Political turmoil erodes tourist confidence in Thailand

[webfact]

Political turmoil erodes tourist confidence in Thailand

BANGKOK, 12 May 2014 (NNT) - Thailand’s prolonged political conflict has caused a fewer amount of foreign tourists to spend their holidays in the Land of Smiles.

At least ten tour companies whose customers are primarily foreign tourists have to close down, as the dwindling number of tourists has generated lower income and has caused serious liquidity problems in their businesses.

Mr. Yuthachai Sunthornrattanawet, the President of the Association of Domestic Travel, declared that the tourism sector has been affected by the political impasse. He said that there was also a possibility that at least 20-30 more companies would become bankrupt, as many companies have piled up on debts.

Meanwhile, Mr. Anek Srichiwachart, the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) said that the political outcome in May remains worrying. Should the level of violence escalate, there is a possibility an emergency decree may be enacted again.

He went on to say that the total number of tourists this year would be lower than the projected target of 26 million, as tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2014 has decreased by at least 10 to 20 percent. However, if the political tension subsides, then many tourists would regain confidence to visit Thailand.


-- NNT 2014-05-12

[wandasloan]

Did I miss the Declaration of a Day of Obviousness for today? Asean wants peace in Thailand. Thailand hopes to sell some rice. A mall will be built in Bangkok. Tourists don't like reports of political demonstrations.

This is like a newscast inside an Orwell book. "This forum is presented by the Department of Calmness, our only duty is to serve you with news that will never shock or surprise our sensitive readers."

.

[chainarong]

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Did I miss the Declaration of a Day of Obviousness for today? Asean wants peace in Thailand. Thailand hopes to sell some rice. A mall will be built in Bangkok. Tourists don't like reports of political demonstrations.

This is like a newscast inside an Orwell book. "This forum is presented by the Department of Calmness, our only duty is to serve you with news that will never shock or surprise our sensitive readers."

.

To be honest I am still getting over the HKKid (the man from Dubai) from 2004.

[winstonc]

companys closing down..nothing to do with people booking over the net then...maybe...

[marko kok prong]

Don't worry i am sure Tat are working on something as we speak that will turn this all around.

[diehard60]

Well you only have one person to thank for this and that is suthep. These companies should file charges against suthep for what has happened to them.

[bigbamboo]

I suppose you can add political turmoil to the growing list of tourist concerns although I doubt it figures very highly in holiday hotspots like Phuket and Pattaya.

[geoman1976]

Really, we are watching a country commit economic suicide. and I seriously doubt the tourist industry will return to what it was. Other surrounding countries have become more visitor friendly as of late and the economic prediction for SE Asia has their ghh growth exploding and Thailand's at a basic stand still. Too much nationalism and false founded pride in this has it going down the toilet. The political crisis is only expediting it.

[benny1616]

I suppose you can add political turmoil to the growing list of tourist concerns although I doubt it figures very highly in holiday hotspots like Phuket and Pattaya.

then you should come to phuket to see with your own eyes the number of tourists declining since months or even years in a row. even in the last high saison the hotels and apartments was only occupied with a average of 50% and now at low saison the average is about 20%. and still some "investors" building hotels, apartments, condos as would milliones of tourists come soon hahaha

[Soutpeel]

And in other news TAT announced an expected 43% increase in quality tourists arriving in Thailand in 2014 over 2013...

[KarenBravo]

Still the same old TAT bull-shit figures. That 26 million quoted is arrivals AND departures.

[leggo]

The tragedy of all this is that most of the members of this forum could write endless columns of what is wrong with Thailand at the moment and they'd be right. One of its greatest problems is that in the last 20 years, a comparitively short period of time in which it has grown economically so fast , the population has become like spoilt children at Christmas. In the next few years they are all in for an enormous shock - debt, criminality, unemployment amongst other things. That said maybe it will be for the best and Thailand might become how most of us remembered it although I find it hard to believe that they will grasp what is going on. It's all very sad as everyday a Thai will smile at you or offer you something that brings you that feeling of why it is called LOS - the country is being destroyed by greed , corruption and head in the sand attitude and personally I think it's a crying shame.

