Beyond Khaosan: Will Thailand's push for 'high-value' tourists finally pay off?

[belg]

time to put big signs on SUVI on arrival : spend more than 3000 baht per day or leave right now

[robblok]

My business in MBK who does deepens on tourist has its worst performance this year among past 7 years. This is a joke, tourist may be coming here but they don't have money or spend money

They have the numbers now because of Indian and chinese tourist but they spend a lot less. I doubt they can get quality tourist as there are too many problems here. You will have to go through a lot of bad roads bad neighborhoods and bad service before you get to your dream destination here.

When I travel in Thailand with my family i do spend 3000-4000 (hotel / food / entertainment) a day here but only in the south on the islands. When I live here in BKK i don't spend that at all. Parents even spend a bit more as they usually go for the more expensive bungalows but that is it.

I know for a fact that the Indians don't spend as much as my gf is a tourguide and shows a lot of Indians parts of Thailand. They are in general not big spenders.

[Tiffer]

The average tourist spend a lot more than TBH3000 a day if the calculation is included the flight cost and hotel rate.

Flight cost is insane from Europe with Thai airways and then Bangkok airlines to Samui and back.

Just came home from our 4th vacation in Thailand after 23 days on Samui/Bangkok

and i think if all is included me and my gf spent close to 50,000 Danish kroner which is about TBH 250,000 which is close to TBH 11,000 a day.

I can't see how we could afford to spent a lot more on our vacation.

Unless i get a second job so i can afford more vacations to Thailand

1. They are talking about in country spend

3. I live here and when I travel, I spend less than 1,000 a day

2. Note that higher end / higher spend = higher leakage due to servicing client needs

[Tiffer]

Is the couple in the above photo supposed to be the hi end tourists TAT is so desperately chasing?

If so , theyre right on track !

I think Wilbur and Ethel above are more hi calorie and big end.

FWIW That is a stock photo.

[patayayaya]

Thailand need not worry. "high-value tourists" love crime, racism, being ripped off, and dirty beaches. But most of all they love being labelled as a "quality" person.

it makes me wonder.

[RogueLeader]

They're not even pretending any more: "Come to Thailand with your pockets full. You'll get exactly the same quality of food and drink as the backpackers but we know you'll pay four times the price for it. Suckers."

Thailand is Vietnam with a thin veneer of charm.

[patayayaya]

thailand no longer the paradise it was blah blah blah

[Bluespunk]

Is the couple in the above photo supposed to be the hi end tourists TAT is so desperately chasing?

If so , theyre right on track !

I think Wilbur and Ethel above are more hi calorie and big end.

FWIW That is a stock photo.

We know, but it's still funny.

[patayayaya]

They're not even pretending any more: "Come to Thailand with your pockets full. You'll get exactly the same quality of food and drink as the backpackers but we know you'll pay four times the price for it. Suckers."

Thailand is Vietnam with a thin veneer of charm.

id rather pay four times more than have dreadlocks and fisherman pants.

[Neeeko]

Low end tourists cant afford to come to Thailand... The flight cost from Europe kills them off straight away.. 35k baht then the hotel bill so they go to the horrible tacky places instead Turkey and benidorm

Don't forget Magaluf!

I somethings see old school friends photos of their holiday in places like those in Europe. Makes me cringe the number of guys with their shirts looking like they think they are the real deal... kinda the same as the people at full moon party in Koh Phangan!

[RogueLeader]

They're not even pretending any more: "Come to Thailand with your pockets full. You'll get exactly the same quality of food and drink as the backpackers but we know you'll pay four times the price for it. Suckers."

Thailand is Vietnam with a thin veneer of charm.

id rather pay four times more than have dreadlocks and fisherman pants.

Is there another point you'd like to miss?

[BrianCR]

In an aim to encourage "high end" tourism PM Yingluck has today instructed TAT officials to visit all bars and clubs throughout the kingdom and instruct them to now open at 3pm so, their staff (dressed in working costume) can serve high end tourists with cream teas whilst, at the same time giving the same tourists a sneak view of the working life in Thailand!

