Number of foreign visitors to Thailand lower than expected so far this year

[Greg Nixon]

Sex tourism is limiting the number of tourists. There are a lot more honest and moral tourists with families than there are low life sex tourists. the truth is out there about the moral degradation of Thai people - poverty struck or not. Would you risk exposing your children to scenes such as one might see in Pattaya or Phuket ? What would you tell your children.? That it is OK because they are poor ?

The sex tourists are the ones likely to be overstaying or getting multiple VOA by doing Visa runs. They may well be involved in other illegal activities. Way to go General. Clean up the tourist industry and the beaches. Bring poverty back to the ladies. Prostitution is a bad scene even without any moral judgement. there are no long term positive benefits for participants or for the community.

[wilcopops]

Yes, Thailand is getting more expensive, but name a country where is is'nt and a decent way of life can be found. There are many small changes constantly happening. However, generally life in Thailand is pretty laid back and free. Get used to the corruption especially with Police and politicians and Thailand has a lot to offer.Anyhow it suits me and if it did not, i would not sit howling like a lazy dog on a thistle, but just move on. So please take this advice and stop whingeing.

A very ego-centric and facile observation

[MILT]

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Some good news for a change.

So why is this good news? Folks in the tourism industry suffer, a significant part of Thailand's economy suffers.

Maybe your in depth post suggest that you haven't a clue how important tourism is for Thailand.......or maybe your post suggest it's only about you

finding this as "good news"? Newbies........................................

[pisico]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

XENOPHOBES? No! It's Thainess ! It was mandated back in 1939.

Read the 12 mandates by dictator Phibunsongkhram, military man who seized power, sent the king into exile and appointed himself as Prime Minister. He is the one who so expeditiously open the door of the country to the Japanese army that made itself at home for 2 years.

In one of the edicts, he specifies how Thais should be leery of foreigners, etc.

Perhaps he meant leery of the Chinese. After all they look almost the same and can breed and wriggle their way into powerful positions

Racist much?

Chinese? Kurnell: your comment is conjecture and proves that you never took the time to read the 12 Mandates of Phibunsongkhram.

To a Thai, a foreigner is a non-Thai.

[Greg Nixon]

If legitimate visitors or foreigners had been honest up front and obtained the appropriate Visa instead of using the VOA as a credit card to access Thailand, they would not have difficulties gaining access to Thailand. Perhaps multiple entry " visitor visas " issued abroad would have sufficed for a 4 week on and 4 week off work rotation. Ask you friendly Immigration person at the beginning and do not practise to deceive. " Oh what a wicked web we weave, when first we practise to deceive. "

[TechnikaIII]

These numbers go up and down like a bride's nightdress.

Forget the bride's dress. Mine goes up and down regardless.

...

However, the word is out, around the world about the hideously dangerous roads, and the maniac van drivers. For the most part this hazard does not effect the wealthy tourist being shuttled from the airport to their seaside hotel for a few weeks, but for many the free ranging travellers, it hangs heavy in their minds. When my son visited from Norway this year, he refused to go anywhere that required road transport, and he's no chicken - an intrepid mountain skier, rock climber and completed a years training with real experience in The Royal Norwegian Navy and Coast Guard. He knows about risks and dangers, but has seen too many articles about smashed vans and buses in Thailand.

When there is political strife, foreign governments announce warnings, cautioning their nationals to avoid the trouble spots, if not actually cancelling altogether. But there is a much higher danger, and it is a constant, politics aside, travelling in those little white buses, packed like sardines with no seat belts, belting along at 140+ kmph, swerving from lane to lane, over taking on the inside of large vehicles and on blind corners. I have had my last trip ever to Mae Sot, the last time only just 20 minutes behind another van, which had tried to overtake a larger vehicle and slammed into a parked truck he couldn't see. The bodies were still in the squashed van when I saw it.

Someone please pass this onto the minister for tourism.

If they clean up their act, advertising expenditure can be reduced to a minimum.

Edited September 5, 2014 by TechnikaIII

[pisico]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

XENOPHOBES? No! It's Thainess ! It was mandated back in 1939.

Read the 12 mandates by dictator Phibunsongkhram, military man who seized power, sent the king into exile and appointed himself as Prime Minister. He is the one who so expeditiously open the door of the country to the Japanese army that made itself at home for 2 years.

In one of the edicts, he specifies how Thais should be leery of foreigners, etc.

That is understandable when they conquer your country.

