Chinese tourists boost Thai economy but stir outrage

[bartobar]

RRR

[JakeSully]

I wonder what'll happen to Chinese Tourists now that their stock market has crashed by 30% and is expected to fall another 20-40%

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/08/china-stock-market_n_7752190.html

[hawker9000]

I wonder what'll happen to Chinese Tourists now that their stock market has crashed by 30% and is expected to fall another 20-40%

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/08/china-stock-market_n_7752190.html

Caught the tail end of a news report just today about traders pulling out of China now because of restrictions placed on major stockholder, board member, and other fat cat trading. Have to read up on that. Found this from CNN so far. Gee, I guess China isn't quite the economic utopia its fanboys have been saying...

[phoenixdoglover]

I wonder what'll happen to Chinese Tourists now that their stock market has crashed by 30% and is expected to fall another 20-40%

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/08/china-stock-market_n_7752190.html

Yes, the Chinese stock bubble has burst.

Add to that the steadily declining growth rate, a critical need to cut back pollution, and the competition from ASEAN.

I think China is in for a rougher ride...and the upsurge in tourism may be over for a while.

Also, with respect to the average Chinese tourist spending. As reported by TAT, the average is about 50,000 baht per person. The numbers from TAT also show at least a dozen countries with higher per capita spending (but TAT doesn't talk much about that). The major reason for lower spending is length of stay. Typical Chinese tour is one week. Typical for Europeans, Aussies, Americans is 2 weeks.

Chinese tourists are not the end of the world. Neither are they a winning strategy. And I use the word "strategy" in a loose way; it's not obvious Thailand has a tourism strategy.

[Thunderbirds20]

How can Chinese tourists be boosting the economy? I see bus loads of them in Pattaya. They all stay in a large group, following a guide, rubber-necking but never spending any money. I never see them in restaurants, bars or shops. They only stay in certain hotels and eat in certain restaurants.

Thailand should be as welcoming to Farang tourists that spend money and respect your culture!

[dageurreotype]

They will harvest what they are seeding...

The normal Thai has absolutely no stake in this Chinese tourism.

Further or later, they will realize that the same is happening to them as happened before in the Dominican Republic: International (in this case: Chinese) chains syphoning off all tourist money to abroad, erecting a oligopoly and destroying the smaller local tourism industry. These Chinese tour groups come here with all inclusive offers, already paid in China, the hotel, the transport, the innercountry tours and shows all paid to the Chinese companies in Renminbi, staying in hotels,which are more and more PRC China owned.

Even the employment rate is not benefitting: most tour guides are Chinese from the mainland, only 1-2 "token Thai" tour guides employed...

And the next desaster with the next group of quality tourists is just around the corner: Especially in Pattaya, more and more Indian tourists flooding the city, walking in groups of at least five in the middle of the street, as if there is no other traffic. ... And looking down on the Thai, because they consider themselves superior. - their behavior in shops and restaurants is accordingly...

However, Kobkarn's recent visit to Phuket was stymied by a bunch of tuktuk/taxi(?) drivers who were protesting many local businesses - gem shops, latex outlets, spas et al, were now supplying their own drivers. So the question is, did the Dominican Republic have anything to match the fearless saber toothed Phuket tuktuk driver?

Edited July 11, 2015 by dageurreotype

[apalink_thailand]

I remember when Thailand use to have a reasonably good quality of tourists, but now that the Thai government is making out with the chinese you have lost all your quality for what???? MONEY that's what. Not good business.

My theory is this: During the boom of the 90's, many new hotels were build, most of which were Thai family owned and operated. These hotels have not been properly maintained or managed over the years and have largely deteriorated into 2 & 3 star properties. The only people that will stay in these hotels are the cheapo Chinese & Russian tour groups which come here in droves. By marketing Thailand to the Chinese & Russians, these old dilapidated properties continue to exist and make money for the owners. Its not long term thinking but at least they continue to get a little milk from the cow. Meanwhile, Thailand as a tourist destination for monied visitors, is sliding off a cliff.

[apalink_thailand]

The wife had 2 shops (Beach Rd and Pattaya Park) in Pattaya selling men's, women's and kids clothes a lot of it touristy type hat's T-shirts and board shorts and I can tell you for a fact the Chinese tourists hardly ever stepped foot in either! Sure there was some....and to be fair the Pattaya Park shop was setup primarily to serve the Russian's...but the bus loads on Beach Rd were herded to the speedboats to go to Ko Larn with no time to browse the nearby shops. And when I say bus loads we are talking many many buses.

So this animal they call a "free-spending Chinese tourists" my wife never encounted!

We sold out. No point in running a business when your only making beer money!

You might think about buying one or two 7/11's on Walking Street. Now that, is a money maker.

[apalink_thailand]

5,000 baht a day, Secret Shoppers, I've never seen a shopping bag.

Have a look in the planes going back, everybody heavily loaded with shoppings.

They definitely spend much more then many farang

I think they buy something on the last day, that's why u see shopping bags or it would go in Luggage, just an observation, technically they are buying something, coming from USA, they are burdened with boxes and boxes of stuff, but a more affluent Tourist from the State's

Out near the airport, there is a HUGE King Power shop sitting on a massive plot of land. The tour busses are lined up around the corner depositing the Chinese into the store where they run about and buy cheap goods. I wandered in for a look and just watched them for a while. The luxury brand stores were empty of clients but the store selling jeans (probably made in China) and other cloths was doing a noisy trade. Food snacks too.

Then they all crush up against the VAT return counter in a hoard of hundreds all yelling, pushing and screaming. Lovely bunch of quality tourists.