Zero-dollar tourism clampdown is affecting Pattaya’s businesses

[webfact]

Zero-dollar tourism clampdown is affecting Pattaya’s businesses

 

 

PATTAYA: -- The government's ongoing clampdown on zero-dollar tourism is now taking toll on Pattaya with business operators reporting sharp drop of Chinese tourists to the world's famous beach resort.

 

They claimed Pattaya saw 50% drop this year in the arrival of Chinese tourists.

 

Pattaya Tourism and Business Association president Sinchai Watanasatsatorn said the Chines long weekend or Golden Week from October 1-9 has seen up to 50% drop in Chinese tourists when their hotel bookings fell drastically by half when compared with last year’s Golden Week.

 

At the same time the Tourism Authority of Thailand  forecast Chinese tourist arrivals in the country this year will drop to 220,000 from 280,000 or 21% decline in last year’s Golden Week.

 

The sharp drop was a consequence of the zero-dollar tourism clamp down, it said.

 

A speed boat business operator Suriya Censuree said his clients are mostly Chinese tourists renting boats to Koh Larn.

 

But now the number dropped sharply, thus resulting in revenue plunging.

 

Previously an average renting of boats to Koh Larn was 2-3 trips per day, but now it almost gone, he added.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/zero-dollar-tourism-clampdown-affecting-pattayas-businesses/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-10-03

[YaiJung]

Wonderful news!!

[smedly]

This is nonsense, there are many reasons visitors do not wish to return to Thailand and especially places like Pattaya - most of us know what they are so I'm not going to elaborate, only thing I will say is that as usual Thais look to blame anything or anyone but themselves - they have had 3 decades of huge tourist revenue and what have they done with it

 

Take a drive down to the Bali harbor area just below the big Pattaya sign where they built the wonderful new marina - an area that should have been developed for its extreme beauty - words fail me to describe just how bad it is right now - it really is shocking

[onemorechang]

Good job ,   keep up the good work  

 

[yaagjon]

Should make the traffic a bit more bearable, hopefully.

[Colabamumbai]

I'm going tomorrow for a few days to help them out. Seriously, 2 nights hotel 1,078 Baht. Breakfast $4 bucks. Hope I don't die in the van from Chonburi.

[yellowboat]

Ah, Thai business and officialdom and their ability to shoot themselves in the foot.  Were told that the Chinese did not spend any money.  Now we are told they do.  Perhaps they should have done a complete financial analysis before overreacting.    

[Ireland32]

2 hours ago, yaagjon said:

Should make the traffic a bit more bearable, hopefully.

It does

[williamgeorgeallen]

does any one actually know how they are doing this clamp down on zero dollar tourists? a lot of talk about doing it but no idea how.

they are going to have to make up their mind if they want them or not.

[Phuketboy]

13 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

does any one actually know how they are doing this clamp down on zero dollar tourists? a lot of talk about doing it but no idea how.

they are going to have to make up their mind if they want them or not.

The big Chinese tour companies have their own shops, restaurants, hotels etc in the tourist hot spots.  This means that when they bring the tour groups in, the money stays within that circle.  They eat, shop and enjoy their holiday at Chinese owned businesses.  This means they are not spending money in other businesses (Zero Tourist).  Nobody sees any benefit from Chinese companies except the Chinese and the Government.  Big C see their money because the cheap Chinese tourist buys their noodles and fruit there and then they eat in the hotel rooms.  Because of this the Government has cracked down on the ownership and the monopoly of Chinese own businesses meaning they are trying to get these companies to use local business so that the money stays in Thailand.  By doing this money gets spent in one business, people get employment, they now spend money in other businesses and a cycle is created where everyone in the community sees the benefit. 

[bark]

4 hours ago, YaiJung said:

Wonderful news!!

Down only 50 %.

Please work toward goal of 90-100 % by next Thursday.

