?

Not sure if you read the first part of my post. "Clean up the trash everywhere" is kind of a broad statement, but I dont like to type either.

Of course high rollers do often spend an entire trip at one or two resorts.

2 trillion baht is a lot of money in any country. going from 700 mill thb to 2 trillion in a few years is a pretty tall order and real wishfull thinking and truely unrealistic. That being said, Thailands only chance at hitting this lofty goal is getting the Big casinos here. Sands, MGM, or one of Steve Wynns Encores

Or they could just offer free 30 day tourist visa's again. They may have gave up on that to early.

They may have missed that boat............

Are you ready for a China implosion?.........

• Casino stocks once known for their Las Vegas riches now depend on Macau for their profits. A Chinese hard landing could hurt the entire East Asian region, in turn leaving gaming customers with less to gamble. Not great news for Crown (ASX: CWN) major shareholder James Packer. Even though most casino stocks are well off their highs, they’re still arguably not pricing in the risk of a full economic collapse.
  
• http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/motley/8499321/are-you-ready-for-a-china-implosion
  

Last time i was in macau, the Chinese had changed the visa laws for a few Weeks. The pace was a ghost town.

I an tired o reading ptp claiming the mess in Europe won't hit them here. China just recorded 7.5% gdp griwth which for then is like a recession.

Economically the world is in a mess, so stop pretending its all ok, and make a real plan before the mess rely comes to your doorstop.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Soi Sauce]

So, TOT, please tell me where in this overdeveloped, destroyed paradise, these upmarket tourists would like to go?

[Soi Sauce]

The people in charge of T A T live in a different world to the ordinary tourists who come to Thailand they keep banging on about improving this and cleaning up the image of this place and that place when will they take there heads out the sand and realise that the majority of tourists who come to Thailand are male and what are they coming for sex cheap booze and a good time if they really want to turn things around and get back to the good old days when you couldn't find an empty seat in the bars of walking street and all the hotel rooms where full every night they need to start putting the fun back they have been shooting them selfs in the foot over and over again these last 10 years with there stupid no alcohol days hassles with visa's and there rules and regulations it's about time they realised what there assets are

Maybe they can declare walking street a protectorate with a single entry stamp got 180 days at a time, but only one entry into Thailand per year for your own good

Thai at Heart has it in a nutshell. Give the customer what they want, not what u want them to want.

Silom, Sukhumvit, and Pattaya are empty at the moment.

Wonder why, TaT.

[Thai at Heart]

The people in charge of T A T live in a different world to the ordinary tourists who come to Thailand they keep banging on about improving this and cleaning up the image of this place and that place when will they take there heads out the sand and realise that the majority of tourists who come to Thailand are male and what are they coming for sex cheap booze and a good time if they really want to turn things around and get back to the good old days when you couldn't find an empty seat in the bars of walking street and all the hotel rooms where full every night they need to start putting the fun back they have been shooting them selfs in the foot over and over again these last 10 years with there stupid no alcohol days hassles with visa's and there rules and regulations it's about time they realised what there assets are

Maybe they can declare walking street a protectorate with a single entry stamp got 180 days at a time, but only one entry into Thailand per year for your own good

Thai at Heart has it in a nutshell. Give the customer what they want, not what u want them to want.

Silom, Sukhumvit, and Pattaya are empty at the moment.

Wonder why, TaT.

Well this is a planning issue. Pattaya us officially marketed in many places as a family destination. Why they have 5 star resorts 300m from the the shateen i don't know.

The horse has well and truly bolted. They should gave decided 20 years ago where would be 5,4 3 and leser stars. New every island and resort is a mush of everything all together.

The skiing industry realized this years ago. 5 star customers expect the best but they pay for the best. Today, there is no definitive 5/6 star resort in Thailand. That's their choice, but it means they are all much of a muchness.

This comes eventually back to local families ruining every resort town for short term gain with absolutely no long term plan from anyone. The strategy shifts a bit from here to there, but they have largely screwed the goose everywhere.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[toenail]

A couple opinions of my own: 1) "High Spending" tourists also demand unpolluted beaches; sidewalks without vendors and litter; and professionally trained staff for customer service. I do not see this in Thailand. 2) One of the attractions of Thailand (besides its culture) for tourists is its variety of hotels and restaurants to meet everyones traveling budget...from backpackers, to the three star and five star traveler. 3) The Thailand I first was introduced to back in 1982 is certainly different today. It has lost its charm and unplanned tourist ghettos have been allowed to be built with no infrastruture. I guess that is what progress does.

[blazes]

When will they get the simple point that if they stop concentrating so much on extracting as much money as possible from people then people might actually spend more. When I am relaxed and having fun and not feeling harassed / extorted I don't pay too much attention to how much I am spending. When I feeling pressured to open my wallet, I get irritated and stop spending money.

Thailand - try to make people feel contented and happy and the money will follow. Keep going the way you are, and people will not return. Simple.

I am responding to you only because a click on I like this is far to mild. Yes stop trying to make the suck holing of their money your only priority.