[asdecas]

A "fewer amount" of tourists? Jeez!

[spidermike007]

Did I miss the Declaration of a Day of Obviousness for today? Asean wants peace in Thailand. Thailand hopes to sell some rice. A mall will be built in Bangkok. Tourists don't like reports of political demonstrations.

This is like a newscast inside an Orwell book. "This forum is presented by the Department of Calmness, our only duty is to serve you with news that will never shock or surprise our sensitive readers."

.

Thank you for stating what we were all thinking. Uh duuh! Who comes up with this stuff? Did these guys go to college? Are they actually getting paid for their work? Is anyone listening?

[millwall_fan]

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Don't worry i am sure Tat are working on something as we speak that will turn this all around.

That should read: 'don't worry, I'm sure TAT are working on something as we speak that will turn these figures around. Subtle difference!

[The stuttering parrot]

It's a shame when I get calls from friends who want to go to Thailand and ask me whether it's safe because they can see all the trouble on the news.

I shouldn't be getting these calls!

[phanangpete]

The tragedy of all this is that most of the members of this forum could write endless columns of what is wrong with Thailand at the moment and they'd be right. One of its greatest problems is that in the last 20 years, a comparitively short period of time in which it has grown economically so fast , the population has become like spoilt children at Christmas. In the next few years they are all in for an enormous shock - debt, criminality, unemployment amongst other things. That said maybe it will be for the best and Thailand might become how most of us remembered it although I find it hard to believe that they will grasp what is going on. It's all very sad as everyday a Thai will smile at you or offer you something that brings you that feeling of why it is called LOS - the country is being destroyed by greed , corruption and head in the sand attitude and personally I think it's a crying shame.

Agreed 100%, i don't need to add to this much as you've hit it on the head. Greed ,this will bring about their downfall, and they are too arrogant to admit it .

[phanangpete]

Remember TAT are responsible for the Russian rabble ,who are ruining Pattaya and Phuket.

They don't understand anything other than lining their pockets and its getting out there via the media and blogging networks and they still don't get it !

[phanangpete]

Remember TAT are responsible for the Russian rabble ,who are ruining Pattaya and Phuket.

They don't understand anything other than lining their pockets and its getting out there via the media and blogging networks and they still don't get it !

TAT will lie about the figures ,hoping that by some magic , it will happen. Its childs logic and they've being doing it for years .

Ironic though is that they think the world believes them.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Wow, gee, what totally unexpected surprises will catch us all off guard next ?

You'd think things are much worse elsewhere and it wouldn't phase anyone as far as their holiday plans. Why, the hotels are still open, restaurants, bars still humming along, the temples and the James Bond Island are all still intact.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Shaunduhpostman

[Jim walker]

The sexpat tourist will always come to Thailand because they can get exactly what they wants in Thailand and that’s what can’t get in his home country , high end tourists and family oriented tourists don’t come to Thailand now I am sure it is well down their destinations to Must Go to list, it’s just not worth the risk , airport closed shooting by the military and protesters in downtown Bangkok, daily tourist murders and rapes, plenty countries to visit in Asia without the additional violent troubles and concerns to be had in Thailand, take the wife and kids somewhere safer than a war zone for a holiday to relax on a quiet clean beach.

[3NUMBAS]

less sponsors being robbed and picked clean though, so there is a good side to the slide into the abyss

[Greg Nixon]

Thailand would be better off with a tourist reduction of 50%. Thailand is not cleaning the garbage from the beaches or keeping the water safe for swimming. There are no controls on vendors and there is no zoning regulations. You can have a greasy motorcycle repair shop next to a restaurant. Thailand is feeding unhealthy sexual appetites with unhealthy consequences. From what I have seen I would prefer Cuba as a tourist destination. Fewer people, better sanitation, nicer beaches. I am not here as a tourist. I am retired here and I would avoid most of the "popular" tourist locations.

[Greg Nixon]

Well you only have one person to thank for this and that is suthep. These companies should file charges against suthep for what has happened to them.

