Thailand: Number of tourists in this year's Q1 projected at 7.55 million

[upena]

In case you didn't know, TCT is located in the same building in Bangkok as TAT, so they are just as clueless.

[JOC]

Just had a sneak-peak into the most secret location in the TAT-building.

The prognosis room:

[Aussiescott]

What drugs are these people on???? Have a look around u imbeciles!

[Aussiescott]

TAT change their numbers faster than a hoe changes her undies..

True Brother.... LOVE ur Avatar, having a good laugh with my son... we do MA... lol

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Oh my....I wish this not to come true. These people only validate everything that's wrong.

[mogo51]

Its call "Nu Maffs" or 'creative accountin

[Aussiescott]

TAT change their numbers faster than a hoe changes her undies..

Edited January 13, 2015 by Aussiescott

[TechnikaIII]

I don't care how many there are, if only they would observe a more respectful code of dress. I don't want to be seen any where near them. I hate being sat next to great, sweating lumps of lard on trains, where the seats are numbered. Acres of flesh exposed and stinking. Sh*t they are grotesque. Other public transport I get up and move away. They walk through the carriages with shoes dangling from their backpacks, at face height of seated passengers. So thoughtless - ignorant.

[Jim walker]

Anticipated projected in other words no idea, when are the Thais ever going to get over the fact that the golden years of tourists flocking to Thailand are over finished they had the chance and they ate the golden goose and treated the tourists with such contempt they stopped coming back we all know someone who was beaten robbed or cheated while on holiday in Thailand. but not to worry the sexpats will keep coming back as long as the girls and boys are reasonably priced.

[BudRight]

guess they dont get out of their offices much.

tourism seems down here in phuket

that is based on number of people in the malls and on the beach plus number of bus's /cars on the roads

...There's no reason to think they won't rise this year. Lots of marketing going on, which you don't see if you're in Thailand. Plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Posters on here think the authorities don't know what they're talking about, but then make dumb comments themselves, without anything to back up what they're saying.

Thailand is hugely popular and will continue to be. I know plenty of people that plan to come this year.

There's no reason to think they'll go up by '15%' either, because it isn't possible to know that. You're saying we all need to prove TCT isn't psychic? If they are psychic let them do something more interesting than predict the flocking behavior of people on the other side of the planet. When they make statements like TCT has, they need prove themselves right not us prove them wrong.

[ourmanflint]

Complete BS! How many tourists, real tourists actually arrive overland? It must be 9 million, as only 15 million arrive by air according to TAT statistics

[Friendly Stranger]

...and 73.657% will visit Koh Tao....

With 4% of them being introduced to the infamous blunt object.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Friendly Stranger

[webfact]

Proactive plan to be implemented to boost tourism to Thailand

BANGKOK, 13 January 2015 (NNT) -The Tourism Council of Thailand has announced a proactive plan to be implemented in 2015 to boost Thailand’s tourism industry after an overall decrease in the number of tourists last year.

According to Ittirit Kinglek, President of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), the council's Thai tourism-related Entrepreneurs’ Confidence Survey conducted before the new year, indicates that after the fourth quarter of 2014, Thai businessmen still had confidence in the growing number of tourists thanks to the current tourism high season in the country.

However, the deceleration of Thailand’s and the World’s economic growth and increased competitiveness still remain concerns. TCT revealed that, in the first quarter of 2015, it is expected that 7.55 million tourists will be visiting Thailand, bringing 800,000 million baht, if the overall situation in the country remains calm.

While the majority of tourists are Chinese, declining numbers of European and Russian tourists might have an impact on the industry.

As a consequence, the Tourism Council of Thailand is now preparing four big projects to boost the Thai tourism industry in 2015. The first project is the Digital Economy for Tourism, in cooperation with the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA), in order to develop software for better and faster use by tourism management and in the marketing campaigns of entrepreneurs.

The second scheme is the development of Special Interest Tourism and Halal Tourism. The third project is standards regulation and skills development for Thai workers in the tourism industry in Thailand and the ASEAN Economic Community market.

Lastly, TCT plans to develop a network in regional, national and international locations to mobilize experts to strengthen Thailand’s tourism industry nationwide.


-- NNT 2015-01-13

[smotherb]

Tourist arrivals to rise over 28 million this year

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's tourist arrivals this year are expected to increase to 28.36 million from 24.71 million last year.

The positive recovery of the country’s tourism sector was forecasted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) after predicting good sign in the first quarter of 2015.

TCT president Ittirit Kinglek stated that

tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year is expected to reach 7.55 million.

He said TCT forecasted last year’s tourist arrivals at 24.71 million, a decrease from the year earlier by 6.93%.

But he expressed optimism that this year’s overall arrivals could reach 28.36 million, generating about 1.29 trillion baht from foreign travelers and 800 billion baht locally.

The TCT president said the projection is viable given that the tourism industry is expanding without any disruption.

He pointed out that the growth of the Chinese tourists would play a key role in achieving the target.

However he said a fall in the number of European visitors could pose threat to the 2015 tourism performance as well as the global economy.

