European tourists decline against strong baht, competition

[freethinker]

7 hours ago, OnTheRun said:

It's the same in Hua Hin, a very marked drop in Scandanvian tourists also.

The Swedish Krona is at a record low against the Baht. It's just not a cheap destination anymore compared to what you can get at other places. More and more Scandinavians go to Mexico or Europe instead where they can find better value. 

It's a shame really. Thailand used to be on everyone's number 1 spot. 

[kingofthemountain]

42 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Well run places are busy

I can't wait to know what is the name of some of these places

May can i ask you 2 or 3?

[DUNROAMIN]

All aboard SS Thaitanic.

[SteveK]

46 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

Yinn you are really very lovely

but unfortunately most of the indians and chineses have a budget so tight that

they can't even afford a 10 bahts songtaew ride, it's why i can see them all over 

Pattaya walking all day long in the middle of the streets, it's really a sad show.

I suspect that one Norwegian tourist spends more than half a dozen Chinese or Indian tourists. About this time last year I was staying in a cheap guesthouse in lower Sukhumvit and as I was coming back to my room I saw at least 5 Indian guys going into one room, I would imagine that they would go to any lengths possible to save 1-2 baht each. I doubt they drink much booze, they probably eat the cheapest possible foods and drink only the free water they get at street food places. Obviously there'll be exceptions but I have no idea why TAT wants these kinds of visitors, it seems the bar girls don't like these guys much either, I can't imagine that they are good tippers!

[dimitriv]

1 minute ago, SteveK said:

and as I was coming back to my room I saw at least 5 Indian guys going into one room, I would imagine that they would go to any lengths possible to save 1-2 baht each. 

 

it seems the bar girls don't like these guys much either, I can't imagine that they are good tippers!

 

You can also see them negotiating on the street with hookers. Trying to get a group discount. I once overheard such a negotiation. They tried to pay 1200 Baht for short time with 5 guys.

 

Not strange that bar girls do not like them.

 

 

[Mikeasq60]

Thailand must devalue the baht or face a big drop in tourism and expat retirement. Thailand must face the facts none of this inflating the baht to show how great everything appears on the outside its fake. 

[Seeall]

8 hours ago, Denim said:

The policy of not allowing people to make frequent visits is probably not going to do much for tourist arrivals.

 

The problem seems to be that they don't actually want tourists   only their money.

like a bored BG lol

[Fex Bluse]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are alot of hurting Thais out there right now. Hopefully enough will connect the dots and hold the army accountable. I see a reckoning coming. Those hundreds of billions may have to be returned to the people. 

 

I am predicting the youth will rise up and force the army's hand. Will the army have an appetite for a bloodbath? I predict no. Remember there is one huge difference between now and before. I can't spell it out but it is huge. 

I enjoy most of your posts. Can't agree with this one, respectfully. 

 

Thais on average seem to lack the courage/will/desire to rise up. 

 

We know of Thai philosophy that it is given to Fatalism, so perhaps the ones hurting think their fate cannot be changed by action. Or, worst case, they will be rewarded in the next life for suffering in this one. 

 

Either way, their suffering, if any, causes me to lose no sleep. None. 

[Fex Bluse]

8 minutes ago, dimitriv said:

 

You can also see them negotiating on the street with hookers. Trying to get a group discount. I once overheard such a negotiation. They tried to pay 1200 Baht for short time with 5 guys.

 

Not strange that bar girls do not like them.

 

 

Thais are also extremely sensitive to body odors... 

[edwarda909]

8 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

The real decline is probably a bit more than 1,5%....From what I see with my own eyes at the airport and in BKK, I'd say 50% 

 

A scientific study  if there ever was one

[Fex Bluse]

2 hours ago, lonewolf99 said:

If a potential western tourist had never been to Thailand and then spent 30 minutes reading only half a dozen of the news strings on Thai Visa (including this one) - they would strike the place of their list of holiday destinations immediately.

