Thailand Pursues Quality European Tourists in Europe

[webfact]

Thailand Pursues Quality European Tourists in Europe

BANGKOK – Europe remains the key market to raise Thailand’s quality tourism benchmark. The importance of Europe, noting that 65% of European visitors makes repeat visits to the country, an outstanding record that underscores Thailand enviable status as a top leisure travel destination.

Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said, “Thailand’s focus now is on enhancing the image of Thailand to be a “Quality Leisure Destination through Thainess.” At the same time, we need to ensure a balance between tourism growth and its social and environmental impact.”

Tourism Authority of Thailand’s governor Yuthasak Supasorn said, “Recently, MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015, ranked Bangkok the top destination in the Asia-Pacific region for international overnight stays and visitor expenditure. Phuket and Pattaya also ranked in the top 10 destinations in the same index.”

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailand-pursues-quality-european-tourists-in-europe.html


-- Chiang Rai Times 2016-03-11

[Ireland32]

Really, That Chinese Russian thing not working for ya, Lol

[jabis]

Meh - hot pursuit

[plachon]

Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said, “Thailand’s focus now is on enhancing the image of Thailand to be a “Quality Leisure Destination through Thainess.” At the same time, we need to ensure a balance between tourism growth and its social and environmental impact.”

I suspect "Thainess" for the average "quality" repeat tourist may mean something quite different than what the good minster understands of the term. If he knew, I suspect the ministry would be less keen to promote "Thainess" as a draw card. But as with most of these propaganda slogans, they are here today, gone tomorrow, and there'll soon be another meaningless maxim announced.

One wonders if this focus on European tourists isn't in response to a noted drop in numbers of late, which may be worrying some of the TAT top brass.

[Bluespunk]

I understand South Korea is doing the same thing.

[Jessi]

More B/S from the "Spin Factory"

[jerojero]

Thought the Chinese and Russians being wooed were the Quality Tourists desired by TAT. Now it's Europeans. Next North Americas, then Middle Easterners, and then.....

[shirtless]

TaT you need a quality destination for them travel to.

[canathai8]

There are a lot of European low-life tourists too - let's not just pick on the Chinese..

British Tourist Refused Entry into Thailand - After using her Passport as Toilet Paper

February 11, 2015: A U.K. woman's holiday plans were ruined after Thai authorities refused to let her into the country - because she'd used her passport as toilet paper. Faye Wilson had hoped to spend a month in Thailand before heading to Australia to work for a year. But her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when Thai officials clocked the missing pages in her passport and sent her packing.

Faye, 28, from the Lake District, said: "Thai immigration opened my passport and started looking through it, and asked 'what's happened here'?"

http://news.yahoo.com/

[jucel]

There are a lot of European low-life tourists too - let's not just pick on the Chinese..

British Tourist Refused Entry into Thailand - After using her Passport as Toilet Paper

February 11, 2015: A U.K. woman's holiday plans were ruined after Thai authorities refused to let her into the country - because she'd used her passport as toilet paper. Faye Wilson had hoped to spend a month in Thailand before heading to Australia to work for a year. But her dream quickly turned into a nightmare when Thai officials clocked the missing pages in her passport and sent her packing.

Faye, 28, from the Lake District, said: "Thai immigration opened my passport and started looking through it, and asked 'what's happened here'?"

http://news.yahoo.com/

Stupid, but hardly lowlife!

[jucel]

I wonder if TAT really understand that Thailand has got a terrible reputation in Europe & beyond.

Before people just joked about ladyboys & bar girls, but now the reputation has become a lot more sinister.

Thailand has become synonymous with murder & death (rta's, suicides, assisted suicides, bombings).

[leeneeds]

"Quality", please submit your bank details before applying,

next will be the sniff test,

[Chang_paarp]

TAT must be getting desperate, that is usually an April press release, or is my calendar broken?

[bangkokheat]

oh dear, if only they placed more emphasis on the europeans staying and or coming back rather than making it difficult and making them feel unwlcome

[craigt3365]

I was going to post a pic of the trash in Jomtien, along the back roads and on the beach. But there are just too many online! You can't swim in the water, can't drink the tap water, trash is everywhere, roads are in a terrible state, traffic is a mess, public transport is terrible, etc. How are you going to attract quality tourists??

