I just had a couple of reports of tourist numbers in the past week. Phuket is dead. Chiang Rai is dead. Chiang Mai is medium to strong. Pattaya is low. Any other reports of tourists?

Tourists in Chiang Mai are dying from the smoke.

Maybe Low season has started and in Chiang Mai Smoke is really bad

Chiangmai is doing just fine....No tourist are dying from the smoke.. no one really gives a gecko fart.....

about the smoke...most people make their own holiday happiness themselves no matter what

is going on around them..

Is you info coming from sources as TAT or ATTA ? If not, can you refer the source ?

few dead on the islands as well!

Pattaya is pretty much in the normal stage....except the Chinese have take over the buffet at the Hilton....booked out every Friday for lunch.....like storm troopers....lol.?

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by chicowoodduck

Chiang Rai is twice as bad as Chiang Mai for smoke density, visibility in CR down to about 500 metres.

If it's the Chinese tourist numbers going down I really don't mind because I cannot stand and get sick to my stomach when the men "clean or clear" out the snot from their throat and spit it out on the pavement ???

Tourists in Chiang Mai are dying from the smoke.

Samui is DEAD also

If it's the Chinese tourist numbers going down I really don't mind because I cannot stand and get sick to my stomach when the men "clean or clear" out the snot from their throat and spit it out on the pavement ???

The Chinese girls are nice. But what do these Chinese males do all day in Pattaya

beside gross people out and stand around all day in a daze smoking cigarettes ?

And Chinese tourist numbers are increasing:

In the past all their tours/ tour bus activity was mostly in the morning.

Now its all day into late afternoon

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by morrobay

I guess the OP may be referring to the story yesterday in the Bangkok Post which claimed tourists are now flocking back to Thailand and that tourist arrivals in January increased by 16%, despite the number of Russian visitors declining by 46%.

The story quoted stats from the Department of Transport - http://newdot2.samartmultimedia.com/home/details/11/221/24246 - who claimed that the figures represented "international tourist arrivals".

However, I'd bet that these stats probably only refer to international arrivals - rather than them being actual 'tourists' - which would be quite different. The stats put out by the Department of Tourism could also include business travellers or those transiting through Suvarnabhumi.

You only have to look around the popular tourist spots and read reports in other sections of this forum about just how quiet it is in places like Phuket and Pattaya currently. It's hardly a case of tourists flocking back.

OH yes and for the first time they will be telling the truth. What the hell !!!

Yes Monday the numbers are up and then on Tuesday they are down. I wonder how they can tell the difference between the business arrival and the tourist arrival ? 30 days or less just a stamp so EVERYONE'S A WINNER !!!!!!

You gotta remember TAT's way of thinking. If someone is flying from Japan to India, and they have to change planes in BKK, the minute they step inside Swampy, they are a verified TOURIST.

I'm assuming that the folks in Northern China are going to be flocking to Chiang Mai in order to get a relative breath of fresh air.

The wife and I just got back from 3 days in Bangkok. The popular hotel we normally stay at in Silom was nearly empty.

You gotta remember TAT's way of thinking. If someone is flying from Japan to India, and they have to change planes in BKK, the minute they step inside Swampy, they are a verified TOURIST.

Completely incorrect just1voice..........(what a surprise..... )

Transit passengers don't pass through immigration , & are not counted as tourists in any country.

Have a look at the immigration card next time you visit Thailand, asking for your details --what hotel you are staying at, what country your from, is this your first time in Thailand, are you with a group tour or traveling alone , even what your yearly income is etc...etc.. These cards are not handed to transit passengers.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by sanuk711

I will be heading to the Philippines for next trip. Food is not the best but people are very polite unlike Thais and its quite cheap there and the women are gorgeous. Looks like the "Happiness State" can count on losing my 5000 quid this year.

I have been in Bangkok and am currently enjoying a really nice hotel here in Pattaya. I would not normally stay at this hotel as it is about 30% above my normal spending preference. I was in Chiang Mai about 2 weeks ago and most store owners I talked with were complaining about tourist numbers.

I took my mother and sister away as the smog was beginning to pick up and I was removing black soot from my nose at night - you could see the ash in the air at the night safari at night.

Bangkok is much quieter than I am used to, I walked past centralworld last week and was shocked at how quiet it was.

Pattaya is busy around walking street at the moment because of the Pattaya music festival, but elsewhere very quiet. hotel owners with brains have lowered their rates accordingly, while those operating on traditional poo yai economics have upped their prices so high that nobody will ever stay with them when the competition is half their rates.

