Thailand expects 5.5 million Chinese tourists in 2015

[webfact]

Thailand expects 5.5 million Chinese visitors next year
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Nov 10 -- The Ministry of Tourism & Sports is promoting Thainess to woo foreign tourists and this is part of its campaigns to raise the number of Chinese visitors to 5-5.5 million next year.

Tourism & Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said Thainess, or Thai ways of life, would be the main highlight of Thai tourism campaigns next year. She said tourism had dropped due to the political situations earlier this year but it is now recovering in the last quarter this year.

She expects Thailand will receive 25.5 million visitors throughout this year compared with 26.5 million last year, a drop of one million.

Ms Kobkarn said the theme of Thainess had been introduced in a travel fair in England and received a very warm welcome from European tourists.

She said European tourists usually stayed 10 days per trip and Britons did 17 days on average, compared with other foreign visitors who stayed 8-9 days on average in Thailand.

Tourism campaigns with the theme of Thai lifestyles will be officially launched next year together with cycling routes in 47 provinces, the minister said.

She will present the theme in the China International Travel Mart 2014 opening Friday in Shanghai and running though Sunday. She will leave for Shanghai on Wednesday.

Ms Kobkarn that the three month visa fee exemption for Chinese visitors expired Saturday and was not extended because of considerable arrivals of Chinese tourists. She expects 5 to 5.5 million Chinese tourists to visit Thailand next year, compared with 4 to 4.5 million this year. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-11-10

[trainman34014]

''Thailand Expects ''....now where have i heard that one before ?

[JOC]

5.5 million quality tourists!!

[Costas2008]

''Thailand Expects ''....now where have i heard that one before ?

Was it on TVF?

[JOC]

<She said European tourists usually stayed 10 days per trip and Britons did 17 days on average, compared with other foreign visitors who stayed 8-9 days on average in Thailand> Quote

So now it is official !! Britain is not part of Europe!!

[JOC]

<The Ministry of Tourism & Sports is promoting Thainess to woo foreign tourists > quote

I thought the low numbers this season was caused by Thainess??

[Pattaya28]

Well that's great news.

25% increase in Chinese therefore 25% increase in "coaches" therefore 25% increase in double-parking outside tourist attractions.

Doesn't get much better.

[JeremyBowskill]

Great, more ridiculously Pisspoor drivers on the roads of Chiang Mai. Excellent news!

Edited November 10, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[PatOngo]

Wooooooooooooooo Thainess

[madmitch]

1 million more Chinese. Not going to help their 2.2 trillion baht target too much, unless they substantially raise the price of pot noodles!

[crazygreg44]

a bit unrealistic a figure. I would say a rise from now 2.3 million towards a 25% raise for every following year is more close to the truth.

For the Thai hotelery industry, focussing on chinese tourists is kind of a an old tradition. For the chinese middle class - which itself is growing in numbers, and they HAVE money to travel - Thailand is literally China's "southernmost" province ! The fact that they are being greeted in their mother tongue by all the Thais involved in their tour packages, makes Thailand a pro-bono vacation country for the average chinese traveller. A kind of a starter, before an Europe trip, let's say.

The steadily rising number of chinese tour packages are solid proof for TAT's expectations. I do not understand why some ThaiVisa members think of it being laughable.

Edited November 10, 2014 by crazygreg44

[ChrisY1]

5.5 million quality tourists!!

I don't think "quality tourists" are on their main agenda now.....any tourists will be fine!....They're a joke!

[thequietman]

I expect to win the Uk lottery even though I haven't bought a ticket. But it won't happen, will it.

Thailand Expects.................... pfttttttt

[Thai at Heart]

No real reason given why they expect.

Thainess. The gift that keeps on giving. Maybe they should ask the Chinese what they think thainess means

Note how they woo chinese and normally lure farangs.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[Chao Lao Beach]

Thainess. The gift that keeps on giving. Maybe they should ask the Chinese what they think thainess means

Nothing wrong with them comming, but why has Issan not filled up with old Chinese men marrying all the prostitutes and living in villages ?

[tingtongfarang]

1 million more Chinese. Not going to help their 2.2 trillion baht target too much, unless they substantially raise the price of pot noodles!

Both thai and chinese travelers load the luggage with pot noodles before flying out.

[Oryx816]

Haven't we seen at least 5.5 million Chinese tourists this year riding erratically on rented scooters around the moat in Chiang Mai?

[ClutchClark]

a bit unrealistic a figure. I would say a rise from now 2.3 million towards a 25% raise for every following year is more close to the truth.

