Thai Tourism Ministry expects 10-12% drop in foreign tourists in 2014

[webfact]

Tourism ministry expects 10-12% drop in foreign tourists this year

BANGKOK, 3 January 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects the number of foreign tourists to drop between 10-12 percent in 2014 due to the prolonged political demonstrations.

Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Suwat Sitthilo said on Thursday the ministry will soon update foreign diplomats about the situation of tourism in Thailand, as it is now apparent that political rallies will be prolonged. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also been told to update its website content to ensure that foreign tourists receive factual information.

Mr. Suwat indicated the expectation for the decline in foreign tourists was a result of several factors, which include the prolonging of political demonstrations and China's tightening of regulations on outbound tours.

26 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in 2013, the number which surpassed the expectation. Their visits generated 1.7 trillion baht of income for Thailand. Mr. Suwat indicated that if the political rallies were to cease within the first quarter of this year, the tourism sector will expand and generate 2 trillion baht of income for Thailand in 2014.


-- NNT 2014-01-03

[kotsak]

Standby for TAT's comment..

Edited January 3, 2014 by kotsak

[andygunther]

Standby for TAT's comment..

They are expecting a growth with at least 20%

[bubblegum]

So a drop of 10-12 % but an increase in income from 1.7 trillion to 2 trillion ?????

[LuckyLew]

TAT would not know an honest fact if it bit them on the nose

[Prbkk]

However rubbery Tat figures may be, one thing is certain: Suthep and the thugs have caused massive damage to the Thai tourism industry and many people will lose jobs as a consequence

[andygunther]

And if they face new fees for VISA on arrival ( up to 4,600 bht ), they can expect 30% less tourists.

( A family with 2 children = 18,000 )

[slapout]

It must be the Chinese "tightening of regulation" as the protests do not seem to be a factor when looking at 2013 numbers. The other 'several' factors were not worthly of mention, so must not be important in the projections.

Good reason/justification to cut the budget to those Ministries involved in beinging in the tourist currency.

[chooka]

So a drop of 10-12 % but an increase in income from 1.7 trillion to 2 trillion ?????

Thais just raise the prices to cover the loss in revenue.

[andygunther]

So a drop of 10-12 % but an increase in income from 1.7 trillion to 2 trillion ?????

It is because Thailand's inflation

Edited January 3, 2014 by andygunther

[Sydebolle]

Well, and AEC 2015 is around the corner - so everything will be forgotten in 2016. Millions of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Pilipino tourists to flock the land spending tons of hard currency after having been relieved of an arrival fee of THB 500 plus a little visa slap into their faces at THB 4'500/face.

Nice going - how hopelessly stupid are these idiots. But as the saying goes "too many clowns, not enough circuses". Well, cover Thailand with a tent and …… there you are!

[JRSoul]

However rubbery Tat figures may be, one thing is certain: Suthep and the thugs have caused massive damage to the Thai tourism industry and many people will lose jobs as a consequence

Actually, peaceful protests don't scare off many tourists. If you could stop the attacks on the protesters, the tourists will still come (but that isn't a Shinawatra policy, is it?)

[soi41]

However rubbery Tat figures may be, one thing is certain: Suthep and the thugs have caused massive damage to the Thai tourism industry and many people will lose jobs as a consequence

Actually, peaceful protests don't scare off many tourists. If you could stop the attacks on the protesters, the tourists will still come (but that isn't a Shinawatra policy, is it?)

Do you never get tired of playing the same old record over and over again??

[CraigSchuler]

Step right up folks....Don't miss the "dog & pony" show!

[soi41]

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

I hope you sleep good at night! NOT!

[DocN]

[GentlemanJim]

 

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

I hope you sleep good at night! NOT!

 

Please remind me. When the reds shut down Bangkok for 6 weeks did you make a post saying "Well done Thaksin, spoiling the livelihood of thousands of Thais all to help the fat cats get fatter?......I don't think you did did you

[KimoMax]

The Negative and Confrontational Attitude of the Locals and the BIB does not help.

