23 Million Foreign Tourist Arrivals In Thailand In 2013

[webfact]

AT LEAST 10 PERCENT GROWTH ANTICIPATED

Projection: 23 million Thai tourist arrivals in 2013

BY ANDREW J. WOOD, ETN THAILAND

THAILAND (eTN) -- Thailand's tourism industry is likely to grow by more than 10% next year and about 23 million foreigners are expected to visit the country in 2013, Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) President Sisdivachr Cheewarattanporn said on Monday.

Mr. Sisdivachr said the number of Asian tourist arrivals, particularly from China, South Korea, and Japan, is up 20% to 50% for November and December, 2012.

From January to July this year, the number of tourists who used Atta member services also increased by 20%, the highest growth in three years. The association boasts 5 million members, he added.

The projection is based on an assumption that there will be no political violence, he said.

Full story: http://www.eturbonews.com/32689/projection-23-million-thai-tourist-arrivals-2013

-- eTN 2012-12-12

[Penangfreak]

They did not mention the Indians....Pattaya is packed with them. Clearly quality tourists roaming Beach Rd. for the beautiful sea-views and gardens. PF :-)

[WilliaminBKK]

I don't mean to poke holes in the report, however the vast majority of travellers book direct with airlines and hotels these days, no airline I know of will share load factors pre/post with any travel agent associations. 23 Million tourists would be wonderful but the source lost me when they claim 5 million members and on their own site they have 1013 members and 321 allied members. 5 Million travellers used 1013 Thai based agents could be plausible.

http://www.atta.or.th/ATTAUI.aspx

I'll wait for the TAT estimates.

[Pib]

23 million going once, twice....do I hear a 24 million estimate?....yes, yes, a new govt report now estimates 24 million....going once, twice,....yes, yes, we now have a 25 million estimate from a tourism group....hard telling where this guessing bidding will end. Note: these estimates are based on the assumption of a perfect world and the gullible.

[Squigy]

This is not verifiable "news" just pure fantasy on somebody's behalf. Guys get real, do you think we are all so gullible.

[laurentbkk]

oh well they can enjoy their predictions if they want ...as the reality showed that their predictions were a total fantasy in the past . With worldwide crisis going worse in the next 2 years .... Do they include the transit passengers ?

[nbm47]

And probably 22 million flying off from Thailand to other destinations. No tourists in Pattaya ( that is westerners ) and none up north, so where are they all hiding ????

[adam1]

no westerners up North? Chiang Mai has got plenty thank you!

[rubl]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

[upena]

I don't mean to poke holes in the report, however the vast majority of travellers book direct with airlines and hotels these days, no airline I know of will share load factors pre/post with any travel agent associations. 23 Million tourists would be wonderful but the source lost me when they claim 5 million members and on their own site they have 1013 members and 321 allied members. 5 Million travellers used 1013 Thai based agents could be plausible.

http://www.atta.or.th/ATTAUI.aspx

I'll wait for the TAT estimates.

TAT will estimate about the same 23 mil and then claim they exceeded it with 24 - pure fantasy especially when they use the UNWTO method of counting anyone that arrives in Thailand and stays less than one year as a tourist.

[terryp]

rubbish the official number is more like 300 million .....(if people believe the fairytale from the TAT then mine cant be far off)

[saltandpepper]

Arrival does not mean that they will stay in Thailand

A friend of mine landed in Bangkok and will stay here only one night just for us to have a dinner, a couple of beers and talk about the good old time. Then, he and his family are on their way to Cambodia where they will stay almost 2 weeks, just to come back in BKK and catch a plane back home.

So, yes, they will be accounted as "arrival" and Thai authorities will be so happy. But what kind of money are they going to spend here? Nothing. The whole amount is going to Cambodia.

Plan for next year? A similar one, with just a different destination to be decided (Malaysia maybe)

So much for the high numbers

[sjjmmi]

I don't mean to poke holes in the report, however the vast majority of travellers book direct with airlines and hotels these days, no airline I know of will share load factors pre/post with any travel agent associations. 23 Million tourists would be wonderful but the source lost me when they claim 5 million members and on their own site they have 1013 members and 321 allied members. 5 Million travellers used 1013 Thai based agents could be plausible.

http://www.atta.or.th/ATTAUI.aspx

I'll wait for the TAT estimates.

TAT will estimate about the same 23 mil and then claim they exceeded it with 24 - pure fantasy especially when they use the UNWTO method of counting anyone that arrives in Thailand and stays less than one year as a tourist.

[geriatrickid]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

I know that this may come as a shock for some of you contintental volk, but Thailand isn't dependent upon the EU for tourists. China's economy still is putting a lot of cash into the hands of the middle class and they are easily filling the spots vacated by the europeans. US economy is coming back, Australia and Canada benefit from solid economies, Scandanavia is doing fine and the middle class of India have rupees burning a hole in their pockets. The Russians also have money to throw around that makes the Europeans feel even more insignificant.

[rubl]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

I know that this may come as a shock for some of you contintental volk, but Thailand isn't dependent upon the EU for tourists. China's economy still is putting a lot of cash into the hands of the middle class and they are easily filling the spots vacated by the europeans. US economy is coming back, Australia and Canada benefit from solid economies, Scandanavia is doing fine and the middle class of India have rupees burning a hole in their pockets. The Russians also have money to throw around that makes the Europeans feel even more insignificant.

Fine, no problem with that. Still, do all those cash-flushed people make 'big spenders' ? Is there any data on spending patterns, tourist income generated, historical trends and projections ?