Yes i am sure it was Suthep who created the sex industry here. It was Suthep who threw garbage on the beaches and thoroughfares. It was Suthep who fouled the water. Maybe Suthep is looking for a solution. God knows the previous governments did not find one.

[Scarpolo]

The sexpat tourist will always come to Thailand because they can get exactly what they wants in Thailand and that’s what can’t get in his home country , high end tourists and family oriented tourists don’t come to Thailand now I am sure it is well down their destinations to Must Go to list, it’s just not worth the risk , airport closed shooting by the military and protesters in downtown Bangkok, daily tourist murders and rapes, plenty countries to visit in Asia without the additional violent troubles and concerns to be had in Thailand, take the wife and kids somewhere safer than a war zone for a holiday to relax on a quiet clean beach.

got some bad news for you,

the sex tourists need not go to thailand, as, the supply demand factor, more supply than demand, has the hottest, youngest prettiest, whitest girls from Cuba, Venezuela, Columbia and Brazil, (slightly darker)

for a lot less than it cost to deal with Thailand.

the girls are priced the same, assuming you dont want a pig from a bar

[Scarpolo]

Thailand would be better off with a tourist reduction of 50%. Thailand is not cleaning the garbage from the beaches or keeping the water safe for swimming. There are no controls on vendors and there is no zoning regulations. You can have a greasy motorcycle repair shop next to a restaurant. Thailand is feeding unhealthy sexual appetites with unhealthy consequences. From what I have seen I would prefer Cuba as a tourist destination. Fewer people, better sanitation, nicer beaches. I am not here as a tourist. I am retired here and I would avoid most of the "popular" tourist locations.

Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama

all within reason

[3NUMBAS]

and there are dildos and vibrators openly on sale in the streets ,just great for families out for a stroll in the evenings

[wellred]

This industry you talk of is smaller per capita compared to places like the Phillipenes, USA or Taiwan. People make such a fuss about it as Thais are less coy about it. And the scene for farangs is a fraction compared to that available for locals. So please stop with your rhetoric on sexpats. It's the oldest occupancy in the book and was here long before farang stepped foot in the kingdom.

[wellred]

The sexpat tourist will always come to Thailand because they can get exactly what they wants in Thailand and that’s what can’t get in his home country , high end tourists and family oriented tourists don’t come to Thailand now I am sure it is well down their destinations to Must Go to list, it’s just not worth the risk , airport closed shooting by the military and protesters in downtown Bangkok, daily tourist murders and rapes, plenty countries to visit in Asia without the additional violent troubles and concerns to be had in Thailand, take the wife and kids somewhere safer than a war zone for a holiday to relax on a quiet clean beach.

got some bad news for you,

the sex tourists need not go to thailand, as, the supply demand factor, more supply than demand, has the hottest, youngest prettiest, whitest girls from Cuba, Venezuela, Columbia and Brazil, (slightly darker)

for a lot less than it cost to deal with Thailand.

the girls are priced the same, assuming you dont want a pig from a bar

Not sure about Colombia but I know Brazil is muyto expensive vs Thailand.

[Scarpolo]

The sexpat tourist will always come to Thailand because they can get exactly what they wants in Thailand and that’s what can’t get in his home country , high end tourists and family oriented tourists don’t come to Thailand now I am sure it is well down their destinations to Must Go to list, it’s just not worth the risk , airport closed shooting by the military and protesters in downtown Bangkok, daily tourist murders and rapes, plenty countries to visit in Asia without the additional violent troubles and concerns to be had in Thailand, take the wife and kids somewhere safer than a war zone for a holiday to relax on a quiet clean beach.

got some bad news for you,

the sex tourists need not go to thailand, as, the supply demand factor, more supply than demand, has the hottest, youngest prettiest, whitest girls from Cuba, Venezuela, Columbia and Brazil, (slightly darker)

for a lot less than it cost to deal with Thailand.

the girls are priced the same, assuming you dont want a pig from a bar

Not sure about Colombia but I know Brazil is muyto expensive vs Thailand.

to clarify:

its the Miami - Ft Lauderdale market I refer,

they are coming here and have flooded the market, literally,

what is 3,000 baht in the best soap joint,

is the same here, no time wasted in the bath either