Other factors include the fluctuations in the local and international economy, politics, and the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/tourist-arrivals-rise-28-million-year

-- Thai PBS 2015-01-13

I wonder what percentage of total tourist revenue the Thai tourism industry receives from backpackers

[Equalizer]

I think the best way for these people to get a good idea of what is really going on here is by studying this forum. On here are mostly Ex pats from most of the major destinations. Phuket, Chaing Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya. Samui. All of us can clearly see a dramatic reduction in tourism, full stop. I am not sure who these people are trying to bull shit but i can assure you if it us they are fighting a losing battle.

[thaichalina]

Why does here prevails such negativity about anything that is being said concerning Thailand.I feel like most of the people posting on this forum hate everything about this country,it's pretty astonishing seeing that in every thread.

What is so terrible and unparalleled about 28 million arrivals that is being forecast seeing that tourist arrivals are up 8-9% on average year-on-year.

Edited January 13, 2015 by thaichalina

[retarius]

Can anybody tell me why these totally meaningless forecasts are reported? In two weeks time they will be reporting that the total has fallen to 6.55 million....and two weeks after that, another number.

Last year 24 million....this year 28 million with no Russians....a 17% increase with the world economy going down the toilet....I wonder what the forecaster is smoking?

[Just1Voice]

You also have to remember that in their "creative accounting figures", they count everyone who get's off a plane in Thailand as a "visitor", even if that person is only getting off one flight to get on another. They also count every one who make a visa border run, even if they've actually lived here for years.

Their numbers are no where near to being close, and grossly exaggerated and inflated.

But, hey, it looks good on paper.

[maidee]

nothing to do with the falling euro ? now at around 38 baht

what happend that the thai baht is so strong and the euro declined from 44 baht last year to now ?

Edited January 13, 2015 by maidee

[emilymat]

This country through TAT are completely obsessed with the tourist numbers game. I've given up trying to make head or tail of it.

To me, all it shows, is the insecurity complex this country has. They are so worried about 'image' abroad that any suggestion of a permanent decrease in tourism adds to the inferiority complex they appear to have.

Why don't they shut up and let things just happen naturally. One way or the other the figures will either go up or down.

[Thai at Heart]

Q1 winter and new businessyear will have 7mn plus?

whole year predicts whar? 30mn?

[Mot Dang]

In other words replacing the Ruskies with mainland Chinese. As the Zen monk said, "Wait and see what happens next". The Chinese are already trampling over Thai culture.

Note to all Thais: your country is being sold out by your government. The governmental elite don't give a damn about you. When the crunch comes they will just fly out to their foreign investments.

Look out those folk in Chumphon, you are just about to be invaded, hope you are ready.

[elgordo38]

If he is related to Pinnochio just check the length of his nose later on in the year.

[Johnny S]

1. april already .... ?

TCT - "Totally Cockup Tossers" !!!

[ableguy]

Thems is some very unattractive she backpackers in the picture! The one on the left thinks sunglasses are slimming, the one on the right looks like she had two pizzas for breakfast and washed it down with a diet soda, and the one in the center background looks like a refugee from some eighties band (or an escapee from the Flock of Seagulls Reformatory School for Hermaphrodites).

I bet they are just the quality tourists we can expect for the next several cycles. Woo hoo! Bring on the ten gram Viagras lads!

Bet one of these cutie bundles is an ex wife of yours, are you still trying to protect her ?

[ableguy]

In other words replacing the Ruskies with mainland Chinese. As the Zen monk said, "Wait and see what happens next". The Chinese are already trampling over Thai culture.

Note to all Thais: your country is being sold out by your government. The governmental elite don't give a damn about you. When the crunch comes they will just fly out to their foreign investments.

Look out those folk in Chumphon, you are just about to be invaded, hope you are ready.

God are the English coming ?

[surangw]

...and 73.657% will visit Koh Tao....

and 99% will be scammed, but only 5% will realize it

[Nickhick]

Very quiet since Newyears in HuaHin......

Really?

[MaiChai]

IMO if the numbers increase because of the Chinese the revenue will not flow through to the small business operators as the tour companies keep the Chinese pretty much under lock & key as to where they go. I would say there is only a select few who control this market including the hotels where they stay, the places they visit & the restaurants where they are taken to eat. It could well be that revenue is actually less.

It will be so wonderful to have the hordes of Chinese tourists yelling & screaming at each other in order to make sure they are heard not to mention the numerous fights on airlines.

Are these the quality high spending tourists that TAT keep talking about?

[bunuel]

Anticipated projected in other words no idea, when are the Thais ever going to get over the fact that the golden years of tourists flocking to Thailand are over finished they had the chance and they ate the golden goose and treated the tourists with such contempt they stopped coming back we all know someone who was beaten robbed or cheated while on holiday in Thailand. but not to worry the sexpats will keep coming back as long as the girls and boys are reasonably priced.

Very sad, but very true. The bottom line is that the Thai authorities have indeed killed the Fatted Calf and transformed what could be a relatively sustainable tourism industry into something definitely not sustainable. Nothing wrong with Chinese, but reliance on Chinese mass tourism is not going to solve any problems since:

1) As is well known, Chinese tourists come in groups, and spend very little per capita; 2) Mass Tourism anywhere in the world is not generally sustainable unless extremely well managed. Needless to say, no

risk of that in LOS!

Bring on the casinos!