BTW to some Scandinavians are also Europeans, even much more so than those funny chaps in the UK

[CaitlinHappyMeal]

I can only go on this year but we are in week 2 of December and here in chiang mai it's dead. In 10 years I've never known it so quiet, i can only assume its to do with the global economy, why do they think people are suddenly going to find the money to go travelling in 2013?

[PhilipCook]

jamming more people into the country will cause more problems than its worth, but since the policy is to jam the country, might as well jack up the hotel taxes and bring the VAT back to 10%. The government needs the cash to pay for the megaprojects.

[hawker9000]

Arrival does not mean that they will stay in Thailand

A friend of mine landed in Bangkok and will stay here only one night just for us to have a dinner, a couple of beers and talk about the good old time. Then, he and his family are on their way to Cambodia where they will stay almost 2 weeks, just to come back in BKK and catch a plane back home.

So, yes, they will be accounted as "arrival" and Thai authorities will be so happy. But what kind of money are they going to spend here? Nothing. The whole amount is going to Cambodia.

Plan for next year? A similar one, with just a different destination to be decided (Malaysia maybe)

So much for the high numbers

And when they pass through BKK on their way home, wouldn't they actually be counted as "arrivals" AGAIN? What a joke.

[KuhnPaen]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

I know that this may come as a shock for some of you contintental volk, but Thailand isn't dependent upon the EU for tourists. China's economy still is putting a lot of cash into the hands of the middle class and they are easily filling the spots vacated by the europeans. US economy is coming back, Australia and Canada benefit from solid economies, Scandanavia is doing fine and the middle class of India have rupees burning a hole in their pockets. The Russians also have money to throw around that makes the Europeans feel even more insignificant.

Ask a Thai who they loathe the most in the world and most will probably say Nigerians, then Russians..."have no respect for lady. no like." The Russians treat the Thais the way American's treat Mexico--it doesn't endear them to the locals much. just sayin'

Edited December 12, 2012 by KuhnPaen

[lemoncake]

I think this government has fallen off the tree, this year has been shockingly quite, hardly anyone around. The high season is rather a low season with hotels still not full and they now say 23 million

I wonder if they willing to guarantee it, so business can file claims if 23 million do not show up

[blackthorn2005]

They are going to see a decline in tourists to Phuket if they do not take action to ensure visitor safety. The age old problems of violent tuk tuk drivers and scamming jet ski operators are still here, along with a few new ones

[kevvy]

maybe thaksin is doing the count from a land faraway we all know he tells the truth

[kevvy]

They are going to see a decline in tourists to Phuket if they do not take action to ensure visitor safety. The age old problems of violent tuk tuk drivers and scamming jet ski operators are still here, along with a few new ones

they dont worry about the scams here , as they know 23 million more are coming to get scammed

[DLock]

Arrival does not mean that they will stay in Thailand

A friend of mine landed in Bangkok and will stay here only one night just for us to have a dinner, a couple of beers and talk about the good old time. Then, he and his family are on their way to Cambodia where they will stay almost 2 weeks, just to come back in BKK and catch a plane back home.

So, yes, they will be accounted as "arrival" and Thai authorities will be so happy. But what kind of money are they going to spend here? Nothing. The whole amount is going to Cambodia.

Plan for next year? A similar one, with just a different destination to be decided (Malaysia maybe)

So much for the high numbers

And when they pass through BKK on their way home, wouldn't they actually be counted as "arrivals" AGAIN? What a joke.

I was thinking the same thing.

[rfukata]

not reported are the paxes that will cross through the borders of Lao, Malaysia, Burma into Thailand. border crossings are

significant volume which indeed has inflated the assumption of 23 million arrivals for next year.

[BrianCR]

And probably 22 million flying off from Thailand to other destinations. No tourists in Pattaya ( that is westerners ) and none up north, so where are they all hiding ????

Pattaya? Maybe tourists have got wise. Chiang Rai has many (but not 23 million)

[simple1]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

I know that this may come as a shock for some of you contintental volk, but Thailand isn't dependent upon the EU for tourists. China's economy still is putting a lot of cash into the hands of the middle class and they are easily filling the spots vacated by the europeans. US economy is coming back, Australia and Canada benefit from solid economies, Scandanavia is doing fine and the middle class of India have rupees burning a hole in their pockets. The Russians also have money to throw around that makes the Europeans feel even more insignificant.

Yep, here in Pattaya a 4 star hotel owned by European multinational was recently sold to Thai/Chinese consortia. occupancy will be targeted at the Chinese inbound tourism market

Edited December 12, 2012 by simple1

[bigbamboo]

That's tremendous news. Well done Thailand, TAT and PM Yingluck.

Just one thing, these figures didn't come from Kittirat's office did they?

[youngXpat]

Apart from these stats on number of tourists (or arrivals?) can we have some data on income generate, spending pattern, historical data and projections ?

How are effects incorporated of Europe still struggling, America slowly recovering and Asian countries hit by dropping exports ?

I know that this may come as a shock for some of you contintental volk, but Thailand isn't dependent upon the EU for tourists. China's economy still is putting a lot of cash into the hands of the middle class and they are easily filling the spots vacated by the europeans. US economy is coming back, Australia and Canada benefit from solid economies, Scandanavia is doing fine and the middle class of India have rupees burning a hole in their pockets. The Russians also have money to throw around that makes the Europeans feel even more insignificant.

I am european and yes I'm insignificant! I feel enlightened now.

[DocN]

That's tremendous news. Well done Thailand, TAT and PM Yingluck.

Just one thing, these figures didn't come from Kittirat's office did they?

These numbers are coming out of someones behind...