Thai Tourism Min hopeful annual tourist arrivals will exceed 25 million

[whiteman]

my mate arrived last Monday just past eg 10th Nov from England and said flight was half full and swampy was very quite. Easy customs and immagration check in. So there dreaming if they think this season will be good. Thailand the Hub of Bull S--t

[Carrerakiss]

I have to say that travelling to Petchabun and/or Lampang is a very arduous journey by minibus. Or even air bus. The mountain roads are also pretty dangerous.

Hat Yai meanwhile, regularly seems to suffer from bomb explosions, although perhaps that's just me associating it unfairly with insurgency in the south.

The problem is that the average beach lover who likes some drinks and a laugh in the evening and wanders around tourist markets buying TAT, isn't the same person who wants to explore nature in some pretty isolated parts of the country, or risk being blown up.

I think TAT need to think about who they are targeting and what they want. I don't think one promotion campaign will suit them all

Edited November 13, 2014 by Carrerakiss

[webfact]

Govt marks 2015 as Thai traditional tourism year

BANGKOK, 13 Nov 2014 (NNT) – The cabinet has agreed to mark 2015 as the Thai traditional tourism year in a latest bid to make cultural tourism better known.

The cabinet has in principle agreed to set up a special committee to facilitate the campaign and four operation committees to implement the task. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has been assigned to map out the details of each committee as well as their areas of responsibilities.

The four operation committees will be in charge of products and services related to the Thai traditional tourism year, tourism promotion strategies in the country and foreign markets, as well as public relations.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, major targets comprise tourists from 37 countries in Asia, Oceania, Europe, America, the Middle East and Africa. The Ministry also intends to attract specific groups of tourists, including wedding and honeymoon holiday makers, golf enthusiasts, eco-tourism travelers, and health and wellness tourists.

As for local tourists, the Ministry plans to create various activities to cater to different types of vacationers, be they youths, senior citizens, religious observers, or adventure lovers.


-- NNT 2014-11-13

[godden]

They will be selling 2 week holidays in Isan living with a thai family next, no chair or tables and the hole in the floor to experience Thainess, quick sign now before all go.

[Skywalker69]

"Discover Thainess" is aimed at extending the average length of stay from eight or nine days per trip to as many as 11 days.I guess they are going to promote this as an "Adventure Tour".

The last two nights on Turtle Island, perhaps?

[Skywalker69]

Govt marks 2015 as Thai traditional tourism year

BANGKOK, 13 Nov 2014 (NNT) – The cabinet has agreed to mark 2015 as the Thai traditional tourism year in a latest bid to make cultural tourism better known.

The cabinet has in principle agreed to set up a special committee to facilitate the campaign and four operation committees to implement the task. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has been assigned to map out the details of each committee as well as their areas of responsibilities.

The four operation committees will be in charge of products and services related to the Thai traditional tourism year, tourism promotion strategies in the country and foreign markets, as well as public relations.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, major targets comprise tourists from 37 countries in Asia, Oceania, Europe, America, the Middle East and Africa. The Ministry also intends to attract specific groups of tourists, including wedding and honeymoon holiday makers, golf enthusiasts, eco-tourism travelers, and health and wellness tourists.

As for local tourists, the Ministry plans to create various activities to cater to different types of vacationers, be they youths, senior citizens, religious observers, or adventure lovers.

-- NNT 2014-11-13

I smell panik!

[Sayonarax]

25 million...

[Nielsk]

Back again, most here on Thai Visa negative and rude when it comes to Thailand and its people. Why the hell are you so visiting Thailand if in thought everything is shit. Stay at home or travel to another country.

We are, after all, many who come back year after year.

25 million visitors per. year can not be wrong.

If You have nothing positive to say, You better keep silent.

That´s anyway my opinion..

