Thailand expects 5.5 million Chinese tourists in 2015

[Tokay]

Thainess. The gift that keeps on giving.

Like herpes.

[Zonka]

Which Thainess is she talking about?

1. The outdated long fingernail ladies dancing to what sounds like a snake charmer on yaba

2. Or the more commonly known Thainess of taxi drivers ripping you off. Locals beating foreigners to death with a hoe and fitting up someone else, Locals Raping British girls on their first day in Thailand because they had no bus money home?

[RickBradford]

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

Cleverly concealing the fact that the Thai lifestyle involves doing everything possible to get off a pushbike for ever and into a 4x4 2.5 diesel turbo pickup with flames painted down the side

[shirtless]

You might get the numbers with the chinese market but remember you wont get the revenue, most will stay and shop in Chinese owned businesses seen it all before in Australia.

[alanferdi]

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

Why is the tourist programe working with the agricultural department..... 5.5... that would clean up the bug problems in Thailand, block the streets with busses and fill the buffet houses. a profit of 1 baht per tourist is expected into the coffers! Great plan.

If they all walked across the farm lands around Chonburi....they could also plough the land for free.... Overloaded Boats and busses... who is going to earn? these guys pay it all in China and pay a chinese Thai company or associate to organise a Thai picnic for a few days..... whats the deal.

Oh I get it...its to give the immigration some work to do and keep the paper work piling up.....

Thailand I wish you all luck...... why dont you also invite 3 million Indians.... they could teach you a thing or two in "HERD TOURISM"

where the guide blows a whistle to keep the crowds together or march ahead with a red flag to keep the sheep in place....... FIASCO!!!! Amazing Thailand who is pulling wool over whose eyes?

[trainman34014]

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.

Indeed; my Mrs takes a whole suitcase full of dry stuff and bottled sauces wherever she goes in the world. The other suitcase has the clothes and i bring back Western food in the one she empties. Works very well for both of us.

[gemini81]

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.

Literally, like the ones who crapped in the moat in chiang mai instead of finding a toilet! Remember? Only the most high-caliber of quality they seek, right?

[alantheembalmer]

First the Russians, and now the Chinese. The days of the Iron and Bamboo Curtains suddenly don't look so bad, do they?

[Krataiboy]

That's an awful lot of cash registers going "Chink!".

(Sorry, politically incorrect I know, but couldn't help it).

[mercman24]

She's been quiet for a couple of weeks but we just knew it wouldn't stay that way, didn't we ??. back into the cupboard dear, keep taking the medicine, i think 5.5 mill is a typo error, sure she didn't mean 6.5 million. (ah no, that will be next months ouburst ) lol !!

[Bluespunk]

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

Serious question, but are they really that bad? Sounds like an utter nightmare.

[Bluespunk]

"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."

Isn't that a good reason to extend it then?

Especially if you want the numbers to rise.

[Mot Dang]

The face of Thailand will change forever. Thais will rue the day that they started to bring such huge numbers of these people into Thailand. Thailand has already changed enormously in the last 20 years. Their culture is now under threat and only some can see it, TAT does not give a damn. Big numbers of tourists (from anywhere) means that the TAT sycophants will be "rewarded" with higher salaries by their bosses, at the expense of Thailand.

Since the debate of increasing the numbers of mainland Chinese came up more and more Thai are realizing its a mistake. Particularly in Pattaya. These people a loud, rude, dirty (in their spitting), and trample over Thai culture, which is being felt now in Chang Mai. They are ignorant of Thai culture and certainly couldn't care less. These peoples coming from China now are the first generation of travelers (I'm not talking about the great Chinese historical travelers), their parents are still on the farm or in the noodle shop. Todays access to money has done this, and given that they are spending money (and on average per head, its not much), they think can do whatever they want.

[DLock]

She's on the right track with the Chinese - they have the money, more and more direct flights and Thailand is culturally very unique to the Chinese. And cheap.

But she could do a lot more than just promoting "Thainess" and publishing cycling tracks.

That Chinese movie filmed in Chiang Mai a few years ago did more for Chinese tourism than anything else. "Encourage" a few more Chinese movies in different parts of Thailand.

Bring/fund some Chinese TV celebrities down to film segments on the beaches, the food, the mountains...wherever. Chinese love their celebrities...much like Korea. Awareness is key. Allow Chinese tour guides. Make sure there are some big Chinese restaurants shown...Chinese love their own food.

I dislike the Kardashians, but I must admit i have seen a few episodes of them in Thailand and they make Thailand look very nice. Not sure how they managed to get them here, but interesting to know the reaction to it.

...at least better than the dumbass lifejacket idea.

[mrtoad]

The problem at the moment though, is that a lot of the Chinese Tourists are not the high spending ones, however it is a very cash rich market if they get the spenders here. The zero baht tours are not any real benefit to the locals. Interesting that there are normally more Chinese here in the low season when there are good deals on accommodation.

[wabothai]

Visa extension not continued due to enough arrivals. Sounds like a carrot in front of a rabbit. Madame do some thinking for a minute.

[sfokevin]

The really unanswered question is where in Thailand can one find a reputable place to go tenicling?...