Especially since the Recent youtube video of the Cop Slapping the Russian Female Tourist has gone viral.

As well as the Government's attmepts to Rip Off Foreign Tourists with their rediculous plans to Charge additional Fees to Tourists and Forigners.

A Thai phrase comes to mind: "Som Nam Nha" ("Serves you right").

[WAERTH]

And if they face new fees for VISA on arrival ( up to 4,600 bht ), they can expect 30% less tourists.

( A family with 2 children = 18,000 )

4500 visa on arrival fee? Since when was that proposed? Did I miss something?

[ginjag]

However rubbery Tat figures may be, one thing is certain: Suthep and the thugs have caused massive damage to the Thai tourism industry and many people will lose jobs as a consequence

Long term, get rid of the non governing government, corruption, bleach clean all departments, input decent politicians

All corruption money to Educate, health care, roads/rail, WITHOUT BORROWING.

As for these figures, deduct----- ALL transit, cross border shopping, migrant workers, and most of all VISA RUNS ( re-entries on average X 6 per year ) X how many long termers.

One can only guess, after these add ons to tourist figures have been deducted what ???? 18 million in 2013 ??? TOTAL

Guessing at income, after again all these NON tourists, deduct their spending what ???? 1.5 trillion. TOTAL

They have NO idea how much income they receive---PERIOD.

TAT thinking---" if it snows in August and the seas turn blue again we predict 20% more entrants". They are a joke.

Edited January 3, 2014 by ginjag

[ginjag]

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

I hope you sleep good at night! NOT!

AND your fat cats are very fat already and want more that's why there is a problem. NUT comes to mind when anyone praises THE FAMILY.

[Phatcharanan]

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

Do you never get tired of playing the same old record over and over again??

[kurnell]

I am beginning to think that the average Thai official is not very intelligent

[ginjag]

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

Do you never get tired of playing the same old record over and over again??

Same as MY WAY. ???

[Cnxforever]

a friend of mine who is working offshore - a genuine tourist coming to Thailand since 25 years - spending about 4 -5 month a year and approx. 1 million baht or more every year in Thailand has recently been refused a tourist visa by the Thai consulate in Ho Chi Minh City although he had been away from Thailand for 5 month and produced a ticket out of the country!

Because he works offshore the lack of a Thai consulate in his trading area - and his company paying his airfare from the port of disembarkation to Bangkok - he has not been able to apply for a tourist visa before arriving in Thailand.

Since he was planning to stay for more than 2 month he wanted to keep things according to immigration rules - spent about 20.000 Baht to go to Ho Chi Minh City only to be denied a simple single entry tourist visa because he "had too many stamps in his passport"! The Consulate's personnel obviously not intelligent enough to count the stamps and the time spent abroad in between them.

Needless to say he has had enough of these "idiots" - how he called them - here and he is spending his holidays now else where! Count him into these 10-12% of tourists who will stay away from Thailand from now on!

[trogers]

China's tightening of regulations on outbound tours

Why is China tightening their regulations? If it is due to projected economic collapse on the horizon, then, TAT can estimate further drops for the next 5 years...

[zydeco]

Tourism down. Rice exports down. Foreign investment static or down. What's left?

[bigbamboo]

Tourism down. Rice exports down. Foreign investment static or down. What's left?

Knickers?

[soi41]

I am beginning to think that the average Thai official is not very intelligent

The revelation of the century!!

[soi41]

Well done Suthep!!

Spoiling the livelihood for thousands of Thais! All to help the fat cats getting fatter.

I hope you sleep good at night! NOT!

AND your fat cats are very fat already and want more that's why there is a problem. NUT comes to mind when anyone praises THE FAMILY.

And you seriously believe that your hero is staging his "revolution" for the benefit of the average Thai??

If the answer is yes, you are IMO naive beyond belief!

And for not supporting Sutheps undemocratic "peoples" council nonsense, doesn't automatically make me a Thaksin supporter. Just a person with a brain! In contrast to a "follower" of either side!