Strong growth from key markets compensate for slight dip in Chinese tourists

[Melbun]

3 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Thailand has become a very expensive, polluted, grot hole with even more traffic jams and gridlock, and packed trains.  The people are mercenary in their hunt for money, especially in the bars. ( "You buy me drink !"). On my last trip we spent about  50% more than last year.  The fun has disappeared completely in the last few years. The Chinese are welcome to it.  Time to explore Europe.

So let me get this straight. The people want money & you go in the bars to have a good gawk but not part with the customary drink for the girl that takes the time to speak to you. Oh dear the fun has disappeared completely. Good idea you leave. You won't be missed.

[Melbun]

1 hour ago, johng50 said:

Agree fully and according to australian government statistics ( which are accurate and not bulls>>t like thai figures),  that more aussies are heading to Vietnam/Cambodia. USA, Portugal, (very popular) Hawaii, Fiji  and Sri Lanka( but that will change now after the last week of horror) thailand didnt even figure in the results so that meens less than 2% of aussie tourists holiday in Thaiand each year. Looks like all the bad news coming out about LOS is starting to take affect, and people who have been there on holidays do talk and the talk is avoid this place, its a dump.

So "hopefully" you've made up your mind that Thailand doesn't deserve the likes of you. Is that correct?? Do you expect to be missed or do you expect to influence others to follow suit - like sheep. I personally think all of SE Asia is very affordable and with plenty of eye candy.

[Jimbo2014]

Great.  We dont have enough Chinese tour buses.  Wonder what happened to the 5 star tourist dream.  Never really got there.  The picture in the article doesn't really do justice so I offer the following to the journalists.

[nausea]

The Thai tourist market is very resilient, but mark my words, the tipping point will come. They'd better have another plan in place when that happens. 

[hansnl]

I do have a few doubts, here, there and everywhere about the official number of tourists from various countries and the amount spent during their stay by those tourists.

Have huge doubts by the assumed profitability of the Chinese stream of tourists seen their rather shortish stays and spending patterns.

But, what am I?

 

 

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, Melbun said:

So let me get this straight. The people want money & you go in the bars to have a good gawk but not part with the customary drink for the girl that takes the time to speak to you. Oh dear the fun has disappeared completely. Good idea you leave. You won't be missed.

Seems you misunderstand the feelings of the OP.

Your answer, ok get lost.

Any idea the negative feeling of the returnee will have on his family/friends etc?

Obviously you would not be a good steward for tourism to and in Thailand.

 

[ChipButty]

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

   

Airbnb and similar operations are growing quickly.

Airbnb admit to being 35% down on booking for this month in Phuket

[manhood]

Does anybody seriously believe what they are writing in a newspaper, it's just a cut and paste of official statements. Statistics are sure not properly done as day by day you find other stories and statistics about the same fact. But as a junta is ruling the country no journalist can report the truth!

[sambum]

"Earlier this year, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports announced they are expecting more than 40 million tourists to visit Thailand this year, up from the record-breaking 38.3 million last year."

 

All I can say is "What a surprise!" ????

[ChrisKC]

In the light of empty meaning "not even 50%", when you have no guests at all, what percentage occupancy do you have?

[impulse]

5 hours ago, peterb17 said:

6 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Thailand has become a very expensive, polluted, grot hole with even more traffic jams and gridlock, and packed trains.  The people are mercenary in their hunt for money, especially in the bars. ( "You buy me drink !"). On my last trip we spent about  50% more than last year.  The fun has disappeared completely in the last few years. The Chinese are welcome to it.  Time to explore Europe.

Sadly the same as every where in the world; traffic, overpopulated, polluted, dangerous etc. The  golden days of travel have  gone for ever. 

On the other hand if you base your views on the antics of sex workers trying to earn a living - maybe stick to Europe 

 

There are places in Thailand that are every bit as charming as Pattaya and Bangkok were 30 years ago.  But you have to expend a little effort to find them and visit.  Just like you had to expend some effort to get to BKK and Patts back then.  Most tourists just don't want to leave the air conditioned comfort to seek them out.  It's just too easy to follow the herd, then bitch about how bad things have become where the herd has overgrazed.

 

Same with everywhere.

 

[wisperone]

( "You buy me drink !")

 

Guess your not the romantic type????

[zydeco]

So, India, Malaysia, South Korea = "feeder market."  That's nice. How would you like to be dismissed as a mere member of the "feeder market?" Only Chinese are "tourists." The rest "feeders."

[bangrak]

TOT &Co. showing their blatant manipulation of figures: chinese tourists in the two first months (top season) of 2019 at 2.12 million; total of tourists 'expected' in 2019 is 40 million. These are the official figures.

