One million more Chinese tourists are expected to visit Pattaya each year

[JESSVANPELT]

Everyone seems to forget That this country survives on Tourism. The Thailand Tourist Association each year selects a particular country to target to get there tourists, about 6 years ago it was India and the country and this city had bus after bus of indian families , Then Four years ago it was the Russians and they came in droves and by charter flights direct Utapo airport, Now its simply the turn for The Chinese.

The one thing about the Chiinese tourist is they travel in Groups , you will rarely see a Chinese family alone here. So don't expect to see them all over the cities , but do expect to see a lot of Chinese bus tour groups out and about.

And In another 2 years it will be another group...deal with it ..its what they do here.

[JESSVANPELT]

Not all Chinese visitors will be coming in tour groups. There is an ever growing middle class who are younger and independently minded.They will travel independently and will also buy property if they like it here and in due course Pattaya will learn to cater for the Chinese just as they have catered for many other nationalities. Though illegal at present, I can see a future in Pattaya that includes large casinos and hotels as in Vegas, Singapore & Macao. The construction of the Thailand - China high speed railway (confirmed last week) will bring many more Chinese to the area, to work and play. Get used to it or get away from Pattaya. I believe all nationalities can live and prosper in Pattaya together. The more the merrier for me. The infrastructure will grow to meet demand; the Chinese will see to that if the Thais don't get on the ball themselves.

An interesting comment, I have been hearing about Casinos for 10 years But the present Government would never do it. The Rail link and Infrastructure...maybe in the next 20 years.

As for the Chines liking this place , quite doubtful, they tend to like and create there own controlled areas , they do not mix well with others......

[elgenon]

Everyone seems to forget That this country survives on Tourism. The Thailand Tourist Association each year selects a particular country to target to get there tourists, about 6 years ago it was India and the country and this city had bus after bus of indian families , Then Four years ago it was the Russians and they came in droves and by charter flights direct Utapo airport, Now its simply the turn for The Chinese.

The one thing about the Chiinese tourist is they travel in Groups , you will rarely see a Chinese family alone here. So don't expect to see them all over the cities , but do expect to see a lot of Chinese bus tour groups out and about.

And In another 2 years it will be another group...deal with it ..its what they do here.

I did see a couple hip Chinese couples at Boy Blues in CM. And saw some at the Jazz Co-op there. Need more of this type. IMHO

Saw some very aggressive Chinese trying to get a price lower than 30B for a Com Loy last year. The poor Thai. I felt sorry for her. Thais are basically non-confrontational. So direct opposites in that sense. So big culture shock for the Thais.

[morrobay]

Everyone seems to forget That this country survives on Tourism. The Thailand Tourist Association each year selects a particular country to target to get there tourists, about 6 years ago it was India and the country and this city had bus after bus of indian families , Then Four years ago it was the Russians and they came in droves and by charter flights direct Utapo airport, Now its simply the turn for The Chinese.

The one thing about the Chiinese tourist is they travel in Groups , you will rarely see a Chinese family alone here. So don't expect to see them all over the cities , but do expect to see a lot of Chinese bus tour groups out and about.

And In another 2 years it will be another group...deal with it ..its what they do here.

I did see a couple hip Chinese couples at Boy Blues in CM. And saw some at the Jazz Co-op there. Need more of this type. IMHO

Saw some very aggressive Chinese trying to get a price lower than 30B for a Com Loy last year. The poor Thai. I felt sorry for her. Thais are basically non-confrontational. So direct opposites in that sense. So big culture shock for the Thais.

Thais are non confrontational ? You could have fooled me. They are also smiling gental people and good drivers too ?

[Heng]

Funny all the naysayers.... oh the Chinese don't spend. As a Thai, and Thai-Chinese at that, trust me, we'll find some way to charge you, them, and anyone else. "After all... we are not communists."

:-)

Only problem is that most of these Chinese tourists are not from the upper class. They pay 10000 baht for a complete package from China including flights and hotel with meals . Maybe they spend a few baht on water bottles. I hardly ever see them drink in bars.

