World Cup Costs Thailand Bt2 Billion In Tourist Revenue

[george]

World Cup causes Thailand US$60 million in European tourism revenue

BANGKOK: -- The number of European tourists visiting Thailand is projected to decline about 22 per cent during this year's World Cup football playoffs being held in Germany and the kingdom is expected to lose approximately Bt2 billion (US$60 million) in tourism revenue, according to a report issued Saturday by the KASIKORN Research Center (KRC).

The report said the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand would decline during the World Cup, which began on June 9 and ends on July 9, as football fans would prefer to watch the tournament from television at their home countries, while many would even travel to Germany to see their favourite players in action.

Using Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) data, KRC analysts determined that as European tourists account for 22 per cent of total foreign tourists visiting Thailand, ranking second in number after tourists from East Asia, the economic loss during June-July from the reduced European arrivals would make a significant dent in local tourism revenues.

On average a European tourist spends nearly two weeks -- 13 days -- in Thailand and spends about Bt50,000 (US$1,300) during his or her stay in the kingdom.

Along with the current summer season in Europe now, it is projected that European tourists visiting Thailand during the World Cup would be about 140,000, down 40,000 from the same period of 2005, it said.

Because of the expected fall in the number of European tourists coming to Thailand during the one-month period, the country would lose about Bt2 billion in overall tourism revenue.

--TNA 2006-06-17

[Gumballl]

Perhaps word got out that LOS would be providing spotty coverage of the WC and only in Thai. This might be the reason why many Euro farang are not coming.

Next we will be hearing that LOS wants/needs to become a futbol hub.

[LaoPo]

Perhaps word got out that LOS would be providing spotty coverage of the WC and only in Thai. This might be the reason why many Euro farang are not coming.

Next we will be hearing that LOS wants/needs to become a futbol hub.

Fully agree. They have been sleeping in LOS. They should have promoted the WC in Thailand with BIG SCREENS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

I call this st_pid promotion....a missed chance by all means.

TAT really is TIT

LaoPo

[lampard10]

Thailand are great at missing chances. In fact they are World beaters. Look at flights to Surin. They stopped them a week BEFORE the Elephant round up in 2003.

[Spit the Dog]

Well what do they expect? No English commentry and sizable chunks of certain games blacked out. You won't find any sympathy from me for their lost revenue. In fact 555.

[sbk]

Maybe people in Europe wanted to watch the games live????

I mean, you can watch it on TV anywhere, why bother when you can see it live?

[naka]

Is no English commentary such a bad thing ?

If you go to watch the game at the stadium there is no commentary.

( unless it's live on the radio )

Naka.

[sbk]

Lets be honest, very few people will come to Thailand so they can watch the World Cup on TV. Or anywhere else for that matter. I doubt people would cancel their trip to thailand simply because they couldn't get english commentary.

Anyone who is really keen on it would have postponed any travel plans in order to be stationary as it is going on.

[astral]

What do they expect?

The bars shut when the evening game is on!!!!

However I cannot help thinking it is easy to blame the World Cup.

What about all the other negative things the government has been doing, and is still planning to do to discourage tourists?

Bars closing early.

Whole days when there is no booze at all.

Doubling the exhorbitant rates for National Parks

etc

[ratcatcher]

What do they expect?

The bars shut when the evening game is on!!!!

However I cannot help thinking it is easy to blame the World Cup.

What about all the other negative things the government has been doing, and is still planning to do to discourage tourists?

Bars closing early.

Whole days when there is no booze at all.

Doubling the exhorbitant rates for National Parks

etc

I have only lived in The Kingdom for 6 years, yet I am constantly amazed at the ineptitude of some of the government departments. Where Thailand, and particularly Bangkok, was once the 'Night Life "hub of Asia, that is no longer, that has been taken by Singapore. Sometimes it is hard for the 'authorities' to accept that a huge number of tourists that come to this country come because it is supposed to be a fun place.

Not everyone is interested in the overpriced "temple & spa experience". Perhaps if they,the social order crusaders, loosened up a little, left the bars open until at least 2am on Fridays and Saturdays that would perhaps solve part of the problem with dropping tourist levels.