Fortryd redigeringer

Fortryd redigeringer

[Toknarok]

Promoting Buriram for goodness sakes. What's it got to offer apart from a football stadium (big deal) and a race track that will never host a formula 1 event. The only thing it's got to offer is Phanom Rung Temple. That's worth a visit but you are of course subjected to dual entrance fees, and if you have a meal you can't have a beer with it because it's a national park. Travel over 400kms from Bangkok for that? I think not.

[Carrerakiss]

Govt marks 2015 as Thai traditional tourism year

BANGKOK, 13 Nov 2014 (NNT) The cabinet has agreed to mark 2015 as the Thai traditional tourism year in a latest bid to make cultural tourism better known.

The cabinet has in principle agreed to set up a special committee to facilitate the campaign and four operation committees to implement the task. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has been assigned to map out the details of each committee as well as their areas of responsibilities.

The four operation committees will be in charge of products and services related to the Thai traditional tourism year, tourism promotion strategies in the country and foreign markets, as well as public relations.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, major targets comprise tourists from 37 countries in Asia, Oceania, Europe, America, the Middle East and Africa. The Ministry also intends to attract specific groups of tourists, including wedding and honeymoon holiday makers, golf enthusiasts, eco-tourism travelers, and health and wellness tourists.

As for local tourists, the Ministry plans to create various activities to cater to different types of vacationers, be they youths, senior citizens, religious observers, or adventure lovers.

-- NNT 2014-11-13

So pretty much everybody and anybody then.

Good luck with finding a way to target such diverse groups without tripling the advertising budget.

The reported campaigns sound like a blue sky flip board of ideas without any prioritizing or probability filters.

[terryp]

thianess ..whats that? a corupt system that in rotten to its core, manic police that shot people, the immigration officers that hate forigners or the karaoke, massage, bars etc with women/men/trans for rent by the hour ...lets not forget the safe roads

[alanferdi]

The Thai Bht is 32.84 to $1 USA , is this a sign? Will it go up or Down?

shhhhh.... not so loud.....the baht might float!!!!

all these figures of 25.000.000 people coming to Thailand it does baffle the mind. thats about 68500 people a day in the year. work that figure in Planes, Immigration clearance..... at the moment the speed is 8 minutes per person. they will have queues waiting to get their passports stamped. Great start for a tourist.... THAINESS? I am aware that they will not all come through Swarnaphumi.... do the maths it still does not work out. How many border crossings, are we talking about re-entry tourists and expats to this 25 Million or does this apply only to new tourists for the year?

To me it really sounds like wishful thinking.....just like how they are so confident of winning the lottery.... only to find out the numbers were not in the same order as they gambled on. Dear Minister, I hope that this season will bring a new wave of tourists that Thailand can benefit from. But I am sorry I cannot hope along with you on the figures you project. Could you take the stand and break it down so that your fellow countrymen can also digest and profit from it...... a pie in the sky is not what we want!!!

[NongKhaiKid]

Back again, most here on Thai Visa negative and rude when it comes to Thailand and its people. Why the hell are you so visiting Thailand if in thought everything is shit. Stay at home or travel to another country.

We are, after all, many who come back year after year.

25 million visitors per. year can not be wrong.

If You have nothing positive to say, You better keep silent.

That´s anyway my opinion..

Fortryd redigeringer

Fortryd redigeringer

Nothing to say, you better keep silent ?

You sound like a member of the junta, free speech not your thing then ?

[Nielsk]

thianess ..whats that? a corupt system that in rotten to its core, manic police that shot people, the immigration officers that hate forigners or the karaoke, massage, bars etc with women/men/trans for rent by the hour ...lets not forget the safe roads

I presume You never come to Thailand anymore.. If You do with Your attitude You must be unintelligent.

Why are You keen commenting on Thaivisa when You have dropped Thailand ???

[Carrerakiss]

Back again, most here on Thai Visa negative and rude when it comes to Thailand and its people. Why the hell are you so visiting Thailand if in thought everything is shit. Stay at home or travel to another country.

