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

[simon43]

Actually, peaceful protests don't scare off many tourists.

My Phuket hotel stats speak otherwise, even though there have been no major protests in Phuket.

Over the past month many more of my guests have cancelled their bookings than could be explained by a 'glitch' in the system.

Virtually all of these cancellations have been by Asian guests, notably Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Luckily for me, the standard cancellation charge of 1 night fee applies, and as an airport transit hotel, guests only stay one night.....

But you're kidding yourself if you think that tourists are not being scared away.

Simon

[rreddin]

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 )

You forgot to add the 500Baht a head health tax.

[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.

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!

What has that to do with the corrupt government, apart from someone wanting them out.

MY HERO---grow up no way--only I wish to see the end of the FAMILY control freaks.

You said "IF the answer is yes " not me. you are in a stupid denial of wrong full stop. you have a brain, half of your assumptions are lies.

Again Mr. brain. Listen to what I am saying--I am a follower of Right not wrong---forget Dems and Abhisit. GET IT.

Just to put it fairly honestly If a rice farmer were to organize a protest the same as this to get THEM out I would support verbally.

[hgma]

How about?

Who gives a hood?

That will shorten borring comments and nose picking, enless ofcourse that why 'you' came to this 'paradise' just to do that.

Simple fooks , don't even try to understand,that will raise my euro value a bit faster too!!

ever tought about that most important issue?

I keep on smiling in the land of smiles.

[ginjag]

How about?

Who gives a hood?

That will shorten borring comments and nose picking, enless ofcourse that why 'you' came to this 'paradise' just to do that.

Simple fooks , don't even try to understand,that will raise my euro value a bit faster too!!

ever tought about that most important issue?

I keep on smiling in the land of smiles.

Some people take interest in the country they live in and may have families and business so it is ok and healthy to have a brush up with other posters.

Boring to you maybe so back off if you don't like the TVF.

I didn't arrive here for booze and bar girls, I came because it WAS super not so much now but still love it. IN 1 YEAR my POUND has given me 10,000 bht more each month as of now so good on that. but although money is important I do not rely on it being good to stay here.

Do your bit and enjoy, don't be too hard on others who moan and grumble it is an English thing, politics--bad weather--mother in law.

[Suffinator]

Phuket, Chalong Pier.... New Year's Eve. Last year it was very quiet but this year the pier was almost devoid of foreigners; I estimate less than 30. Even the local bar and restaurant owner are admitting they've never had it so bad and now many are trying to sell up and off-load what is a financial burden and clearly a very bad investment.

Will it get better? Debatable.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

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

Yes, the immigration will divert the trash tourists to other countries. Make room for higher class of people. Pattaya really needs it

[Jack007]

Wonderdfu

Mr. Suwat (TAT) must get the NEW PM of Thailand, because he believes in fairy tales and has a perfect brain for calculations.

26 minus 10 % => 23,4 million tourists and their spending will raise with 20 %.

Probably they are going to get in 2014 30 million tourists and 40%% grow of spendings.

The baht will decline to 60 baht for 1 US$.

Wishful thinking and so as always not realistic ,but you can trust their figures.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,probably ??????

[ginjag]

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

Knickers?

It's cold so Duck down.

[Ulic]

Tourists down 10-12 % income from tourists up 15%. Must be using that rice scheme mathematics and accountants

to make this prediction.

[Bpuumike]

Standby for TAT's comment..

For sure TAT will soon produce the correct figures.

[ginjag]

Standby for TAT's comment..

For sure TAT will soon produce the correct figures.

THEIR correct figures. ha ha

[Bpuumike]

How about?

Who gives a hood?

That will shorten borring comments and nose picking, enless ofcourse that why 'you' came to this 'paradise' just to do that.

Simple fooks , don't even try to understand,that will raise my euro value a bit faster too!!

ever tought about that most important issue?

I keep on smiling in the land of smiles.

Some people take interest in the country they live in and may have families and business so it is ok and healthy to have a brush up with other posters.

Boring to you maybe so back off if you don't like the TVF.

I didn't arrive here for booze and bar girls, I came because it WAS super not so much now but still love it. IN 1 YEAR my POUND has given me 10,000 bht more each month as of now so good on that. but although money is important I do not rely on it being good to stay here.

Do your bit and enjoy, don't be too hard on others who moan and grumble it is an English thing, politics--bad weather--mother in law.

Except my Thai MIL is lovely, and never asks for anything.

Don't know where the wife inherited it from lol

Edited January 3, 2014 by Bpuumike

[Baerboxer]

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

Tiresome - blame Suthep for the snowstorms in the US and the floods in UK. Why not, you blame him for everything else on every thread!

2.5 years of total misrule forgotten.

[ginjag]

How about?

Who gives a hood?

That will shorten borring comments and nose picking, enless ofcourse that why 'you' came to this 'paradise' just to do that.

Simple fooks , don't even try to understand,that will raise my euro value a bit faster too!!

ever tought about that most important issue?

I keep on smiling in the land of smiles.

Some people take interest in the country they live in and may have families and business so it is ok and healthy to have a brush up with other posters.