...Also an official figure from the same source, is: chinese tourists make up somewhere between 61 and 62% of the total number of tourists to visit Thailand.

A-haa, 61% of 40 million is 24.4 million, isn't it, ... while 6 time 2.12 million is 12.72 million! So, a difference of nearly 12 million, or about 50% of the expectations.

What is it, TOT &Co., am I bad in Thai maths, or is it an 'honest mistake' from your side, ...or just another, erm, 'white lie' you publish time after time to justify the excessive wages and expenses of your bunch of 'elite'(!) staff and management? IMO, in your present form, you are the most redundant part of the corrupt Thai administration, not worth any bit of the huge budget the taxpayers(!) have to face for your endemic incury!

'Changes and reforms'? 

[DPKANKAN]

55555???????????????????????? 

Cheaper. Check you tabs boys!!!

[tabarin]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

There are places in Thailand that are every bit as charming as Pattaya and Bangkok were 30 years ago.  But you have to expend a little effort to find them and visit.  Just like you had to expend some effort to get to BKK and Patts back then.  Most tourists just don't want to leave the air conditioned comfort to seek them out.  It's just too easy to follow the herd, then bitch about how bad things have become where the herd has overgrazed.

 

Same with everywhere.

 

So true, just to take Samut Songkhram as an example within 2-3 hours from BKK itself and costing perhaps 100B via Minivan.

Beautiful nature with traditional villages, water to swim at, coconut plantations to cycle trough etc. Yet few go there.

Also up north tons of stunning and untouched places as soon you are 1 hour out of Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai itself.
Brand new cool hostels, restaurants and coffeeshops in the most unexpected places, that mostly cater to Thai but are ready for tourists too, and still really cheap.

[impulse]

1 minute ago, tabarin said:

So true, just to take Samut Songkhram as an example within 2-3 hours from BKK itself and costing perhaps 100B via Minivan.

Beautiful nature with traditional villages, water to swim at, coconut plantations to cycle trough etc. Yet few go there.

 

Shhhh!   Whatever you do, don't put that out on the wider interweb.  Or you'll be looking for another place, a little further out.

 

[madmen]

5 hours ago, nausea said:

The Thai tourist market is very resilient, but mark my words, the tipping point will come. They'd better have another plan in place when that happens. 

been coming since 1956

[DrTuner]

Property Consultant, is that the cousin of the Used Car Salesman?

[DrTuner]

10 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Thailand has become a very expensive, polluted, grot hole with even more traffic jams and gridlock, and packed trains.  The people are mercenary in their hunt for money, especially in the bars. ( "You buy me drink !"). On my last trip we spent about  50% more than last year.  The fun has disappeared completely in the last few years. The Chinese are welcome to it.  Time to explore Europe.

Just had one of my old friends from back home contact me and ask if he should come to Thailand for a holiday. I point blank said no and explained to him how the downturn in the last few years has been. Another 5k€ that won't end in junta's hands. I will evangelize it to any one who bothers to ask about Thailand. And there are many like me, so yes, time to explore Europe and leave this degrading country off the list.

[madmen]

2 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Just had one of my old friends from back home contact me and ask if he should come to Thailand for a holiday. I point blank said no and explained to him how the downturn in the last few years has been. Another 5k€ that won't end in junta's hands. I will evangelize it to any one who bothers to ask about Thailand. And there are many like me, so yes, time to explore Europe and leave this degrading country off the list.

A drop of sand in the desert.  tens of millions to replace him and what a loser to ask if he should go.

I see a place I research and book most certainly dont listen to jaded expats with agendas especially if they refuse to leave the country themselves 

[Traubert]

3 hours ago, bangrak said:

TOT &Co. showing their blatant manipulation of figures: chinese tourists in the two first months (top season) of 2019 at 2.12 million; total of tourists 'expected' in 2019 is 40 million. These are the official figures.

...Also an official figure from the same source, is: chinese tourists make up somewhere between 61 and 62% of the total number of tourists to visit Thailand.

A-haa, 61% of 40 million is 24.4 million, isn't it, ... while 6 time 2.12 million is 12.72 million! So, a difference of nearly 12 million, or about 50% of the expectations.

What is it, TOT &Co., am I bad in Thai maths, or is it an 'honest mistake' from your side, ...or just another, erm, 'white lie' you publish time after time to justify the excessive wages and expenses of your bunch of 'elite'(!) staff and management? IMO, in your present form, you are the most redundant part of the corrupt Thai administration, not worth any bit of the huge budget the taxpayers(!) have to face for your endemic incury!

