PHUKET NEWS TV: "This is the worst wet season, ever!" No it's not.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

PHUKET NEWS TV: "This is the worst wet season, ever!" No it's not.

An interesting interview from Phuket News TV which reveals that this year's low season hasn't been as bad as some would lead you to believe.

Thoughts?

[MaeJoMTB]

Talking the market up,

He goes on about airport numbers and carefully avoids any talk about his hotel business.

37% Chinese, 14% Russian, that's clearly the classy end of the market.

With 30% of the Chinese stock market suspended from trading this week, I wouldn't be pinning much hopes on them.

And the Russian currency falling to less than 50% of it's previous value, most of them won't be back for a while.

Should I mention the Euro has dropped 40% in the last 5 years, and the Australian and NZ dollar down 20% this year.

Thailand is becoming very expensive for many foreigners.

And oppressive military regimes aren't all that popular a holiday destination for the masses who believe in Democracy.

Edited July 14, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[NamKangMan]

"We rely on the numbers, and that has to be the way to go." - fail.

You should rely on the money from the numbers.

"The numbers" mean nothing, unless those "numbers" inject money into the local Phuket economy.

[LivinginKata]

Yes, the guy is talking up the 'numbers'. What do you expect from a guy heavily invested in the Phuket hotel business.

And yes, he should have given the viewer some idea of hotel revenues/profits changes over the past few years. That would be illuminating. I can tell you that our revenues have fallen 40% over the past 4 years. It's been a gradual decline year on year and I expect this to continue in our little long stay home market segment.

[Bakseeda]

Talking the market up,

He goes on about airport numbers and carefully avoids any talk about his hotel business.

37% Chinese, 14% Russian, that's clearly the classy end of the market.

With 30% of the Chinese stock market suspended from trading this week, I wouldn't be pinning much hopes on them.

And the Russian currency falling to less than 50% of it's previous value, most of them won't be back for a while.

Should I mention the Euro has dropped 40% in the last 5 years, and the Australian and NZ dollar down 20% this year.

Thailand is becoming very expensive for many foreigners.

And oppressive military regimes aren't all that popular a holiday destination for the masses who believe in Democracy.

How about a non-oppressive military regime that does believe in Democracy.... Seems to me that the Thai peoples have got much better than they deserve.. selling votes for 500 baht in their masses... violently banning certain potential MPs from canvassing in their chosen seats of government... Politicians betraying the trust of their people... About time the Thai people got their back-side paddled... Lucky they got Prayuth, Lucky they got someone who cares.. For Gods sake give the guy a chance... Thailand has problems, and those problems cannot be solved overnight..

If you have a better idea... come on , let us all in on this new-found path to righteousness... Righteousness

[Pinot]

Getting a minute into this was tedious.

The world economy has slowed. I was in Vietnam and Cambodia last month and it's slow everywhere.

Relying on the Chinese to save you? Really? They are the worst kind of tourist for the local tourist economy.

I see the positives. Maybe the housing construction market that continues at a furious pace will finally stop. The infrastructure, water and sewage, is completely overwhelmed now yet the building continues. In any Western country there would be a building moritorium but not here. They continue to build units that have no prayer of selling. The inventory of available housing is ridiculous. Maybe this slowdown will put a damper on new construction.

By the way, never buy property in Thailand. It's always a bad financial decision.

Being an expat here I see the slowdown as a positive but I'm not in the tourist industry.

[dageurreotype]

Getting a minute into this was tedious.

The world economy has slowed. I was in Vietnam and Cambodia last month and it's slow everywhere.

Relying on the Chinese to save you? Really? They are the worst kind of tourist for the local tourist economy.

I see the positives. Maybe the housing construction market that continues at a furious pace will finally stop. The infrastructure, water and sewage, is completely overwhelmed now yet the building continues. In any Western country there would be a building moritorium but not here. They continue to build units that have no prayer of selling. The inventory of available housing is ridiculous. Maybe this slowdown will put a damper on new construction.

By the way, never buy property in Thailand. It's always a bad financial decision.

Being an expat here I see the slowdown as a positive but I'm not in the tourist industry.

You managed an entire minute? As soon as he said 'Bill Barnett' I was out of there.

[Guest]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, a chance to spend time on an island where taking a taxi cost more than dinner in Bangkok, hip deep in Chinese and Russians !!!

Ohhhh, so good !

Where do I sign up for a week of that paradise ????

Phuket, no thank you ...

[coulson]

Talking the market up,

He goes on about airport numbers and carefully avoids any talk about his hotel business.

37% Chinese, 14% Russian, that's clearly the classy end of the market.

With 30% of the Chinese stock market suspended from trading this week, I wouldn't be pinning much hopes on them.

And the Russian currency falling to less than 50% of it's previous value, most of them won't be back for a while.

Should I mention the Euro has dropped 40% in the last 5 years, and the Australian and NZ dollar down 20% this year.