I don't understand why the numbers are slowing, but they are slowing.

Here in Kamala it is very quiet. Many businesses are saying the high season is over already.

I just returned from 3 weeks in Vietnam and the hotels there are jammed.

Another piece of news I saw was that LG is moving it's TV assembly operations from Thailand to Vietnam.

Maybe Thailand is starting to get it just rewards.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by phuketandsee

happy with those exchange rates yet ?

You gotta remember TAT's way of thinking. If someone is flying from Japan to India, and they have to change planes in BKK, the minute they step inside Swampy, they are a verified TOURIST.

Completely incorrect just1voice..........(what a surprise..... )

Transit passengers don't pass through immigration , & are not counted as tourists in any country.

Have a look at the immigration card next time you visit Thailand, asking for your details --what hotel you are staying at, what country your from, is this your first time in Thailand, are you with a group tour or traveling alone , even what your yearly income is etc...etc.. These cards are not handed to transit passengers.

Hate to burst your bubble, sanuk711, but I am 100% correct. Have a family member who works for TAT. His job? Stand at the arrival gates with "clicker" to count every person entering the airport, whether they go to Immigration or not. His daily totals are then turned over to TAT for their "tourist figures". But nice try

You gotta remember TAT's way of thinking. If someone is flying from Japan to India, and they have to change planes in BKK, the minute they step inside Swampy, they are a verified TOURIST.

Completely incorrect just1voice..........(what a surprise..... )

Transit passengers don't pass through immigration , & are not counted as tourists in any country.

Have a look at the immigration card next time you visit Thailand, asking for your details --what hotel you are staying at, what country your from, is this your first time in Thailand, are you with a group tour or traveling alone , even what your yearly income is etc...etc.. These cards are not handed to transit passengers.

Hate to burst your bubble, sanuk711, but I am 100% correct. Have a family member who works for TAT. His job? Stand at the arrival gates with "clicker" to count every person entering the airport, whether they go to Immigration or not. His daily totals are then turned over to TAT for their "tourist figures". But nice try

Not convinced, if they want to manipulate figures why bother with such a scheme.

If it's the Chinese tourist numbers going down I really don't mind because I cannot stand and get sick to my stomach when the men "clean or clear" out the snot from their throat and spit it out on the pavement

The Chinese girls are nice. But what do these Chinese males do all day in Pattaya

beside gross people out and stand around all day in a daze smoking cigarettes ?

And Chinese tourist numbers are increasing:

In the past all their tours/ tour bus activity was mostly in the morning.

Now its all day into late afternoon

you still eager of this " nice beautiful 2 chis when they open their mou and spiting in front of your feetstep ??

enjoy with them, but please in Chi

Tourists are not flocking in -- THEY ARE FLOCKING AWAY;

MAYBEE some of them like to get respiraty problems in CM and CR of the nice smog !

Thai Airways just announced : after 1st May :: only 1 flight from FRA - to BKK

some other destinations from Europe they already earlier reduced flights !!

They need now the airplanes for the Quality tourists from Chi !!!

I had my first inquiry in yonks today from a perspective renter .....so if one bird is a flock....then the answer is...yes.

You gotta remember TAT's way of thinking. If someone is flying from Japan to India, and they have to change planes in BKK, the minute they step inside Swampy, they are a verified TOURIST.

and everyone which stopped before in Thai, and now continou to Burma, Laos Combodia

counted as Thai tourist !!!

I have seen recently in a European flight,

only about 1/3 tooh the immigration card,

that means 2/3 of former Thai tourists continou to another country,

even they dont do a short stop here in LOS !!

I'm assuming that the folks in Northern China are going to be flocking to Chiang Mai in order to get a relative breath of fresh air.

People-visit-the-Olympic--008.jpg

Given the PM10 reading on Monday (Grace International School, just south of the airport) was 200 above what it was in Beijing at the same, I seriously doubt it.

Chiang Rai is twice as bad as Chiang Mai for smoke density, visibility in CR down to about 500 metres.

Maybe today, not so earlier in the week...Monday was apocalyptic. Don't have to believe me, believe that stats.

http://aq.ajosoft.com/index.php?StationID=-1&Country=Thailand&width=1000&sort=0&units=0

There were PM10 readings pushing 500 in CM earlier in the week, same day CR was <200.