How TAT counts tourists

[sekmet]

My understanding is TAT counts the number of tourists by both arrivals AND departures at airports. I don't know if that means international airports or domestic airports or a combination of both. 

 

I do like Bangkok as a regional hub. I used to book fly throughs to other destinations in LOS, but realized it was significantly cheaper to just fly into swampy and then take a regional carrier. It doesn't really matter much to me, but this year my three week sojourn to Thailand will take me to Bangkok as a hub. F;y  to PNH and back, fly to MNL and back and then exit.

 

So I suppose I will count as many as six tourists, and I wonder how many other people are doing that?  What is the real number of tourists come to Thailand, staying and spending money?

 

Mods:  please move this to the appropriate forum if this is the wrong one.

[Fabricus]

A long time ago I did a Postgrad course in Tourism Management at a UK business school and evolved a similar "hypothesis" with respect to Senegal.

 

1. Most tourists fly into Senegal's capital, Dakar.

2. Many tourists visit Ziguinchor, an old French colonial town in the south.  

3. To get there you need to exit Senegal and enter The Gambia.

4. After crossing The Gambia you re-enter Senegal.

5. The return journey to Dakar also involves exiting and re-entering Senegal.

 

So are tourists who visit Zigunichor counted three times? The answer seems to be yes.

 

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An issue pertaining to Thailand concerns Malaysian tourists who hop across the border to do a bit of shopping in Hat Yai. The TAT figures generally put Malaysian tourists at the number one spot in terms of visitor arrivals, but the number of individual tourists is much less as most come several times a year.

 

In other words, if TAT stats indicate that 1.2 million Malaysian tourists came to Thailand last year, the true figure might be 100,000 individuals making 12 annual visits.  

 

[al007]

Very simply, with great difficulty

 

Kid asks dad what does 2+2 equal

 

Dad replies depends if buying it is three; is selling it is 5 five

 

Exactly the same with TAT, start with desired figure and work back

[KIWIBATCH]

How do they count the tourists?......on their fingers......trouble is their fingers are covered in BS...so the figures are BS........

[khrab]

45 minutes ago, al007 said:

 

....

 

 

Exactly the same with TAT, start with desired figure and work back

 

Me thinks they just skip the second part (working back)

[zorro1]

They drive around counting hotel lights. They got this bullet proof system when stumbling upon thai visa

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Many countries have the same problem. Malaysia with Malaysia airways and Air Asia have the same issue. You fly in with Malasia air from EU, fly to BKK with Air Asia and exit again. Their tourist figures show you twice. Thats why Malaysia for many years officialy had more tourists thanThailand. As long as every country use the same method it is a constant mistake and I can't see an easy way around it. 

[little mary sunshine]

They go by weight....0-40kilo=1 tourist

                                    40-60=2.         "

 

                                     60-80=3.         "

                                     80-100=4.       "

                                     100+=5.           "

[elgordo38]

When you go through customs they ask you to remove your shoes and the count is 10 toes and 10 fingers= 20 

[sandgroper2]

Why do you want to know?

[joebrown]

I understand TAT had a serious problem counting tourists last year. It was eventually resolved when they found a supplier to replace their stolen crystal ball.

[DipStick]

44 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

When you go through customs they ask you to remove your shoes and the count is 10 toes and 10 fingers= 20 

No that wouldn't work, as you only go through security on exiting (note security not customs)

[Rc2702]

Seems correct to me. How else could it be done.

[richard10365]

About the count, immigration counts single and multiple trips. I'm not sure how.

 

In 2015, online Department of Tourism internal tourism records show 250 million tourist in Thailand (foreign and domestic) bringing in 1.8 trillion baht  (1,857,010,000,000) or about 5 billion US dollars. SOURCE: http://tourism2.tourism.go.th/home/details/11/221/25767

 

While this may sound like a lot, it's relatively speaking, its not. The World Travel and Tourism Council website reports the US tourism industry in 2015 made 1.4 trillion US dollars. SOURCE: http://www.wttc.org/datagateway/ 

 

Point being, it's not an exact count in any country but everyone tries to use a similar method to count arrivals and departures. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, DipStick said:

No that wouldn't work, as you only go through security on exiting (note security not customs)

Darn when I came to Thailand I took my shoes off at the wrong end. I could have sworn it was before planning. 

[anotheruser]

8 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

Why do you want to know?

 

Because he is curious. Why do you care?

[Keesters]

Quote

How TAT counts tourists

 

They used a calculator but the batteries went flat. Now they use an abacus.

 

 

[steven100]

They visit soi Nana and count how many farang in each bar, then they multiply it x 10.