Tourism Ministry adjusts down the expected tourist arrivals due to political confrontations

BANGKOK, 7 December 2013 (NNT) - Political conflicts that have been going on in Thailand has taken its toll on the country's tourism sector, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Somsak Phurisisak, the Minister of Tourism and Sports has announced the latest adjustment to the expected number of tourists visiting Thailand in 2013 of 26.5 million to 26 million after the number of foreign tourists arriving at Don Muaeng and Suvarnabhumi airports during 1-2 December has dropped to 45,420 per day, compared to an average of 47,000 from December last year.

If the conflict continues, it will definitely affect local operators in the next year. Yuthachai Suntornratanavej, the president of Inbound Tourism Association said since the start of anti government rallies, the number of tourists has plunged by 30 per cent from December 2012. If the rallies last longer than next week, the number will decline by as many as 40 per cent.


-- NNT 2013-12-07

Got to love TAT, so it's been so dramatic that numbers dropped only 5% , if that ???

Donuang is only one of the possible arrival points. Start adding in other airpots and border crossings and you could find the numbers far greater.

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

Welcome to Amusing Thailand

numbers plunged by 30 % since dec 2012,

i think tat has been feeding me porky pies, everytime they mentioned tourist arrivals the numbers kept going up

Donuang is only one of the possible arrival points. Start adding in other airpots and border crossings and you could find the numbers far greater.

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

Welcome to Amusing Thailand

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

I'm trying to work out what exactly this statement has to do with Tourist numbers?

I believe TAT has a lucky dip bag. every week a rep of theirs dips his hand in and pulls out ready a prepared message. Oh here is this weeks BS message to cover up our figures. ( " it's a laugh all our people and foreigners believe what we say")

actually the bars do seem a bit slow, esp since it being high season! Never seen Baccara gentlemens club with so many empty seats at 9pm. And that happened twice this week.

Donuang is only one of the possible arrival points. Start adding in other airpots and border crossings and you could find the numbers far greater.

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

Welcome to Amusing Thailand

since im not a part of the poor masses.....lol, i never really paid much attn to their plight. but this is happening in usa too, seems the OFFICIALS like the masses to remain poor!

Donuang is only one of the possible arrival points. Start adding in other airpots and border crossings and you could find the numbers far greater.

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

Welcome to Amusing Thailand

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

I'm trying to work out what exactly this statement has to do with Tourist numbers?

reading between the lines a very looooooose connection

Don't worry....shortly after the current protests end the tourism folks will say that tourism quickly snapped back and Thailand will see another record tourism year. The tourism propaganda department already has that press release prepared...but they are still deciding whether to wait a whole week after the protests end or just release the following day. You can not hold back, stand in the way of Thailand tourism numbers--so don't even try!

I live in Phuket and have been traveling for the last week in tourists areas. It is unusually slow everywhere I go. Good for me.

All information from TAT is useless. There is a long history of inflated figures and misinformation.

....and in the meantime, any actual admitted loss of income from tourism can be used to champion the cause for the proposed 500 baht entry visa .

I am in Phnom Penh, Cambodia right now and what i notice is that everyone is much more friendlier here and everything incl. food, wines and beers are much much cheaper than in LOS. Maybe thais are not happy anymore with all those tourists and farangs around.

wow they are very smart overthere

to predict less tourists want to come

i guess they want to come, but now, it is not a safe place to come in bangkok

come as in ... you got my drift

better go come in pattaya

They're "adjusting down." Too bad Thai property owners aren't smart enough to negotiate rental prices in tough times. It is always amazing how they stand firm at inflated price/value and would rather have a vacant property during high season than compromise price. Fear of losing face to fellow country club golfers I suppose.

If its official figures then it must be true

I believe TAT has a lucky dip bag. every week a rep of theirs dips his hand in and pulls out ready a prepared message. Oh here is this weeks BS message to cover up our figures. ( " it's a laugh all our people and foreigners believe what we say")

Well they probably think that we are as gullble as they are. They judge everyones intelligence as being as low as theirs. They live in their "Walter Mitty" world and nothing will ever change that.

tourist arrivals at 45,420/day vs 47,000/day last year

according to my calculator that is a drop of 3.4%

Tourism Minister worries ongoing anti-government protests will drag tourism sector below 20% growth target /MCOT

actually the bars do seem a bit slow, esp since it being high season! Never seen Baccara gentlemens club with so many empty seats at 9pm. And that happened twice this week.