 

There is no good news on here.  Everything bad about Thailand mentioned in this current article has been said and discussed before, hundreds if not thousands of times and nothing changes. If you care to read about Siam/Thai history nothing has changed in hundreds of years. They never wanted foreigners on their soil and made it so hard for anyone to even travel across the country without permission that it makes the modern TM30 look good. As for the locals becoming "free" and no longer enslaved back in 1905, we can see with this junta that nothing has changed and without a major revolution in mind set and economics will there ever be a change. Nothing any westerner says, does or types here in local media or global media will make any change or difference.

For years, searching for Thai stuff whilst outside Thailand would NOT return any hits from Thaivisa. 

 

It was almost as if it was designed to be seen only while in Thailand. 

 

Haven't tested it lately. 

 

I can imagine that the government would not want English speakers to receive hits from this forum. It could totally put off English speaking tourists. 

[freethinker]

7 hours ago, British Bulldog said:

Honestly, I cannot believe this BS ... they still keep going on about the high baht as the excuse why people aren't going to Thailand, so lets look at a realistic, but a hypothetical scenario. Supposing somebody decided that they really wanted to go and check out the mystical eastern Country of Thailand, and they 'really' want to go there ... they wouldn't be overly concerned about the exchange rate (Unless it was something ridiculous) ... if somebody came here say 1 year ago and had $10,000 USD to spend, at say; 31.8 baht to the USD, they would have had 318,000 baht to spend, if they came here today, today's exchange rate is 30.42 baht giving them 304,000 baht to spend ... so come on, you reckon people would change their mind over the difference in exchange rate of less than $500 USD ??? Of course not .... it the stories they hear about Violent Taxi drivers, taxi drivers who rip you off, con men on the streets, bombs near shopping centers, violence, rapes and murders and various Islands and alike ... Jet Ski scams and so on .... is the Thai Government that naive ... that tourist do not go back home and talk about these incidents whether they were directly involved with such an incident or not ... word travels fast !

For the average swede it's 50% more expensive to go to Thailand now due to the record low exchange rate if you look at the average exchange rate over a 10 year period. That's not chump change exactly. Thailand is not the amazing deal it used to be and factoring in all the reasons you outlined in your posts it's clear why tourism is falling. 

[freethinker]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

A pint of Hoegaarden in Phuket town 290 Baht how much back in Europe? 

That's absolutely insane. It can't have gotten that bad can it?

[dimitriv]

10 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

For years, searching for Thai stuff whilst outside Thailand would NOT return any hits from Thaivisa. 

 

 

That works ok. No problem. This is with a Dutch proxy.

 

 

[SteveK]

12 minutes ago, freethinker said:

That's absolutely insane. It can't have gotten that bad can it?

I paid 260 baht for a pint of Brewdog beer at a place down soi 11.

[HeyHeyHey]

2 hours ago, HeyHeyHey said:

70,000 THB per PERSON

 

but but we want $0 Chinese

btw: think about that for a second... 70k per person spending in a country where the median income is likely around 10k a month

 

It's the equivalent like median income back home $4000 a month and tourists visiting you spending $28,000 a pop - and you have no freaking appreciation of that, just smirks <deleted> off where you came from

 

Wouldn't we line red carpets for them?

[huntandcollect]

I just spent 3 weeks in Germany. Half a liter (about a pint) beer cost between 2.70 to 3.50 €. In a Pub Sukhumvit area you pay for a SMALL beer 120 Baht or more. That is about 3.50 €. Conclusion: Something is wrong with Thailand. Yes, I know. This is only a small example. But still....

[HeyHeyHey]

6 minutes ago, huntandcollect said:

I just spent 3 weeks in Germany. Half a liter (about a pint) beer cost between 2.70 to 3.50 €. In a Pub Sukhumvit area you pay for a SMALL beer 120 Baht or more. That is about 3.50 €. Conclusion: Something is wrong with Thailand. Yes, I know. This is only a small example. But still....

And the beer in Germany is real beer, not fake cheap imitation protected by law against competitors.

 

Also all those people in supply chain including the bartenders and other staff earn in an hour what the Thai people earn per day.

 

Everyone who been in Thailand for awhile knows where the money disappears, and what is wrong.

