webfact Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Visitors soar 22 per cent in April, more comingThe NationBANGKOK: -- Two million foreigners visited Thailand during April 1-27, an increase of 22 per cent. The number is expected to soar next week due to the long holiday, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said Wednesday.Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports said China and Malaysia topped the April tourist records. The ministry expected the number of international arrivals would continue to grow at a similar rate during the first week of May which the Thai government has declared a long holiday.Kobkarn said 11 tour companies had cancelled their trips from Thailand to Nepal this week fearing the earthquake in Nepal. Two companies with Thai tourists were affected while traveling in Nepal; Mitr Maitree Tour with 34 tourists and Kasem TPM Group with 30 customers. They were in a safe place and some have already returned home.Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Visitors-soar-22-per-cent-in-April-more-coming-30259028.html-- The Nation 2015-04-30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoilSpoil Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 That's great news for the Thai tourist industry. A week ago I almost started to worry about the Thai economy with Chamber of Commerce and academics raising the alarm on exports, low tourist numbers, increased household debt (with low mortgage ratio), fishing and aviation bans, and low domestic spending. But in good old Thai style, the government managed to turn the tables, and the future now looks rosy again. Tourist arrivals are up a whopping 22%. Shame the journalist failed to mention what its up against. 22% of what? Against last year's April with the unrest in Bangkok? Against March? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy666 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 More Coming, When November, Boy they love Fantasy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangebrew Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 They got that from the 64 who decided Nepal might be a bad time to visit? At least they didn't say Flocking Because I'm flocking tried of hearing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chooka Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 (edited) They got that from the 64 who decided Nepal might be a bad time to visit? At least they didn't say Flocking Because I'm flocking tried of hearing that. I believe they are coming to witness this once a week natural phenomenon and the chance to swim in Thainess. The popular Mae Rampheung Beach has been covered with garbage washed ashore. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/821329-rayong-beach-littered-with-garbage/ Edited April 29, 2015 by chooka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannork Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 I was at the airport 3 weeks ago and it was crammed with Chinese tourists. I reckon 80% of the passengers were Chinese, apart from playing cards they seem to enjoy packing clothes into suitcases and boxes prior to checking in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NongKhaiKid Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Just how many in the hospitality and service industries will be using their usual refrain " if there's all these tourists here where are they ? " I suppose many businesses won't get much, if anything, from Chinese tourists whose tour groups are carefully organised. I have a couple of friends who run small bar / restaurant businesses and they rely on their regulars as passing trade from westerners is non-existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinBoy2 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Up, Down, tourist number up, tourist numbers down, I'm just dizzy form listening to to change hour to hour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Gravy Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) Yes, yes, yes. but do they spend any money? Speak to the businesses and they will tell you no. In fact everywhere I have been the last year in Thailand all businesses are saying the same. they are down on income by 25-50%. The TAT love to spew figures on numbers but it doesn't mean anything if they don't spend. More Orwellian rubbish from the worse paper in Thailand. Edited April 30, 2015 by Laughing Gravy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSJ Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 They say Pattaya is a sort of fantasy land, so I am guessing the people at the MofT&S are trying to live their own fantasy too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyLew Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 99% of them are probably on the cheap tour where they are hoarded around on buses from one prepaid venue to another prepaid venue. Sure does make the stats. look good but how much are they really spending? suspect most are not the high spending quality tourists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) 22% of what and from when? Edited April 30, 2015 by cumgranosalum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NongKhaiKid Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 In the '90s the Philippines had a Minister of Tourism who was regularly ridiculed over the fact that she and her staff never used words like drop or decrease and they were accused of counting everyone who arrived by air as a visitor arrival even Balikbayan ( returning Filipinos ). Buddhists believe in reincarnation, Hmm I wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oziex1 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 When I used to read newspapers I often turned to the comics first. When I read Thai Visa I often turn to the Tourism figures report first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdecas Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 All very well but are officers rushing to the scene? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zydeco Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Two million foreigners visited Thailand during April 1-27, an increase of 22 per cent. The number is expected to soar next week due to the long holiday . . . How does a Thai holiday increase the number of foreign visitors? Are people going to come to Thailand to watch Thais not work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuuDaeng Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Two million foreigners visited Thailand during April 1-27, an increase of 22 per cent. The number is expected to soar next week due to the long holiday . . . How does a Thai holiday increase the number of foreign visitors? Are people going to come to Thailand to watch Thais not work? Do they need any holiday for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker9000 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 These headlines used to be funny. But the joke keeps getting retold so often there's not even any fun in mocking it anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emster23 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 hmmmm "foreign visitors" or tourists? I came back on 23rd (live here on retirement visa). There are plenty of us who decided to spread Thainess of Songkran internationally (aka getting out of Dodge during the madness), and have returned to the ordinary madness.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somtamnication Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Holy Cow! Makes you wonder why other countries don't implement coups, corruption, taxi and jet ski mafia, brainless tour guides!! Surely, their tourism numbers will go up, too!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NongKhaiKid Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Another long holiday which will result in more figures including supposed domestic ' tourism '. Can i ask my fellow posters if any have Thai family, friends or neighbours who actually go on what may be regarded as a holiday ? For my part, and I've said this before, none of my neighbours use breaks for anything other than going to stay with relatives. My immediate neighbours have decent jobs such as government officials, teachers etc yet I've never known any of them to go, for example, to Bkk for a ' chopping ' trip or to any tourist destinations, it's visit family or stay at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issanaus Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 TAT said - enough said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praematura Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 There are indeed more Chinese tourists here in Jomtien. Right now my Thai wife and her niece are here. We paid 100 baht per chair, 100 baht for a flotation device and are ordering food when they open at 9am. Not a big deal but does put money in the local economy. Chinese are out on the beach and according to the Thai guy who rents chairs he said they don't pay. They don't buy food or rent flotation devices. More arrivals of cheapskates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praematura Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 We are at Ko Larn. Forgot to mention that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cylon Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 They mean 22 , not percent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praematura Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 8:30 am and the masses are arriving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Up, Down, tourist number up, tourist numbers down, I'm just dizzy form listening to to change hour to hour But flip-flops are popular here, especially at-the-beach ! And if there are more coming, as the OP says, then they'd better 'get their fingers out' on the long-delayed expansion of Swampy ! Or make the new extension-terminal exclusive to Chinese-flights, then get King Power to open a casino in it, and it will pay for itself before it's even completed ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angiolo Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 UP Down TAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Even if their fiction were true this will not save the Thai economy from going down the shitter. They've lost all their best tourists through greed, corruption and having a bent armed Mafia they call ''Police ''. Add those matters to problems in Aviation, crooked Fishing practices, falling exports and an over bloated Baht and you can see where they are headed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Looking at the tourism statistics, over 2m foreigners visited Thailand during April 2013. Last year was down due to the political situation, therefore a comparison to 2013 gives a more accurate picture in my opinion, and you will see a slight increase. I have no reason to doubt the figures. The Thai Ministry of Tourism website has downloadable breakdowns of tourist numbers by month and nationality (up to Jan 2015 as of today) and there's nothing surprising there: Chinese numbers well up, Europeans steady, which is better than I would expect, Russians down dramatically. The source of the statistics is no doubt the arrival cards, so visa-runners and certain transit passengers will almost certainly be counted for every entry. I haven't seen any mention of "quality tourists" for a while. Can I take from that they they are reverting to type and are just interested in the actual numbers again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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