Tourism industry in Thailand continues to expand in Q1

[webfact]

Tourism industry in Thailand continues to expand in Q1



BANGKOK, 18 March 2016, (NNT) - The Tourism and Sports Minister said that tourism continued to expand in the first quarter of 2016 and projected that Thailand would attract more than 32 million travelers this year.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul pointed out that tourism revenue in the first quarter is currently at 660 billion baht, a 14.4% increase from the same period last year.

Foreign and local tourists generated revenues of 450 billion baht and 210 billion baht, respectively. These figures represent a year-on-year growth of 18.2% in foreign tourist revenue and 6.9% in local tourist revenue.

Ms. Kobkarn said the number of foreigners visiting the country is rising steadily.

She indicated that Thailand had attracted a large number of Chinese tourists during Chinese New Year in February and that European travel figures have started rebound in the Kingdom after their numbers fell sharply the year before.

The minister said her agency is preparing to expand last year's “12 Can't Miss Cities” campaign to nearby provinces in “12 Can't Miss Cities Plus.”

Ms. Kobkarn stated that the ministry would push the Cabinet to approve additional long holidays for the public, while establishing Thailand as an ASEAN hub for tourism.


-- NNT 2016-03-18

[NongKhaiKid]

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

[BSJ]

No credibility so who can believe anything they say???

[clockman]

Nepotism rules ok!

[bgrassboy]

Poppy cock I say, what a load of fertilizer.

[taony]

Can't they at least wait for the first quarter to be over before they make these announcements? Or does first quarter have a special Thai meaning too?

[quandow]

I'm not sure what Thailand SHE'S talking about, but my discussions with various business owners and entrepreneurs paints quite a different picture.

[does]

Thanks for your useful comment. I am glad there are educated people on this forum who can write properly and have well-founded sensible opinions.

Now go and do your homework.

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

[andre47]

I'm not sure what Thailand SHE'S talking about, but my discussions with various business owners and entrepreneurs paints quite a different picture.

The tourism industry is expanding, but it changes its face dramaticly. The Chinese are coming in big groups and not as individual tourists. Many Thai business owners are depending from the individual customers and a few benefit from the Chinese groups. But the Chinese will also come as individual tourists soon and there are so many of them that Thailand will be overwhelmed.

[Roomuck]

Of all the conspiracy theories I read about on Thaivisa, the tourisms "final nail in the coffin" and " they are fudging the figures" one seems to be the most off the mark.

Despite what your friends who own businesses aimed at the farang tourist say, TOURIST NUMBERS ARE AT RECORD HIGH NUMBERS. It is petty easy to find if you google search.

You can verify these numbers easily country by country, because other countries also count the number of tourists going to Thailand and other countries. Or do the conspiracists believe that all foreign governments are working together with the corrupt Thais to fudge tourism figures?

A friend of mine owns a small hotel. She tells me that she is experiencing exactly what the TAT are claiming. She has had her best two months ever, farang numbers are down but overall it is up with people from China, Hong Kong, Korea flocking here, and in Pattaya she is booked out every single weekend with Thais mainly from Bangkok if she isn't already full. She has only had one weekend in the last year when she wasn't fully booked and that was one weekend last year when there was flooding in Pattaya and it was reports on the Bangkok news and some customers cancelled.

That overall tourist numbers are down is a THAIVISA MYTH. if it isn't, then show me the figures. Not From those "liars" at TAT but from anywhere other than Thai visa.

[NongKhaiKid]

Thanks for your useful comment. I am glad there are educated people on this forum who can write properly and have well-founded sensible opinions.

Now go and do your homework.

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

meaning ?

[Roomuck]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand

Tourism numbers shown and where they are coming from. And where they used to come from.

[SoFarAndNear]

Would be very interesting to see how many travelers are here when there no visa border runners left.

[SoFarAndNear]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand

Tourism numbers shown and where they are coming from. And where they used to come from.

Interesting link.

#8 is Singapore with 937k visitors last year (2015). This is nearly 20% of SG population.

#5 Laos with 1,2m visitors (2015). How many these are "Tourists" or simply "workers" same goes for Cambodia, unfortunaly Myanmar is not even in the list.

[rickirs]

Revenue from the tourism industry currently accounts for 10-14.5% of Thailand’s GDP compared to 2% in 2015. Foreign and local tourists generated revenues increased a year-on-year growth of 18.2% and 6.9% respectively.

As such it appears that Kobkarn has done a great job, albeit she has unique unfettered access to government funding and a personal relationship with the junta to push her own agenda.

However, the current growth in tourism faces some serious hazards, For example:

Domestic Terrorism - the Erawan Shrine bombing alone cost businesses a loss of 64.3 billion baht in tourism

International Terrorism - tourists tend to at home rather than travel to foreign destinations

Yuan - China continues to deflate its currency somewhat forced now as an accepted global currency

Deaths - tourist deaths in Thailand have soared 54%

Safety - Thailand ranks 130th out of 141 nations for tourist safety and security

Politics - the upcoming constitution referendum and elections have potential for severe public disruptions

Airport - Suvarnabhumi Airport flight traffic is overcapacity without a third runway

Prayut wants to replace the contracting export sector with tourism and domestic investments as the main drive for GDP growth. Domestic investments are not producing any quick results. For tourism to have any meaningful contribution to GDP growth, I estimate it will have to increase five-fold.

