Bangkok Again Top Destination City In Asia

[Nisa]

You would think that they could have gone out and got a more recent photo rather than one that's been on file for a couple of years.

Agree ... The picture was uploaded Dec. 2005 ... http://www.flickr.co...obloo/93523102/

It has been years since you will see elephants walking the streets for tourist entertainment in Bangkok.

Actually it's only been about one year.

http://www.sify.com/news/feeding-elephants-declared-a-crime-in-bangkok-news-international-khnquchgcjj.html

[ginjag]

You would think that they could have gone out and got a more recent photo rather than one that's been on file for a couple of years.

Agree ... The picture was uploaded Dec. 2005 ... http://www.flickr.co...obloo/93523102/

It has been years since you will see elephants walking the streets for tourist entertainment in Bangkok.

Actually it's only been about one year.

http://www.sify.com/...hnquchgcjj.html

And BKK tourist ares ONLY..out of sight out of mind, getting around more, most of us see cities and towns-villages still plagued with jumbo exploitation. Inroads are being made but slowly, if it wasn;t for international pressure mainly---it would be back to square one. MONEY.

[Nisa]

Agree ... The picture was uploaded Dec. 2005 ... http://www.flickr.co...obloo/93523102/

It has been years since you will see elephants walking the streets for tourist entertainment in Bangkok.

Actually it's only been about one year.

http://www.sify.com/...hnquchgcjj.html

And BKK tourist ares ONLY..out of sight out of mind, getting around more, most of us see cities and towns-villages still plagued with jumbo exploitation. Inroads are being made but slowly, if it wasn;t for international pressure mainly---it would be back to square one. MONEY.

Appreciate you sharing your negativity but we were talking specifically about Bangkok tourist areas.

[whybother]

You would think that they could have gone out and got a more recent photo rather than one that's been on file for a couple of years.

You would think no one would care about something so trivial.

It's not that trivial considering elephants haven't been there for a couple of years, and it's now illegal for elephants to be there.

But elephants aren't really the point. The point is lazy journalism.

[Nisa]

I read the report-RELEASED by Mastercard. If it is not connected to their card sales, why would they be involved???? and how can anyone state for sure that this money is the only way to buy goods etc ?? do card companies have access to info into other means of purchase-T Cheques, CASH. A vast ammount of people will not use ATM here as the charge for near all is a standard 150 bht rip off.

Do you really not comprehend why Mastercard would be interested in tourism and were tourists are going and spending money and why they might want their name associated with tourism? It has been explained to you numerous times where figures like these (tourist spending) are derived and it is the same way it done in other tourist countries where this kind of information is important to many groups.

[jaiyen]

Could somebody explain how do they calculate how much a tourist spends ? They dont have a clue ! Nobody has ever asked me how much I spend on my trips to Thailand. Where do they get the figure of 776 billion ? I presume guesswork to make it look like it is increasing.

[Notstupid30]

Just looking at the world of news and this recession.. ?

EU News ..

Reuters Poll: Euro zone back in recession as crisis clouds swirl

The euro zone has sunk back into its second recession since 2009, a Reuters poll predicted on Thursday, as the debt crisis that has ravaged the continent for over two years continues to stifle growth.

Read More : http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/19/economy-eurozone-poll-idINDEE86I0FR20120719

Asia News

Asia Stocks Drop With Oil on Global Growth Concern as Euro Falls

Asian stocks fell and oil dropped from a nine-week high as China pledged to keep property curbs and concern grew that Europe’s debt crisis is dragging on global growth. The euro weakened against most of its major peers.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...corn-gains.html

US News

Economists Argue If U.S. Economy Recovering or Back in Recession

The thing about a recession is that you typically don’t know you’re in one until it’s been around for a while. Broadly defined, an economy is in recession not just when it’s operating below capacity, but when it’s outright shrinking. Exactly what constitutes that shrinkage, though, can be fuzzy. The most cited rule of thumb, two consecutive quarters of declining output, doesn’t always apply. Gross domestic product is often positive when a recession starts. That’s why recoveries sometimes don’t feel much different than recessions.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...-recession.html