Wrong you are. Thailand was not conquered. Thailand was occupied by the Japanese with only a token resistance from the Police in Samut Phrakan who were not the wiser that Phibunsongkhram had allowed the Japanese army to occupy Thailand and build the Railroad to Death from Kanchanabury. Next time you go there think of the thousands of Australians and British soldiers that died in that hard labor camp.

[lifeincnx]

Perhaps tourists are scared of the recent implementation of draconian laws and ever changing rules and regulations. Tourists from so called 'free' countries don't like being told when to be in bed (curfew), having to carry their passports with them at all times, report to immigration everytime they change accomodation and being subject to random piss testing be it walking down the street at night or laying on the beach during the day.

Maybe you're not familiar with 'free' countries. If visiting many Western European countries (often regarded as free), you have to report to police, carry ID at all times (even if you're a citizen of that country) and can be stopped and search at any time, as many are. There isn't much difference at all, except that you seem to ignore the bad things that happen in 'free' countries. Just loom at the 'free' USA. They even tell their citizen where they can and can't go on holiday. You can also be jailed for life for small offences like smoking cannabis. Give me Thailand over 'free' America any day. America has some of the most draconian laws in the world.

Complete non-factual nonsense.

You cannot be searched in the USA unless there is probable cause. I have lived in many US states, on both coasts and in the mid west; I rarely carried an I.D. except my driver's license which is required to drive. Point to one, just one, case of life in prison for possession of pot for personal use or any other misdemeanor in the last 30 years. It does not exist.

Pot is even legally sold in some states such as Colorado.

The USA does not "tell: where citizens can go on holiday unless you are planning that family beach vacation to Libya or North Korea. Even then you can apply for a visa if you really want to go (but why?).The state department does issue warnings about travel to hot spots and that is all. They issued them during the recent Bangkok protests. Frankly, that was a good thing.

Can you specifically name USA draconian (meaning very severe or cruel) laws. You stated it so you should be able to do it right off the top of your head without resorting to lengthy Internet searches for laws lost on the books from 1890.

My wife is Thai, and she had a green card in the US, worked, lived, traveled in and out of the country.

Is the USA perfect? Nope. Name somewhere, anywhere that is. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Facts can be hard to stomach sometimes.

[robertthebruce]

Sex tourism is limiting the number of tourists. There are a lot more honest and moral tourists with families than there are low life sex tourists. the truth is out there about the moral degradation of Thai people - poverty struck or not. Would you risk exposing your children to scenes such as one might see in Pattaya or Phuket ? What would you tell your children.? That it is OK because they are poor ?

The sex tourists are the ones likely to be overstaying or getting multiple VOA by doing Visa runs. They may well be involved in other illegal activities. Way to go General. Clean up the tourist industry and the beaches. Bring poverty back to the ladies. Prostitution is a bad scene even without any moral judgement. there are no long term positive benefits for participants or for the community.

Obviously never been to Phuket then, if that's what you think, or if you have , we all know what Luxury Resort you stayed at....

It's like saying all of Paris is a Ghetto, it's only St Denis and some of the suburbs... The rest is Beautiful...

[kurnell]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

XENOPHOBES? No! It's Thainess ! It was mandated back in 1939.

Read the 12 mandates by dictator Phibunsongkhram, military man who seized power, sent the king into exile and appointed himself as Prime Minister. He is the one who so expeditiously open the door of the country to the Japanese army that made itself at home for 2 years.

In one of the edicts, he specifies how Thais should be leery of foreigners, etc.

Perhaps he meant leery of the Chinese. After all they look almost the same and can breed and wriggle their way into powerful positions

Racist much?

We live in a cynical world

[kurnell]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

I think this representation of Thais as xenophobic is an outdated and inaccurate characterization.

Most of this perception is based on immigration laws that are 40 years old and have had little change to reflect the change in the Thai mindset about foreigners. As well as the ongoing ramblings of Farang sitting on bar stools and talking out of their asses about Thais.

I've lived here long enough to know (10 years) that most Thais are fine with foreigners and alot of our ideas.

There is no way a xenophobic society would embrace so many Western ideas and products the way Thailand does.

I think people who say this about Thais should probably go and look-up the word in a dictionary and see that it actually is NOT true about the people here.

I looked it up, just to be sure. And I've been here 20 years junior

[kurnell]

Perhaps he meant leery of the Chinese. After all they look almost the same and can breed and wriggle their way into powerful positions

Racist much?