Perhaps Kobkarn needs a 20-year plan.

[gandalf12]

I'm not sure what Thailand SHE'S talking about, but my discussions with various business owners and entrepreneurs paints quite a different picture.

Could Thai's coming from Pattaya to Bangkok to see family be a possible reason for the increase? (Or any other part of the country for that matter)

[Caveat Emptor]

A push for more additional long holidays ?

[hawker9000]

[hugh2121]

I go to Pattaya once a week for shopping. Supermarkets very quiet as is Beach Road. So, where are they all?

[dageurreotype]

Bullshit. Even the less than last year Chinese have all but vanished from Phuket. Ah well. Silver linings and all that.

[little mary sunshine]

Are you sure? But than, you can do

Anything with statistics.

[tphut]

This is one off the best seasons ever here, so yes the numbers count up

there is a lot off chinese travling individually, rusians are here again, thai and so on

thaivisa users are mostly angry faring who no longer can afford drinking beer and taking ladys out off the sex bars

and they see how the sex business is down bars are closing and thailand is developing to be a family vacation place instead off a sex tourist place

Of all the conspiracy theories I read about on Thaivisa, the tourisms "final nail in the coffin" and " they are fudging the figures" one seems to be the most off the mark.
Despite what your friends who own businesses aimed at the farang tourist say, TOURIST NUMBERS ARE AT RECORD HIGH NUMBERS. It is petty easy to find if you google search.
You can verify these numbers easily country by country, because other countries also count the number of tourists going to Thailand and other countries. Or do the conspiracists believe that all foreign governments are working together with the corrupt Thais to fudge tourism figures?

A friend of mine owns a small hotel. She tells me that she is experiencing exactly what the TAT are claiming. She has had her best two months ever, farang numbers are down but overall it is up with people from China, Hong Kong, Korea flocking here, and in Pattaya she is booked out every single weekend with Thais mainly from Bangkok if she isn't already full. She has only had one weekend in the last year when she wasn't fully booked and that was one weekend last year when there was flooding in Pattaya and it was reports on the Bangkok news and some customers cancelled.

That overall tourist numbers are down is a THAIVISA MYTH. if it isn't, then show me the figures. Not From those "liars" at TAT but from anywhere other than Thai visa.

[piewarmer]

Chiang Mai is booming in a select few hotels and Restaurants, mostly the ones at the top of Chinese trip adviser.

More visitors but a very narrow list of attractions they are visiting.

[Scotwight]

I go to Pattaya once a week for shopping. Supermarkets very quiet as is Beach Road. So, where are they all?

I was in Pattaya for the day last Wednesday. Hilton was packed as was the buffet at the edge. Central mall was packed. I went shopping on the way home at Foodland and it was packed. Traffic all over town was jammed up. Town was very busy and all roads clogged with traffic. I lived in Pattaya ten years ago and now it as busy as I've ever seen it.

[SABloke]

Well all the overstayers that left and came back count as new arrivals so I'm sure the numbers are in fact up

[Scotwight]

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

Ask the future President of the USA (Hillary Clinton) they both went to the same college.

[NongKhaiKid]

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

Ask the future President of the USA (Hillary Clinton) they both went to the same college.

So lightning does strike twice.

[Scotwight]

Tourism's expanding ! Well of course, couldn't be anything else with this lady around but her regular as clockwork claims fool no one and just serve to make her look and sound ridiculous.

As a hiso lady i presume she's had a ' good education ', whatever that means here, but I wonder if she ever came across the works of Big Bill Shakespeare and what he had to say about mouthy women ?

Ask the future President of the USA (Hillary Clinton) they both went to the same college.

So lightning does strike twice.

Wellesley is the highest ranking women's college in the U.S. Soong Mei-ling also went to school there.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Scotwight

[Ulic]

Of course it is. Expanding, the problem is it is with 3-4 day package tourists from China.

Yes better than nothing and especially good for the TAT so they can pad the numbers

and say what an awesome job they are doing ,but for the most part it does not do

much for the vast majority of Thais that make there living from tourists.

[Scotwight]

Of course it is. Expanding, the problem is it is with 3-4 day package tourists from China.

Yes better than nothing and especially good for the TAT so they can pad the numbers

and say what an awesome job they are doing ,but for the most part it does not do

much for the vast majority of Thais that make there living from tourists.

According to Hotels.com's Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) report published Wednesday, the average Chinese overseas traveler spends a whopping 6,707 renminbi ($1,086) per day while on vacation, excluding accommodation costs.

http://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/17/hey-big-spenders-chinese-travelers-spend-over-1000-a-day.html

Chinese Tourists Will Spend $229 Billion Abroad in 2015

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/09/29/chinese-tourists-will-spend-229-billion-abroad-in-2015/