Middle East News

Middle East turmoil pushing oil higher again

Rising tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil prices up 19 percent over the past three weeks and are leading to a rise in prices at the gasoline pump. Since the start of July, average gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed 11 cents to $3.44 per gallon. Pump prices are expected to creep higher in the coming weeks, and they aren't likely to fall back to their June low of $3.33 for the rest of the summer, analysts say.Crude rose $2.79, about 3 percent, to $92.66 per barrel Thursday, its highest level since mid-May. The price has risen $15 per barrel since June 28, when oil hit a low of $77.69.

Read More : http://www.google.co...3c9bcc16a62cc3a

on top of all this Copper prices have fared better than gold and silver.. Tourism Authority of Thailand ? Are crazy with some of the stuff they come out with these days just to save face..

Edited July 20, 2012 by Notstupid30

[Nisa]

Just looking at the world of news and this recession.. ?

EU News ..

Reuters Poll: Euro zone back in recession as crisis clouds swirl

The euro zone has sunk back into its second recession since 2009, a Reuters poll predicted on Thursday, as the debt crisis that has ravaged the continent for over two years continues to stifle growth.

Read More : http://www.reuters.c...E86I0FR20120719

Asia News

Asia Stocks Drop With Oil on Global Growth Concern as Euro Falls

Asian stocks fell and oil dropped from a nine-week high as China pledged to keep property curbs and concern grew that Europe’s debt crisis is dragging on global growth. The euro weakened against most of its major peers.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...corn-gains.html

US News

Economists Argue If U.S. Economy Recovering or Back in Recession

The thing about a recession is that you typically don’t know you’re in one until it’s been around for a while. Broadly defined, an economy is in recession not just when it’s operating below capacity, but when it’s outright shrinking. Exactly what constitutes that shrinkage, though, can be fuzzy. The most cited rule of thumb, two consecutive quarters of declining output, doesn’t always apply. Gross domestic product is often positive when a recession starts. That’s why recoveries sometimes don’t feel much different than recessions.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...-recession.html

Middle East News

Middle East turmoil pushing oil higher again

Rising tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil prices up 19 percent over the past three weeks and are leading to a rise in prices at the gasoline pump. Since the start of July, average gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed 11 cents to $3.44 per gallon. Pump prices are expected to creep higher in the coming weeks, and they aren't likely to fall back to their June low of $3.33 for the rest of the summer, analysts say.Crude rose $2.79, about 3 percent, to $92.66 per barrel Thursday, its highest level since mid-May. The price has risen $15 per barrel since June 28, when oil hit a low of $77.69.

Read More : http://www.google.co...3c9bcc16a62cc3a

on top of all this Copper prices have fared better than gold and silver.. Tourism Authority of Thailand ? Are crazy with some of the stuff they come out with these days just to save face..

You should actually examine some of the news instead of looking for negative headlines. Not only is there lots of positive news out there but you might notice this report didn't come from TAT. http://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MasterCard_Global_Destination_Cities_Index_2012.pdf

[Notstupid30]

MasterCard Global Destination Survey Ranks Bangkok #1 in Asia, #3 in World

By TAT: June 22, 2012

In terms of projected international arrivals and expenditure, Bangkok is poised to be the top destination in the Asia-Pacific region according to MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2012. The global credit card company looks ahead every year and estimates cross-border travel statistics in 132 cities worldwide.

Bangkok, at number 3 worldwide, is projected to receive some 12.2 million visitors in 2012, who will spend in the neighborhood of 19.3 billion dollars.

The report also stated that Thailand was number 4 globally in the rankings of tourist spending in 2011, with a record of 14.4 billion dollars international spend, following the UK, the US and France.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, Bangkok comes out in the top position again, as it did the previous 2 years, but with even more impressive growth. Two years ago, visitor spending came to US$11.1 billion, rising to US$16.6 billion in 2011, and shooting up to US$19.3 billion this year.

