Fewer tourists are going to Thailand because of its expensive currency

[Scott]

Racist post reported and removed.

 

[Soikhaonoiken]

11 hours ago, madmitch said:

One moment arrivals are up, the next they're dropping!

Will we ever get any consistency from the TAT and the Tourism Ministry?

Totally agree with your post, yesterday they said tourists where 1% up on same period last year, but today they are down, can they ever tell the truth. 

[rumak]

11 hours ago, nev said:

No just the high Baht, Making it hard to stay here with Draconian visa rules are driving many away.

yeah, and the high cost of petrol makes it even more expensive to drive them away

[rumak]

8 hours ago, nickstav said:

I see problems with this on several levels, not the least of which is the rating of people. I know you said countries, but it boils down to rating people. How would you rate them, based on average yearly income per person, the country's GDP? Either way you're not going to keep out some of the "undesirables" you mentioned, Chinese, Arabs, as well as some other Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia). What if other countries followed suit? How many Thais go to other countries to work, or study, or just try to experience the outside world?

i don't discriminate.   I pretty much don't like anybody.   

[JMSIII]

10 hours ago, totally thaied up said:

Things have got expensive here and add a poor exchange rate to it all, it is a perfect storm. My wife tells me prices have gone up everywhere and the locals are hurting.  

 

I am told the same thing by many Thai's.  They are not happy with how everything keeps getting more expensive and they are having a hard time making enough money to live, and that's really bad if they aren't making over their 10,000 baht a month salary.  And I think think we all know who they blame for this....

[Jomtien Holiday Guy]

The rising Baht is a big issue....I could choose to stay 2 weeks less a year, but it's really take some fun out of long stay, which is 6 weeks two times a year...maybe there is better value for the Money somewhere else in the Southeast…….I just apply for visa in Copenhagen...no problems yet….But i start to hate all the waiting time in BKK and the long queues for no reason, except there is no working people in the immigration Boxes around 6am, where a lot of airplanes land from Europe...

[meand]

Fewer cheap tourists are going to Thailand....

 

There is a big difference. 

[RichardColeman]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

The baht may be high, but not so much that would influence tourists to stay away.....it's still a cheap place to come to....hotels in most areas can be had for B500 for a basic place.

Tourists are becoming wise....Thailands' poor reputation is taking effect

I disagree with this. Thailand holidays are now about 30% more expensive than they were 3 years ago due to currency, when looking at a holiday to Thailand, I doubt very much the booker is looking at the price of beer on the beach, he's looking at the flights, the hotel and when putting it all together then sees what the same could buy elsewhere

[lkv]

12 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I doubt very much the booker is looking at the price of beer on the beach, he's looking at the flights, the hotel and when putting it all together then sees what the same could buy elsewhere

I partly agree.

 

You are right, the main ones are flight cost and accomodation, however I have seen more and more independent travellers going on various forums researching stuff such as: how much does a meal cost, how much does a taxi cost, where do you recommend we go, how do we get there, with what bus/ferry, where do we change money, can I use the ATM with my foreign card, it costs 220 baht to withdraw, better bring dollars and change at the money changer, where do we buy the sim card, do they have 4G, what mobile network do you recommend, and all these sort of details.

 

Independent travellers have become more discerning with the social media and the internet.

[Vintage]

The market is changing and the younger generation are keen on experiences and a smartphone is all they need.Also they desire to visit as many different places in as many different countries as possible.

A strong baht does not really affect these tourists in the way it did in days of old.

I am 50 and remember my parents travelled well but often revisited places they liked and spent freely this is not the case now especially with asian tourists who make up a significant proportion of visitors.

Tourism is a constantly changing market and one country cannot hold the crown forever.

[JamJar]

4 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

The Trump administration has argued that countries like China and Germany have built up their manufacturing industries in part by underpricing their currencies, which makes their goods artificially cheaper abroad.

 

Check, “real effective exchange rate,” which is used by the International Monetary Fund.

 

Naah.... China could produce cheaply because they had a mass of cheap labour. Good reason why so many had their products manufactured there. 

Germany always had a reputation for quality. 

I cannot think of anything in my home that was made in the U.S.A. 