'Changes and reforms'? 

Errr....have you heard the word 'season' before?

 

Have you ever done compound nouns which combines words like 'high' and 'low' with 'season?'

 

Have you heard of Spring Festival, when 630m Chinese go home for the hol....

 

Why on earth am I bothering.?

[Huckenfell]

Why so few on Samui then ?

 

[Melbun]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

Just had one of my old friends from back home contact me and ask if he should come to Thailand for a holiday. I point blank said no and explained to him how the downturn in the last few years has been. Another 5k€ that won't end in junta's hands. I will evangelize it to any one who bothers to ask about Thailand. And there are many like me, so yes, time to explore Europe and leave this degrading country off the list.

Well I explained myself quite well to the last irrelevant comment about how some hate Thailand. What more can I add. Good disappear as well. Try somewhere else - why the need to inform the whole community about your outrage.

[Huckenfell]

10 hours ago, johng50 said:

Agree fully and according to australian government statistics ( which are accurate and not bulls>>t like thai figures),  that more aussies are heading to Vietnam/Cambodia. USA, Portugal, (very popular) Hawaii, Fiji  and Sri Lanka( but that will change now after the last week of horror) thailand didnt even figure in the results so that meens less than 2% of aussie tourists holiday in Thaiand each year. Looks like all the bad news coming out about LOS is starting to take affect, and people who have been there on holidays do talk and the talk is avoid this place, its a dump.

What does one expect with a military-led government whose priority is Submarines etc.

[Huckenfell]

9 hours ago, moe666 said:

Chinese do not go to the bars you go to

What  bars do Chinese go to, they have paid for the holiday in China. I have seen groups of them walking past bars on Samui just 'gawking' but they never seem to have money to spend.

[Huckenfell]

4 hours ago, bangrak said:

TOT &Co. showing their blatant manipulation of figures: chinese tourists in the two first months (top season) of 2019 at 2.12 million; total of tourists 'expected' in 2019 is 40 million. These are the official figures.

...Also an official figure from the same source, is: chinese tourists make up somewhere between 61 and 62% of the total number of tourists to visit Thailand.

A-haa, 61% of 40 million is 24.4 million, isn't it, ... while 6 time 2.12 million is 12.72 million! So, a difference of nearly 12 million, or about 50% of the expectations.

What is it, TOT &Co., am I bad in Thai maths, or is it an 'honest mistake' from your side, ...or just another, erm, 'white lie' you publish time after time to justify the excessive wages and expenses of your bunch of 'elite'(!) staff and management? IMO, in your present form, you are the most redundant part of the corrupt Thai administration, not worth any bit of the huge budget the taxpayers(!) have to face for your endemic incury!

'Changes and reforms'? 

What an excellent deduction.

[Huckenfell]

8 hours ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Great.  We dont have enough Chinese tour buses.  Wonder what happened to the 5 star tourist dream.  Never really got there.  The picture in the article doesn't really do justice so I offer the following to the journalists.

I remember this. The moment Chinese diners went into a 'feeding frenzy' when a couple of buckets of prawns were placed on the smorgasbord servery. Just like chucking a Chicken into a Pirhana pool.

[Huckenfell]

I am astounded at the fast rise of prices here on Samui, a couple of examples. One year ago i got lenses put into my own frames, cost  Bht 9000 this week same thing  Bht 15000.  A take away of Khao Phat Guy in the first restaurant i came to in Walking street Maenam Bht 130. further down the soi Bht 70 same thing, I know its not much but an inter bank transfer charge me Bht50, only a couple of weeks ago it was Bht 30 for same service, a Bht 20 pkt of Lays now cost Bht 22.  As i have said, not much, but it certainly adds up and i wonder what it will be next year. Then there is the massive rip off by Bangkok Air on flight fares out of Samui.  They seem to think that money grows on Farang Trees, but eventually, there will be no farang with their money trees.

[Huckenfell]

3 hours ago, tabarin said:

So true, just to take Samut Songkhram as an example within 2-3 hours from BKK itself and costing perhaps 100B via Minivan.

Beautiful nature with traditional villages, water to swim at, coconut plantations to cycle trough etc. Yet few go there.

Also up north tons of stunning and untouched places as soon you are 1 hour out of Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai itself.
Brand new cool hostels, restaurants and coffeeshops in the most unexpected places, that mostly cater to Thai but are ready for tourists too, and still really cheap.

I was chatting with an English couple here on Samui who had just flown in from Chaing Mai having cut their holiday short up there because of the smoke pollution. But who in the government cares a hoot.