Completely acceptable. They don't do as much gawking at the 100% occupancy fireworks at the hotels (why would they?), but their money is just as good.

[TheGhostWithin]

I have invested in an investment condo at UNIXX so any news on improving tourist numbers including expanding the local airport at a cost or 200 million baht as well as creating the high speed train to Pattaya is good financial news to my ears.

As it stands now the market is weak, but give it 3 years with infrastructure upgrades and an elected government in power (before the next round of violence) the property prices will be much healthier than now.

Some of the property prices (particularly condos >60SQM) are the same price or more expensive as new builds in my home country (New Zealand). Our buildings are generally all earth quake strengthened, soundproofed and in some cases strengthened for other elements (condos in one of my buildings are strengthened for high winds, for example).

Each of my condos are worth 340,000NZD, which is approx. 7.72mil THB, noting that the baht is the strongest against the NZD that it has been in many years. Each of my condos are between 53-66SQM and rent at 9-14% ROI.

I use this as an example, which was advertised on the footer of one of my TV newsletters: http://property.thaivisa.com/property-item/1-bed-condo-in-hua-hin-walking-distance-to-the-beach-6500000-thb/?utm_source=newsletter-20150903-0728&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=property selling at a cool 6.5mil THB, 55SQM in Hua Hin.

I know there are cheaper buys on the market, but I am comparing what I have in NZ (a 2 year old build with the noted sizes) with what is available in Thailand.

I do not really think prices are over inflated at all, taking into account a sketchy and xenophobic legal system, often low quality builds with no fire or other natural disaster protection and speculated excess capacity in some markets. There are much better opportunities abroad right now, including in Spain, France, and parts of the US.

[TheGhostWithin]

big chinese planes directly to pattaya ? are they going to make a sea landing strip ?

Yes they will use Hercules planes that can carry up to 5000 people and big ships are waiting to take them to Pattaya . It's a part of the whole adventure.

Their flag leaders will then take over and escort them safely to the nearest go go bar where they will enjoy the entertainment for 20 minutes, then have a look at WS to spot the drunk farang for 10 minutes, then it's time to go to sleep in a 300 baht room.

I went to see a friend that manages one of these places back in March, the entire crew went in following the flag bearer. They did a big circle of the bar and then all sat down. All in their 30's and 40's. Sat down and took up every single seat in the bar except for 5 of us that were already there. Refused to buy drinks and just wanted to sit there and stare. At least 30-40 of them. The manager commented to me that had he was annoyed as he had instructed his staff not to let these Chinese groups in the bar for exactly this reason, and that they scare his paying customers off and make the ladies uncomfortable.

I think there is a clash of opinions on the direction of the city coming up. We know which will likely win, but perhaps a pyrrhic victory when the money dries up from the white man.

[Spleen]

When I was at DM at 5am Tuesdays Morning there were quite a few flights going back to China as a result there was a huge queue to even get into immigration. I was called forward by the passport checker and he let me through , to the right "Foreign Passports" was up to the back wall with people mainly Chinese , showed immigration woman guarding the border between Thai /ASEAN and Foreign passports my Singapore residency card and I was through , queue of 4 or 5 people at each counter , I was surprised to see, so many Farangs in that section, Then I watched as immigration people herding the Chinese passengers coming into that section back into the packed section. It looked like they separating The Chinese form everyone else,Not the first time Ive seen that happen The Thais may be pleasant to the Chinese to gain money from tourism but underneath I think they don't like them at all

[Rimmer]

A speculative post has been removed

[JakeSully]

An addition of one million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Pattaya each year after Air Asia has agreed to operate two new direct routes to two Chinese cities scheduled to be launched on September 25.

Air Asia plans to operate four flights a week between Utapao and Nan Ning and three flights a week between Utapao and Nan Xang using two 180-seat Airbus A320 aircrafts.

