Breaking records: 30 million visited Thailand this year

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Breaking records: 30 million visited Thailand this year

By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK:-- It may have made its name as the ultimate backpacker destination but Thailand hopes to attract a more well-heeled kind of traveller in the future, its tourism minister said today, as the kingdom announced record arrivals for 2015.

The vital tourism industry remains one of the few economic brightspots following a year in which the junta-led government has struggled to kickstart the kingdom’s stumbling economy.

By the end of the year Thailand will have received more than 29.6 million foreign visitors, Minister for Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told reporters.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/12/25/breaking-records-30-million-visited-thailand-year

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-12-25

[Sarathi]

And 99% of them had a good time.

[jacky54]

Except the ones who get killed, not by Thais of course!

[Andreas2]

Ha ha. We can say what we want but they really have a good sense of humor:

Superman sleeps.

The Super Police hasn't yet.

Never did and never will.

Made my day, thank you Super Police.

[chiang mai]

I would love to see the detail behind the headline number, my guess is that revenue per head is way down over previous years made up of cheap spending Chinese tourists and digital nomads living near Thai lifestyles.

The headline number means absolutely nothing.

[kalbo123]

What i wonder is if that travelers that travel true Bangkok to their next destination are counted as vistors or not?

Edited December 25, 2015 by kalbo123

[laislica]

<Deleted>!

and why should anyone else?

[bboy]

Kudos to them against all adversity. Plus the most successful government of any country in the history of mankind with 99.9% approval ratings. Spin it, edit, censor and publish and I will lap it all up...

[BuckBee]

I have pictures of super police playing chuzzle on the computer in police station. they a super bunch of ....... I'll let you add your words here ;-)

tourist figures look well bent too. Been a low year according to people in hotel chains & people I know who work on markets & have mbk outlets, their remarks don't reflect a record breaking 30 million tourists !

Edited December 25, 2015 by BuckBee

[losworld]

What people need to know is they are likely including some or all of the following which skew the results: 1) All air landings in Thailand. Bangkok has become an international hub for air traffic connecting flights and many travelers are on a short layover. 2) All cross border crossings. With Asean and increased trade between neighboring countries the number of crossings will certainly skew the results and could be laborers or daytraders.

[choff56]

Rounding Up, are we?

[iReason]

"It may have made its name as the ultimate backpacker destination but Thailand hopes to attract a more well-heeled kind of traveller in the future, its tourism minister said today"

"Revenue from the tourism industry accounted for 14.5 percent of our GDP," Kobkarn said.

Well, say goodbye to that.

Perhaps come up with a better plan than sitting back and skinning the suckers.

How about contributing something, anything to the world?

What a novel idea.

"Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in May 2014, ousting a democratically elected government that he accused of being corrupt and running costly populist policies."

Oh, and glad to see a statue promoting 24 Hour protection and services...

Hopeless.

Edited December 25, 2015 by iReason

[NongKhaiKid]

Did anyone expect anything else ?

So to prove continuing success a higher target will be set for next year and at this time in 2016 it will be claimed that figure was broken and on it goes.

[thesetat2013]

And 99% of them had a good time.

99.3% you mean

[thesetat2013]

They still account the numbers of travellers as their guide. Even backpackers spend more than the Chinese that come here. They can raise their numbers all they want but it will only help the airline industries and possibly the hotels to fill their rooms cheaply. Western tourists always spend more and are more adventurous than an Asian tourist

[SoilSpoil]

They still account the numbers of travellers as their guide. Even backpackers spend more than the Chinese that come here. They can raise their numbers all they want but it will only help the airline industries and possibly the hotels to fill their rooms cheaply. Western tourists always spend more and are more adventurous than an Asian tourist

Western tourists actually spend less than Asian tourists. Also, do you include the Western Pattaya sex tourist in your more adventurous caregory?

[SABloke]

What i wonder is if that travelers that travel true Bangkok to their next destination are counted as vistors or not?

If you go through immigration and enter the country you are visiting said country. Generally if you are on a connecting flight you don't technically enter the country (just wait around in the transfer area) so you won't be counted as a visitor.

Visa runners, however, are counted every time they cross which does affect numbers, but not by any significant degree.

[bodymassagemyfriend]

How about trying to put some facts/numbers in the table?