I live in Chiang Mai in a very touristy area and there is lots of tourists here now considering it is low season. The other day I was sitting at a out door cafe in the old part of the city just watching people. I noticed there were quite a few women travelers with another women and several families all just strolling along.

Now this area of Chiang Mai is not known for it's high end destinations but it is bringing money into the country. Stop trying to get as much money as you can out of the high rollers and put some effort into the back packers and the tourists who are not back packers but willing to spend some money. Try to encourage the guest houses to make there rooms attractive paint them keep the area clean. Control the noise after 11"00 at night.

There will always be the ones who come for the sex and roll in late making all kinds of noise evict them.

Make all of Thailand attractive to people of all income ranges.

I noticed there were quite a few women travelers with another women

are you suggesting that TAT advertising should now be directed at the lesbians of the world?

[Semper]

They keep talking about high-spending tourists, yet i have not seen a plan on how they planning to do that.

Also looking around at the moment, it seems they achieved totally opposite and have attracted the cheapest charlies they could find

Yes and that helps keeping the price level down, so we cheap charlies who live here don't have to dig too deep in our pockets.

[maidu]

What is the attraction in Thailand????

To quote james packer, a very clever business man on the subject of creating tourism.

JAMES PACKER: Tourism around the world, the successful tourism around the world, is about man-made attractions. The biggest tourist destination in America is New York. The second biggest, tied, is Orlando and Las Vegas. Las Vegas gets about 40 million people a year. I think maybe the greatest natural attraction in the world is the Grand Canyon. It's a half-hour drive from Las Vegas and gets about 3 million a year.

http://sixtyminutes....30/packers-punt

Whats thailand got?

Good point. On a smaller scale, it's similar where I reside, in Chiang Rai, northernmost Thailand. The biggest attraction is a wat which looks like a wedding cake on steroids.

There are a dozen very nice natural attractions (rivers, hot springs, waterfalls, rock climbing, trails, etc) which tourists would love, but tourist industry people only want to take people to the temple, because it's close and they can park their giant buses there. All the other attractions are off the good roads, farther afield, and require some exertion. TAT and Thai tourist industry people don't know this, but most farang like to be out in nature, and don't mind some exertion. Asians, less so.

[maidu]

So, TOT, please tell me where in this overdeveloped, destroyed paradise, these upmarket tourists would like to go?

I was just in Krabi. While exploring on motorbike, I found a long stretch of beach which fronted several 5-star big-name resorts. However, there were hundreds of big pieces of broken brown glass everywhere, nearly all had the sharp ends sticking up. Almost looked intentional. If TAT can't be bothered with the little things (like cleaning up injury-causing beaches), then how can it pretend to want to attract high-end tourists?

I am responding to you only because a click on I like this is far to mild. Yes stop trying to make the suck holing of their money your only priority.

I live in Chiang Mai in a very touristy area and there is lots of tourists here now considering it is low season. The other day I was sitting at a out door cafe in the old part of the city just watching people. I noticed there were quite a few women travelers with another women and several families all just strolling along.

Now this area of Chiang Mai is not known for it's high end destinations but it is bringing money into the country. Stop trying to get as much money as you can out of the high rollers and put some effort into the back packers and the tourists who are not back packers but willing to spend some money. Try to encourage the guest houses to make there rooms attractive paint them keep the area clean. Control the noise after 11"00 at night.

There will always be the ones who come for the sex and roll in late making all kinds of noise evict them.

Make all of Thailand attractive to people of all income ranges.

Good point, and one which I've been saying for over 20 years in Thailand. TAT keeps spending billions of baht trying to cater just to the high-end tourists (golf and resorts). But it's a losing battle. Tourism in Thailand is better suited for the mid-end regular folks who might spend one to two thousand dollars in a several week vacation here.

You and I can plead for reason until we're blue in the face, but TAT will never see the sense of accommodating the mid-level tourist. They will ALWAYS be focusing on trying to attract the big spenders, but the big spenders are few and far between. In the process, TAT will be shoveling billions of baht to already rich resorts and golf courses. I visit the biggest high-end resorts in my area of Thailand, and more often than not, they're nearly empty. In contrast, the mid- and low-end places have many more visitors. Thailand is just not a classy place. Face reality.

Edited July 16, 2012 by maidu

[waza]

The reality is the horse has bolted, the massive decline in the middle class in the 1st world has dramatically decrease the pool of 5 star tourists. From now on value for money will be the attraction for tourist, wether they are back packers families or couples and value for money isnt Thailand. The only major advantage Thailand has over other tourist destinations is the redlight tourists attractions, Thailand should play to its strengths and not kill the golden goose.

[blazes]

What an absolutely appalling video stuck in a hotel room seat on the bed hahaha

Yes, appalling, but remember, the Turks (who were doing the interviewing) are not exactly flush at the moment.

The whole video was worth watching for that one phrase : "miracle year of amazing Thailand."

[BarryM]

Until four years ago I regularly brought my family out to Thailand, however no longer.

Partly it's declining value. 200 us a night used to get great rooms in top hotels, today those rooms are over 400 us.