[baboon]

4 hours ago, lensta said:

And years ago, these same people welcomed the army with open arms (including the ones on hear) and they will now be the loudest complainers, completely ignoring the fact that they supported the coup and prayut

Yes, sir. VERY well said. And now they carry on regardless.

[Autonuaq]

If course the europeans go to other places, they just get better value for money.

 

Thai need to adjust the smile they show. The lost the real smile a long time ago as well for most things you start to pay the same or more then aboard in the west.

[HeyHeyHey]

5 hours ago, Samuel Smith said:

5 hours ago, madmen said:

Just got back from soi 11 , an endless line of tourists dragging suitcases, and its still low season

leaving?

on foot... try to get a taxi at Soi 11 that won't rip you off

[Bangkokazy]

What does a good holiday consist of?
Good air
beaches
Nice people
Good prices that are 50% lower than where you live
Thailand has nothing to offer tourists the same price as all tourist places in the world.
why should I go to the dairy country, when I can travel to the neighboring country and the same amount I spend and get the same there

[Bangkokazy]

They have nothing to offer tourists only <deleted> holiday

[Bangkokazy]

1 hour ago, HeyHeyHey said:

btw: think about that for a second... 70k per person spending in a country where the median income is likely around 10k a month

 

It's the equivalent like median income back home $4000 a month and tourists visiting you spending $28,000 a pop - and you have no freaking appreciation of that, just smirks <deleted> off where you came from

 

Wouldn't we line red carpets for them?

The average salary is In Thailand, 19293 per month
after tax

[gk10002000]

10 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I can only judge from what I see myself. I live in Thailand but travel back to the UK every 9 months for a hospital check up and see my rented out  property is ok. When I first did this, the planes were always full to the brim. Now, I regularly sit next to no-one, and recently on a BA flight had an entire row of seats on a 25% full plane only. And as a cheapskate I always pick the cheapest non-stop, I travel on a few carriers, so see it on all airlines. So, going by that I would presume travel to Thailand is down way more that some fairy land 1.5% figure, My own eyes see a 20-30% figure, and that is giving them the benefit of the doubt

On a recent EVA flight from the USA (Los Angeles),  1/2 of the plane was empty.  Several entire rows empty in the Premium Economy class section.  I personally know two of my USA compatriots that are going to the PI instead.  Inconsequential numbers of course.  A quick scan of the peoples at the BKK airport showed very few caucasians.  Just lots of Chinese, Middle Easterners and Indians.  walking around Pattaya used to see Brits, Germans, Scandanavians, etc.  Heck even saw less Russians than in the past.

[geistfunke]

So far so good. And now we can start discussing the current export problems. Today I cancelled 3 x 1.000kg Air-Cargo, ordered at Thai-Airways for flights Bangkok - Frankfurt in October. It doesn't pay off anymore. Better take a break, lay on the empty beach and wait to see if they can get the Thaitanic going again. ????

[gk10002000]

11 hours ago, Lacrimas said:

Tourism is the second most important sector they have in Thailand and they are killing it with the strong baht. Retirement is another big revenue and they plan to kill it with absurd insurance premiums. Export is dying because of the strong baht. I forecast a recession in Thailand for 2020-2021.

But the generals won't care.  They make plenty of money skimming off the top.  The general Thai population will suffer.  Infrastructure will degrade. They are running the place into the ground but can't see it because of the glare from the shiny new condos they are building with investor money whose investors are not going to be happy soon

[mikosan]

11 hours ago, Lacrimas said:

Tourism is the second most important sector they have in Thailand and they are killing it with the strong baht. Retirement is another big revenue and they plan to kill it with absurd insurance premiums. Export is dying because of the strong baht. I forecast a recession in Thailand for 2020-2021.

Good. About time the government got a kick up the Ars3

 

[sead]

Should I laugh or cry?

[sead]

2 hours ago, Bangkokazy said:

The average salary is In Thailand, 19293 per month
after tax

After 8 years i for sure know that the income a thai makes. And those figures ain't the same.