Most Thais deterred from overseas trips

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Most Thais deterred from overseas trips
Suchat Sritama
The Nation
Kuala Lumpur

BANGKOK: -- Most Thais are expected to make domestic leisure trips rather than overseas visits during the remainder of the year due to their lack of disposable income and a general economic decline in the region, executives of MasterCard said on Wednesday.

The latest findings on Thai consumer behaviour were unveiled by the global financial-services group, which conducted a survey on Thai consumer confidence earlier in the year.

The survey found that while Thais remained optimistic towards the future, most respondents preferred making domestic rather than foreign leisure trips during the rest of the year.

The survey was conducted in May and June, following the Thai economy's contraction in the first quarter, and found that consumers preferred to visit Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui as their top three destinations.

Sixty-five per cent of respondents said the main barrier in the way of taking international leisure trips was a lack of disposable income.

Japan, China and Australia were their top three international destinations, as opposed to countries further afield.

Matthew Driver, MasterCard group executive, global products and solutions for Asia-Pacific, said that confidence was a more nuanced story for Asia-Pacific markets this year, as economic uncertainty had begun to impact more developing markets.

India is the only market in Asia-Pacific in which consumers are extremely optimistic about the future.

Meanwhile, the economic outlook has softened in Southeast Asia, and especially so in Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand, which all recorded double-digit declines in confidence.

There was also a drop in confidence in Malaysia, he added.

The survey also found that Thais spend an average of Bt71,000 overall on an international leisure trip, and Bt15,000 on a domestic trip.

The cost of getting to the destination takes up the biggest portion of a Thai's international travel budget, while they spend more on eating out when travelling domestically.

MasterCard is planning to launch an attractive campaign created specifically to boost spending in Thailand as part of tourism-restoration plans, said Antonio Sebastian T Corro, country manager for Thailand and Myanmar.

The company aims to encourage its cardholders, both locals and foreigners, to make more purchases off line and online and via the Internet, particularly using their mobile phones to do so.

This year, MasterCard is focusing more on mobile transactions after seeing that nearly three-fifths of Thais made purchases through their smart phones, an increase of 7.6 per cent over the past two years, he said.

Online shopping has become more important for Thais, with those accessing the Internet for online shopping increasing by 9.6 per cent since 2012, he added.

MasterCard has found that Thais' preference for shopping online via mobile is due to convenience (60.1 per cent of respondents), apps that make it easy (47.6 per cent) and ability to do it on the go (45.5 per cent).

Meanwhile, the preference for shopping in an actual store as opposed to doing so via a smart phone has dropped 22.1 per cent since 2012.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Most-Thais-deterred-from-overseas-trips-30269998.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-02

[waldroj]

"... MasterCard has found that Thais' preference for shopping online via mobile is due to convenience..."

I.e., it can be done while driving, walking along a busy street, at work (especially when customers are waiting to be served), or practically anywhere where one's attention should be focused on the task at hand.

[ratcatcher]

This article refers to working class and middle class Thais not traveling overseas due to lack of disposable income. The wealthy Thais will continue to travel and spend asthey have aways done. Nothing has really changed.

[clockman]

Still plenty of money to be laundered, some where?

[Seastallion]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

[ratcatcher]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

[Reigntax]

Because most are taught that Thailand is the centre of the universe, in which case why bother?

[MZurf]

This article refers to working class and middle class Thais not traveling overseas due to lack of disposable income. The wealthy Thais will continue to travel and spend asthey have aways done. Nothing has really changed.

Never met a working class Thai that has had money enough to pay for a trip abroad (excluding popping over the border to Cambodia etc).

[NongKhaiKid]

This article refers to working class and middle class Thais not traveling overseas due to lack of disposable income. The wealthy Thais will continue to travel and spend asthey have aways done. Nothing has really changed.

Never met a working class Thai that has had money enough to pay for a trip abroad (excluding popping over the border to Cambodia etc).

Have to agree completely and as for domestic leisure trips my neighbours, all of whom have good salaries, simply visit relatives so hotels, extensive shopping etc doesn't feature in their plans and they probably don't regard it as leisure.

[SOTIRIOS]

...isn't it only 1% of Thais that ever go 'overseas' anyway....

[bbbbooboo]

for 90% of rural thai I don't think they will be deterred from overseas trips. Just the same old daily survival

[fred Kubasa]

Getting enough money is the only obstacle as going is not

an obstacle. Getting some to COME BACK is a real problem -- I am aware of a number of "touring "Thais who have been " Touring" the US for 10 Years !

