Chinese Tourists Top Songkran Celebrants In Thailand

[Nisa]

In 2011, the average person visiting Thailand spent $137 per day - The average Chinese visitor spent $146.63 per day.

http://tatnews.org/index.php/news-releases/news-releases-2012/331-tourism-receipts-up-30-percent-value-money.html

[EyesWideOpen]

The governments targeted revenue from tourism at Bt2 trillion in 2015 is achievable, he said.

They will only need 50 million Chinese tourist for that.

The Thai government is correctly reading the future and taking the right steps. Chinese, Russian & Indians will form the bulk of the tourists in the future. They may spend much lesser, but the volumes will make up for it. And the money will go straight to the lower economic strata like mid range hotels, street food hawkers etc unlike the western tourist money going only to high end resorts. And as most of them do not frequent bars or prostitutes, this may clean up Thailand's image in the very long run.

"And as most of them do not frequent bars or prostitutes, this may clean up Thailand's image in the very long run."

Damn there goes billions of baht to help out the poor families of bar girls.. So I guess the government will have to actually do something to help make up this income shortfall?? Great !!! I look forward to seeing what they do...

Actually I sort of like the Chinese tourists. I love to see the gawking looks on their faces from the tour buses as they drive by bar beer areas. Also the groups on Walking Street being led by a guy with a flag are always good for a laugh too...

Edited April 18, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[moe666]

The Thais generally do not like them. At my friends restrarant here in Chiang Mai she refused a reservation from a group after they had made themselves unwelcome the night before. The long stay hotel I live in also has short term guest as well after a group of chinese screamed from the parking lot up to room and used the emergency exits to come and go the owner said no when they wanted to extend by 5 days.

Yes many of the chinese around our neighborhood are ok except for stopping their scooters in th middle of the soi to consulate a map.

I thank the Gods Songram is over and most are gone this includes the farangs as well.

[khaowong1]

The government’s targeted revenue from tourism at Bt2 trillion in 2015 is achievable, he said.

They will only need 50 million Chinese tourist for that.

Well, I read they have the largest army in the world. That would ceretainly help the TAT numbers.

[mancub]

In 2011, the average person visiting Thailand spent $137 per day - The average Chinese visitor spent $146.63 per day.[/size]

http://tatnews.org/index.php/news-releases/news-releases-2012/331-tourism-receipts-up-30-percent-value-money.html

I personally have no experience of the spending habits of the average Chinese , so I can't comment on these TAT figures . I would however , seriously, like to know what magical (or otherwise) formula is used to arrive at them .

If it's derived in some form from annual salary information provided on arrival cards , it's unlikely to be of much creditable value.

[Nisa]

In 2011, the average person visiting Thailand spent $137 per day - The average Chinese visitor spent $146.63 per day.[/size]

http://tatnews.org/index.php/news-releases/news-releases-2012/331-tourism-receipts-up-30-percent-value-money.html

I personally have no experience of the spending habits of the average Chinese , so I can't comment on these TAT figures . I would however , seriously, like to know what magical (or otherwise) formula is used to arrive at them .

If it's derived in some form from annual salary information provided on arrival cards , it's unlikely to be of much creditable value.

All countries track this kind of data and it is done through surveys. I've actually been hit up by folks doing the surveys at the airport but blew them off because they looked like they had a lot of questions on the form. It is estimates and regardless if the total is off 10 or 20% off it still is good for comparing information since the data is collected the same way for each group / country.

However, if you consider the numbers, they probably are not far off. Spending a $135 a day on average for what is an average 9 day vacation is not much when you consider meals, hotels, shopping and entertainment while on vacation. Basically this amounts to around $1,200 for a 9 day vacation. .

Edited April 18, 2013 by Nisa

[Bronzepickup]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

yup.....they're not familiar with the concept of queueing among other things. Just wait till you see a mob of them drunk. i

Correct.

Smiley face from Beijing PRC.

[mancub]

In 2011, the average person visiting Thailand spent $137 per day - The average Chinese visitor spent $146.63 per day.[/size]

http://tatnews.org/index.php/news-releases/news-releases-2012/331-tourism-receipts-up-30-percent-value-money.html

I personally have no experience of the spending habits of the average Chinese , so I can't comment on these TAT figures . I would however , seriously, like to know what magical (or otherwise) formula is used to arrive at them .

If it's derived in some form from annual salary information provided on arrival cards , it's unlikely to be of much creditable value.

All countries track this kind of data and it is done through surveys. I've actually been hit up by folks doing the surveys at the airport but blew them off because they looked like they had a lot of questions on the form. It is estimates and regardless if the total is off 10 or 20% off it still is good for comparing information since the data is collected the same way for each group / country..

Ok thanks for that , I was wondering how ,as I don't even know myself what my average daily holiday spend is !