For the Thai hotelery industry, focussing on chinese tourists is kind of a an old tradition. For the chinese middle class - which itself is growing in numbers, and they HAVE money to travel - Thailand is literally China's "southernmost" province ! The fact that they are being greeted in their mother tongue by all the Thais involved in their tour packages, makes Thailand a pro-bono vacation country for the average chinese traveller. A kind of a starter, before an Europe trip, let's say.

The steadily rising number of chinese tour packages are solid proof for TAT's expectations. I do not understand why some ThaiVisa members think of it being laughable.

Thank you for the first intelligent post on the subject.

Cheers

[paddyjenkins]

Quote

So now it is official !! Britain is not part of Europe!!

I for one am happy about that, at least the thais get it, maybe because I've told them enough times

[iReason]

"... promoting Thainess..."?

Once they get a good dose of that, they won’t be back…

[Thailand]

Of course the Chinese will come here.

It's a cheap and exotic destination recommended by every acceptable social media in China.

The Chinese are the future of tourism, not just here!

[Pablo McD]

Mmmm...guess it may be good for the economy but i find the abruptness and attitude of the Chinese doesn't go with the smile vibe in Thailand, the most polite and nicest people in the universe. Mind you it's in the Chinese nature to be considered a little rude as they are from a country of 1.3 billion people, there's no time for politeness ,you just gotta be first in line.

I just don't want to see Thai people jaded by just putting out for cold tourism for the Chinese and getting nothing back.....I'm just saying

[seajae]

so after chasing off the europeans with the murders, rapes , mafia and general rip offs they have decided to try it out on the chinese. I am sure that as soon as the chinese are targeted for the murders, rapes, rip offs etc they to will no longer be so willing to come here but as long as there is all you can eat buffet breakfasts they will be hard to dissuade. All the chinese tour groups that have stayed in the same hotels as I have were the first to the buffet and promptly cleaned them out before anyone else was able to get at the food, they then queued up to make sure they were able to fill their plates to the limits again, simply put anyone elses coffee/drinks and toast that were put on the tables while they went to try to get some food on the floor and taken over the table. They have no manners, no etiquette what so ever, push in to lines, try to take other peoples orders and need to be yelled at/abused before they actually take notice of anyone else , yes these are definitely the high quality tourists that Thailand want to attract

[Thai at Heart]

so after chasing off the europeans with the murders, rapes , mafia and general rip offs they have decided to try it out on the chinese. I am sure that as soon as the chinese are targeted for the murders, rapes, rip offs etc they to will no longer be so willing to come here but as long as there is all you can eat buffet breakfasts they will be hard to dissuade. All the chinese tour groups that have stayed in the same hotels as I have were the first to the buffet and promptly cleaned them out before anyone else was able to get at the food, they then queued up to make sure they were able to fill their plates to the limits again, simply put anyone elses coffee/drinks and toast that were put on the tables while they went to try to get some food on the floor and taken over the table. They have no manners, no etiquette what so ever, push in to lines, try to take other peoples orders and need to be yelled at/abused before they actually take notice of anyone else , yes these are definitely the high quality tourists that Thailand want to attract

The Chinese don't go out alone. Safety in numbers.

[recycled]

Bit disappointed with their figures, was sure it would be more now that the General/PM has agreed to sell the country to them. Now if we deduct the Japanese and Korean reduced numbers due to the complete snub they are now receiving we are back to square one. Except that quality tourist are being replaced by crap.

[Noi657]

Ahhh.... Now I know what the meeting with the general and Tony pubic hair was all about!

[surangw]

be alert where you step then, more public spitting

[englishoak]

so after chasing off the europeans with the murders, rapes , mafia and general rip offs they have decided to try it out on the chinese. I am sure that as soon as the chinese are targeted for the murders, rapes, rip offs etc they to will no longer be so willing to come here but as long as there is all you can eat buffet breakfasts they will be hard to dissuade. All the chinese tour groups that have stayed in the same hotels as I have were the first to the buffet and promptly cleaned them out before anyone else was able to get at the food, they then queued up to make sure they were able to fill their plates to the limits again, simply put anyone elses coffee/drinks and toast that were put on the tables while they went to try to get some food on the floor and taken over the table. They have no manners, no etiquette what so ever, push in to lines, try to take other peoples orders and need to be yelled at/abused before they actually take notice of anyone else , yes these are definitely the high quality tourists that Thailand want to attract

The Chinese don't go out alone. Safety in numbers.

Im not sure theres even such a thing in China as being alone

Great thing about the China spitting package tours is as long as you stay away from main tourist areas you never bump into them off the beaten track, not yet much anyway.

[NeverSure]

Is there a vaccine to protect against Thainess?

If you catch it, is there a cure?

[chainarong]

Quantity lacking in quality.