The true yardstick of Thailand's tourism....

actually the bars do seem a bit slow, esp since it being high season! Never seen Baccara gentlemens club with so many empty seats at 9pm. And that happened twice this week.

Excellent. Do please keep us all posted on the availability of seating in all of the capital's go-go bars - perhaps the most reliable indicator of tourist arrivals.

tourist arrivals at 45,420/day vs 47,000/day last year

according to my calculator that is a drop of 3.4%

Visa runs lost also due to farangs moving to better pastures, (or different) ones, Transit arrivals --more, cross border shopping less due to price increases, Thai airways bringing in less arrivals Ha Ha....TATs juggled stats.

Hey...Minister of Tourism just wait until thousands of married couples living here for years are deported by immigration because you changed the rules in the middle of the game. We will write about it on the internet. We have a LOUD voice.

Thailand is NOT a place to retire or vacation. You shot yourself in the foot by being totally ignorant.

WE buy your properties... shop at your stores and spend a ton of money.

WE also invite friends from our home country to visit.

NOT ANYMORE!

The visitors I see don't seem to be smiling.

Anyone else fed up with the ignorance

and lack of respect that the Thai government shows toward you?

Go ahead and advertise AMAZING THAILAND... The truth is riots...bombings...scams...fires...death trap roads...violent taxi drivers...double pricing...dirty beaches.. rude staff...PUT that in your ad.

Mention your corruption at every level also.

Tourism Minister has his work cut out for the future.

The internet will destroy Thailand when the REAL AMAZING TRUTH is known.

They're "adjusting down." Too bad Thai property owners aren't smart enough to negotiate rental prices in tough times. It is always amazing how they stand firm at inflated price/value and would rather have a vacant property during high season than compromise price. Fear of losing face to fellow country club golfers I suppose.

Yeah have seen that too many times. Even sellers of homes we where gonna buy bith units of a twin house to renovate and have as a rental property...both units have been for sale for a long time 3 and 4 years and every 6 months both sellers adjust the price up rather than down neither of the seller have had a potential buyer in over two years. I gave them both an offer 6 months ago and again 2 weeks ago...now finally one agreed then i told him convince the other owner and we can close the deal the other owner said no eventhough he is short on funds must be trying to save face for his friends. ..but im sure his friends havent seen the current condition of the property...at least for me i would loose face for that but people work differently i guess

These are hardly any shocking statistics, we are talking about a drop of less than 5%. something must have gone wrong with the number crunching once again. In order to lose half a million tourists the numbers must be dropping with a third.

Donuang is only one of the possible arrival points. Start adding in other airpots and border crossings and you could find the numbers far greater.

Once again you're seeing politicians manipulate the poorer masses as a means of hobbling the middle classes and small business, which will only make things worse for the poor, while allowing the rich to seize more assets.

Welcome to Amusing Thailand

Take away the number who are arriving from domestic points on their way to domestic points and the number of visa seeking renewing crossings and your figures would go way down.

I live in Phuket and have been traveling for the last week in tourists areas. It is unusually slow everywhere I go. Good for me.

All information from TAT is useless. There is a long history of inflated figures and misinformation.

I am there this week also. Seems just like low season to me. Even the airport had a manageable number of people when we arrived. Traffic still seems bad to me though. Especially at Chalong.

And for the record, the taxi touts are still at the airport. And when I parked my car in a designated parking spot in Kata, a POLICEMAN told me to move it because the spot was reserved for taxis. So reassuring to see that in a fast changing world, some things just don't.

These are hardly any shocking statistics, we are talking about a drop of less than 5%. something must have gone wrong with the number crunching once again. In order to lose half a million tourists the numbers must be dropping with a third.

Even in that short press release there are clearly conflicting figures. Airport arrivals have dropped from 45,000 to 47,000. But tourists are down 30% from December last year. TAT should concern themselves with the latter rather than the former, since that would include domestic and non touristic traveller. But the figures for airport arrivals look better, so TAT focus on them.