[Loptr]

Time for the locals to start learning some Han Chinese. The times they are a changing.

[Tomtomtom69]

Time for the locals to start learning some Han Chinese. The times they are a changing.

Absolutely. Unfortunately many Thais treat all foreigners the same and assume every foreigner can speak English and no one can speak Thai. The reality is that for people like me at least, I'd rather speak Thai in Thailand since English is not a strong point amongst Thais not to mention that English holds no official status here. When it comes to Chinese people, I approach them directly in Chinese as should an increasing number of Thais if they want to be able to communicate with this new important group of visitors.

I just drove my Lao registered car from Thailand back into Laos last week and noticed about 20 Chinese cars entering Chiang Khong from Huay Xai (I was headed in the opposite direction) all of whom were bound for Chiang Mai. I had a good conversation with one guy in Chinese, was a very nice guy.

[ricku]

I see lots of people commenting that chinese people have bad manners. I agree completely! After one year in Shanghai, I'm not sure if I want to live in their country ever again.

Prime example of chinese manners can be seen in the video below, where a crowd of people are almost "killing" eachother in order to get some free cake. Notice how the cake and the personel end up getting overrunned by the crowd. People grabbing cake with their bare hands, e.t.c.. Even ants are better than this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQcZLkFMbvg

Edited April 18, 2013 by ricku

[Nisa]

All countries track this kind of data and it is done through surveys. I've actually been hit up by folks doing the surveys at the airport but blew them off because they looked like they had a lot of questions on the form. It is estimates and regardless if the total is off 10 or 20% off it still is good for comparing information since the data is collected the same way for each group / country..

Ok thanks for that , I was wondering how ,as I don't even know myself what my average daily holiday spend is !

I kick myself in the butt every time I think about not answering the survey. I was in Chiang Mai airport around New Years just this past year when the women approached me. I was so not in the mood but really would have loved to know what and how they ask.

The more I think about it I am not sure how accurate the numbers are but as I said they are good for comparison because all the errors are pretty much a wash for the different countries and total average. Where I have issues with the number is if it is a couple (say husband and wife) or even if they bring a child along. The numbers seem okay for a single person but my guess is they really wouldn't be that different for a husband and wife even if they had a child. I question if they ask both the husband and wife separately or if they ask one of them for the total and divide it by two or even three if they have a child.

Edit: I can tell you the first question was something to do with where I live or come from. That is how I avoided the whole thing by saying I am from Bangkok. If it matters (they may switch up) it was in the departure area and not the arrival area. Also, this is not the reason I know it is done through surveys. I actually read a more detailed report once and it explained it was done through surveys. I believe it said they do them at the airports and hotels and would guess they are not backpacker hotels..

Edited April 18, 2013 by Nisa

[NongKhaiKid]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Months ago a representative of the Phuket Tourist Board indicated there are areas and establishments totally dependent on Chinese tourists and if they dry up many will go out of business. He added that other tourists both foreign and Thai go elsewhere because of the attitude and behaviour of the Chinese

[canman]

There are a few things at play here, many Chinese middle class are still relatively poorly paid, around 8-10,000rmb a month, ( about £800-£1000 ). Just being able to get out of the country is a big deal in itself, never mind arriving here and blowing vast amounts.

If you want to see the Chinese elite blow vast amounts, visit HK and Macau.

What we are seeing with the Chinese is a re-run of 1970's UK travel, people venturing abroad for the first time looking like deer caught in the headlights. Within a few years foreign travel will be de riguer and the amount of visitors from China will soar to a volume that you cannot fathom. I reckon by 2020 there will be a minimum of 8 million visitors to Thailand every year.

There's a report in that half of the 40,000 beds in CM were taken by Chinese tourists this Songkran, this new invasion will change the face of tourism. .

For 5 days only. Not a heck of a lot when you consider they are niot really spending money on tourist attractions.

Give it a chance to develop HD, they were here in high numbers at Chinese New Year too........it took 20 years for the UK package holiday industry to develop......the Chinese will follow the same path over a couple of decades or less.

China however has a completely differant population demographic then the UK in the 70's. Fertility rates continue to drop and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more than 300 million chinese over the age of 60. This will be a huge drain on China's resources.There will still be the top 1% but the working middle class will be entirely preoccupied with looking after their aging population, they won't be hopping on airplanes. The current China boom is just that and with most booms you have a bubble which bursts.China's buuble will be pricked by the inevitable change to their population demographic.

Edited April 18, 2013 by canman

[happysanook]

This is downright terrifying. 5 years ago there were virtually none. Now they make up half of all Songkran tourists.

[frimu]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Have you never met Russians? :-)

[theblether]

There are a few things at play here, many Chinese middle class are still relatively poorly paid, around 8-10,000rmb a month, ( about £800-£1000 ). Just being able to get out of the country is a big deal in itself, never mind arriving here and blowing vast amounts.