[ramrod711]

TaT you need a quality destination for them travel to.

But..but, the glass sidewalk.

[taony]

"Sit back and watch the purge with a beer in hand".

There's a new slogan for you TAT

[LannaGuy]

I wish they'd stop using 'Thainess' as it's almost a swear word for bad parking, cheating and all the rest

[Psychic]

Like older people who want to play a quiet game of bridge?

[kelboy]

Quality, you mean the one's with a minimum monthly pension of 65000.

[Thian]

I wonder if TAT really understand that Thailand has got a terrible reputation in Europe & beyond.

Before people just joked about ladyboys & bar girls, but now the reputation has become a lot more sinister.

Thailand has become synonymous with murder & death (rta's, suicides, assisted suicides, bombings).

Also now all Europeans know about the copy copy coming from Thailand. It's called the land of scams these days.

When the Baht was 50 against the euro it was fun to travel to Thailand, now there are cheaper and better places to go for holiday.

Also Thailand is far from safe and they don't do anything to improve that.

Australia is hot these days, western standards and a great country/climate. Oh and guess what? They even speak english there

[Srikcir]

Thailand - the Hub of Persuance

[SoiBiker]

I guess they value quality tourists over cynical, moaning expats.

[NongKhaiKid]

TAT live in their own little world.

Quality tourists with money will go to quality locations and Europe for example has leisure spots a-plenty for both summer and winter activities and they can afford to go anywhere they want in the world so I doubt LoS can really compete and attract them. TAT doesn't help themselves by including the ' Thainess ' aspect in their campaigns.

PS. It's not going to work but don't tell TAT as they live in their own little world and it that world it will work so standby for the relevant figures.

[gandalf12]

It is a criminal act to deface a passport. Be interesting to see if any actions are taken against her back in Glasgow

[prestburypark]

A half decent PR company with a Government contract stipulating all press releases are screened before release would clean up here,

now theres a business idea, absolutely fabulous.

[craigt3365]

I wish they'd stop using 'Thainess' as it's almost a swear word for bad parking, cheating and all the rest

Hey man, don't "Thai" to me....LOL

[gandalf12]

I was going to post a pic of the trash in Jomtien, along the back roads and on the beach. But there are just too many online! You can't swim in the water, can't drink the tap water, trash is everywhere, roads are in a terrible state, traffic is a mess, public transport is terrible, etc. How are you going to attract quality tourists??

You mean quality tourists dont want to visit a rubbish dump? Get away of course they do, who wouldnt?

[madmitch]

I'm going to add some balance to the 100% negative comments that have appeared here so far, and don't get me wrong as I do agree with many of them.

There are many areas of Thailand geared up for quality tourism and most of these moneyed tourists have a great holiday here. 5-star resorts abound, many of which are completely overpriced but that's what tourists have to pay to get some exclusivity: luxury villas, apartments and isolated spas. These places already have high occupancy rates.

We're not talking the type of traveller that will be going on mass-tourism day trips to places totally ruined by the masses of mainly Chinese tourists, nor will they spend their evenings on Bangla Road or Walking Street. They don't mind spending a bit of cash for the novelty of riding in a tuktuk and they certainly won't be constantly complaining about the price of Phuket taxis. They'll spend most of their time being pampered in their expensive accommodation, eating at the best restaurants and generally relaxing.

Where Thainess fits, I'm not so sure. For example a 5 star resort I visited recently (a rare treat!) employed nearly all Filipino staff plus a couple of farangs in the restaurant and public areas. My GF started to speak in Thai without realising this and found no one understood her!

There's a big market out there and the TAT are quite right to try and tap it but there's also big competition from many other places in the world. Thailand lost its exotic tag due to mass tourism long ago; everyone's been to Thailand!

[Hawk]

"Thailand Pursues Quality European Tourists in Europe"

Thailand is not a quality holiday destination, never was, its exotic but dangerous. Chiangmai, Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya etc are unpleasant places with their hoards of tourists and never ending scams. Upon arrival the immigration queues are normally overflowing with the immigration officers processing passports as slow as possible. Lovely clean tranquil beaches? Not in Thailand.