Koh Tao murder a short-term impact on tourism, says tourism council



BANGKOK: -- Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) says the murder of two British tourists in Koh Tao will have a short-term impact on tourism to this southern sea island although tourism booking will slow down.

TCT president Mrs Piyamarn Techapaibul said tourism booking to Koh Tao has slowed down soon after the murder news was spread but it was just a short-term impact.

She said the booking now is recovering after there was progress in the investigation in the murder case, and the joint effort of the private and public sector in the island to regulate migrant workers to restore tourists’ confidence.

She said tourism operators’ confidence index in the third quarter of this year also declined to 93 from 200 after the conflicts in Ukraine, but believed the index would recover in the fourth quarter to stay at 106 after the government has scrapped visa fees for Chinese tourists.

TCT also lowered its tourist arrival forecast this year from 28 millions to 25, or 4.9 percent down from 2013, and tourism revenues from 2 trillions to 1.9 trillions due to the impact from economic and political problems on the first half of this year.

However TCT remains firm on its forecast of tourism revenues for next year at 2.2 trillions.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/koh-tao-murder-short-term-impact-tourism-says-tourism-council/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-22

Didn't I read last week that TAT manipulates the figures?

So are these the manipulated or real numbers?

Tourism in Thailand is very durable. It recovered after the tsunami, Red Shirt/airport protests, floods, coups and curfews, and it will recover again.

short term impact for 'walk-in' tourism.

for people making xmas plans, they are doing that now.

I think this will hit the next holiday season as well.

"She said tourism operators’ confidence index in the third quarter of this year also declined to 93 from 200 after the conflicts in Ukraine, but believed the index would recover in the fourth quarter to stay at 106 after the government has scrapped visa fees for Chinese tourists."

Mrs Piyamarn must be using a crystal ball !

Two young people brutally murdered, and all Thai authorities are concerned about is, if the tourist$ will keep coming!!

That really shows, how they value "us" here!!

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Didn't I read last week that TAT manipulates the figures?

So are these the manipulated or real numbers?

Don't worry they will make up an optimistic # any time.

By the way everything is temporary in life

I would not be a bit surprised if Mrs Piyamarn Techapaibul did not care one iota about the poor people who lost their lives, it was just an inconvenience to her I feel.

I would not be a bit surprised if Mrs Piyamarn Techapaibul did not care one iota about the poor people who lost their lives, it was just an inconvenience to her I feel.

I would be very surprised if you're right.

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

Who the &lt;deleted&gt; cares?

Another "keep-the-money-flowing-in-and-we-will-just-sweep-it-under-the-rug" attitude will hopefully come back and bite the Thai tourism in the ass one day! Time will heal all wounds might ring true but karmas do run in cycles. Krabi, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, now Koh Tao are now all stained in blood!

The loss of two young lives is merely considered "a bump in the road" for a nation only thinking about their holy cashflow!!

Thinking about it, makes me really angry!!

"regulation" of migrant workers in this context? Has someone been arrested or is this simply pointing the finger?

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

Speak for yourself!!

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

Well why stay here if you feel like that?

And for the nth time, farang = Westerner, NOT foreigner.

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

Well why stay here if you feel like that?

And for the nth time, farang = Westerner, NOT foreigner.

Is Obama a farang?

What she meant to say was: "We, like everyone else, are appalled at the murder of two tourists on Koh Tao". "However we do hope that this terrible incident will not deter tourists from coming to Thailand. We hope you know that we appreciate very much that you choose to come and holiday here. We are continually working to make sure that Thailand is a safe venue for tourists from all countries"

Unfortunately the "Tourism Council" sees no need for a PR Department!

On the other hand she could have said what we all infer:

" Please, pay no attention to the fact that a couple of insignificant backpackers were killed on Koh Tao by Asian men". We all know what kind of young people go there, and we have every sympathy for the gangsters trying to make a living on that poor island. What we want to ensure is the freewheeling, high spending Chinese, Japanese and Russian visitors are assured that, in spite of the fact that Thailand is an extremely dangerous and drug ridden country, they will find that it worth the risk to spend their holidays, oops I mean money, here.

Do not misunderstand me I have willing chosen to live here, in spite of crassly insensitive pronouncements!!

"She said the booking now is recovering after there was progress in the investigation in the murder case, and the joint effort of the private and public sector in the island to regulate migrant workers to restore tourists’ confidence."

What "progress" is she referring to exactly?

The grainy image of an Asian man that may or may not have stolen the murdered mans shorts or the possible argument with a "gangster" at a bar earlier in the evening?

Audacious , in your face press.

They might as well say ""SO WHAT FARANG!"

Time will tell

Am I alone in waking up daily to the sound of Sonny & Cher?

Disgusting, Tourism council cant issue a statement stating how they will improve safety and list the ways they will improve safety, they can just talk about $$$$$$$$$$

I understand improving safety has been talked about by the PM but council shouldnt issue a statement that regards money and visitors until this case has been cleared ETC!

Am I alone in waking up @ 6am each morning to the sound of Sonny & Cher?

No. I got you babe.

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

Speak for yourself!!

Indeed. What a load of BS. You are obviously one of those people that makes all of us look bad with your twisted negative view.

I really wonder how you succeed to live here and have that image of ALL the people you meet/met.

I sure have had bad experience with people here, but I sure have had good experience with people here not expecting a dime from me...

Time to go home, or go to Nana and hang out with the "life sucks and all people in this country are fake, prostitutes or &lt;deleted&gt; that just wait to grab your hard earned bucks.."

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

So Mike,

Why do you CHOOSE to live in Thailand if it's that bad ?

On the other hand she could have said what we all infer:

Do we ?

Love to repeat that:

MESSAGE TO TAT and their admirers

Just be honest and tell what the foreigners has to expect when they arrive to Thailand:

Many people here in this forum and in the world not understand the role of a foreigner (farang)

in this country.

We(foreigners-farangs) are not guests in this country,we are customers

from the arrival stamp till the departure stamp.

So dont start whining when the thais not like or care us,They really don´t like us at all.

If you expect to get true and honest treatment as a friend or a good guest

you are in the wrong country.

Even every single smile in this country is faked and based only on financial interests.

Be a good customer and shut up ;-)

So Mike,

Why do you CHOOSE to live in Thailand if it's that bad ?

Fact is i never said that i not like it here neither that is bad here.

Wonder why people always read something what they want to read and not what is written down....

For me i not complain that i know that i am a customer here in every corner of this country and i also don´t care

about the fake smiles everywhere because it helps a lot if you know that fact.

It many more articles like this appear in the international press I think the impact might be more severe than the TAT anticipates.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11111532/Thai-island-murder-investigation-hits-a-wall-of-silence.html

An extract...

"Over the past two years, there has never been a single violent incident" on Koh Tao, Chatpong Chatphut, the provincial governor, told local media this week.

But scratch the surface and a very different picture emerges: one of a tropical paradise – uninhabited until the 1940s and only developed as a tourist destination since the late 1980s – that has been soiled by drink, drugs and corruption and is said to be firmly in the grip of local mafias.

The power of Koh Tao's hidden underworld – a stark contrast with its spectacular natural beauty – has left many residents too terrified to speak openly about this week's shocking crime for fear of offending a handful of powerful and, many believe dangerous, island families who run the show.

"People are not talking now on the island," said one source with knowledge of its underworld. "But they know something about what has happened."

Not when it is Worldwide News.!!!

I just wish the various tourism entities, as there appear to be many, would just shut the <deleted> up after events like this. A dignified silence is sometimes more effective.