TAT and its tourism figures: Media reports 28 million visitors rather than 38 million

[webfact]

TAT and its tourism figures: Media reports 28 million visitors rather than 38 million

 

Picture: The Pattaya News

 

A report by The Pattaya News quoted a keynote Tourism Authority of Thailand speaker as saying that there were 28 million foreign visitors to Thailand last year. 

 

In earlier reports the figure was always said to be 38 million. 

 

Whether East Asia expert Santi Sawaengcharoen got the figure wrong himself - or it was just a typo on The Pattaya News site was unclear. 

 

Santi was speaking at a big monthly gathering at City Hall chaired by the head of Chonburi tourism Thitiphat Sirinatthasrikun. 

 

A whole host of business leaders and tourism experts and operators from Pattaya and the eastern seaboard were in attendance.

 

Santi was reported as saying that tourism from East Asia in general and China in particular was continually on the up and up. 

 

The Pattaya News said he said there were 28 million visitors to Thailand from abroad in 2018. Of these 15.6 million were from East Asia representing a 41% market share. 

 

The Pattaya News said this was a "market chair" perhaps indicating that their report contained other errors that the TAT could not be responsible for. 

 

Santi went on saying that visitors from China were 10.5 million people, a 7% increase, South Korea 1.7 million, up 5% and Japan 1.6 million an increase of 7%.

 

The East Asians had spent a whopping 580,000 million baht. 

 

Though many had changed from group tours to being FIT (independent travelers) the outlook was perpetually rosy.

 

All this despite challenges such as the smog in the north, the strong baht and safety issues, he said. 

 

Santi continued telling the gathering that there were 1.4 billion Chinese living in China (An online assessment by the UN indicated that this figure was quite accurate suggesting that there were 1.42 billion Chinese as of yesterday).  At the moment 156 million left last year on trips abroad and this was going up 5% a year. 

 

In three or four years time if this growth was maintained there would be 170 million leaving China per year in three or four years time.

 

Thaivisa notes that the figures were a little off again. In three years that would mean at least 177 million and in four well over 185 million. 

 

The Chinese loved to go to Thailand the most, he said followed by Japan and Vietnam.

 

And the TAT were doing a great job in promoting Thailand with the "Road Show" and "Trad Show" in places like Beijing, Shanghai and Pattaya. 

 

The media also said that offering "Visa Onariaval" had booted East Asian arrivals. 

 

We think we know what they meant. 

 

Source: The Pattaya News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-07-01

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[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Pattaya News said this was a "market chair" perhaps indicating that their report contained other errors that the TAT could not be responsible for.

Quite correct. They're completely irresponsible.

From the report, it appears they can't even lie consistently.

[Pinot]

Does this imply that TAT lies??? Blasphemy! 

 

I'll give em credit, they're consistent. 

[tjo o tjim]

Read an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about luxury retail shops there who build their business on Chinese tour groups coming and buying goods to avoid tariffs at home.  Business was down dramatically because policy in China had changed bringing close to price parity. 

 

When someone decides not to make a 30,000B purchase on a 7-day trip that per-diem spend rate drops off pretty dramatically. Will be interesting to see how the focus on Chinese tourists works out in the end. 

[Gulfsailor]

“The Pattaya News said he said there were 28 million visitors to Thailand from abroad in 2018. Of these 15.6 million were from East Asia representing a 41% market share. “

 

if 15.6m is 41%, then 100% is 38m, so clearly a typo from Pattaya News. 

[Pinot]

1 minute ago, tjo o tjim said:

Read an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about luxury retail shops there who build their business on Chinese tour groups coming and buying goods to avoid tariffs at home.  Business was down dramatically because policy in China had changed bringing close to price parity. 

 

When someone decides not to make a 30,000B purchase on a 7-day trip that per-diem spend rate drops off pretty dramatically. Will be interesting to see how the focus on Chinese tourists works out in the end. 

We'll just replace em with Indians

 

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, Pinot said:

We'll just replace em with Indians

Until they go to check-in at the hotel:

Receptionist: Do you have a reservation sir?

Indian: Well I did, until the government stole my land.

 

[RichardColeman]

TAT issued picture of person being sort for losing 10,000,000 tourists in their figures 

[worgeordie]

TAT tells that many lies,they dont know what the truth is.

regards Worgeordie

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

TAT issued picture of person being sort for losing 10,000,000 tourists in their figures 

Mind you, if she was involved in anything to do with Thailand, the number of balcony suicides might well double.

[darksidedog]

I don't think anyone who has lived here a while ever believes TAT figures. What can't be denied though is the undeniable rise in Chinese tourism here, and as can be seen from what happened in Sihanoukville, when the Chinese arrive en masse, everybody else departs.

[Dexlowe]

16 minutes ago, Pinot said:

We'll just replace em with Indians

 

The Indians are already here. I drove around inner Pattya for a couple of hours yesterday and they were everywhere, on every corner. Mostly men in little groups of 3-6. Most seemed to be wandering aimlessly, and few were to be seen in shops or restaurants (other than Indian ones, that is). They're perfectly entitled to, of course - I was wandering aimlessly as well ????????

