Thailand Voted Best Country 'brand' For Tourism Dollar Value

[george]

Thailand voted best country 'brand' for tourism dollar value

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand revealed on Wednesday that Thailand has been ranked the top country worldwide in terms of value for money, according to a leading market survey organisation in the United States.

Ranked the 'Best Country Brand' in terms of 'Value for Money', the survey by the FutureBrand Company, a global brand consultant and subsidiary of McCann-Erickson advertising in the United States.

Random surveys were conducted among 1,500 respondents aged between 21-65 years via the Internet and telephone.

The Country Brand Index Award 2006 was held for the second time this year by the FutureBrand Company. The awards aim at giving credit to the creativity of a country in building its own brand. To achieve this goal, each country needs good planning, strong marketing efforts and sufficient time.

FutureBrand has developed a unique three-tiered evaluation system for ranking country brands. It incorporates traditional quantitative market research with global expert opinions and statistics gathered from trade organisations, government agencies, travel industry organisations, and secondary sources.

In 2005, 11.5 million tourists traveled to Thailand and the country realised Bt 367 billion (about US$10.4 billion). Tourists stayed on Thailand 8.2 days on average and each tourist spent about Bt 3,890 baht

(about US$110) per day.

The total amount of their spending included buying goods and souvenirs, paying for accommodations, beverages, entertainment, transportation, and tour services respectively.

--TNA 2006-12-13

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Just think how much better value for money it would be if tourist weren't so blatantly ripped-off!

[Francis Maube]

A survey on Thailand as a tourist destination in the US of A? Interesting perspective. Please can anybody correct this; I though that something around 80% of american do not carry a passport as the world is not safe outside their state or perhaps county.

Sarcasm aside, I am under the impression that most would be tourist, traveller, vacationer, call them what you want; spend a large amount of time on the net weighting the best value for money for their next vacation. Surely with the latest Baht appreciation competitiveness is getting eroded. So what drive the increasing mass of forigners to come to Thailand for vacation?

[britmaveric]

Great value for the dosh and keeps getting better!!

[Meerkat]

A survey on Thailand as a tourist destination in the US of A? Interesting perspective. Please can anybody correct this; I though that something around 80% of american do not carry a passport as the world is not safe outside their state or perhaps county.

Sarcasm aside, I am under the impression that most would be tourist, traveller, vacationer, call them what you want; spend a large amount of time on the net weighting the best value for money for their next vacation. Surely with the latest Baht appreciation competitiveness is getting eroded. So what drive the increasing mass of forigners to come to Thailand for vacation?

From a cursory glance at the net, your statistic regarding US passport holders seems about right.

http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2003/01...any_america.php

Even with the Baht appreciation, Thailand still offers excellent value for money. Remember that Thailand was a major tourist destination even before the Baht collapsed in the late nineties, and we're still a long way away from the currency at those levels. Using the average spend quoted in the article, a rise in the Baht from 41 to 35 to the dollar would only add USD 15 per day for visitors - less than the price of a few drinks "back home".

[astral]

Even at Thai rip off prices, things in Thailand will look cheap to the wealth Americans............

A plate of fried rice for less than a dollar............

What is the cheapest meal in the USA?

[mongoose]

Just think how much better value for money it would be if tourist weren't so blatantly ripped-off!

Not all tourists get regularly ripped off (yes, it happens once in a while to many). Some read a bit and learn how to avoid it. Others get the necessary information from talking to people who know more than they do. Others just know how to travel inexpensively. People get ripped off everywhere, don't they?

Edited December 14, 2006 by mongoose

[Junglejerk]

Just think how much better value for money it would be if tourist weren't so blatantly ripped-off!

Not all tourists get regularly ripped off (yes, it happens once in a while to many). Some read a bit and learn how to avoid it. Others get the necessary information from talking to people who know more than they do. Others just know how to travel inexpensively.

People get ripped off everywhere, don't they?

People get ripped off everywhere,, yes I think so.

Use to have experience once with friends, 3 of us ate Khaotom on street, 6 cups of Khaotom, 1 Pakboong fai dang, 1 Fish..not that big and Kai Jeaw moo sab, nam blaw.. cost us 500 THB. I don't know if I'm wrong but I feel like..yeah rip off. but its ok.

My openion, I think in BKK is not many place can make you feel rip off just some..but anyway we can select and good to check out some info or ask friend, Thai people you know before you go there. Enjoy Thailand