Is that because of the 'underpricing' of currencies? Excuses, excuses...

 

 

 

 

[JamJar]

The shine is really coming off the place. It's a shame. Feels like a really ugly police state from the moment that you arrive.

Immigration officers almost always had a bad attitude at the airports, but by the sounds of it, it has become much worse.

The value of the baht doesn't bother me. Doesn't affect me at all. If I want to go somewhere I will go there.

The problem is the horrible feeling that you are not welcome and that they are doing you a favour letting you in at all.

A total anathema. A country that depends on tourists should make them feel welcome.

 

To paraphrase James Carville/Bill Clinton...Make the tourists feel welcome, stupid.

[yourauntbob]

The sooner the world drops the US dollar the better they will be.  So many countries are printing more money to keep their currency weak relatively.  Saying your currency is "too strong" is saying that your currency has too much value.  If this, or any other government was smart, they would allow the currency to appreciate and prices within the country would naturally adjust accordingly.  The Thai economy would be much better off in the long run as would their people.

[CygnusX1]

I’m staying at beach resorts in Montenegro and Croatia at the moment. Despite the fact that these are two of the cheaper European countries, accommodation costs are way, way higher than in Thai beach resorts in high season, and the baht would have to quadruple in value against the euro or kuna before they even began to be comparable. For most tourists, especially those not renting a car, I’d say accommodation costs comprise the bulk of the total expense of their trip.

[yourauntbob]

9 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Sorry for the Pound drop.  And at least you’re comparing currencies to other currencies.  That’s fair.  But when one compares a particular currency to gold—that’s a fallacious argument. Gold rises and falls of its own accord.  China and India hoard gold and continue buying

Respectfully, you have it reversed.  Gold has been used as a store of value for thousands of years.  Currencies are manipulated by the central banks.  Although gold may rise and fall in the markets in the short term, gold has a constant value.  The recent rise in gold (and silver) prices just reflect the real inflation that has taken hold.  

 

If your great grandparents would have taken a years pay in cash and buried it in the back yard, what would it be worth today?  

If your great grandparents would have taken a years pay worth of gold and buried it in the back yard, what would it be worth today?  

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, JamJar said:

The shine is really coming off the place. It's a shame. Feels like a really ugly police state from the moment that you arrive.

Immigration officers almost always had a bad attitude at the airports, but by the sounds of it, it has become much worse.

The value of the baht doesn't bother me. Doesn't affect me at all. If I want to go somewhere I will go there.

The problem is the horrible feeling that you are not welcome and that they are doing you a favour letting you in at all.

A total anathema. A country that depends on tourists should make them feel welcome.

 

To paraphrase James Carville/Bill Clinton...Make the tourists feel welcome, stupid.

You said it, they are doing you the favour by letting you in. The place should have been colonised.  Problem is the little man will feel it worse when the tourists go elsewhere.

[lamyai3]

15 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Arrivals have dropped because of poor value to tourists

 

Thailand has been a questionable value for quite a long time, but now it is laughable. 

Back in the 90's the UK tabloids coined a phrase that caught on and became widely adopted there. Maybe time this expression was co-opted and modified for local use:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip-off_Britain

[pookondee]

2 hours ago, JamJar said:

 

Naah.... China could produce cheaply because they had a mass of cheap labour. Good reason why so many had their products manufactured there. 

Germany always had a reputation for quality. 

I cannot think of anything in my home that was made in the U.S.A. 

Is that because of the 'underpricing' of currencies? Excuses, excuses...

 

 

 

 

Id say you had it pegged with the exploiting cheap labour thing.

 

Why go to the trouble of setting up companies, pay rent, employ your own countrymen....?

 

Just send the raw goods overseas, get it made there, send the product back...

Sell at a nice profit.

 

Easier, cheaper and less risk.

 

Only other expense is having to grease the palms of a few foriegn, corrupt, rich politicians...so they will keep their slaves going.

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, Roy Baht said:

According to this article--and to reality--it is the strong baht that is keeping tourists out. Period. The Draconian visa rules are (as intended by the Thai gov't) driving long-stay expats out. That's an entirely different matter.

