Thailand tourism sector courts Chinese, upscale visitors

[webfact]

Thailand Tourism Sector Courts Chinese, Upscale Visitors
Steve Herman

BANGKOK — Bad publicity about martial law, backpacker killings and police shakedowns of foreigners have harmed Thailand's reputation as a tourist magnet in past months. In 2015, the tourism industry is trying to attract more upscale visitors, as well as package tourists from China who are spending more per day than other nationalities.

From the hawkers on the Phuket beach to the managers in five-star Bangkok hotels, about one in ten Thais holds a job related to tourism.

The sector suffered last year amid political tension, with long-term street protests in Bangkok that culminated with a military coup.

Martial law remains in effect. That, and publicity overseas about tourists being victims of serious crimes on resort islands, police shaking down foreigners in the capital and taxi drivers overcharging fares, have combined to give many potential tourists second thoughts about visiting.

At Bangkok's Dusit Thani hotel, a five-star establishment dating back to 1970, general manager Sukanya Janchoo said the tourism sector has always managed to quickly bounce back from crises brought about by natural disasters, political troubles or economic downturns.

“We're challenged by nearly all the crises we have. We learn from that, it's one after the other. It's quite challenging but we are always able to manage it pretty well,” said Sukanya.

Known as the "Land of Smiles," Thailand hopes to put a happy face on the sector again this year and greet 28 million visitors - which was the numerical goal last year. In 2014, the total number of actual visitors was 26 million.

Full story: http://www.voanews.com/content/thailand-tourism-sector-pins-hopes-on-chinese-upscale-visitors/2648432.html

-- Voice of America 2015-02-19

[JeremyBowskill]

Well this is the complete opposite to what I am told by guesthouse owners, Restaurant owners, bar owners, travel agency owners, shop owners and pretty much every other type of business person in Chiang Mai. Most of them hate dealing with the Chinese and would rather deal with any other nation because they are rude, spend very little, expect rock bottom prices on what they do spend, find it impossible to queue and generally lack social graces of any kind! Personally I just think they drive round on scooters just to give us all a laugh and show us there ARE worse drivers in the world than Thais.

[Dannyboy666]

What a Travesty, The Chinese are outspending all other foreigners, 5555555555555555

[englishoak]

Why would upscale Chinese spend money in the mainstream package tourist economy ?

If they have money it wont be spent on the local bars, stalls and the like and they wont be going anywhere near where the package Chinese are going.

Say what you want about farang snobbery but ive yet to see farang act on mass or any other nation for that matter as badly as Chinese package tourists, im also told they spend the least not most .... and Thai businesses hate them, without a shadow of a doubt they are the most unpopular tourist group here .......... by far.

Upmarket my ass, what they are going to end up with is a very different type of mass cheap charlie tourist .... one that spits shouts and rude as well....Thailand is playing the numbers game I suspect because thats the only way, ho hum Costa del China here we come ...

Edited February 19, 2015 by englishoak

[shirtless]

Good luck with that idea If Thailand thinks that the Chinese market will save them

[noitom]

These Thais know how to do it. They're "courting" the "upscale Chinese. Not the ones who leave used toilet tissue on public toilet floors or defecate in public places. Thais know how to court , woo, and lure.

[Saleg]

Thailand's business owners critiscism of Chinese tourists will undoubtedly end up with the same views as those in Hong Kong.

"Chinese tourists, we can't live with them ---- and we can't live without them"

[harada]

I've seen a couple of " No Chinese " signs up in CM businesses, when a Thai knocks back the chance to make a baht it has to be something fairly serious.

[Strangebrew]

Ok I see Thailands goal They want to be the hub of something no matter what it takes. According to study I read worlds worst polluter of the oceans is China Thailand only threw 1 metric ton of plastic into the oceans While China is number 1 at 8.8 metric tons US came in at .5 metric tons but that is with a population of over 330 million people 10 times that of Thailand. So bring in 1 million quality Chinese and you will have a mount Fuji of poop and 7 million ton of waste filling the oceans all coming from Thailand.

[ratcatcher]

Ok I see Thailands goal They want to be the hub of something no matter what it takes. According to study I read worlds worst polluter of the oceans is China Thailand only threw 1 metric ton of plastic into the oceans While China is number 1 at 8.8 metric tons US came in at .5 metric tons but that is with a population of over 330 million people 10 times that of Thailand. So bring in 1 million quality Chinese and you will have a mount Fuji of poop and 7 million ton of waste filling the oceans all coming from Thailand.

"...a population of over 330 million people 10 times that of Thailand."

