Pattaya tourism down 80% from 2012 due to Bangkok protests

[Rimmer]

Pattaya tourism down 80% from 2012 due to Bangkok protests
Pattaya tourist levels have dropped 80 percent from last year as political protests in Bangkok scare away the world’s visitors.

Speaking at the Pattaya Business & Tourism Associations Jan. 8 meeting at the Grand Sole Hotel, officials from the city Tourism Department said the high season has been devastated and only Chinese New Year at the end of the month holds any hope of at least holding even with 2012-13.

PBTA President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn echoed the feelings of business leaders who are desperate to get the word out internationally that the sporadically violent and even deadly Bangkok demonstrations have not affected the Eastern Seaboard.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/pattaya-tourism-down-80-from-2012-due-to-bangkok-protests-34025#sthash.zUbw6QM1.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2014-01-17

[ExpatOilWorker]

A 80% drop sound a bit too high.

[impulse]

I'd have figured the Bangkok refugees would have more than filled the gap.

[Pattaya28]

80% ???

So are most hotels virtually empty ??

Inaccurate info here for sure.

[Spoonman]

Traffic has gotten worse ten fold yet visitor numbers are down 80%....... how does that work ?

[marinediscoking]

There are almost no Chinese bus tourists here now. The Russian bus tourists are way down too. Just have a drive around notice how few bussed are on the roads as there normally are this time of year.

Doesn't seem to affect the sex tourist demographic though.

[Gone]

I'd have figured the Bangkok refugees would have more than filled the gap.

This is exactly what is happening now so yes "tourism" is down but the Bangkokians are taking up the space.

The TAT wouldn't post such negative reports if it wasn't true.

No, most Hotels are booked solid but again, from Bangkokians.

[Naam]

A 80% drop sound a bit too high.

Pattaya Mail

[Lancelot]

A 80% drop sound a bit too high.

I agree.

I'd have figured the Bangkok refugees would have more than filled the gap.

Me too. I'm seeing a lot of tourists here in Chiang Mai. I would think that most visitors are skipping Bangkok and heading straight for the provinces. Pattaya should benefit from that trend...

[impulse]

I have an errand to run in Pattaya tomorrow and figured I'd just spend Saturday night at the beach in Jomtien or south of there- preferably on the beach.

Went to Hotels.com to look for a place for Saturday night and most of the hotels show up as "XX other hotels that have nothing available for your timeframe" (or some such wording).

Last time I used that website last minute, there were a lot more hotels with rooms available, but I do concede that's not a scientific survey like the -80% number.

BTW, my Chinese friends tells me the press there is really playing up the dangers of the "violent protests" in Thailand. Which makes perfect sense since the state controlled media really, truly don't want the same type of protests in China. They seem to be painting it as dicey and unappealing as they can.

Edited January 17, 2014 by impulse

[i claudius]

So ,not all bad news .

[fakename]

I dont really accept the theory that everyone living in BKK will flee the scene. Would you leave your home unprotected, and not knowing when you might be able to return? Im betting most will just hunker down, unless they are involved in the protest. People also have jobs, but of course some that have holidays planned, might take this opportunity to leave the mayhem.

Everyone has their own viewpoint, but I was at Jomtien beach a couple nights ago, and it was quite empty, but this afternoon, it was business as usual.

[Gsxrnz]

According to my highly accurate "Pratt Tourists driving around Pattaya on scooters-o-mometer", the number of Pratt Tourists is at least the same as this time last year.

However, not all Pratts are tourists, and not all tourists are Pratts.

So my opinion is purely anecdotal to say the least.

[In Search of Space]

Last Sunday I went from pattaya to Bangkok, leaving around 4 pm & I would say it was one of the busiest trips I've done

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Bender]

I dont really accept the theory that everyone living in BKK will flee the scene. Would you leave your home unprotected, and not knowing when you might be able to return? Im betting most will just hunker down, unless they are involved in the protest. People also have jobs, but of course some that have holidays planned, might take this opportunity to leave the mayhem.

Everyone has their own viewpoint, but I was at Jomtien beach a couple nights ago, and it was quite empty, but this afternoon, it was business as usual.

of course people fleeing bangkok to take refuge in pattaya ( ) its total <deleted>.

Around Bkk, you have thousands and thousands of cheap, clean , safe ity, and people will choose to go hide in a city resort riden by crime like pattaya... some people are deluded

[impulse]

Traffic has gotten worse ten fold yet visitor numbers are down 80%....... how does that work ?

You're forgetting that we Bangkok drivers are so bad that just a few BKK refugees can make the traffic look ten fold worse, without affecting the tourist count at all.

And I'll be adding my own brand of traffic cluelessness to the mess sometime this morning... Fear not, though. It's a surgical mission and I'll be out of your hair by noon. I hope.

Edited January 17, 2014 by impulse

[blackman]

I'd have figured the Bangkok refugees would have more than filled the gap.

This is exactly what is happening now so yes "tourism" is down but the Bangkokians are taking up the space.

The TAT wouldn't post such negative reports if it wasn't true.

No, most Hotels are booked solid but again, from Bangkokians.

TAT paid by the reds

reds want to discredit the PDRC

TAT is told by reds to publish propaganda stating tourism is down due to protests by PDRC

Thais then have someone to blame for any shortfall in their pockets

same people blame PDRC for monetary losses

people turn on PDRC

TAT are told exactly what to say by the current regime, whether it be negative, true or false

in the same vein i wonder how much tourism was down when the reds occupied the central area of Bangkok for 3 months ?

Edited January 18, 2014 by blackman

[EyesWideOpen]

There are almost no Chinese bus tourists here now. The Russian bus tourists are way down too. Just have a drive around notice how few bussed are on the roads as there normally are this time of year.

Doesn't seem to affect the sex tourist demographic though.

Makes sense. Pattaya was built upon sex tourism, not from busloads of Chinese tourists

gaping outside their tour bus windows.....

[geriatrickid]

I'd have figured the Bangkok refugees would have more than filled the gap.

If there were any, they went to Hua Hin.

[balo]

Looking at Jomtien beach today , it was almost impossible to find an empty beach chair , it was really crowded so not sure if tourists are so scared anymore, Russians, Italians , Germans and Bangkokians, they were all there.

Edited January 18, 2014 by balo

[stoli]

I too read this in the Pattaya Mail, and hope in their next issue, (or before), they issue a correction. If this were true, business's all over would be closing. They are even comparing 2012 to 2013, long before the protests started. I hope my landlord read this article and my rent will change from 15,000 baht a month to 15,000 baht a year. lol

[Sigurris]

I live by the beach at Jomtien. This weekend was the usual gridlock of cars with Bangkok plates and the beach was full of Europeans (mainly Eastern Europe). And during the week the demographic is similar.

80% down? I don't think so.

[MrTee]

I'm down more than 80%..
all that money supporting Homes for Issan has left me high and dry!