Thailand expects seven million Chinese tourists in 2015
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Thailand expects a record 7 million visitors from China in 2015 compared with 4.63 million last year, the tourism minister said on Friday, despite a bomb attack at a major tourist spot that killed 20 people, more than half of them foreigners.

Tourism is one of the few bright spots in an economy that has been stubbornly underperforming more than a year after the military seized power in a May 2014 coup, with exports stumbling and domestic consumption subdued.

Tourism accounts for about 10 percent of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy and a record 28.8 million visitors are expected this year compared with 25.5 million in 2014.

Minister of Tourism Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul attributed the high level of Chinese arrivals to confidence in the investigation of the Aug. 17 blast at a famous Bangkok shrine, Thailand's worst ever bomb attack.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/10/12/thailand-expects-seven-million-chinese-tourists-2015


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-10-12

iNCREDIBLE

GOOD LUCK TO THAI BUSINESSES ALL OVER THAILAND.

As high season rears it,s ugly head to disgusting drunkards, it is a nice relief for well behaved chinese to come over and sample the nice thai welcomes

Mass tourism could be Thailands nightmare. Remember Sars started in China.

Oh my god. Just another bad news. I miss the Russians already

Will all 7 million be spending their time standing in the middle of the road trying to get run over or just the ones who visit Chiang Mai?

Will all 7 million be spending their time standing in the middle of the road trying to get run over or just the ones who visit Chiang Mai?

haha and its worse when it rains as they walk down the center of the road to keep away from the puddles !!!

Minister of Tourism Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul attributed the high level of Chinese arrivals to confidence in the investigation of the Aug. 17 blast at a famous Bangkok shrine.

"Tourists have confidence again after we arrested the perpetrators," Kobkarn told reporters. "They have confidence in the government, police and the army."

You couldn't make this up.

Edited October 12, 201510 yr by zaphod reborn

wow, it will be a noisy wet and slippery place

Oh no!!!!! 7 million selfie sticks arriving

You will need your Wellies to wade through the spit.

• They seem to be sorting them, sorry herding them into one part of immigration at DM, Farangs and Asean member through the Thai lane (which is nearly all ASEAN) and people from the peoples republic through the "Foreigner" section

Might clear 7Mill Bht Profit then.

Each spending 10usd per day, get tourist dollar income , only the hotels make money.

and none of them spending more than 300 baht a day

Thailand is like a home away from home with the junta running the circus.

A few more years of military control and it will be Chiland anyway.

The bloke who runs the white temple up here in Chiang Rai will be catatonic!

Will all 7 million be spending their time standing in the middle of the road trying to get run over or just the ones who visit Chiang Mai?

I've noticed this a lot lately. I was in a tuk-tuk Saturday night and there were two Chinese with a baby, standing in the middle of a busy road, taking photos. The driver had to take evasive action to miss them as they would have walked into him.

They seem to leave their common sense behind when they travel here.

Accepting that there has been a decline from traditional markets, a strong influx of Chinese will keep Thais in jobs, businesses going in tough times...surely a good thing. As for discussions about the behaviour, it wasn't so long ago that other national groups were being described in negative terms...the loud and obnoxious Americans, the drunken and feral Australians, the uptight and stingy Brits, the arrogant and snooty French, the boorish Germans, the kamikaze tour Japanese, etc etc etc

The Chinese are pretty harmless even though the media picks up the actions of a few and makes it out to be a national trait.

And the sun circles the earth.

Accepting that there has been a decline from traditional markets, a strong influx of Chinese will keep Thais in jobs, businesses going in tough times...surely a good thing. As for discussions about the behaviour, it wasn't so long ago that other national groups were being described in negative terms...the loud and obnoxious Americans, the drunken and feral Australians, the uptight and stingy Brits, the arrogant and snooty French, the boorish Germans, the kamikaze tour Japanese, etc etc etc

The Chinese are pretty harmless even though the media picks up the actions of a few and makes it out to be a national trait.

Good post...and correct...........

Accepting what I think the pms premise is, that westerns are taking advantage of Thai girls and propagating its negative reputation, hence non qualify tourists. The Chinese get police help, whereas farangs are floating in pattaya bay almost every day. The Chinese don't complain about the military government like farangs do since they are used to the same repressive government back home, the Chinese put money into high end shops owned by elites supporting the pm whereas farangs put it into the local economy.

Soon this will be called Chinaland not Thailand.

The Popcorn-lady must be mentally challenged ... "tourists have confidence in police" .... IQ at all time low

I read where the percent of Europeans occupying the hotels in BKK is now at 40%; whereas six?? years ago it was at 80% (maybe Russians are included as Europeans in this statistic) occupying the hotels in BKK. I have worked/ lived in Thailand 11 years and I see less North Americans & Europeans visiting or retiring in Thailand. (...and maybe this will change with the Baht value decreasing against other currencies). The Chinese on group tours are not going to pour big bucks into the economy and certainly the majority will not be traveling solo and staying in the 4-5 star hotels. -- But this is better than nothing and as China becomes more developed and the younger generation become more independent and savvy (knowing English unlike their parents) these are the future international travelers that will be pouring big money into Thailand.... (China is so populated that it would take a small percent of this group to make a difference.)

Will all 7 million be spending their time standing in the middle of the road trying to get run over or just the ones who visit Chiang Mai?

haha and its worse when it rains as they walk down the center of the road to keep away from the puddles !!!

are they puddles of phlegm and spittle? Or puddles of their urine?

LINKY.......So the sun circles the earth. Really.

Got to love Thai Visa. Nowhere else can you find such a flood of ignorance and racism. I applaud the posters on here.

and none of them spending more than 300 baht a day

And all Farangs are sad pathetic losers only here for sex. Stereotypes work both ways.

Its OK

I'm bored with standing in line, its best to just push in to the front of a line.

And why talk normally, when in a restaurant just shout so loudly that people can hear in the next province.

​​Why be polite and friendly when you can just be rude and demanding.

I think we can get used to the new wave of tourism.

Don't get excited people. These are TAT's figures. ??

Accepting that there has been a decline from traditional markets, a strong influx of Chinese will keep Thais in jobs, businesses going in tough times...surely a good thing. As for discussions about the behaviour, it wasn't so long ago that other national groups were being described in negative terms...the loud and obnoxious Americans, the drunken and feral Australians, the uptight and stingy Brits, the arrogant and snooty French, the boorish Germans, the kamikaze tour Japanese, etc etc etc

The Chinese are pretty harmless even though the media picks up the actions of a few and makes it out to be a national trait.

Good post...and correct...........

yes quite true but the problem here is money.They don´t spend

Edited October 12, 201510 yr by johnsnapo