Good post, just a teeny weeny error. Sorry to pick nits etc. Thailand's population is over 67,000,000 and USA just under 320,000,000 USA, so lets say USA is almost 5 times bigger?

[A1Str8]

The solution for messing up their own reputation might be just maybe dealing with the root cause. Such as don't let b...es get away with murder, things like that.

Attracting more upscale tourists is not going to help with the bad publicity, they put so much effort to build and on the other side it suggests that they are all about money, which we know is not true at all:)

But it is nice that thais and chinese are able to work together in such harmony. Thais welcome Chinese because of their money and care about nothing else. Chinese come here, defecate in the moat, defecate inside the temple, cause accidents no matter where they go, steal things, destroy property and think nothing of it. This is beautiful.

[alantheembalmer]

It appears as though the author of the above piece stayed at the Dusit Thani Hotel, and then proceeded to get all the relevant facts from the manager. Or am I being a tad cynical here?

[tif]

Clickbait

[Thian]

Rich Chinese will go to Paris, Singapore, Sydney.....

Farang who stay in the same hotels as grouptour chinese will regret their holiday.

I like to watch chinese groups though, it's like a slapstick movie. Especially older chinese women with painted red hair are fun, look for those !

[yellowboat]

Thailand's business owners critiscism of Chinese tourists will undoubtedly end up with the same views as those in Hong Kong.

"Chinese tourists, we can't live with them ---- and we can't live without them"

Very true, and the younger ones are much better behaved than their parents. Most Thais cannot tell the difference between younger Chinese from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore or China. Seen it time and time again farang and Thai shop owners complaining bitterly about all Chinese, where it is just a certain age group from certain areas that act appallingly . Also, they would rather complain than understand. Perhaps trying to court the younger ones as apposed to complaining about all of them.

Upscale Chinese go to Thailand for business. If they want up scale, they go to Europe.

Picking your customers is foolish, you customers pick you and they control your business. You just manage it.

[wowfactor10]

Good idea idea but how long will it last...?

concentrating on one country only as their main tourists visitors is never smart.

Its always funny seeing these chinese visitors shouting in chinese to the Thai 7/11 staff and then the thai 7/11 staff shouting back to them in Thai...Neither one of them is able to master english

[simon43]

..without a shadow of a doubt they are the most unpopular tourist group here

and this

Thai shop owners complaining bitterly about all Chinese, where it is just a certain age group from certain areas that act appallingly

I'm sure the first quote is true (well, maybe apart from the Russians).

But the second quote is also true. My little hotel is booked out by young Chinese couples and families virtually every night.

I have no problems with these guests, no spitting (at least, not inside the hotel premises), they all know how to use a western toilet, the only items broken are those by very young kids (which is a fact of life with very young kids of any nationality).

If Thai businesses are turning away Chinese guests en-masse, then they are missing out on income from a large number of polite, educated and well-behaved customers.

Edited February 19, 2015 by simon43

[rethaier]

Upscale are non existent I suppose this means with more money to spend.

[trainman34014]

The 'Upscale' Chinese are in London ( they have been the highest spending tourists in Knightsbridge now for a few years ) and in other European countries along with the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean. They will not be appearing in Thailand or other downmarket South East Asian countries any time in the next generation. Those that come here are the bottom end cheapo's and it will stay that way no matter what TAT or anyone else would like to think.

[iReason]

"Bad publicity about martial law, backpacker killings and police shakedowns of foreigners have harmed Thailand's reputation as a tourist magnet in past months."

Um, try addressing that ^^^ first before attempting this:

"In 2015, the tourism industry is trying to attract more upscale visitors"

(Formally) "Known as the "Land of Smiles"

[ttthailand]

Putting all your eggs in one basket is dangerous.

I have friends who said that Pattaya had too many Russians and was getting too crowded and because of that they did not care to return. So now my friends moved on to other areas and the Russians have stopped coming but now too late. So now both the Russians and my friends are no longer bringing money to the area.

You get these bus loads of Chinese coming and they will also chase away other tourists.

A while back I checked into a hotel in Bangkok that I had stayed at before and liked. This last time it had hundreds of Chinese staying. The free breakfast which was normally fine was a nightmare with people pushing, coughing on the food and just being rude (Chinese). You could hear people talking in the halls until late in the evening as the Chinese would just leave their doors open and go from room to room. Never again would I stay there or any other Chinese bus tour hotel.

I don't care what country people come from but if you get too many of same in one group they take over and drive others away.

Thailand should try for an even mix from all countries.

Be careful what you wish for Thailand !