[irishsmile]

The thai authorities need to get their priorities in the right order before attempting to entice "HIGH END TOURISTS" to the LAND OF SCAMS.......

start by addressing the rotten corrupt core of government and the scamming police force too followed by the poor infrastructure and traffic problems and the rip off merchants on beaches!!!

Once this is tackled and adressed satisfactory then add a little respect for the "STUPID FARANGS"

and maybe...... Just maybe they can start to expect some " HIGHER END" tourists venturing to the kingdom with wads of cash to bump up their already expanding greedy pockets.....

[thhMan]

This is a bit like the Benny Hill show....

Until Thailand understand that tourist are an asset and Thailand take immediate and long lasting action on jet ski operators, the filth on the beaches etc... then it may have a chance.... But what hope do they have when even their own country people laugh at them and their stupid political antics.... Benny Hill lives on !

[2169]

How arrogant a PM can be, she should be happy with all the money the tourist bring for this kind of service we get, for thaipeople we are only walking ATM's, and all the rip offs and scam we need to deal every day, so think again and just say thanks that even one of us is coming hire, and just check all your infrastructure, high end as well right? Wake up PM

[paddyjenkins]

"Yingluck pointed out chidingly that the average visitor to Thailand spends only THB3,000 (USD100) per day. " As long as the population here is arrogant, ignorant, incapable of talking english in the tourism sector, full of natiolism, acting irresponsible, calling different prices for the same service and so on, why people should spent more money or so called high valuable tourists and do the 100,-$ of an average visitor ( this is already insulting ) having a lower value because he is average?!

Thats all the motivation I now need to get my spending to below baht 3000 a day on my next visit, just because I know how much it would annoy that jumped up, loathsome, hi-so brain dead ******

Lets see....hotel could be 1400, food 300, cafes/bars 200, flight from singapore works out at less than 1000 per day over 7 days (thats all I can stand of Thailand these days)...so it will be just under 3000 per day including the flight...to and from airport will be on the bus...no problem at all

Just to realy spite her I will try to spend less on my Thai holiday than I normally spend day to day in Singapore.

[Thaimung]

High value tourists mmmm, are we talking about cheap Charlie "Sergy and Boris" and their scantly dressed girlfriends, buying a beer between them and drinking it on the street???

Or Raja and his two mates ordering a single bottle of water in a go-go bar???

Just making observations..........

[robhufton]

time to put big signs on SUVI on arrival : spend more than 3000 baht per day or leave right now

That would mean no Indians (cheapskates) and no Chinese (group tours) then...

[jamhar]

BANGKOK: -- Excepting the possibility of natural or political disaster, 2013 will be a record year for tourism in Thailand.

Or another oil leak

In a March 2013 statement to the National News Bureau of Thailand, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged the TAT to attract more “high-end visitors.” While she lauded the agency’s ability to increase the numbers of Thailand’s international visitors, she also urged it to increase the proportion of “high-end” tourists from 20 to 30%.

This should be easy, just redefine "high-end visitor"!

Golf, weddings, eco-tourists.

Golf is not happening. Too many other places to go with better golf.

Weddings? Thailand isnt know as a "romantic" destination. good luck changing that image.

I told a friend in Brazil that i was coming to Thailand.

He asked a bar girl in Rio what she knew of Thailand

The girl responded with "cheap sex!"

*sigh* thats what TL has to deal with.

Eco-tourism? Here i misjudged TAT(I think thats what its called)

Originally I would have said <deleted> are you thinking

But then i realized the obvious!

" Come to Thailand and help clean up all that nasty oil spill,

and help the environment and all those poor defenseless critters!"

