Foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand drop in October

[webfact]

Tourist arrivals drop in October



BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Department stated today foreign tourist arrivals in October dropped 6.1% from the same month last year but a slight improvement from September.

But for the first 10 months of the year, arrivals are down by 8.7%

The department said tourist arrivals in September were off 7% year-on-year and by 10.3% for the first nine months.

It said the October figures were bolstered by improvement in arrivals from East Asia, which were up 15.1% from the same month last year, due mainly to sharp rise in arrivals from China.

But arrivals for the first 10 months are still down 12.9% from a year earlier.

Arrivals from China rose 67% in the month, to 501,043 from 299,982 a year earlier, but are still down 11.1% for the January-October period.

Arrivals from Japan also fell 10.1% in October, same as South Korea (-15%) and Taiwan (-8.5%) .

Arrivals from Europe last month dropped 10.8% from last year, but are up 1% for the year to Oct 31, helped by gains from Eastern Europe, a relatively new market.

However, visitors from key market like Russia plunged 23.2% in October and showed zero growth for the first 10 months.

Arrivals from the US also were down 6.6% in October and down 4.6% for the year.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-drop-october

-- Thai PBS 2014-11-19

[Thai at Heart]

They had an extra 250k Chinese arrivals month on month, and they don't know why.

Hmmmm

[daiwill60]

They had an extra 250k Chinese arrivals month on month, and they don't know why.

Hmmmm

Like to enlighten us then ????

Actually , where does it even say that they do not know why ???

Edited November 19, 2014 by daiwill60

[Tatsujin]

mmmmm ... sounds like they don't know why tourist numbers have dropped ... perhaps they might want to take a step back and look at the massive amount of negative press Thailand has received over the past few years ... murders, rapes, corruption, scams, suicides, curfews, coups ... the list goes on ... and never changes.

As for those unknown (oh so high quality) Chinese tourists, that's simple, the visa fee was waived (from August to October).

[draftvader]

Nice that they got all the tourists together for a photo!

[BKKSnowBird]

I wonder how many vacancies on Koh Tao?

[thesetat2013]

This must be the example they want to qaulify for the quality tourist?

More from China and less from Russia, Uk, and USA and Japan. This also must explain TATs claims that tourism not down very much.

( I am of course, being a smartass ) Dontcha just love they used the same pic they used to tell everyone about the high number of tourists in the North with hotels sold?

Edited November 19, 2014 by thesetat2013

[Kerryd]

Headlines from the linked site:

Arrivals drop - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-drop-october

Arrivals increase - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-rise-first-10-months

Arrivals drop - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-drop-10-47-percent-13-6-million-seven-months

Arrivals increase - http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-increase-gradually

Anxiously awaiting the next headline. Will it be another drop, or another increase ? Stay tuned as the continuing saga of Thailand's Tourist numbers keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

(And you thought Thai Soap Operas were bad !)

[ggold]

They had an extra 250k Chinese arrivals month on month, and they don't know why.

Hmmmm

Like to enlighten us then ????

Actually , where does it even say that they do not know why ???

He must be reading a different Story!

[vivananahuahin]

Thai bath is again to high for Europe,44,5 for 1 euro 8 months ago,now 40,5,10% down,be clever!!!

[lust]

How many reports have I heard contradicting each other? Numbers are up, numbers are down, nobody has a clue of anything here. TAT has 0 credibility and should be cleansed of their incompetence.

[Jimbo2014]

Everyone be good pandas

[konying]

November numbers are not much better in comparison to last year. though might be little higher than previous month.

75 room hotel next to me at the moment has 8 rooms with guests, in comparison to last year fully booked.

Another one with 16 rooms, has 3, in comparison to last year having 12.

8% drop? more like 5 times if not more

[konying]

Everyone be good pandas

IF i did not know better, i would say this was aimed at quality Chinese tourists

The Chinese writing on the tree was a giveaway

[inwardglee]

The decrease in tourism to Thailand is not only because Thailand's picture abroad is not so idyllic anymore.

Nowadays, travelling simply does not make sense anymore, except for eating a double burger for half the price than home, and that's it. Besides that, there is no reason for travelling, definitely not culture. The money culture is all the same. A bit more or less smiles from country to country, who cares.