[williamgeorgeallen]

7 minutes ago, Phuketboy said:

The big Chinese tour companies have their own shops, restaurants, hotels etc in the tourist hot spots.  This means that when they bring the tour groups in, the money stays within that circle.  They eat, shop and enjoy their holiday at Chinese owned businesses.  This means they are not spending money in other businesses (Zero Tourist).  Nobody sees any benefit from Chinese companies except the Chinese and the Government.  Big C see their money because the cheap Chinese tourist buys their noodles and fruit there and then they eat in the hotel rooms.  Because of this the Government has cracked down on the ownership and the monopoly of Chinese own businesses meaning they are trying to get these companies to use local business so that the money stays in Thailand.  By doing this money gets spent in one business, people get employment, they now spend money in other businesses and a cycle is created where everyone in the community sees the benefit. 

ah good information thanks but is  thailand better off with or without these tourists? some of their money must flow into the local economy.  also dont they help keep up the precious tourist arrival numbers?

[Pattaya28]

Hang on a minute.

Previous "government" posts some months back claimed projected Chinese tourism would increase many-fold. What happened to that ? How was this projected figure arrived by ? Plucked out of a hat ? maybe with a rabbit ?

[FredNL]

So... In a few years Thailand will have a new Asian attraction. Ghost Town Pattaya.

[GeorgeCross]

oh noes!

 

please come back

 

all terrible misunderstanding..

[hansnl]

38 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

ah good information thanks but is  thailand better off with or without these tourists? some of their money must flow into the local economy.  also dont they help keep up the precious tourist arrival numbers?

Yes, a grand boon to the tourist numbers, no doubt.

Prepaid package holidays are paid in China to Chinese travel organisers.

Some of the money goes to Mainland Chinese owned companies in Thailand.

Of course some of that ends up in Thai hands, but mostly into Chinese hands.

Tour buses, shops to visit, hotels, restaurants, all of them via/via owned by Chinese companies.

I would not be surprised if all these package tours are organised by one big hong........

Doing business with China is mostly a one way profit traffic.

 

[newnative]

So, let me sum up.  The Chinese tourists aren't spending any money at all in Pattaya, it all flows back to China.   But now that fewer are coming, Pattaya businesses are hurting. 

[Dunky]

These incompetents won't be happy until they put everyone in the poor house. Apart from themselves of course, they will be enjoying chartered aircraft at the expense of the public purse! Their buffoonery is starting to wear very thin.

[elgordo38]

I seem to hear TAT say that the numbers would be up 30% for Golden Week. The stock market will be shut for the week as well. Amazing how this country carries on. 

[eddie61]

1 hour ago, Dunky said:

These incompetents won't be happy until they put everyone in the poor house. Apart from themselves of course, they will be enjoying chartered aircraft at the expense of the public purse! Their buffoonery is starting to wear very thin.

 

I would like to like, "like" this, but "liking" is like, not liked by the likes of them.

[Remus1830]

Usual story any foreign operations not allowed to be to successful. But this time its affecting the economy badly Cambodia and vietnam could not wish for a better result than having the current government in place in Thailand. 

[laban]

So... In a few years Thailand will have a new Asian attraction. Ghost Town Pattaya.

With the obsession of ghosts in Thailand, I am surprised no one has come up with a ghost theme park, after all they have theme parks for every other weird thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[bangon04]

1 hour ago, elgordo38 said:

I seem to hear TAT say that the numbers would be up 30% for Golden Week. The stock market will be shut for the week as well. Amazing how this country carries on. 

 

that's correct - so translated into English the sentence reads:

" At the same time the Tourism Authority of Thailand  forecast Chinese tourist arrivals in the country this year will drop to 220,000 from 280,000 or 21% decline in last year’s Golden Week. "

 

no possible room for confusion at all.

[jollyhangmon]

3 hours ago, newnative said:

So, let me sum up.  The Chinese tourists aren't spending any money at all in Pattaya, it all flows back to China.   But now that fewer are coming, Pattaya businesses are hurting. 

 

Yes, exactly, that's the skinny. Clear as stew, as always.

You can't figure it out it's your fault entirely, you're just not here long enough.

Which again is your fault entirely ... now go and be appropriately ashamed ...