Chinese? Kurnell: your comment is conjecture and proves that you never took the time to read the 12 Mandates of Phibunsongkhram.

To a Thai, a foreigner is a non-Thai.

I haven't read the latest Stephen King novel either

[Time Traveller]

that's a pity

[mercman24]

it is so funny do they not know that people read thai news world wide, all i got from my friends before i came here (newbie) was doom and gloom.so future vacationers read this and think christ im not going to holiday there, a country under martial law and publishing stupid laws every day of the week,

[KamalaRider]

Perhaps tourists are scared of the recent implementation of draconian laws and ever changing rules and regulations. Tourists from so called 'free' countries don't like being told when to be in bed (curfew), having to carry their passports with them at all times, report to immigration everytime they change accomodation and being subject to random piss testing be it walking down the street at night or laying on the beach during the day.

Maybe you're not familiar with 'free' countries. If visiting many Western European countries (often regarded as free), you have to report to police, carry ID at all times (even if you're a citizen of that country) and can be stopped and search at any time, as many are. There isn't much difference at all, except that you seem to ignore the bad things that happen in 'free' countries. Just loom at the 'free' USA. They even tell their citizen where they can and can't go on holiday. You can also be jailed for life for small offences like smoking cannabis. Give me Thailand over 'free' America any day. America has some of the most draconian laws in the world.

I don't know where you are from but in my native country, we don't need to carry an id or we can't be stopped by the police for a random check without cause.

At any occasion when you use drugs, Sweden is more lenient towards using it than Thailand any day of the week.

If I travel anywhere in EU, I don't need to carry my passport at any time, in fact I don't even need one to travel between countries, although some sort of identification is neccessary, driver license or id card.

Please exclude EU from your description, I totally agree with you about USA but not the EU.

[HUAHIN62]

Just the other week TAT made a statement that tourism is up by so many percent,

Now it's not reaching the target ?

And tomorrow?

It's hard to understand why TAT always struggles to tell the truth

Stastics is a whore, you can use it any way you want to. The truth is that the figures month on month (MoM) was up but that the year on year (YoY) figure for June was down 24%. The article that you referred to used the MoM figure but neglected to say what the YoY was. Even todays article is not showing all the figures here is a link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-29/thailand-s-july-preliminary-tourism-statistics-table-.html?cmpid=yhoo

[catweazle]

Surpize, surprize... you can't demonize us "whities" first and then expect to flood your country with tourists, can you?

Another self-inflicted shot in your own foot, Thailand - well done!

[jpeg]

I have just returned from a short break in Cambodia, and as much as it was a nice change, I DEFINETLY could not

Live there, Rubbish and Litter everywhere, conditions of the roads were dismal..., quality of life would be less for sure.

For me anyway..

On a positive note, the Cambodians were very friendly and they spoke basic English....

Food was nice...

On another note, I've had a friend tell me he won't be visiting this year as, after extensively touring Cambodia the previous year, he prefers that country as he isn't made to feel like a walking ATM and the country is still relatively pristine in terms of natural resources. He's young and not a monger, and I'm guessing the still cheap and widely available access to hos and bugger all else sans shopping malls, to be the only draw here in Thailand now. .

As to the rubbish, when I visited PP and SR a few years back, their garbage problem was in no way up er, down, to the standard of the mountains of trash still littering Phuket, that 'world class holiday destination'.

Edited September 5, 2014 by jpeg

[Tomtomtom69]

I have just returned from a short break in Cambodia, and as much as it was a nice change, I DEFINETLY could not

Live there, Rubbish and Litter everywhere, conditions of the roads were dismal..., quality of life would be less for sure.

For me anyway..

On a positive note, the Cambodians were very friendly and they spoke basic English....

Food was nice...

Cambodia is a nice place and if they develop, clean up the rubbish, improve their absolutely dreadful third world roads (there is not a single dual carriageway outside of a city in the whole country except for a 10km stretch from Koh Kong to the Thai border) then they could really give Thailand a run for it's money. However as it stands now even their main roads are in worse shape than the worst roads in nakorn nowhere of Thailand. Says a lot about the relative differences in the level of development.

[spidermike007]

Yet again, the numbers are being fudged. Saw this, from an agency that is perhaps more concerned with truth and facts, than the TOT.

Tourist arrivals for the seven months of this year dropped by 10.47 percent to 13.6 million compared to 14 million for the same period last year largely due to political instability, said Mr Anuparb Kasensuwan, director-general of Tourism Department, on Tuesday.