Travelling is not an adventure anymore, it is not exclusive anymore, it is not for understanding new things anymore. There is no reason nowadays for international travelling except getting a new visa for a country that wants people to fly around in the world for visas. And even that travelling will sleep off. lol

[bkkgooner]

Great news, hope the numbers continue to fall until the government decides to start looking after people who come here to spend their hard earned money

[falang07]

Indeed, good news this one!

[Jim walker]

And the 25 million tourists for this year are where and don’t say away on holiday.

[PaulHamon]

The decrease in tourism to Thailand is not only because Thailand's picture abroad is not so idyllic anymore.

Nowadays, travelling simply does not make sense anymore, except for eating a double burger for half the price than home, and that's it. Besides that, there is no reason for travelling, definitely not culture. The money culture is all the same. A bit more or less smiles from country to country, who cares.

Travelling is not an adventure anymore, it is not exclusive anymore, it is not for understanding new things anymore. There is no reason nowadays for international travelling except getting a new visa for a country that wants people to fly around in the world for visas. And even that travelling will sleep off. lol

or maybe you're just jaded...

hat about the hundreds of million of people that have never had an overseas holiday... it's still very exciting to them.

[retarius]

I' surprised with the rouble in the toilet because of EU/US financial sanctions that the Russians are still here....I'm in Pattaya and they are all over the place....to be honest the place seems busy s perhaps it is picking up for the high season.

[aTomsLife]

The decrease in tourism to Thailand is not only because Thailand's picture abroad is not so idyllic anymore.

Nowadays, travelling simply does not make sense anymore, except for eating a double burger for half the price than home, and that's it. Besides that, there is no reason for travelling, definitely not culture. The money culture is all the same. A bit more or less smiles from country to country, who cares.

Travelling is not an adventure anymore, it is not exclusive anymore, it is not for understanding new things anymore. There is no reason nowadays for international travelling except getting a new visa for a country that wants people to fly around in the world for visas. And even that travelling will sleep off. lol

What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.

I award you no points. And may God have mercy on your soul. -- excerpted from Billy Madison:

Edited November 19, 2014 by aTomsLife

[upena]

Just got back from 3 weeks at Koh Lipe where the island opens up on 1 Nov for high season (6 months most shut due to monsoons). Place was practically empty

[maxjay]

Great news, hope the numbers continue to fall...

Good news for us that live here. Perhaps, the wife and I, can take an affordable, well-deserved, month-long beach holiday this year or next?

Or, am I being too idealist, in thinking that condo & resort owners will offer special deals, for those of us that actually live here full-time?

They never have before, but one can only hope... Usually, they raise prices...

Edited November 19, 2014 by maxjay

[Chao Lao Beach]

tourist arrivals in October dropped 6.1% from the same month last year but a slight improvement from September.

You get that entering high season !!

[HUAHIN62]

How many reports have I heard contradicting each other? Numbers are up, numbers are down, nobody has a clue of anything here. TAT has 0 credibility and should be cleansed of their incompetence.

The numbers stay the same but if you compare month on month the figures are sometimes higher than the previous month. If you however compare year on year the figure may show a decrease. What TAT has been doing is to use the comparison that shows an increase, but we are now going towards the end of the year and they cant hide the truth anymore.

[DrTuner]

Second grade mass tourism still going strong, I see.

[Muirton]

It was a brief remark ten years ago but I remember a Thai scientist saying the LOS should never try nuclear energy because the safety and maintenance records would all be lies.

In this instance, one could say Yes, it's actually easy to have an accurate count -- passports and all that -- but that accuracy has no connection with any public statement. The LOS is not the Land 'o Statistics.

[Gillyflower]

to thesetat2013

The UK wasn't mentioned. It was Europe. There are other countries beside the UK in Europe, you know.

[Equalizer]

Witnessed them in the coach loads at floating market. Not one of them had a plastic bag on the way out. NO ONE bought anything. One gain with Chinese tourists and this is Suvarnabhumi Airport. ''Landing fees''.

[SteveFong]

when is it officially the "high season?"