Edited November 11, 2014 by sfokevin

[wabothai]

Madame, I would like you to devine "quality" tourists.

The Chinese are put in busses like cattle, get their 5 minutes of shopping, usually are very loud and upnoctious in hotels.

Quality tourists have a tendency to stay away from the Chinese. Ever thought of that? Unless it is your policy to welcome the Chinese and neglect the quality tourist.

i guess you have a problem !

[bangon04]

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:blink:

Serious question, but are they really that bad? Sounds like an utter nightmare.

just ask the Hong Kong residents, and they are Chinese...

"Pigs On The Loose" is one of the books (online)

[Mot Dang]

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:blink:

Serious question, but are they really that bad? Sounds like an utter nightmare.

just ask the Hong Kong residents, and they are Chinese...

"Pigs On The Loose" is one of the books (online)

The Singaporean Chinese don't get along exactly with the mainland Chinese either.

[Jackson86]

although europeans stay in thailand longer than the chinese, it's the chinese who spend more into thai gdp.

[dhream]

although europeans stay in thailand longer than the chinese, it's the chinese who spend more into thai gdp.

Which means possibly, that the inevitably opportunistic rising prices will force Europeans to either shorten their stays too, or look elsewhere.

I predict that one group in particular, many of the naughty boys, will soon be heading to other SEA gee-spots.

[dhream]

You might get the numbers with the chinese market but remember you wont get the revenue, most will stay and shop in Chinese owned businesses seen it all before in Australia.

This will only work up to a point, the Chinese are more adept at getting around the notorious Thai business laws (one HKG resident I know registered a 'business' here just to buy landed property, I shit you not!)

But the dozy locals will wake up soon enough where Thai money is concerned, and soon put the mockers on 'Jeen Rak Jeen' scams like the above. They are not dealing with the PC Aussie Government here!

[ClutchClark]

The Chinese flock here for the lack of pollution !

[dhream]

"... promoting Thainess..."?

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

They don't need to come back... the sheer scale of numbers in China are staggering, mind boggling. If one thousandth of the population visited once in their lifetimes, Thailand would not need a single tourist from anywhere else to keep the registers ringing continuously forever.

I'm no fan of the smug attitude of the locals, but we need to understand that we caucasians don't matter to them at all in terms of tourism, or much else really.

I read all the justifiable outrage on the island murder thread. Thais could care less if the entire UK boycott them forever, they'll just learn pinyin Chinese and take it from there...

The Chinese also spend more on naughty nightlife, and like their hosts, keep it all behind closed doors. Regardless of what we'd like to believe about the Chinese upsetting the Thais, there are more similarities than differences, at least compared to our lillywhite hides and ways of doing things, a wind of change is blowing... I don't like it, but I'm not in denial.

Edited November 11, 2014 by dhream

[candide]

With the exchange rate of the Russian rouble falling, there will probably be less Russians in Thailand, in addition to the already declining number of Farang. Chinese tourists will be really a bless for the Thai economy.

[Thai at Heart]

The face of Thailand will change forever. Thais will rue the day that they started to bring such huge numbers of these people into Thailand. Thailand has already changed enormously in the last 20 years. Their culture is now under threat and only some can see it, TAT does not give a damn. Big numbers of tourists (from anywhere) means that the TAT sycophants will be "rewarded" with higher salaries by their bosses, at the expense of Thailand.

Since the debate of increasing the numbers of mainland Chinese came up more and more Thai are realizing its a mistake. Particularly in Pattaya. These people a loud, rude, dirty (in their spitting), and trample over Thai culture, which is being felt now in Chang Mai. They are ignorant of Thai culture and certainly couldn't care less. These peoples coming from China now are the first generation of travelers (I'm not talking about the great Chinese historical travelers), their parents are still on the farm or in the noodle shop. Todays access to money has done this, and given that they are spending money (and on average per head, its not much), they think can do whatever they want.

Hahaha.

You don't get it. They are just continuing their inexorable colonisation. They already own the politics. They already own the business. Now, they will dominate the tourism.

The Thais will one day work out that european farangs are not the enemy.

[Thai at Heart]

"... promoting Thainess..."?

Once they get a good dose of that, they wont be back

They don't need to come back... the sheer scale of numbers in China are staggering, mind boggling. If one thousandth of the population visited once in their lifetimes, Thailand would not need a single tourist from anywhere else to keep the registers ringing continuously forever.

I'm no fan of the smug attitude of the locals, but we need to understand that we caucasians don't matter to them at all in terms of tourism, or much else really.

I read all the justifiable outrage on the island murder thread. Thais could care less if the entire UK boycott them forever, they'll just learn pinyin Chinese and take it from there...

The Chinese also spend more on naughty nightlife, and like their hosts, keep it all behind closed doors. Regardless of what we'd like to believe about the Chinese upsetting the Thais, there are more similarities than differences, at least compared to our lillywhite hides and ways of doing things, a wind of change is blowing... I don't like it, but I'm not in denial.

The Chinese don't really participate in naughty nightlife like the europeans or japanese.

They are petrified of diseases.

[HeijoshinCool]

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.

Yeah, I remember not reading that quote from any European source.

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.

I think those two Britons on Koh Tao, only got to day 3.