Thailand is becoming very expensive for many foreigners.

And oppressive military regimes aren't all that popular a holiday destination for the masses who believe in Democracy.

How about a non-oppressive military regime that does believe in Democracy.... Seems to me that the Thai peoples have got much better than they deserve.. selling votes for 500 baht in their masses... violently banning certain potential MPs from canvassing in their chosen seats of government... Politicians betraying the trust of their people... About time the Thai people got their back-side paddled... Lucky they got Prayuth, Lucky they got someone who cares.. For Gods sake give the guy a chance... Thailand has problems, and those problems cannot be solved overnight..

If you have a better idea... come on , let us all in on this new-found path to righteousness... Righteousness

That's lovely, but stop sidetracking! This post was referring to how outsiders view coming to Thailand, and how the absence of an elected government is determined an unstable environment by many. You don't have to go far to see the world is not sympathetic to PM Prayut, regardless of the good or bad job he's doing. He himself can see it on his own doorstop, not being invited to the US embassy for one for their annual 4th July.

[Lashay]

Another one using airport arrivals to talk up his business (managing and advising hotels), not much different to the thai government. When the reality on the ground paints a far different picture. Sure people are arriving at the airport, but the demographics, how long they stay on the island, how much they spend have all changed completely...for the worse.

Average Low-middle class Chinese/Indians/Russians and young western backpackers here for a week or less are no way comparable to average middle aged/middle class westerners here for two weeks plus, tourism from the former would need to increase ten fold to even come close.

With the Thai government, relying on the (incomplete, inaccurate, superficial) numbers can be blamed on stupidity, but with this guy and his background only conclusion is an attempt to mislead/fool people.

Pity airports refuse to release the complete figure's they undoubtedly have access too, like nationality (not point of origin), age, gender, frequency of visits, length of stay (for those who leave again via airport), that would be numbers that could be relied on by tourism industry

Is this the worst wet season, ever? Hell Yes

(and previous high season was probably one of worst as well)

Edited July 14, 2015 by Lashay

[metisdead]

A post containing a link to Phuket Wan has been removed:

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

[hugh2121]

Talking the market up,

He goes on about airport numbers and carefully avoids any talk about his hotel business.

37% Chinese, 14% Russian, that's clearly the classy end of the market.

With 30% of the Chinese stock market suspended from trading this week, I wouldn't be pinning much hopes on them.

And the Russian currency falling to less than 50% of it's previous value, most of them won't be back for a while.

Should I mention the Euro has dropped 40% in the last 5 years, and the Australian and NZ dollar down 20% this year.

Thailand is becoming very expensive for many foreigners.

And oppressive military regimes aren't all that popular a holiday destination for the masses who believe in Democracy.

How about a non-oppressive military regime that does believe in Democracy.... Seems to me that the Thai peoples have got much better than they deserve.. selling votes for 500 baht in their masses... violently banning certain potential MPs from canvassing in their chosen seats of government... Politicians betraying the trust of their people... About time the Thai people got their back-side paddled... Lucky they got Prayuth, Lucky they got someone who cares.. For Gods sake give the guy a chance... Thailand has problems, and those problems cannot be solved overnight..

If you have a better idea... come on , let us all in on this new-found path to righteousness... Righteousness

" Politicians betraying the trust of their people". I thought that was part of the definition of "politician"

[KarenBravo]

I think anyone with eyes and a brain with feet on the ground in Phuket, knows this guy is talking out of his arse......

[KarenBravo]

Don't trust anyone that uses the term "going forward", or, any other corporate buzz-words.

[Felt 35]

Funny and life must be good. The first thing I thought about when seeing the heading was wet weather and even if its not been perfect for cycling the last days its been more rain in some previous rain seasons. Thanks to the almighty for not have to worry about arriving passenger numbers .....hmm.. less means less vehicles on the road ,okay let it be long..... "wet season" as in article.

[Kannikapor88]

Does this Barnett-fool Work for TAT ... ? He sound stupid enough to be qualified ...

[KarenBravo]

As involvement with hotels is his business, he will never admit that this year has been terrible.

Bit like real estate agents always saying that it's a good time to buy.

[spidermike007]

Talking the market up,

He goes on about airport numbers and carefully avoids any talk about his hotel business.

37% Chinese, 14% Russian, that's clearly the classy end of the market.

With 30% of the Chinese stock market suspended from trading this week, I wouldn't be pinning much hopes on them.

And the Russian currency falling to less than 50% of it's previous value, most of them won't be back for a while.

Should I mention the Euro has dropped 40% in the last 5 years, and the Australian and NZ dollar down 20% this year.

Thailand is becoming very expensive for many foreigners.

And oppressive military regimes aren't all that popular a holiday destination for the masses who believe in Democracy.

Yes, and when you combine oppressive, with obnoxious, and I do not mean anything I say, and I follow up on very few things I say, it is even worse, at least when it comes to the hoped for reforms.