Boring to you maybe so back off if you don't like the TVF.

I didn't arrive here for booze and bar girls, I came because it WAS super not so much now but still love it. IN 1 YEAR my POUND has given me 10,000 bht more each month as of now so good on that. but although money is important I do not rely on it being good to stay here.

Do your bit and enjoy, don't be too hard on others who moan and grumble it is an English thing, politics--bad weather--mother in law.

Except my Thai MIL is lovely, and never asks for anything.

Don't know where the wife inherited it from lol

You keep that mother in law gagged and in her padded cell.

[Bpuumike]

Standby for TAT's comment..

For sure TAT will soon produce the correct figures.

THEIR correct figures. ha ha

Showing a steady increase in arriving tourists and revenues as per usual ha ha.

Must be what they get paid to do.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Bpuumike

[godden]

with all the crap going down sad to say i think thailands day of holiday smiles is going down the pan, only the hard core(no pun intended) sex tourists are going to cum, o dear i made a pun some one take the gin bottle away.

[simon43]

Here are some specific stats for my hotel guest cancellation rates (the hotel is in Phuket):

November 2012 = 0%

November 2013 = 7.5%

December 2012 = 3%

December 2013 = 17.3%

January 2013 = 0.6%

January 2014 = 24.6%

With 72% of the guests who cancelled in the past three months being Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

Now, unless word has got about that the Pad Thai in my hotel restaurant contains arsenic, I'd say that's pretty damning evidence of the harm that these protests are doing to tourism (and I'm only talking about Phuket - heaven knows what the cancellation stats are for Bangkok hotels).

Simon

[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

Tiresome - blame Suthep for the snowstorms in the US and the floods in UK. Why not, you blame him for everything else on every thread!

2.5 years of total misrule forgotten.

Ha Ha, so true, some people forgot where they crapped last, then go and tread in it. Suthep was the problem for the rice, Abhisit was the problem for making 50 trips abroad when in office, the oil spill was not the governments fault, the floods well the minister did admit he got it wrong by not releasing the water early to make way for mega rainfall, and it's fallangs fault for tourists not arriving as we don't make Asian tourists welcome.

[Bpuumike]

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

Knickers?

It's cold so Duck down.

Nice pun ha ha

[ginjag]

Here are some specific stats for my hotel guest cancellation rates (the hotel is in Phuket):

November 2012 = 0%

November 2013 = 7.5%

December 2012 = 3%

December 2013 = 17.3%

January 2013 = 0.6%

January 2014 = 24.6%

With 72% of the guests who cancelled in the past three months being Chinese, Japanese or Korean.

Now, unless word has got about that the Pad Thai in my hotel restaurant contains arsenic, I'd say that's pretty damning evidence of the harm that these protests are doing to tourism (and I'm only talking about Phuket - heaven knows what the cancellation stats are for Bangkok hotels).

Simon

Send these figures to TAT. cause their stats for most of your cancelations apart from this month show increases ???? chok Dee mate

[Mudcrab]

Gotta love the 26 million foreign tourist bit.

Like George W Gump and his most of our imports come from overseas statement.

[Mudcrab]

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!

Suspect he not a tourist as they see it. 4-5 months in every year could seem excessive to be called a tourist. Would he not be better off getting some other visa which allows entry/re-entry at will?

[Mudcrab]

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!

Suspect he not a tourist as they see it. 4-5 months in every year could seem excessive to be called a tourist. Would he not be better off getting some other visa which allows entry/re-entry at will?

[Mudcrab]

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

Baht down with any luck!!

[Mudcrab]

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!

What has that to do with the corrupt government, apart from someone wanting them out.

MY HERO---grow up no way--only I wish to see the end of the FAMILY control freaks.

You said "IF the answer is yes " not me. you are in a stupid denial of wrong full stop. you have a brain, half of your assumptions are lies.

Again Mr. brain. Listen to what I am saying--I am a follower of Right not wrong---forget Dems and Abhisit. GET IT.

Just to put it fairly honestly If a rice farmer were to organize a protest the same as this to get THEM out I would support verbally.

My Missus and all her family are rice farmers. We travelled to Bangkok - Silom - 2 weeks (from Isaan) ago to the protest. Yeah I know I felt really out of place with my whistle and Akubra hat...but there you go. Funnily enough nobody except me thought I was out of place. Many sawadees and Hellos. Lots of smiles .

[Mudcrab]

Phuket, Chalong Pier.... New Year's Eve. Last year it was very quiet but this year the pier was almost devoid of foreigners; I estimate less than 30. Even the local bar and restaurant owner are admitting they've never had it so bad and now many are trying to sell up and off-load what is a financial burden and clearly a very bad investment.

Will it get better? Debatable.

Sounds like the time to buy. Things will get better no doubt about it.

[noitom]

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!

He did the smart thing to head elsewhere. And he will be even smarter to stay away from Thailand.

[surangw]

wasn't it last month they predicted a 5% rise ?

[Thai at Heart]

No one is pointing at anyone in a picture.

This story can't possibly be true.