The low baht has been a major force driving long-stay expats out. This intersects with the draconian visa rules in such aspects as scrapping of income letters, forcing a much higher proportion of someone's income to be imported, regardless of an individual's living costs, and often forcing decent people to a point where they have to break up families and leave the country. Other policies, such as the mandatory insurance they're itching to introduce will drive out many more. In this regard, the baht strength has more of an impact on long-stayers than on tourists (who tend to book months in advance and can't predict the exchange rates), but the wider impact on expats will unfold slowly over the next year or two. 

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, RtotheC said:

14 hours ago, DLock said:

Do you really think that you represent what the average tourist is looking for?

yes, I do. I travel a lot and I talk to people. I'm not the only one that thinks like this. What a stupid question. 

For the average tourist under 30, most certainly. And these are far more numerous than older retired demographic, for whom a long haul journey isn't so appealing except for the most adventurous. And the idea of Thailand being a family destination has always been off-kilter, in today's politically correct world in the west more than ever. 

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

I started to call these incompetent cops with cameras on their helmet Teletubbies.

Thailand's finest... 

 

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Yeah well helicopter Ben did a pretty good job sinking the USD a while ago. 

 

This site has a bunch of indicators including your REER: https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/thailand/real-effective-exchange-rate

 

I'd love to see Thailand do heavy duty QE, get on Trump's nerves with the lopsided trade balance and face sanctions. Because they're worth it.

Well, it's nice to see us agreed that Thailand has done nothing so far to keep the currency high and lower their trade balance.  You know there are posters here who think Thailand wants an expensive baht.  While at least you and I are convinced the opposite is really the case.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

18 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Said another way, 

 

Arrivals have dropped because of poor value to tourists

 

Thailand has been a questionable value for quite a long time, but now it is laughable. 

 

The Thais do not know how to offer good value for anything but the very lowest price. 

Thailand still gives the best value in the region. it is not cheap like before but

much better services and quality of life.

[lamyai3]

11 hours ago, JMSIII said:

I bought three boxes of Nurofen (Motrin) for the first time in Thailand, from a pharmacy, I was charged 350 baht per box.  The second time I bought at a different pharmacy and the price was 120 baht per box, which seems to be the correct price.

It's ibuprofen. Get a generic version like Greatofen around 30 baht or so for 10x 400mg.

[Fex Bluse]

3 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

Thailand still gives the best value in the region. it is not cheap like before but

much better services and quality of life.

Maybe... With the exception of Singapore. 

Best but still relatively poor. 

Southeast Asia is just a total mess. 

It's Africa Lite. 

[mikebell]

18 hours ago, SmartyMarty said:

first it's lack of safety, then violence, then a high baht.....what next?

Selective policing; rip-off taxi drivers; Justice by Facebook;.....

[Leonard Thong]

Everyday essentials must be realistic price for the average Thai to manage his daily living expenses.  I am comparing their average income in relation to pricing here. The strong Thai bth should give better purchasing power for goods but its not the case.  In Singapore, we pay slightly more but the products are of better quality / quantity. Average Thais are ignorant cos they do not have a basis of comparison as many thing here are overly price. Was surprise that some agricultural products such as avocado, prawns, fish and some type of vegetables are more expensive. There is not much value anymore!!!!!! If wages are increased but productivity is the same, its time to seriously relook at the big picture. 

[bowerboy]

3 hours ago, CygnusX1 said:

I’m staying at beach resorts in Montenegro and Croatia at the moment. Despite the fact that these are two of the cheaper European countries, accommodation costs are way, way higher than in Thai beach resorts in high season, and the baht would have to quadruple in value against the euro or kuna before they even began to be comparable. For most tourists, especially those not renting a car, I’d say accommodation costs comprise the bulk of the total expense of their trip.

 

That is an excellent point actually...Thailand is still undoubtedly cheap for accommodation (4 star and below). Mind you though for a nice 5 star hotel then there is not so much difference (Centara Pattaya is consistently 10,000 baht per night regardless of season as is Centerpoint at Terminal 21 in Bangkok - that is family rooms though to be fair).

[metisdead]

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[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Maybe... With the exception of Singapore. 

Best but still relatively poor. 

Southeast Asia is just a total mess. 

It's Africa Lite. 

I take it you have never been to Africa or South East Asia.