MasterCard’s report notes that “Bangkok is one of the rising stars of the report and is cited as the number one city in terms of projected international visitor numbers and spend within the Asia/Pacific region. Most traffic is set to come from Tokyo and these visitors will also be spending more than visitors from the other top origin cities.”

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Prakit Piriyakiet commented on the survey, noting that these results will certainly shine a positive light on Thailand in the eyes of foreign travelers. He added that the popular 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.

Read more http://www.thailandtourismupdate.com/ArticleInfo/50/1778/MasterCard-Global-Destination-Survey-Ranks-Bangkok-

Same old shit...just another day!

[Notstupid30]

Oh and ?

Thai travel business operators worried over threats from CLMV formation

BANGKOK, 20 July 2012 Thai travel business operators have expressed worries over increasing competition from the setting up of a tourism promotion project by 4 ASEAN countries. Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) President Suthipong Pheunphiphop said on Thursday that all related parties, including the TTAA, the Association of Thai Traven Agents (ATTA) and the Association of Domestic Travel (ADT), are keeping a close eye on the direction of the country’s tourism industry after the realization of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

Mr. Suthipong said that a more liberalized region will be a challenge for Thailand, especially in terms of its ranking within ASEAN.

He also noted that the biggest worry for the Thai tourism industry is the formation of CLMV countries, comprising of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, which signed a cooperation document to allow travelers to obtain only one single visa for all 4 nations.

The initiative is set to be officially launched in August at the International Expo in Ho Chi Minh City, said Mr. Suthipong. The TTAA President added that Thailand is at disadvantage in the area of language, when compared with its neighbors, and that the issue is increasingly becoming more pressure with English agreed to be the language used by all 10 ASEAN member nations after the realization of AEC.

And in addition to calls for the speedy development of basic infrastructure and transportation network, Mr. Suthipong suggested that state officials from related agencies, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, are to acquire more education on marketing while the government is to solve the problems of corruption and overlapping responsibilities among state and private agencies.

Source : http://thaifinancialpost.com/2012/07/20/thai-travel-business-operators-worried-over-threats-from-clmv-formation/

[ginjag]

Could somebody explain how do they calculate how much a tourist spends ? They dont have a clue ! Nobody has ever asked me how much I spend on my trips to Thailand. Where do they get the figure of 776 billion ? I presume guesswork to make it look like it is increasing.

Ask Nisa I have put this question many times and this person thinks I am being negative towards Thailand-your point is similar to mine

[ginjag]

Just looking at the world of news and this recession.. ?

EU News ..

Reuters Poll: Euro zone back in recession as crisis clouds swirl

The euro zone has sunk back into its second recession since 2009, a Reuters poll predicted on Thursday, as the debt crisis that has ravaged the continent for over two years continues to stifle growth.

Read More : http://www.reuters.c...E86I0FR20120719

Asia News

Asia Stocks Drop With Oil on Global Growth Concern as Euro Falls

Asian stocks fell and oil dropped from a nine-week high as China pledged to keep property curbs and concern grew that Europe’s debt crisis is dragging on global growth. The euro weakened against most of its major peers.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...corn-gains.html

US News

Economists Argue If U.S. Economy Recovering or Back in Recession

The thing about a recession is that you typically don’t know you’re in one until it’s been around for a while. Broadly defined, an economy is in recession not just when it’s operating below capacity, but when it’s outright shrinking. Exactly what constitutes that shrinkage, though, can be fuzzy. The most cited rule of thumb, two consecutive quarters of declining output, doesn’t always apply. Gross domestic product is often positive when a recession starts. That’s why recoveries sometimes don’t feel much different than recessions.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...-recession.html

Middle East News

Middle East turmoil pushing oil higher again

Rising tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil prices up 19 percent over the past three weeks and are leading to a rise in prices at the gasoline pump. Since the start of July, average gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed 11 cents to $3.44 per gallon. Pump prices are expected to creep higher in the coming weeks, and they aren't likely to fall back to their June low of $3.33 for the rest of the summer, analysts say.Crude rose $2.79, about 3 percent, to $92.66 per barrel Thursday, its highest level since mid-May. The price has risen $15 per barrel since June 28, when oil hit a low of $77.69.

