TAT rethinks plan as China arrivals fall

[webfact]

TAT rethinks plan as China arrivals fall
By SUCHAT SRITAMA 
THE NATION

 

Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

 

BANGKOK: -- THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) is reassessing the Chinese market after arrivals from the Kingdom’s No 1 source destination dropped for three consecutive months due to the Thai government’s crackdown on zero-dollar tours and illegal tourism businesses.

 

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the number of tourists from mainland China fall 16 per cent in October and 30 per cent in November compared to the same months last year. The number is expected to drop by 10 per cent in the current peak season compared to December last year.

 

The government has cracked down on zero-dollar tours and illegal tourism businesses since September, including the seizing of OA Transport, which controlled more than 2,150 tourist buses that mainly served the China market.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30302372

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-19

[NongKhaiKid]

Fall and Drop, are these words actually being used by TAT ! Is this some form of misprint ?

 

Meanwhile in another thread it's reported that tourists are queuing up to spend new year here and so much so they may have to sit on top of each other because as PatOngo points out the visitor figures far outweigh the number of aircraft seats available.

 

There's Lies, Damned Lies and Thai Tourist Statistics.

Edited December 18, 2016 by NongKhaiKid

[Briggsy]

That is the trouble of doing business with China. They want all the profits repatriated minus the bribes necessary to achieve this.

 

When this doesn't happen, they withdraw and try another bribe strategy.

[PatOngo]

When you bite the hand that feeds........................................!

[MaxLee]

TAT is becoming so picky with their tourist Nationalities

[BSJ]

This must be a spam post!  It was only last week her eminence herself was crowing about a record number of tourist were coming. 

[gk10002000]

Boy, they just don't get it.  Most people travel to a place because it is a fantastic value i.e. cheap, or has something that they really desire or enjoy, out of curiosity and a sense of adventure, etc.  Me, I loved the no hassle travel at the last moment with no advance visa required visa exempt on arrival.  That perfectly suited my work and travel.  And I loved the Thai ladies and with a little work I could also get to some good clean sea water to swim in.  I can't speak for what the vast numbers of Chinese wanted, whether it is a cultural thing to go in tour groups or whether it is eaiser for Chinese to get a passport or permission to travel in groups than individuals, etc. 

[ezzra]

Trust the TAT to move the goal posts in their favor if they don't like something,

so what's next? offer every Chinese tourist B.10,000 bonus and you will see how

a 100 million of them will be here in an  blink of an eye and than you can all boast

about tourists arrival numbers.....

[mercman24]

see this every day be it police or tourism, spout off about something without thinking it out before, then its "oops" how can we save "face" now. and make themselves look stupid

[PatOngo]

10 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Trust the TAT to move the goal posts in their favor if they don't like something,

so what's next? offer every Chinese tourist B.10,000 bonus and you will see how

a 100 million of them will be here in an  blink of an eye and than you can all boast

about tourists arrival numbers.....

 

A free breakfast buffet would be just as enticing... and the profit margin higher.

[onthesoi]

The solution is simple.

 

Nationalise OA Transport, their buses have already been seized, government would manage the bus fleet at cost to provide cheap tour buses for the Chinese so they can travel around in groups if that's how they like to holiday.

Edited December 18, 2016 by onthesoi

[simon43]

Syria, Syria, Syria! They are all trying to leave their country.  There lies the new source of tourists.

 

... And then Afghanistan

 

... And maybe Iraq

[jerojero]

Up down, up down.... Numbers keep changing every week!  TAT total idiots. 

[rhythmworx]

Advertise an all you can eat prawn buffet for just 99 baht, the whole of china will be over lining their bags and sleeping rough on the street due to lack of hotels available.

[NongKhaiKid]

1 minute ago, jerojero said:

Up down, up down.... Numbers keep changing every week!  TAT total idiots. 

My favourite is when the lovely minister and TAT announce figures and expenditure before holidays etc have even finished.

[rhythmworx]

1 minute ago, NongKhaiKid said:

My favourite is when the lovely minister and TAT announce figures and expenditure before holidays etc have even finished.

Surely that brochure he's holding in his hand will 'lure' them in?

[NongKhaiKid]

Just now, rhythmworx said:

Surely that brochure he's holding in his hand will 'lure' them in?

Yes, come to LoS and we'll give you a free copy.

You'll enjoy all the glossy pictures especially those of the pristine beaches, all taken in the Philippines.

[trogers]

So, there is no loss of revenue nor loss of the environment when the leeches are cut off, just a loss in the fancy tourism numbers...

[canuckamuck]

The most successful policy the TAT has carried out in years. Now if they can just make westerners feel welcome they will replace the missing tourists with ones that aren't involved in a racket.

[rhythmworx]

They'll be booming this out at national parks soon, to lure other non Chinese races races in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[baboon]

Why not threaten the Chinese with lawsuits and jail for not coming? It seems to be their answer to everything else.

[tracker1]

Really a week ago the was going to be a mass invasion of tourists Do they have any idea about attracting tourism 

[darren84310]

So when the "we're aiming for high quality tourists" proved too difficult. They went to other other end of the scale and that's not going to well either.

[daveAustin]

I think the Chinese need some attitude adjustment. 

[chrissables]

I'm just back from a three month motorbike tour of Vietnam. The mountain areas are more beautiful than Thailand and free to see. The places that do charge give a lot more for a lot less than Thailand. An example, entrance fee, buggy ride and a cable car ride up a beautiful mountain and back is less than entrance to Khao Yai! There is no obvious double pricing.

 

If the Thai government were in charge they would make everywhere a national park with 10 fold price differences for the visitors.

 

After riding for hours i could stop and have a nice cold beer after 2pm! None of the stupidity that rules in Thailand. 

 

Thailand is not the center of the tourism world and if they want more tourists spending money, they should take a look at what is happening in neighbouring countries. Vietnam is booming! They are spending huge amounts on the infrastructure, it offers more for less.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2016 by chrissables
spelling

[hawker9000]

They long ago chased away the higher-spending tourists from the west, and are now caught between a rock and a hard place having to either return to accepting or continue to discourage the zero-dollar/illegal rackets-laden Chinese trade.  Too bad, so sad....   Drop a dime on your new BFFs in Beijing - they just LOVE to help economically desperate protégés!

 

 

 

 

 

[phantomfiddler]

TAT should realize that a country can comfortably handle only a certain number of tourists before they all start to cause an ecological and logistical problem.

The photo of the beach where the movie "The Beach" was shot says it all.

There are already enough tourists, all TAT has to do is figure out a way of getting their money without letting them in the country :)

 

[Lupatria]

Doesn't re-think indicate there must have been some sort of thinking before?

[klauskunkel]

Quote

TAT rethinks plan as China arrivals fall

eagerly awaiting TAT's rethought plan. 

[mettech]

TAT is doing what to be done but it will not be enough the regulations are too harsh and the bribery is left to be discussed.