[Hornell]

I keep hearing about Thailand as a cheap golfing paradise. When I arrived here 15 years ago, that statement was true; now it is not. Golf in for example Hua Hin or Phuket is far more expensive that it is in the UK - I can't speak for other countries. Green fees of 2,400 (+), obligatory caddie 250 baht (+) and obligatory (if you value your life) tip of at least the caddy fee, add in an obligatory cart per person on some courses 600 (+) baht and you end up with a £60 game of golf - and that's on the least expensive courses! You'd do better to play golf in the UK or Europe! Of course you can still play cheap golf in Thailand, but not in the tourist areas! As for this cracked record repetition about "high end tourists", most of them are on all inclusive packages, stay in 5 star hotels and contribute precisely zilch to the local economy, which at least the back packers and those seeking the naughtier side of life do! Grow up the Thai government and start understanding what sort of tourist brings in the dough and - as other people have said - clean up your act and you might attract a few returnees.

[Frank James]

"They've got to be American's, right? lol"

I see a lot of obese Euro's & Oz' rs every day on the streets of CM. And more & more fat Thais, which didn't use to be the case.

As for "high value tourists", they've been playing that tune for years, and apparently, it hasn't caught on. If 24 million people come every year, and every one spends 3000 baht a day, well, that doesn't sound too bad.

[Beetlejuice]

They have been trying to archive this for years and the experiment has failed.

It began in Chiang Mai where today adult entertainments, night social and the social scene has been eroded almost down to nothing. Then of course there was the bright idea of the 1 million baht elite card, another huge flop.

The bread and butter of the tourist industries are the average working class holiday makers, who save all year round, and then go abroad for a couple of weeks to spend, spend, spend and have fun.

Even if the TiT is aiming it`s sites at the South East Asian clienteles, these people will still refuse to pay the exorbitant prices at expensive hotels, expensive restaurants and expensive tours. There are better deals to be had elsewhere. Thailand`s loss will be another country`s gain.

[bigbamboo]

"They've got to be American's, right? lol"

I see a lot of obese Euro's & Oz' rs every day on the streets of CM. And more & more fat Thais, which didn't use to be the case.

As for "high value tourists", they've been playing that tune for years, and apparently, it hasn't caught on. If 24 million people come every year, and every one spends 3000 baht a day, well, that doesn't sound too bad.

True enough but America is still the world leader in obesity.

[Robby nz]

Don't have a lot (zilch) of experience with high end anything but I do have a middle aged OZ friend of the tender gender who has been to Thailand several times with her girlfriends, hubby stays home.

She has always stayed at a 'wonderful resort' in Phuket with its own private beach, serves European food (she doesn't like Thai food).

When they eat out they found a great Italian place that has wonderful pasta.

That is her sum total of experience of Thailand.

She and her friends would not know if they are being scammed or overcharged, they think what they are paying is the normal price.

Told her next time you come let me know and I will take you to see the real Thailand.

Her answer "Oh yes I would love to see BKK".

How many other high end tourists would be in the same category, say in an expensive resort for the whole time and go home thinking they have had a great time in wonderful Thailand?

[drdoom6996]

Governments the world over are disconnected with the real life that average folks lead. Do they really know what most tourists have to endure in this country whether "hi-end" or backpacker?

How many times Abbhisit, Yingluck or any other MP walked on the sidewalks of Bangkok having to dodge motorcycles and/or squeeze their bodies through the crowd packing the space left by the encroaching food vendors? How many of them went to a jet-ski shop and rented one of the machines and be scammed afterwards? Many tourists have.

The people at the top of the pyramid of power have no clue that this country is awash in corruption, dual price policies, scams and sorely lacking in safety standards, to mention only a few..

This is a country in which the people and government alike have an idyllic image of themselves. A reactive country in which accountability is an alien notion. Not to mention saving face.

I was commenting about this with a Thai friend, university graduate and well traveled chap. I said to him that corruption will go on for as long high officers in the Royal Thai Police that are involved in running illegal casinos and when caught, the only visible punishment is to remove them to inactive posts. That is no punishment, I said. He replied that the removal meant that their careers were ruined. Never mind that the police are in charge of enforcing the laws. That their primordial duty is that of protecting the people. That went over his head.

Thais are not inclined to push for improvement and/or changes. They are reactive, not proactive and, for as long as making and buying merits is the core of their belief and re-incarnation and rebirth are at the end of the road; why bother?