Edited October 2, 2015 by fred Kubasa

[Viking64]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

France and Italy is the 2 worst european countries i've been to,when it comes to speaking english.

Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania are already several steps ahead :-)

Edited October 2, 2015 by Viking64

[elgordo38]

This article refers to working class and middle class Thais not traveling overseas due to lack of disposable income. The wealthy Thais will continue to travel and spend asthey have aways done. Nothing has really changed.

Never met a working class Thai that has had money enough to pay for a trip abroad (excluding popping over the border to Cambodia etc).

Thats what banks are for. Dream your dreams now why wait pay later on our generous high interest we will seize your assets plan sign here.

[Mudcrab]

Obtaining a visa to a country actually worth visiting can be challenging for the everyday Thai who has the money to do so.

Most don't.

In our village, apart from me and the wife, the only person who has been on a plane (maybe the only person to have seen a plane in the flesh too!) is the MIL whom I flew from Bangkok to Ubon once after the old girl had seen a specialist.

She dined out on that for months.

[fang37]

# 15

My PILs had never been in a plane - they were ecstatic!

BKK - never been before. It was an honour to show them their own country.

[tajtom]

This is a no brainer obviously

They do not like foriegners and in a western world they are lost in transit so to speak funny

[tajtom]

China

Who wants to go there

[Schillaci]

After walking around the Sydney CBD I'm not surprised Australia is on that list.

[farangmick]

This article refers to working class and middle class Thais not traveling overseas due to lack of disposable income. The wealthy Thais will continue to travel and spend asthey have aways done. Nothing has really changed.

Think the working class are probably not included. The sample was probably taken from among Master Card holders.I don't know many farmers with one of those.

[farangmick]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

They do, but they are jealous, so they won't.

[ikke]

I remember Prayut's first overseas trip was to Myanmar.....

[DavisH]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

France and Italy is the 2 worst european countries i've been to,when it comes to speaking english.

Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania are already several steps ahead :-)

If you make no effort to speak French in France, the locals won't bother with you and will not even use english. Try to speak French and they will do their best to understand, and also more likely to use english.

[superal]

Obtaining a visa to a country actually worth visiting can be challenging for the everyday Thai who has the money to do so.

Most don't.

In our village, apart from me and the wife, the only person who has been on a plane (maybe the only person to have seen a plane in the flesh too!) is the MIL whom I flew from Bangkok to Ubon once after the old girl had seen a specialist.

She dined out on that for months.

For sure , getting a tourist visa to the UK for a Thai can be daunting and frustrating . I often wonder what the Thais think , as the process for taking a holiday in Thailand for most westerners is an automatic 30 day pass on arrival . Now the UK has eased the process for the Chinese to encourage tourism . Why not extend it or simplify the process or maybe the Thai government should consider reciprocal arrangements relevant to each country . Could you imagine that for the Brits if we had to go through all of that red tape ?

[fang37]

Overseas holidays.

My Thai Lovely hates them.

Why?

Thai food is quite inferior.

[Ace of Pop]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

Or America

[Artisi]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

France and Italy is the 2 worst european countries i've been to,when it comes to speaking english.

Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania are already several steps ahead :-)

Wow! Here was I believing that in France the language was French and Italian in Italy.

[Artisi]

My neighbour told me she'd love to go overseas, money is not a problem, but the fact she can't speak English holds her back.

Suggest to her that she goes to France. They don't speak English.

Not quite true, many Froggies speak the Queens English it just that they don't choose to use it, especially if they think you are from the UK.

Many years back on a Paris bus an English couple were trying to get directions from the conductress - no joy what so ever - couldn't understand the requested - a little further on my then wife asked in Aussie English where to get off the bus - she was answered in near perfect English together with some further advice of here / what to see.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Artisi

[stickylies]

My middle class friends are only interested in going once again to some silly waterfall or dam or wat or floating market because that's what they were brainwashed to visit and feel excited about. I traveled with them several times and it's a total bore. Childish behaviour, eating most of the time, and spending money on souvenirs and tshirts to impress the homestayers. When I suggest to eg.visit Burma it's sokkaprok and antaraay. When I suggest Cambodia its the same. When I suggest Laos it's there's nothing there... This is the culture here for most Thai. Thailand number 1.

[speedtripler]

Most Thai would starve to death outside Thailand, their only advantage here is being Thai