Tourist Arrivals Well Down.

[ovenman]

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to ask a further budget of Bt900 million to spur tourism industry in accordance with the government policy to use revenue from tourism business to make up the losses of income due to falling exports, according to Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.

I'm assuming that the loss in income due to falling exports is due to the increased value of the baht. Wouldn't tourism also suffer from the same effect?

[Galong]

I'm in the tourism industry and business over the past year (including last low season) was fantastic!

Here's why:

1. I don't cater to Cheap Charlies

2. I do go after the Asian market

3. My clients are educated

4. I don't do day trips

5. My trips are expensive

The number of what I consider "Quality" tourists is up.

I do think that the media is evil. The SARS year was horrible for business. I think that the media is in the "cry wolf" category now. Yea, yea, yea, world pandemic, human to human transfer, zillions will die... riiiiight.

[sriracha john]

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to ask a further budget of Bt900 million to spur tourism industry in accordance with the government policy to use revenue from tourism business to make up the losses of income due to falling exports, according to Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.

I'm assuming that the loss in income due to falling exports is due to the increased value of the baht. Wouldn't tourism also suffer from the same effect?

tsk...tsk.. ovenman... introducing logic and common sense into a government thread????

no need to muddle the issue with such nonsense....

[gabe]

posted by opothai:

thailand needs to get a few things in order i.e the horror stories about people exeeding thier visa's by the odd day or two and the severity of the punishment for a trivial crime,

crime against falangs is now a daily occurrance,

the petty rip offs and lack of concern from the authorities,

the lack of incentives to retire in los {to many regulations and red tape ]

the continual harrasment in night enterainment venues.

these may seem small but add them together and i'm conviced these will keep a significant number of tourists looking elsewhere, the world is a big place now with new destinations looking better every day, it is a competative market, and thailand needs to keep ahead of the game and not get complacent which unfortunately is a thai trait.

to gain a reputation takes years but it can be ruined in a a very short time.

i agree.

the rip off artists are all over Bangkok.

[sbk]

I'm in the tourism industry and business over the past year (including last low season) was fantastic!

Here's why:

1. I don't cater to Cheap Charlies

2. I do go after the Asian market

3. My clients are educated

4. I don't do day trips

5. My trips are expensive

The number of what I consider "Quality" tourists is up.

I do think that the media is evil. The SARS year was horrible for business. I think that the media is in the "cry wolf" category now. Yea, yea, yea, world pandemic, human to human transfer, zillions will die... riiiiight.

Interesting comments. I, too, am involved in the tourism industry, and we, too, had a great year last year, this year was even better.

1. We cater to backpackers, mainly British, Scandanavian and Australian. They spend their money locally, are easy to please and have good manners

2. We don't cater to Asians as they tend to be stingy, bossy and picky.

3. Our guests are educated

4. We don't do daytrips either

5. Our bungalows are reasonably priced

and most important of all: backpackers don't get scared off by SARS, Bird Flu or Ghosts.

I would say more than 95% of our guests are backpackers and in 5 years we have only had problems once. Our guests are almost always university educated (or still in school) and treat our staff with respect and consideration.

So, there you go, it is possible to cater to a completely different clientele and still have a good result.

[robitusson]

posted by opothai:

thailand needs to get a few things in order i.e the horror stories about people exeeding thier visa's by the odd day or two and the severity of the punishment for a trivial crime,

crime against falangs is now a daily occurrance,

the petty rip offs and lack of concern from the authorities,

the lack of incentives to retire in los {to many regulations and red tape ]

the continual harrasment in night enterainment venues.

these may seem small but add them together and i'm conviced these will keep a significant number of tourists looking elsewhere, the world is a big place now with new destinations looking better every day, it is a competative market, and thailand needs to keep ahead of the game and not get complacent which unfortunately is a thai trait.

to gain a reputation takes years but it can be ruined in a a very short time.

i agree.

the rip off artists are all over Bangkok.

It's the nature of the Thais to be short-sighted about things like this. Get what you can now with a rip-off or scam, rather than build up a regular customer base and secure the future.

[joinme2leave]

AS SOON AS China has realised their possibilities about international tourism (not the backpacking scene) ... AS SOON AS southern europe travel destinations have realised that they have to reduce their prices ... AS SOON AS exchange rates euro/usDollar reaches 1,50 .... Thailand would be happy to accomodate those 2005 based 9 million ppl ever again. Then.....only then TAT might reconsider new tourism-friendly strategies. Too late, imho.

[The Skipper]

Way too many tourist ripoffs/scams. Are they aware of the extent these ripoffs occur?

Does anybody care?

Does TAT ever interview departing guests?

90% feel they have been cheated and decieved along the way.

Those Tuk, Tuk guys offering 20 bt city tours, then demand 3,000 or threats.

Every hotel has a fleet of Taxi mafia types parked out front.

Professionl cheater Union. Everybody knows it.

The"students' interviewing tourists everywhere.

Every major tourist site has teams of scammers lurking, telling people the attraction is closed then lead them off of some scam.

I was in the Tour business and I know what's going on.

What does the TAT do about it? NOTHING!

The Farang is fair game and the whole Country is in on it.