We are, after all, many who come back year after year.

25 million visitors per. year can not be wrong.

If You have nothing positive to say, You better keep silent.

That´s anyway my opinion..

Eliminate cheap loose women and how many people would return year after year? Considerably fewer I would suggest.

Some of us live here, have been to Buriram, Lampang, Hat Yai and Petchabun. The negativity stems from the far fetched ideas of the Tourism Ministry.

Come up with some good ideas that work to Thailands strengths and you might see more positivity. Actually follow through on some needed reforms of the Tourism industry and maybe people would be positively bursting with enthusiasm.

But feel free to follow TAT off the cliff, the world needs plenty of lemmings

[Neilly]

How they going to do this? Kidnap people?

LOL

[sawadee1947]

Advertising the 'Thainess' is definitely NOT the mantra that should be used to attract tourism.

...but we will not tell customers the real meaning of THAINESS as we are to face every day, .....

[bongoz]

About 75,000 tourists a day does anyone really believe thailand has the capacity/capability to process that many tourists. Thats assuming they arrive at equal times. If high season is busy that would be closer to 100000 a day.

how do you get these numbers? and process them where???

if you mean the airport they day 8 days each, which mean across all the airports in Thailand it's laround 9,000 People per day.... not really that many spread over Chiang Mai, Phuket and two Bangkok airports.

25,000,000/365= 68,495 per day (sorry original math in my head) seems like lots of immigration officers needed. Or am i missing something?

They may well count transit passengers

[hugh2121]

The Tourism and Sports forecast tourist arrivals for this year to reach over 25 million

It also says the existing martial law does not obstruct the tourism sector growth.

BANGKOK: -- Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul revealed that the Cabinet has approved a tourism campaign for 2015 which will use the Thai way of life as the main selling point.

The campaign is expected to present a new perspective on Thailand to the world and encourage foreign visitors to stay longer and spend more.

It will promote 12 not-to-be-missed destinations, such as Lampang, Phetchabun, Buri Ram, Chumphon, Ratchaburi and Trat provinces, in addition to 10 major cities like Hat Yai, Pattaya and Phuket.

The minister forecasted that the number of foreigners coming to Thailand throughout this year will reach 25-25.5 million persons.

But she admitted the figure is considered lower than 2013 by 1 million due to the political unrest in the country earlier in the year.

However, she confirmed that the existing martial law has not caused a significant impact on Thai tourism, judging from the 6-percent increase in the number of advance bookings for this December compared to the same month last year.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourism-sports-forecast-tourist-arrivals-year-reach-25-million/

-- Thai PBS 2014-11-13

Looks as if the airline check in desks are run off their feet. Just like the immigration hall.

[klauskunkel]

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul revealed that the Cabinet has approved a tourism campaign for 2015 which will use the Thai way of life as the main selling point.

Dear Tourism Min, my advice to you, flavored with Thainess: Don't think too much.

[Benmart]

I often read on these TV forums that we should all stop worrying about things we can do nothing about. Certainly TAT discovering that bit of Thainess would do them some good.

I read the rhetoric coming from TAT and certainly don't worry at all. The worry is in the lap of this dysfunctional Ministry that projects, foretells, wishes and spouts all sorts of data that means little to this reader.

"Discover Thainess" can be interpreted in a number of ways. I would imagine that the traveler who experiences greed, dishonesty and corruption will be able to to define that term and most likely will share that back in their home country.

[rickirs]

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Actually, I've heard reports of the 5 star hotels in Chiang Mai mostly booked.

But not at full rack rates. A quick survey of five 5-star hotels in CM on Agoda shows Deluxe Rooms going for an average 55% DISCOUNT. This would generate the same revenue as being half full.

[rickirs]

An increase in tourists might not be good news.