Revenue from tourism for the same period dropped by 8 percent to 630 billion baht, he said, adding however that he expected tourism would register growth for the first time this year in October with tourist arrivals returning to normal during the fourth quarter due to continuing tourism promotion.

Since the May 22 coup, Mr Anuparb claimed that tourism situation began to improve steadily with 1.9 million arrivals in July alone which represented a drop of 10.92 percent compared to the lowest point of decline at 24.37 percent.

Chinese tourists represented the biggest arrivals during the seven months of this year with 2.2 million arrivals or a decline by 21.19 percent; 1.04 million Malaysians or a drop by 18.91 percent; 1.02 million Russians.

So, if the total is 13.6 million, in the first seven months of the year, which arguably include at least 4 to 5 months or high season, how on earth are they expecting over 26 million, for the remainder? We are heading into low season, and it will not pick up again until late november. I would say 20 to 21 million might be closer to the mark. And, are they including visa runners in that figure? And if they were not included, what would the real numbers be? Getting real tourist arrival numbers here is a but like getting real unemployment figures in the US. Government fudging. Creative accounting, and the like.

[jpeg]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

I think this representation of Thais as xenophobic is an outdated and inaccurate characterization.

Most of this perception is based on immigration laws that are 40 years old and have had little change to reflect the change in the Thai mindset about foreigners. As well as the ongoing ramblings of Farang sitting on bar stools and talking out of their asses about Thais.

I've lived here long enough to know (10 years) that most Thais are fine with foreigners and alot of our ideas.

There is no way a xenophobic society would embrace so many Western ideas and products the way Thailand does.

I think people who say this about Thais should probably go and look-up the word in a dictionary and see that it actually is NOT true about the people here.

I do not agree. I'm not one of those gated community types and spend a lot of time amongst Thais from many walks of life. None of them would ever believe a Thai were at fault about anything and farang make easy scapegoats. And it's not just us whities, ask them what they think about their neighbours And please don't bring up the 'face' bs. It's their get out clause and shows lack of maturity for taking responsibility for anything. As to their embracing 'western products/culture', well they would do. They copy most of it as their 'culture' hasn't moved past 1950.

[Tony125]

If legitimate visitors or foreigners had been honest up front and obtained the appropriate Visa instead of using the VOA as a credit card to access Thailand, they would not have difficulties gaining access to Thailand. Perhaps multiple entry " visitor visas " issued abroad would have sufficed for a 4 week on and 4 week off work rotation. Ask you friendly Immigration person at the beginning and do not practise to deceive. " Oh what a wicked web we weave, when first we practise to deceive. "

For someone who has only been a member of TV for a few months yet has wracked up so many posts already you must think your a journalist who knows so much about Thailand. The offshore guys were not abusing the system. The 30 day visa exempt was all they needed as they were only here for 30 days then went back to work. No need to get 60 day tourist visa if they were not going to be here that long. No abusing or deceiving that was the only visa needed and still can be used by offsure workers now if they show documents that they receive $$$ from working offshore and simply spend down time in Thailand.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Tony125

[Tony125]

Perhaps tourists are scared of the recent implementation of draconian laws and ever changing rules and regulations. Tourists from so called 'free' countries don't like being told when to be in bed (curfew), having to carry their passports with them at all times, report to immigration everytime they change accomodation and being subject to random piss testing be it walking down the street at night or laying on the beach during the day.

Maybe you're not familiar with 'free' countries. If visiting many Western European countries (often regarded as free), you have to report to police, carry ID at all times (even if you're a citizen of that country) and can be stopped and search at any time, as many are. There isn't much difference at all, except that you seem to ignore the bad things that happen in 'free' countries. Just loom at the 'free' USA. They even tell their citizen where they can and can't go on holiday. You can also be jailed for life for small offences like smoking cannabis. Give me Thailand over 'free' America any day. America has some of the most draconian laws in the world.

Maybe your not familiar with "free" countries. I am from USA and pot for personal use has been decriminalised in Massachusetts and many other states, means I can walk up to a police officer lite a joint and the most they will do is give me a fine. Other states have legalised it and are growing it. Smoke a joint here in front of a cop and see what happens to you.

And except for Cuba the governement doesn't tell me where I can go on vacation, they may give advisories on countries that might be dangerous to go to and should be avoided (like they advised about Thailand) but they don't forbid me to go anywhere.