[KenKadz]

Reality must be an Illusion with this Government.

Who goes on vacation to get scammed - robbed - and hassled?

Someone needs to get their head out of their bum before they get asphyxiated from the lack of oxygen.

Whoops, too late!!

[ScotBkk]

6 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

I'm going tomorrow for a few days to help them out. Seriously, 2 nights hotel 1,078 Baht. Breakfast $4 bucks. Hope I don't die in the van from Chonburi.

Hope you don't decide to propel yourself over the balcony if the service is bad. Don't wear any bling  or decide to try out the Ladyboys Gauntlet on any beach road areas. Or brave a Jet-Ski rental. Try not to dispute any loaded check-bins since hospital Bills are far worse. 

 

Baht bus, robbery will keep you on your toes or being accosted on a motorbike, Tuk Tuk.

Enjoy your holiday 

[Ulic]

8 hours ago, Phuketboy said:

The big Chinese tour companies have their own shops, restaurants, hotels etc in the tourist hot spots.  This means that when they bring the tour groups in, the money stays within that circle.  They eat, shop and enjoy their holiday at Chinese owned businesses.  This means they are not spending money in other businesses (Zero Tourist).  Nobody sees any benefit from Chinese companies except the Chinese and the Government.  Big C see their money because the cheap Chinese tourist buys their noodles and fruit there and then they eat in the hotel rooms.  Because of this the Government has cracked down on the ownership and the monopoly of Chinese own businesses meaning they are trying to get these companies to use local business so that the money stays in Thailand.  By doing this money gets spent in one business, people get employment, they now spend money in other businesses and a cycle is created where everyone in the community sees the benefit. 

Ridiculous, are all the employees of the hotel Chinese, are all the bus drivers Chinese, is all the food

imported from China, was the hotel built entirely by the Chinese with materials imported from China.

Plenty of money gets spread around in the employment of Thai employees, but the businesses are owned

by Chinese businessmen/women who live and spend there money in Thailand. HISO Thais are upset

because they cannot compete with the efficiency, organization and language requirements. Read the

article. It is a Thai speedboat operation that is suffering an economic loss. But he must be making it

up because ZERO baht tourism means they never spent any baht in Thailand. The whole vacation was

free. Nobody got paid a stang. The money the tourists paid for the tour never left China.

Thailand, be careful what you wish for, you may get it, and this speed boat operation, is unhappy .

[manarak]

I think it's good news.

 

Maybe the guys at the top will reckon that the only mainstream tourists wanting to go to Pattaya are those who have been tricked into it (and also the odd Russian family here and there), and that otherwise all tourists going to Pattaya are there for the seedy atmosphere and the $ex, including the Thais coming down from Bangkok for the weekend. Just let Pattaya do what it does best.

[hawker9000]

.... All part of a bigger picture.

 

Pattaya, Phuket and the other popular Thai tourist destinations enjoyed wild growth for many years.  Thailand got used to it;  got addicted to it; began milking every last drop out of it.  Then, inevitably, the trajectory faltered, expectations started not being met, a certain desperation set in, and entitlement & resentment took root.  First it was the Russians that would make everything better again.  But oil crashed.  Then it was the Chinese.  But they just herd and aren't really the spendthrifts for the most part that the westerners & Russians were.

 

Thailand pretty much strangled the original golden goose, and is just simply going to have to face the music.  The "blame the foreigners" movement had some predictable traction, but doesn't really feed, clothe, or house, and is pretty much used up.  Expats who're well established with independent means will be alright (if they're ok with growing scrutiny, economic discrimination, inconvenience, and a certain amount of xenophobic treatment from the locals); but the "barriers to entry" for new prospects are going to send most of them looking elsewhere in the region and around the globe.  It's a whole lot easier to do one's "homework" than it used to be, and there are not going to be as many rubes to fleece as in the past.  This all kind of leaves Thailand walking the green mile...

 

 

 

[mikebell]

Pattaya businesses are failing and moving elsewhere because of the monthly protection required by the local police.