The flights used to be circa 2700 pounds in first each on TG, today its nearer 4k sterling from Lindon

The lack of anything outside the hotel is the main reason for holidaying elsewhere. My parents are not fond of packs of stray dogs, dirty beaches, roads without pedestrian crossings, impassable pavements and the general hassle of everything

Our typical hotel spend over Christmas was usially circa 1.5 m baht for three weeks. There aresimply far better places to visit than Thailand

[coma]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

[phl]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

Reading your post, if stupid enough, one might actually believe tourists get killed or robbed every minute.

Crime in Thailand is no different than in any other country in the world, unless of course you proposing they assign a body guard to each tourist

[coma]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

Reading your post, if stupid enough, one might actually believe tourists get killed or robbed every minute.

Crime in Thailand is no different than in any other country in the world, unless of course you proposing they assign a body guard to each tourist

Not you again. Troll!!!

[Sayonarax]

Middle class people don't go on holidays to trailer parks, so why would super rich people want to come to dirty beaches, crap average food and mafia like locals hanging out a tourist areas?

[maidu]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

Reading your post, if stupid enough, one might actually believe tourists get killed or robbed every minute.

Crime in Thailand is no different than in any other country in the world, unless of course you proposing they assign a body guard to each tourist

One difference, at least with developed countries, is crime is adeptly investigated and, if culprits are found to be guilty, they're tossed in jail. In Thailand, a criminal can get off with a light sentence at most, and that's if he's caught and successfully prosecuted based on hard evidence - a rarity in Thailand, because it's too easy for cops to either look the other way, or botch up an investigation, or simply take a payment to sweep nasty things under the rug.

[thaimat]

They keep talking about high-spending tourists, yet i have not seen a plan on how they planning to do that.

Also looking around at the moment, it seems they achieved totally opposite and have attracted the cheapest charlies they could find

Just talk with any Thai who works in a tourist related business, and they will tell you that the tourists of the last few years are the cheapest, spend little, other than loading up at Tesco (non-Thai company).

[thaimat]

What an absolutely appalling video stuck in a hotel room seat on the bed hahaha

Yes, appalling, but remember, the Turks (who were doing the interviewing) are not exactly flush at the moment.

The whole video was worth watching for that one phrase : "miracle year of amazing Thailand."

Supposedly tourist numbers are up, and I really stress supposedly, yet the income is way down. Simple math to do.

[waza]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

Reading your post, if stupid enough, one might actually believe tourists get killed or robbed every minute.

Crime in Thailand is no different than in any other country in the world, unless of course you proposing they assign a body guard to each tourist

One difference, at least with developed countries, is crime is adeptly investigated and, if culprits are found to be guilty, they're tossed in jail. In Thailand, a criminal can get off with a light sentence at most, and that's if he's caught and successfully prosecuted based on hard evidence - a rarity in Thailand, because it's too easy for cops to either look the other way, or botch up an investigation, or simply take a payment to sweep nasty things under the rug.

and crime is encouraged by the control of tourist areas by criminal organisations

[Surin steve]

The reality is the horse has bolted, the massive decline in the middle class in the 1st world has dramatically decrease the pool of 5 star tourists. From now on value for money will be the attraction for tourist, wether they are back packers families or couples and value for money isnt Thailand. The only major advantage Thailand has over other tourist destinations is the redlight tourists attractions, Thailand should play to its strengths and not kill the golden goose.

[Surin steve]

Another very good point also instead of banging on about all these so called high class tourists why don't they try to keep the thousands of us who already live here happy instead of doing there best to make it more difficult for us with there visa changes and complicated rules and regulations we must bring into the country millions every year yet we are treated like $hit 10 years ago they did a census there where 1400 + farang living in surin Provence this year there are less than 500 apparently I personly have lost a dozen or more very good friends who have become sick of Thailand and moved on mostly to Cambodia

[chooka]

In doing so, the TAT will be focusing on the development of popular tourism-related products for the market with high purchasing power, particularly Russia, China, South Korea and Australia.

Well they have a lot of work to do if they want to get Australian tourists back. The bad publicity that Thailand received after the murder of the female travel agent dealt a masive blow to Thailand. My father who owns and operates a travel agency had many, many cancelations/alternate bookings. Paying a few demonstrators to attend the crime scene re enactment and having a few monks hold a service at the site didn't really do to much.

P.S TAT - Australia has forgotten yet.

[chooka]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

If they cut all that out how would they meet the target of 2 trillion, do you think the tourists will simply just hand it over. All these proceeds of crime end up following into the Thai economy.

[coma]

" The TAT Governor also stressed the need to elevate the quality of Thai tourist destinations to meet acceptable standards "

So does this mean that they will be taking appropriate steps towards stopping foriegn tourists from being poisoned to death or bashed and robbed ,stabbed and robbed ,murdered and robbed by the local population ? Or would that fall outside TAT's criteria of acceptable standards.

If they cut all that out how would they meet the target of 2 trillion, do you think the tourists will simply just hand it over. All these proceeds of crime end up following into the Thai economy.

What ? Like the 2 blokes that stabbed the Australian lady to death so he could pay for his 300 baht meal tab ??