Airbus A320 max capacity in Air Asia configuration: 180 passengers

Total # of flights a week: 7

Maximum possible arrivals per year on 7 flights a week carrying max load = 65,520

How exactly does this equal 1 million additional tourists per year?

[Spleen]

An addition of one million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Pattaya each year after Air Asia has agreed to operate two new direct routes to two Chinese cities scheduled to be launched on September 25.

Air Asia plans to operate four flights a week between Utapao and Nan Ning and three flights a week between Utapao and Nan Xang using two 180-seat Airbus A320 aircrafts.

Airbus A320 max capacity in Air Asia configuration: 180 passengers

Total # of flights a week: 7

Maximum possible arrivals per year on 7 flights a week carrying max load = 65,520

How exactly does this equal 1 million additional tourists per year?

Must have one of those TAT calculators

[louse1953]

AA'S capacity is 65,520 people,how are the rest coming,by bicycle.wait til they get here and realise they can't swim in the sea.Let the fun begin and those girls are hotties.

[louse1953]

big chinese planes directly to pattaya ? are they going to make a sea landing strip ?

Yes they will use Hercules planes that can carry up to 5000 people and big ships are waiting to take them to Pattaya . It's a part of the whole adventure.

Their flag leaders will then take over and escort them safely to the nearest go go bar where they will enjoy the entertainment for 20 minutes, then have a look at WS to spot the drunk farang for 10 minutes, then it's time to go to sleep in a 300 baht room.

I went to see a friend that manages one of these places back in March, the entire crew went in following the flag bearer. They did a big circle of the bar and then all sat down. All in their 30's and 40's. Sat down and took up every single seat in the bar except for 5 of us that were already there. Refused to buy drinks and just wanted to sit there and stare. At least 30-40 of them. The manager commented to me that had he was annoyed as he had instructed his staff not to let these Chinese groups in the bar for exactly this reason, and that they scare his paying customers off and make the ladies uncomfortable.

I think there is a clash of opinions on the direction of the city coming up. We know which will likely win, but perhaps a pyrrhic victory when the money dries up from the white man.

at Nevada AGOGO the Indians got cracked with drinks tray as they walked around the bar,still oggling the girls,heads and hides like rhinos.What a hoot.

[pattayamick64]

the chinese will never buy property in pattaya they are to busy buying up all of australia at the moment every second house or unit sold here in oz is to a chinese

[elgenon]

Everyone seems to forget That this country survives on Tourism. The Thailand Tourist Association each year selects a particular country to target to get there tourists, about 6 years ago it was India and the country and this city had bus after bus of indian families , Then Four years ago it was the Russians and they came in droves and by charter flights direct Utapo airport, Now its simply the turn for The Chinese.

The one thing about the Chiinese tourist is they travel in Groups , you will rarely see a Chinese family alone here. So don't expect to see them all over the cities , but do expect to see a lot of Chinese bus tour groups out and about.

And In another 2 years it will be another group...deal with it ..its what they do here.

I did see a couple hip Chinese couples at Boy Blues in CM. And saw some at the Jazz Co-op there. Need more of this type. IMHO

Saw some very aggressive Chinese trying to get a price lower than 30B for a Com Loy last year. The poor Thai. I felt sorry for her. Thais are basically non-confrontational. So direct opposites in that sense. So big culture shock for the Thais.

Thais are non confrontational ? You could have fooled me. They are also smiling gental people and good drivers too ?

Sad when people don't take the time to learn about the culture they are living in. I am not talking about BGs.

And yes, I am surprised at the mellow Buddhist attitude of the taxi drivers. Much better than in the States. I know, not all of them but most of the ones I've hired.

[elgenon]

the chinese will never buy property in pattaya they are to busy buying up all of australia at the moment every second house or unit sold here in oz is to a chinese

They are paying cash for homes here at the beach in LA area. Yikes! Gotta go learn Mandarin!

[Yahooka]

One million more ....how many more bus tours is that gonna be ?

"Let`s rejoice"