I surveyed five 5-star hotels in Chinag Mai for December bookings on Agoda and found an average 55% discounts for Deluxe rooms - peak season too. Also remember that the Government is allowing income tax deductions for travel and lodging costs for hotel bookings for those that pay Thai income taxes that includes both people and companies. This might be called a Tourist Pledge Program and it will not generate a single baht for the government.

[richard10365]

Keep in mind, Thailand just switched it university schedule and might impact when Thai people go on holiday. In 2 weeks all universities in Thailand will have a Christmas/New Year holiday. Get ready to see a surge in tourism activity. The new high season will start in June after schools close for the summer. So everyone just calm down and enjoy the show.

[reggaebkk]

It is a good thing for everybody if tourism drops drastically in Thailand.

It is good for other countries that are at a development stage where they need tourism to prosper. Thailand has long passed that stage and still squeeeze that lemon.

Thailand has so much more capable industries while the tourism industry is corrupt, full of scammers, based on whoring... Most Thais could regain their pride by working in other other sectors. No more beeing a mop for people who think they look good because they got cash.

It is also good for the tourists who have taken the habit to travel to thailand just because they feel good in its always artificial athmosphere. Lies and fake smiles to get to your wallet is exactly what tourists want, they come from usa or europe where they are lied to on tv, by politicians, journalists.... Everybody lies, everything is fake... So when they go to Thailand they feel right at home, fooled like they are used to.

Tourists have to wake up and actually travel the world, not just go to thailand to stay numb brained.

Thai tourism has to disappear for the good of all.

[richusa]

Actually, I've heard reports of the 5 star hotels in Chiang Mai mostly booked.

Loy Krathong.....only

[gchurch259]

So, There are 67 million Thai's and they want 25 millions tourtist to come through the doors. They will need more and bigger prisons to handle the bad Thai's and bad tourist they let in the country.

OK, 25 million each spent 8,000.00 US/UK times 7% VAT, nice sum of money. Yes, I know they get VAT refund on some of what they buy. The drinks, hotels, meals and transportation is taxed, Maybe, 15 million enjoy the girls, big business !!

Me, I retired here because it never freezes or snow and I have a very nice wife for last 10 years.

Edited November 13, 2014 by gchurch259

[djhotsox]

About 75,000 tourists a day does anyone really believe thailand has the capacity/capability to process that many tourists. Thats assuming they arrive at equal times. If high season is busy that would be closer to 100000 a day.

how do you get these numbers? and process them where???

if you mean the airport they day 8 days each, which mean across all the airports in Thailand it's laround 9,000 People per day.... not really that many spread over Chiang Mai, Phuket and two Bangkok airports.

25,000,000/365= 68,495 per day (sorry original math in my head) seems like lots of immigration officers needed. Or am i missing something?

Suvarnabhumi did more than 42 million international passengers last year alone plus almost 9 million domestic passengers.

Then there is the other International Airports......++

[iReason]

And this campaign is to replace the recently adopted-then-abandoned "Ebola-free tourism" and "International Celebrity Selfie" plans, both of which were huge winners? Surely they will need to build more hotel rooms to accomodate the throngs wanting to learn about "Thainess."

And don't forget;

“The TAT is preparing a campaign called '24 Hours Enjoy Thailand' to attract foreign tourists to visit Thailand under martial law.”

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-29615419

[yankee99]

About 75,000 tourists a day does anyone really believe thailand has the capacity/capability to process that many tourists. Thats assuming they arrive at equal times. If high season is busy that would be closer to 100000 a day.

how do you get these numbers? and process them where???

if you mean the airport they day 8 days each, which mean across all the airports in Thailand it's laround 9,000 People per day.... not really that many spread over Chiang Mai, Phuket and two Bangkok airports.

25,000,000/365= 68,495 per day (sorry original math in my head) seems like lots of immigration officers needed. Or am i missing something?

Suvarnabhumi did more than 42 million international passengers last year alone plus almost 9 million domestic passengers.

Then there is the other International Airports......++

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_busiest_airports_by_international_passenger_traffic