If you want to see the Chinese elite blow vast amounts, visit HK and Macau.

What we are seeing with the Chinese is a re-run of 1970's UK travel, people venturing abroad for the first time looking like deer caught in the headlights. Within a few years foreign travel will be de riguer and the amount of visitors from China will soar to a volume that you cannot fathom. I reckon by 2020 there will be a minimum of 8 million visitors to Thailand every year.

There's a report in that half of the 40,000 beds in CM were taken by Chinese tourists this Songkran, this new invasion will change the face of tourism. .

For 5 days only. Not a heck of a lot when you consider they are niot really spending money on tourist attractions.

Give it a chance to develop HD, they were here in high numbers at Chinese New Year too........it took 20 years for the UK package holiday industry to develop......the Chinese will follow the same path over a couple of decades or less.

China however has a completely differant population demographic then the UK in the 70's. Fertility rates continue to drop and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more than 300 million chinese over the age of 60. This will be a huge drain on China's resources.There will still be the top 1% but the working middle class will be entirely preoccupied with looking after their aging population, they won't be hopping on airplanes. The current China boom is just that and with most booms you have a bubble which bursts.China's buuble will be pricked by the inevitable change to their population demographic.

I'm fully aware of the demographic situation in China, there are estimates that the Chinese population will actually drop by 300 million by the year 2050 as Mao's children die out. No one truly knows how things will play out, there are horror stories of older people not being able to access palliative care, of older people losing their children to premature death and being effectively left penniless etc etc

On the other hand, the growth in wealth by the population is staggering, there are already over a million millionaires in Shanghai alone, in as much as there will be severe pressure put on many of today's middle class to look after their parents, there will still be a vast amount of money sloshing around a vast amount of people.

So by percentages, you will be correct, by sheer weight of numbers, I will be correct.

[dezy1801]

'Chinese tourists spend an average of Bt3,500-4,000 per person during their stays in Thailand' How the F*** do you come up with that figure? Is that including there hotel, travel to and from the airport and general living costs.

I believe most of the Chinese on package tours travel with everything prepaid, so it's easy to calculate. They generally have little extra money to spend.

Must be great feeling having everything paid and with a wedge that size stuffed in your back pocket I bet they can't wait to touch down and spend all that money.............in the same shop.

[ZhouZhou]

good to see that growing number of Chinese tourists. If they spend more money than the average tourists even better.

[ZhouZhou]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

Edited April 19, 2013 by ZhouZhou

[ginjag]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

Agree with you so many tourists are bad mannered, I visit Koh Lhan frequently--difficult to know the difference between Chinese Taiwanese and Korean unless you speak their language, The Chinese stand out more as their clothes-particulally the mid age bracket are somewat old fashioned and the Chinse DO tend to argue about deck chair prices and goods more than the more well behaved Kor/Taiwan tourists.

Another feature with the Chinese is they spend Little on every day shopping, As Nisa and other google fanatics/TAT figures show what they pay for their holiday rather than what they spend locally. BUT I agree it goes into the Treasury--good---

An item on Thai T.V. said that tourism is Thailands biggest earner ????? figures give us 8% but we are overwealmed with tourists at the minute. We have to believe what we can, rather than google up TAT or a.n. other. seeing is the best guide to how many tourists are here. What they spend is very dubious, I never see Chinese spend big ammounts---it all goes on their ?? day package.

[DocN]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

It is called freedom of speech, troll!

[doggie888888]

Oh dear, some of you need to visit China and stop mixing around with the nong mings (peasants).

I have attended several weddings here in Thailand. the Chinese nationals who choose to wed here do it at the chedi, oriental, banyan tree and generally go 5 star or above (bkk, huahin, Phuket but never Pattaya as it's too low class). Their guests are not the types you read about in here. Then there are the packaged tours that target the mass market. You can all bleat and complain and give anecdotal evidence about how they don't spend and everyone hates them etc...I venture to guess that the reality is that these people as a group do drop a tidy sum wherever they visit. There are more Chinese friendly establishments than you can count and this would not be the case if nobody makes any money. I have met more and more Thais learning Chinese.

Finally, it's funny how the cheap Charlies here whinge about how cheap the Chinese are. The former are threatened so I can understand the resentment towards the new group.

[ZhouZhou]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

Agree with you so many tourists are bad mannered, I visit Koh Lhan frequently--difficult to know the difference between Chinese Taiwanese and Korean unless you speak their language, The Chinese stand out more as their clothes-particulally the mid age bracket are somewat old fashioned and the Chinse DO tend to argue about deck chair prices and goods more than the more well behaved Kor/Taiwan tourists.

