Airports of Thailand (AoT) admits political protests impact passengers usage numbers

[webfact]

Airports agency accepts political protests impact passengers usage numbers
By English News



BANGKOK, Dec 17 - Airports of Thailand (AoT) president admitted the ongoing protests have affected the number of passengers using Thailand's airports to enter the country.

AoT president Sitha Tiwari said the number of passengers using the country's airports has dropped slightly, but by less than 10 per cent.

The protests also impacted the number of room reservations, which should now be 100 per cent fully booked but which is now down to only 60 per cent.

Mr Sita is confident that the reduction in passengers using the airports would not affect the AoT's overall revenue, for despite a lower number of foreign travellers entering the country, Thais still travel in the country.

Whether political impacts would last to next year, he said AoT is confident they would not so much if the political impasse could be resolved by democratic principles.

Meanwhile, Airports of Thailand is going ahead with its airport expansion plan to support more passengers such as at Phuket and Suvarnabhumi airports.

Mr Sitha said the number of passengers using AoT's six airports -- Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai, Phuket, and Hat Yai -- reached 86 million during the past fiscal year, a 20-per cent increase year-on-year, generating AoT's net profits of Bt16.3 billion, a rise of 151 per cent year-on-year. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-12-17

[NeverSure]

"despite a lower number of foreign travellers entering the country, Thais still travel in the country."

This brings money into the country? Hotel reservations are down from the normal 100% in high season to 60%? Don't they realize that many foreign tourists arrive by land? 10% drop in air travel but 60% drop in hotel bookings?

I would go with the hotel booking numbers. Air travel numbers can be anything from a one night business trip to a visa run. That's a far cry from a "quality tourist."

Oh, and the headline blames it on protests. I can see where that hurts, but how about the dozens of countries who warn about rip offs and personal danger?

Edited December 16, 2013 by NeverSure

[EricBerg]

A 40% drop in hotel bookings is huge. Then again tourism is about 7% of the GDP. So the financial loss is limited. The possible loss in jobs would be a big problem if the protests continue.

The message is more or less saying the protests are to blame. So the AoT's management will be thaksinistas? One could think of many more reasons why tourists back off of Thailand. Not the least one would be the worries the foreign ambassadors had about tourist safety a few months ago. That news attracted much attention in western European countries newspapers.

[noitom]

All the negative aspects of Thailand, risk, danger, sickness, rip offs, all converge on the protests. It's the fault of the embassies, and the protests which are a fault of Thaksin, which is a fault of the courts, which is a fault of the coup of 2006 which is a fault of the farangs for supporting Thaksin. All the problems in Thailand can be laid at the feet of the farangs. Every Thai knows that.

[Tokay]

They "admitted." What an odd statement. It's as if they were just caught red handed trying to lie or something. They shouldn't have to "admit" anything. Instead, just make a statement.

[fakename]

I wonder if there are any statistics in Thailand, that can be believed. Seems officials only "admit" to something, if they are put in a corner. But then maybe the 10% and the 60% are correct, if the arrivals are sleeping in the paddy, and not using hotels.

[Tatsujin]

Don't worry yourselves, TAT will release another statement very soon showing how tourist arrival numbers have unexpectedly reached 600 billion in the last 2 days and that hotel booking numbers are wildly inaccurate.

[bangon04]

Don't worry yourselves, TAT will release another statement very soon showing how tourist arrival numbers have unexpectedly reached 600 billion in the last 2 days and that hotel booking numbers are wildly inaccurate.

"Mr Sita is confident that the reduction in passengers using the airports would not affect the AoT's overall revenue, for despite a lower number of foreign travellers entering the country, Thais still travel in the country."

so using Thai logic, why do they need foreigners at all?? Just reduce the number of foreign visitors still further and the Thai tourists will take up all the slack.

After all, if you are trying to attract "Quality" tourists, you cannot possibly get better quality than Thais, can you?

[Bpuumike]

Don't worry yourselves, TAT will release another statement very soon showing how tourist arrival numbers have unexpectedly reached 600 billion in the last 2 days and that hotel booking numbers are wildly inaccurate.

Da-n, you beat me to it!

[Ulic]

"despite a lower number of foreign travellers entering the country, Thais still travel in the country."

This brings money into the country? Hotel reservations are down from the normal 100% in high season to 60%? Don't they realize that many foreign tourists arrive by land? 10% drop in air travel but 60% drop in hotel bookings?

I would go with the hotel booking numbers. Air travel numbers can be anything from a one night business trip to a visa run. That's a far cry from a "quality tourist."

Oh, and the headline blames it on protests. I can see where that hurts, but how about the dozens of countries who warn about rip offs and personal danger?

Funny,I have the exact opposite view on the accuracy of the numbers of tourists. Tracking numbers from 8 airports in the country of

passenger and tourists entering the country and using the airports is relatively simple. Tracking occupancy rates of thousands of hotels

who don't like to report there numbers so they can minimize there tax burden is much more difficult. If you are doing a survey, if you

call hotels in a demonstration area they will be greatly affected by the protests, further away from protests much less. Occupancy rates

can be down in places like Phuket over the years ( which many are complaining about) not because of the political unrest but the

huge number of rooms being added to the availability.(Tourists numbers up, occupancy rates down) Also I have a differing view on

visa runs. I think 80-90 % of tourists entering the country by land are visa runners. I know of no tourists who enter the country by land

from Europe, Russia, China, Australia, North America, South America, although I am sure it happens on a very very limited business.