The government becomes aware that "something is wrong" when a disaster or scandal make it to the headlines. Tourists die from poisoned food in Chiang Mai, a senior citizen is stabbed by a taxi driver and the most frequent incidence: tuk-tuk drivers ganging up on tourist in Pukhet and other Southern tourist venues... But from to become aware and to do something about it is a long, long distance and wait.

Yet, with that picturesque image they have of their country they make projections and dream off these rosy plans for the future. Publicity and a good image in adds will take care of that... So they hope.

Spot on and mostly very well written as well!

[zydeco]

"They've got to be American's, right? lol"

I see a lot of obese Euro's & Oz' rs every day on the streets of CM. And more & more fat Thais, which didn't use to be the case.

As for "high value tourists", they've been playing that tune for years, and apparently, it hasn't caught on. If 24 million people come every year, and every one spends 3000 baht a day, well, that doesn't sound too bad.

True enough but America is still the world leader in obesity.

Mexico has now moved into first place.

[marell]

Yep, these are high end tourists alright. TAT is acing this one.

[wotaplonker]

Low end tourists cant afford to come to Thailand... The flight cost from Europe kills them off straight away.. 35k baht then the hotel bill so they go to the horrible tacky places instead Turkey and benidorm

yep thats it, 'all in' holidays for as little as £300 for 7 days, easting the cheapest bacon and eggs and fried bread money can buy and trays off fast food slop

for dinner

[rbrooks]

Theses are tough targets KY is setting and it poses questions.

Are there enough golfers whose wives are prepared to be golf widows for two weeks when they are supposed to be on holiday? How many young couples will fly all the way to Thailand for their wedding when most of their friends and family won't be able to? And eco tourists... to Thailand?

What Thailand needs to do is to improve the way it takes care of it's guests if it wants to encourage the 'better class' of tourist. It takes more than a heavily made up smile I'm afraid.

A good start would be not killing the Farang tourists on their roads, biking, motoring, walking, swimming in oil, pushed off balconies and singing on stage too long in bars in Krabi would be a good start.

[ratcatcher]

I keep hearing about Thailand as a cheap golfing paradise. When I arrived here 15 years ago, that statement was true; now it is not. Golf in for example Hua Hin or Phuket is far more expensive that it is in the UK - I can't speak for other countries. Green fees of 2,400 (+), obligatory caddie 250 baht (+) and obligatory (if you value your life) tip of at least the caddy fee, add in an obligatory cart per person on some courses 600 (+) baht and you end up with a £60 game of golf - and that's on the least expensive courses! You'd do better to play golf in the UK or Europe! Of course you can still play cheap golf in Thailand, but not in the tourist areas! As for this cracked record repetition about "high end tourists", most of them are on all inclusive packages, stay in 5 star hotels and contribute precisely zilch to the local economy, which at least the back packers and those seeking the naughtier side of life do! Grow up the Thai government and start understanding what sort of tourist brings in the dough and - as other people have said - clean up your act and you might attract a few returnees.

"Grow up the Thai government and start understanding what sort of tourist brings in the dough and - as other people have said - clean up your act and you might attract a few returnees"

.This is their biggest problem. They operate in a bubble zone. I doubt they consult any foreigners and actually ask them what they think are the biggest problems with being a tourist in Thailand. Most posters here, rightly so, find the TAT take on tourism to be so much candyfloss and hype.

Discerning people with real taste in travel will avoid Thailand like the plague, simply because with the amount of internet and social networking in today's world, it is so much harder to BS travellers that all is peachy in LOS. There are so many problems that must be fixed and better be fixed soon, because that big country to the west of Thailand is also opening up for business and they have some super islands and coastlines still unexplored.

Huge numbers of people in countries with access to TV and internet have already seen the Koh Samet oil spill tragedy and the subsequent cover up attempts by politicians and business leaders.

Regardless of how happy Bangkok is with its No.1 place oin the world as a tourist destination, the real high enders will be vacationing in some of the Caribbean islands, Seychelles, Maldives, S.Pacific islands etc.