Another feature with the Chinese is they spend Little on every day shopping, As Nisa and other google fanatics/TAT figures show what they pay for their holiday rather than what they spend locally. BUT I agree it goes into the Treasury--good---

An item on Thai T.V. said that tourism is Thailands biggest earner ????? figures give us 8% but we are overwealmed with tourists at the minute. We have to believe what we can, rather than google up TAT or a.n. other. seeing is the best guide to how many tourists are here. What they spend is very dubious, I never see Chinese spend big ammounts---it all goes on their ?? day package.

Reports say Chinese spend more than the average tourist. maybe not in beer bar but in other places.

[ZhouZhou]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

It is called freedom of speech, troll!

i think freedom speech doesn't have to mean to be loud, rude and disrespectful.

[ongchart]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

i had the misfortune of traveling with a large grop of them on Airasia from Don Mueang to Singapore last night. <deleted>, it was chaotic from the time the announcement for boarding till the plane took off. Why is it so hard for them to queue up orderly,and why is it so hard to figure out what seat each has been allocated? They were arguing with each other, standing on the aisle, and blocking everyone behind them, where they should be seated! And, they seem to be all half deaf, cos they were all shouting at the top of their voices to each other even to the person sitting on next seat. Good thing I had my earphones and music. Edited April 20, 2013 by ongchart

[DocN]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

Do you mean Chinese people or do you mean tourists?

some tourist can be very rude and bad mouthing people. like talking bad about the local people. i have seen such people here to. but i don't think they are Chinese.

It is called freedom of speech, troll!

i think freedom speech doesn't have to mean to be loud, rude and disrespectful.

...as well as "criticism: doesn tmean "being rude or disrespectful"...

[mancub]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

i had the misfortune of traveling with a large grop of them on Airasia from Don Mueang to Singapore last night. <deleted>, it was chaotic from the time the announcement for boarding till the plane took off. Why is it so hard for them to queue up orderly,and why is it so hard to figure out what seat each has been allocated? They were arguing with each other, standing on the aisle, and blocking everyone behind them, where they should be seated! And, they seem to be all half deaf, cos they were all shouting at the top of their voices to each other even to the person sitting on next seat. Good thing I had my earphones and music.

Must be a cultural thing , I've experienced the same ,even at a lodge in NZ once (so they weren't low class Chinese).

Generally seem unaware of the concept of "consideration " unless pointed out to them .

[impulse]

On the other hand, the growth in wealth by the population is staggering, there are already over a million millionaires in Shanghai alone, in as much as there will be severe pressure put on many of today's middle class to look after their parents, there will still be a vast amount of money sloshing around a vast amount of people.

So by percentages, you will be correct, by sheer weight of numbers, I will be correct.

I'm not disputing the number of millionaires in Shanghai because I simply don't know, but you really need to watch the source of this kind of info. A lot of 60 day "China expert" journalists get it wrong all the time.

Chinese translate "yi wan" as "one million". The real meaning of wan is 10,000 and yi is 1. So there may be 10,000 people in Shanghai with 10,000 RMB of wealth, or some other permutation of the word "million".

A real million (with 6 zeroes) is translated as yi bai wan, (1 x 100 x 10,000).

I once read a respected Economic magazine on a plane to China claiming there are 40 million millionaires in China. When you run up the zeroes, it added up to about 40 trillion dollars, and that was over 6 years ago when that couldn't possibly be true.

The good news- if you loosely translate "wan" as Million, you can quite honestly claim to be a Chinese millionaire with $1,600 in the bank, with the RMB trading at about 6 to the USD. That's 10,000 RMB = about $1600.

Edited April 20, 2013 by impulse

[ZhouZhou]

The rudest and loudest people I ever seen.

i had the misfortune of traveling with a large grop of them on Airasia from Don Mueang to Singapore last night. <deleted>, it was chaotic from the time the announcement for boarding till the plane took off. Why is it so hard for them to queue up orderly,and why is it so hard to figure out what seat each has been allocated? They were arguing with each other, standing on the aisle, and blocking everyone behind them, where they should be seated! And, they seem to be all half deaf, cos they were all shouting at the top of their voices to each other even to the person sitting on next seat. Good thing I had my earphones and music.

Must be a cultural thing , I've experienced the same ,even at a lodge in NZ once (so they weren't low class Chinese).

Generally seem unaware of the concept of "consideration " unless pointed out to them .

must be your cultural problem.

most Chinese i know behave totally normal and proper.

and if it happens that i stay over the weekend in a hotel on Phuket and i have the choice to share the hotel with a group of Chinese, male American collage student who have a the same hair cut or large group of middle age white single men - i would prefer the Chinese group. they are the least disturbing ones. check in late quiet, having their breakfast very early in the morning and move on - you will barely notice them.