As for the lack of English commentary on the World Cup games, to say that no commentary is the same as going to a live game is naiive and a cop- out excuse. The reason many people like to see a game on TV is that for the most part, you get reasonably intelligent comments, background notes and instant replays of fouls, goals and other action.

To not have had an English option on bilingual TV's in Thailand is IMHO plain ignorant of your audience. Thanks ThaiBev and Beer Chang.

Beer Lao is now available in Bangkok.

[King Dong]

I mean, you can watch it on TV anywhere

[CGW]

Not going to be to many people coming looking for there dream\retirement home?

[ovenman]

World Cup causes Thailand US$60 million in European tourism revenue

BANGKOK: -- The number of European tourists visiting Thailand is projected to decline about 22 per cent during this year's World Cup football playoffs being held in Germany and the kingdom is expected to lose approximately Bt2 billion (US$60 million) in tourism revenue, according to a report issued Saturday by the KASIKORN Research Center (KRC).

Shhhh... don't tell Mr Big about this or he might just have his army of defamation lawsuit lawyers expand their horizons and file a two billion baht lawsuit against FIFA for restraint of trade.

[Netfan]

Well, there is a simple answer for this, and it will solve another of the PM's dreams: Thailand should put in a bid to host the World Cup. The host team gets automatic entry, right? So his vision of Thailand in the WC is realized. And remember Thailand's bid to host the 2012 Olympics? (another pipe dream). So why not the World Cup? If the govt will give me a grant I'll be glad to chair the committee.

[Morty]

World Cup causes Thailand US$60 million in European tourism revenue

BANGKOK: -- The number of European tourists visiting Thailand is projected to decline about 22 per cent during this year's World Cup football playoffs being held in Germany and the kingdom is expected to lose approximately Bt2 billion (US$60 million) in tourism revenue, according to a report issued Saturday by the KASIKORN Research Center (KRC).

The report said the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand would decline during the World Cup, which began on June 9 and ends on July 9, as football fans would prefer to watch the tournament from television at their home countries, while many would even travel to Germany to see their favourite players in action.

Using Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) data, KRC analysts determined that as European tourists account for 22 per cent of total foreign tourists visiting Thailand, ranking second in number after tourists from East Asia, the economic loss during June-July from the reduced European arrivals would make a significant dent in local tourism revenues.

On average a European tourist spends nearly two weeks -- 13 days -- in Thailand and spends about Bt50,000 (US$1,300) during his or her stay in the kingdom.

Along with the current summer season in Europe now, it is projected that European tourists visiting Thailand during the World Cup would be about 140,000, down 40,000 from the same period of 2005, it said.

Because of the expected fall in the number of European tourists coming to Thailand during the one-month period, the country would lose about Bt2 billion in overall tourism revenue.

--TNA 2006-06-17

I don't think this has anything to do with the WC, unless 100% of all europeans (22% of Thai tourists are european according to TAT) are football maniacs and would forfeit their hollliday just to be able to se the WC live. This has to do with Thailands declining reputation as a tourist destination. Let's face it, bars closing in the "evening", there are regular non-alchohol days applied to farrang non-budhists. ppl gets their handbags/gold necklaces snatched on a dayly basis. Travelers are adviced not to rent vehicles because of BIB corruption and insurance problems. Thailand is supposed to be a fun place, it ain't that fun anymore. For us living here, we learn to adapt to these situations, tourists don't. It doesn't matter if it's cheap, if you can't have your fun. Try going to the beach in patters or jomtien for a swim, and you be surpriced if your swimming outfit hasn't been wrapped in a plastic bag.

Then we have the so called "war on drugs" resulting in good paying customers beeing locked up in the bar/restaurant they drink/eat in having to do pee tests to be able to leave (if they're lucky). This of course would have nothing to do with the decline in tourists wanting to come here.

Two years ago it was the bird flu, last year it was the tsunami, and this year it's the WC, knowing the TAT they will find an excuse next year as well.

Thailand is a beautiful place, but maintenance/development is not up to par

Morty

[oopapasan]

I mean, you can watch it on TV anywhere

World cup?what's that?

[LaoPo]

I mean, you can watch it on TV anywhere

World cup?what's that?

World Cup Fishing for the largest shark, especially the oopapasan species since there are too many of them.

LaoPo