I never saw a Chinese in a gogo, but i did see Japanese Then thins is that Chinese are taking over the place and

given territorial conflict i doubt Japanese will be pleased to meet them.

Chinese come by bus stay in seemgly Chinese specific hotels ( Chinese writings on the hotel ) So whatever money they get 40% of the outcome will be gone to China. If spending is not spread over all economy actors you wont see locals happy.

[Echo Tango]

I haven't seen significant numbers of tourists in Chiang Mai yet. I was in Old Town last night; lots of empty bars and restaurants. Is there anyone else seeing an uptick in tourism?

[chicowoodduck]

It is all smoke and mirrors....TOT just throws out numbers to keep the locals happy.....they are the masters of the good spin...?

[Mr Creosote]

What people need to know is they are likely including some or all of the following which skew the results: 1) All air landings in Thailand. Bangkok has become an international hub for air traffic connecting flights and many travelers are on a short layover. 2) All cross border crossings. With Asean and increased trade between neighboring countries the number of crossings will certainly skew the results and could be laborers or daytraders.

I think only arrival cards are being considered. The numbers are traditionally very high for border crossers at the southern borders (Malays crossing over to trade and returning home in the evening). The last information I saw put Chinese at 60-70%.

[maewang99]

they enjoyed the temples and places such as Chiangmai University. great food and world class shopping malls. anyone who thinks this has to do with a cheap Baht combined along with some kind of 21st century ethnological exposition doesn't know what they are talking about.

Edited December 26, 2015 by maewang99

[phitsanulokjohn]

I can smell books cooking.

[Lampang2]

I can smell books cooking.

Exactly.

For some time now.

[Tonto21]

Oh dear!.... These figures, it would seem have had a ‘special’ Thai massages. Question is now, who is going to foot the bill for this. If they are presenting these figures to the people who are implementing tourism policy, and they swallow them…… More damaging regulations will be implemented on the belief they are on the right track…… I suspect, they don’t care…. It’s all about numbers and bonuses, $$$$$$$$$..... The numbers is how they make bank and no one will ‘kick off' and call foul me thinks.

[ratcatcher]

It is all smoke and mirrors....TOT just throws out numbers to keep the locals happy.....they are the masters of the good spin...?

"TOT just throws out numbers to keep the locals happy"

Well, as Telecom Of Thailand and the telephone company, it's what they do.

OTOH TAT is always bandying numbers about tourism arrivals.

[duckmandon]

29,500,998 were Chinese. The rest of the world stayed away!

[does]

The headline just mentions the number of tourists. I doesn't make any claims about revenue or nationalities. Your comment means absolutely nothing - but reveals a cynicism typical of most other commentors.

I would love to see the detail behind the headline number, my guess is that revenue per head is way down over previous years made up of cheap spending Chinese tourists and digital nomads living near Thai lifestyles.

The headline number means absolutely nothing.

[TheAppletons]

The headline just mentions the number of tourists. I doesn't make any claims about revenue or nationalities. Your comment means absolutely nothing - but reveals a cynicism typical of most other commentors.

I would love to see the detail behind the headline number, my guess is that revenue per head is way down over previous years made up of cheap spending Chinese tourists and digital nomads living near Thai lifestyles.

The headline number means absolutely nothing.

Well, except there's this:

"Chanin Donavanik, chief executive officer and managing director of Dusit International, said many hotels in Bangkok could not raise their room rates by 5-10 per cent as they used to in October, ahead of the high season between November and February. He said only a few hotels had adjusted their rates.

"The big problem is more low-quality tourists coming, and that is reflected by four- and five-star hotels being unable to increase room rates," he said.

"This year, the tourism industry faced difficulties from the (sluggish) European market and the aviation-safety problem. But I hope the tourism situation will get better next year."

and

"Occupancy rates generally declined everywhere across the country, but this trend was most evident in Bangkok, where hotels were badly hurt by political turmoil."

Source: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/881681-many-hotels-keep-current-rates/

[Phuketboy]

Forget the 30 million, you could have 300 million, but if they are all Chinese local business won't see a baht. Numbers are up but hotels, restaurants, bars, tour agencies are still struggling because the Chinese book everything in China, through Chinese agencies, stay in the same hotels and eat only at the restaurants in which are teamed up with the Chinese agencies. One reason why the locals call the Chinese tourist the zero tourist... simply meaning tourist but zero baht spent.