[boomerangutang]

Ok I see Thailands goal They want to be the hub of something no matter what it takes. According to study I read worlds worst polluter of the oceans is China Thailand only threw 1 metric ton of plastic into the oceans While China is number 1 at 8.8 metric tons US came in at .5 metric tons but that is with a population of over 330 million people 10 times that of Thailand. So bring in 1 million quality Chinese and you will have a mount Fuji of poop and 7 million ton of waste filling the oceans all coming from Thailand.

Am pretty some zeros need to be added to that # of 8.8 metric tons. Perhaps 8,8 tons is as much as one section of Shanghai, but China as a whole? It's probably closer to 10,000 tons (of waste plastic getting to the oceans each year) - particularly when you factor in trash coming down rivers or seeping out of landfills.

[mojorison]

TLDR

Heading should read "Chinese and upscale tourists" though. In the words of the Hong Kong Chinese, the mainland Chinese are "locusts".

[Yann55]

Quote : (...) package tourists from China who are spending more per day than other nationalities.

And exactly how do 'they' determine how much a person spends per day even if this person is on a package tour ? Do tourists travelling on package tour have to report every night before going to bed ? "OK chief, today, I spent (taking out his/her litttle notebook) ... 924 bahts!"

How does that get to be called 'information' ?

[Felt 35]

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..without a shadow of a doubt they are the most unpopular tourist group here

and this

Thai shop owners complaining bitterly about all Chinese, where it is just a certain age group from certain areas that act appallingly

I'm sure the first quote is true (well, maybe apart from the Russians).

But the second quote is also true. My little hotel is booked out by young Chinese couples and families virtually every night.

I have no problems with these guests, no spitting (at least, not inside the hotel premises), they all know how to use a western toilet, the only items broken are those by very young kids (which is a fact of life with very young kids of any nationality).

If Thai businesses are turning away Chinese guests en-masse, then they are missing out on income from a large number of polite, educated and well-behaved customers.

Is that Chinese coming / going due to the location near airport or do they spend some nights there?

[Plowman]

The Chinese lack manners and decorum, Thailand will rue the day!

[Suffinator]

Bad publicity about martial law, backpacker killings and police shakedowns of foreigners have harmed Thailand's reputation as a tourist magnet in past months ...

but not to worry as TAT is on the case and produces figures on a daily basis to how rosy the situation is and how millions more are flocking to Thailand ... I guess some people like being ripped off, mugged, beat up, scammed by all manner of people including the beloved RTP and if that's not enough of an attraction there's always the increasing chance of being murdered by a moron.

So now they've switched tactics ... no longer the 'quality' tourists but now the 'upscale' tourists ... the truth is they could find their own a-hole if crap didn't come out of it on a daily basis.

“We're challenged by nearly all the crises we have. We learn from that, it's one after the other. It's quite challenging but we are always able to manage it pretty well,” said Sukanya.

If you actually learned by the mistakes you made you wouldn't now be living in a country that is often referred to as the S*** pit of Asia. The real challenge the Thais face is being able to put aside the 'Face Saving' ideology, address the problems head on and then start cleaning up the mess.

I've said it before ... Thailand truly could be a great nation with a thriving tourist industry but until they put their greed to one side, learn how to think objectively and above all value those that visit and live here then the numbers, despite the TAT fantasy, will continue to decline and it's likely that once tourism has dried up they'll be left scratching their heads for an answer.

[sgtsabai]

Not to worry, Under the leadership of the dear leader Thailand will soon be a Chinese territory anyway.

[ggt]

It is a violation of the English language to use the words "Chinese tourists" and "upscale visitors" in the same sentence...

[Johpa]

Not to worry, Under the leadership of the dear leader Thailand will soon be a Chinese territory anyway.

Arguably Thailand has been the most southern Chinese "Monthon" (มณฑล), or province for over 230 years. This was most easily seen some 20 years ago when political pressure from Beijing caused a purported Buddhist Kingdom formerly known as Siam to prohibit the entry of the Dalai Lama, the titular head of one of the three major branches of Buddhism. It is also no mere coincidence that the first foreign company registered to do business in China was one of Thailand's largest corporations, The CP Group. I need not mention the economic dominance of the Bangkok Chinese although this has been somewhat diluted by the marriage of the sons of the Chinese to the daughters of the former Thai "high sakdina" elite, thus providing for the feeble argument that Thailand is a multicultural nation, and that there is no Tai in Thailand.

But again, outside the restaurants and hotels, I have found the Chinese tourists relatively well behaved although often in need of some fashion advice. So they are the new kids on the block and now it is their turn to take some guff just as the Germans, the Japanese, the Americans,the Israelis, and the Russians have taken similar shots in the past.