[visionchaser45]

Maybe they could make some nice new tourism advertisements with the junta leaders all dressed up in their fancy uniforms, maybe clamping down on some poor street vendors. Who wouldn't want to vacation in a totalitarian state?

[wilcopops]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

I think this representation of Thais as xenophobic is an outdated and inaccurate characterization.

Most of this perception is based on immigration laws that are 40 years old and have had little change to reflect the change in the Thai mindset about foreigners. As well as the ongoing ramblings of Farang sitting on bar stools and talking out of their asses about Thais.

I've lived here long enough to know (10 years) that most Thais are fine with foreigners and alot of our ideas.

There is no way a xenophobic society would embrace so many Western ideas and products the way Thailand does.

I think people who say this about Thais should probably go and look-up the word in a dictionary and see that it actually is NOT true about the people here.

I think the concept of Thai Xenophobia is the product of people who are too stupid to identify a simple difference of opinion and when it goes against them have no real argument so resort to simplistic accusations, racist and ad hominem attacks

Edited September 5, 2014 by wilcopops

[Pii Kate]

According to my friends and family at home, Thailand has become known for surrogacy, human and sex trafficking, dual pricing, military run government, drug running and now, restrictions on alcohol sales/useage. Man, I'd pay $1600 round trip plus all other expenses for that!

Kick back and live with the dregs of the earth and call it a holiday. Might as well stay home and work.

[VINCENT2012]

it is only a concept of money and they treat the farang here not so good, i mean fairly, even if we all not speak thai and understand thai, our voice and our words is listen by many abroad.

the politic situation dont help and thailand as not so much anyway to offer now and ther laws here are against us.so why comming in mass?

this was predictable and it will be worse in the future putting i guess the thai economy in real recessiobn and danger.

the chicken of the golden eggs is dying slowly.

[cedel]

For a country full of xenophobes, they are sure complaining a lot

XENOPHOBES? No! It's Thainess ! It was mandated back in 1939.

Read the 12 mandates by dictator Phibunsongkhram, military man who seized power, sent the king into exile and appointed himself as Prime Minister. He is the one who so expeditiously open the door of the country to the Japanese army that made itself at home for 2 years.

In one of the edicts, he specifies how Thais should be leery of foreigners, etc.

I see the same story repeating with Gen P.who just appointed himself as PM...

[sabye]

Perhaps tourists are scared of the recent implementation of draconian laws and ever changing rules and regulations. Tourists from so called 'free' countries don't like being told when to be in bed (curfew), having to carry their passports with them at all times, report to immigration everytime they change accomodation and being subject to random piss testing be it walking down the street at night or laying on the beach during the day.

That is only a part, but worth of mouth go around that Thailand isn't as safe as before. the rip offs, the dirt everywhere.

Want to go diving? Marine life is in bad conditions. Want a taxi...get "no meter". Read "martial law".

Additionally Europe getting poor. Less families can just pay a 700-1000 Euro/person flight..... Before the flight was the same but at least you knew that Thailand was very cheap. Now it isn't cheap anymore.

That all adds up.

Your comment doesn't really add up. France is the world's #1 tourist destination and it is not a cheap place to go to. Flights to Thailand have not changed dramatically in the 30 years that I have been travelling from Canada to South East Asia. Yes the cost of almost everything has gone up in Thailand but it is far cheaper to holiday here than in North America, Australia and Europe. The numbers will go back up this next season as more people realize that this military takeover is just what Thailand needs to restore order, stability and an even playing field for businesses to prosper, rather than just a few mafia type groups.

[Plutojames88]

Perhaps tourists are scared of the recent implementation of draconian laws and ever changing rules and regulations. Tourists from so called 'free' countries don't like being told when to be in bed (curfew), having to carry their passports with them at all times, report to immigration everytime they change accomodation and being subject to random piss testing be it walking down the street at night or laying on the beach during the day.

I think the above is perhaps very true, when considering reasons.

However the simple fact the military took over scared of people also.

The recent appointment of the latest PM just reaffirms many fears.

Press in many countries does not exactly encourage people to travel there.

I recently even heard a travel agent point out to potential Asia holiday makers the cold facts.

They opted for Bali instead.

I personally would not be bothered by rules and restrictions and/or a Junta running things.

They might even do some good in the short term with attacking organised crime.

But it's not really practical to expect tourist to be in favour of a country ruled by the gun.