Read More : http://www.google.co...3c9bcc16a62cc3a

on top of all this Copper prices have fared better than gold and silver.. Tourism Authority of Thailand ? Are crazy with some of the stuff they come out with these days just to save face..

You should actually examine some of the news instead of looking for negative headlines. Not only is there lots of positive news out there but you might notice this report didn't come from TAT. http://newsroom.mast..._Index_2012.pdf

Again everyone is negative ???--because they have a different view ??? on figures than you. These stats you dig up are there WE ALL KNOW---they are not gospel

[ginjag]

Just looking at the world of news and this recession.. ?

EU News ..

Reuters Poll: Euro zone back in recession as crisis clouds swirl

The euro zone has sunk back into its second recession since 2009, a Reuters poll predicted on Thursday, as the debt crisis that has ravaged the continent for over two years continues to stifle growth.

Read More : http://www.reuters.c...E86I0FR20120719

Asia News

Asia Stocks Drop With Oil on Global Growth Concern as Euro Falls

Asian stocks fell and oil dropped from a nine-week high as China pledged to keep property curbs and concern grew that Europe’s debt crisis is dragging on global growth. The euro weakened against most of its major peers.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...corn-gains.html

US News

Economists Argue If U.S. Economy Recovering or Back in Recession

The thing about a recession is that you typically don’t know you’re in one until it’s been around for a while. Broadly defined, an economy is in recession not just when it’s operating below capacity, but when it’s outright shrinking. Exactly what constitutes that shrinkage, though, can be fuzzy. The most cited rule of thumb, two consecutive quarters of declining output, doesn’t always apply. Gross domestic product is often positive when a recession starts. That’s why recoveries sometimes don’t feel much different than recessions.

Read More : http://www.bloomberg...-recession.html

Middle East News

Middle East turmoil pushing oil higher again

Rising tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil prices up 19 percent over the past three weeks and are leading to a rise in prices at the gasoline pump. Since the start of July, average gasoline prices in the U.S. have climbed 11 cents to $3.44 per gallon. Pump prices are expected to creep higher in the coming weeks, and they aren't likely to fall back to their June low of $3.33 for the rest of the summer, analysts say.Crude rose $2.79, about 3 percent, to $92.66 per barrel Thursday, its highest level since mid-May. The price has risen $15 per barrel since June 28, when oil hit a low of $77.69.

Read More : http://www.google.co...3c9bcc16a62cc3a

on top of all this Copper prices have fared better than gold and silver.. Tourism Authority of Thailand ? Are crazy with some of the stuff they come out with these days just to save face..

You should actually examine some of the news instead of looking for negative headlines. Not only is there lots of positive news out there but you might notice this report didn't come from TAT. http://newsroom.mast..._Index_2012.pdf

Again everyone is negative ???--because they have a different view ??? on figures than you. These stats you dig up are there WE ALL KNOW---they are not gospel

Another point being-lets get away from the personal feelings you seem to bring into posts, and look at another side of things.

Instead of plastering figures at all, sending info to websites, wouldn't it be a good idea, TAT-Sports ministry etc to nail the things that mar tourism, we are talking Thailand-not against it. There are thousands of reports showing where the problems lie, but if we do not comment on the POSITIVE moves that can be put into operation, who is going to improve the industry ??? ACTION-and clean up action is needed not belched out figures every minute. Negative to me is to believe all is rosy, positive is to comment to improve.

[Notstupid30]

Very true Jinjag totally with you / expats there was piece in the post about Agents rip tourism office what was an eye opener but i'm not allow to print anything to do with that company on here rules are rules but go and take a look ..

Edited July 20, 2012 by Notstupid30

[Sayonarax]

Figures are averages not actual. Sheesh, an you wonder why statistics is some of the last basic maths you learn in high school.