[Justgrazing]

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

The media also said that offering "Visa Onariaval" had booted East Asian arrivals. 

To clear up the confusion Santi needs to go and do a head count of Chinese .. And where can you stick the boot in to China people like  Visa Onarival .? whoever he/she is 

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

To clear up the confusion Santi needs to go and do a head count of Chinese .. And where can you stick the boot in to China people like  Visa Onarival .? whoever he/she is 

Visa Onarival: I thought it was one of those very small islands in the Pacific?

[cmsally]

30 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

TAT issued picture of person being sort for losing 10,000,000 tourists in their figures 

For one split second I thought it was Prayuth with a wig !!!

[Cadbury]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

TAT and its tourism figures: Media reports 28 million visitors rather than 38 million

"The Tourism and Sports Ministry, despite admitting that the April and May tourism numbers have dropped year-on-year, especially the Chinese, still predict the number of foreign visitors will reach 40 million this year." 

This story comes from the following article in TVN today Seems like TAT and the Tourism Department can't even get their bullsh!t stories lined up. 28 million V 40 million, quite a difference. 

 

 

 

 

[Mavideol]

I did offer TAT some "made in China" calculators (sarcasm), they don't know how to use them

[Mavideol]

49 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Quite correct. They're completely irresponsible.

From the report, it appears they can't even lie consistently.

main problem with liars.... inconsistency, they can't keep track

[sammieuk1]

A whole host of business leaders and tourism experts and operators from Pattaya and the eastern seaboard were in attendance.

 

Wonder where these tourism experts came from or are they overstayers that just move around a lot????

[HeyHeyHey]

They said themselves that Chinese and Europeans are down heavily this year.

 

But SOMEHOW they are still on track to hit 40 million tourists this year.

[Assurancetourix]

2 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

“The Pattaya News said he said there were 28 million visitors to Thailand from abroad in 2018. Of these 15.6 million were from East Asia representing a 41% market share. “

 

if 15.6m is 41%, then 100% is 38m, so clearly a typo from Pattaya News. 

You know, however, that a Thai is unable to make a simple division of head and even with a calculator he is still very capable of making mistakes;
if the figure of 28 million is good, 15.6 million represent 55% and not 41%

[upena]

Both numbers are incorrect. TAT only counts ARRIVALS, not visitors

[klauskunkel]

 

Quote

The media also said that offering "Visa Onariaval" had booted East Asian arrivals. 

We think we know what they meant. 

According to Pattaya News, East Asians have been 'booted'.

But I think I know what they mean.

When making fun of a typo, make sure you didn't do one yourself in the same sentence.

[StayinThailand2much]

We'll just replace em with Indians
 

And after that with Bangladeshis, Ethiopians, and Haitians. - Go, Thailand!

Sent from my SM-J415F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[StayinThailand2much]

The Indians are already here. I drove around inner Pattya for a couple of hours yesterday and they were everywhere, on every corner. Mostly men in little groups of 3-6. Most seemed to be wandering aimlessly, and few were to be seen in shops or restaurants (other than Indian ones, that is). They're perfectly entitled to, of course - I was wandering aimlessly as well [emoji41][emoji12]

Yes, the Indians are here! In Patong there's every 50m or so a tailor shop, where young Indian "tourists", aggressively, try to sell you a suit...

Sent from my SM-J415F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[morrobay]

4 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

“The Pattaya News said he said there were 28 million visitors to Thailand from abroad in 2018. Of these 15.6 million were from East Asia representing a 41% market share. “

_

if 15.6m is 41%, then 100% is 38m, so clearly a typo from Pattaya News. 

But 15.6m is not 41% , 15.6/28=55.7% So .557/15.6=1/x . Then x equals 28 million. 

[Dexlowe]

11 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Yes, the Indians are here! In Patong there's every 50m or so a tailor shop, where young Indian "tourists", aggressively, try to sell you a suit...

Sent from my SM-J415F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

What on earth are you talking about? 

[30la]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Pattaya News said he said there were 28 million visitors to Thailand from abroad in 2018. Of these 15.6 million were from East Asia representing a 41% market share. 

Someone miscalculates again, 15.6 million are more than 55% ...

[KC 71]

My dad gave me a radio when i was 7
India music was all i could pick up ( Bradford)
My Dad had a heart op a few yrs back
The Best Heart surgeon in the world was from India
Buddha came from India
Stop slagging



Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

My dad gave me a radio when i was 7
India music was all i could pick up ( Bradford)
My Dad had a heart op a few yrs back
The Best Heart surgeon in the world was from India
Buddha came from India
Stop slagging



Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Buddha perhaps came from India. The village where he was born is called Lumphini, which is now in Nepal. At the time neither country existed.

That's where the Thai name Lumphini originates, although I bet 95% of Thai Buddhists wouldn't have any idea about that.