Thailand tourism: Chinese New Year down! "No positives" as Thais face tough year ahead

[crazykopite]

Last week TAT were saying tourism to hit 30 Billion this year with the influx of Indians or was that wishful thinking 

[madmitch]

At the moment Airbnb is nothing more than a minor inconvenience for those in the hotel trade; the number of beds available through this channel is a tiny fraction of the overall number of beds available. But it shouldn't be overlooked.

[Guest]

Airbnb itself isn't illegal, breaking the condo and hotel act is. 

It's not airbnbs problem tho.

 

You are actually correct here ... just like building a car that goes 200 KMH is not illegal, but driving that fast is

 

I am not saying "go after Air BnB" .. a fool's errand for sure.

I AM saying ... Go after people in your condo who do these rentals

 

Like many issues ... 
the solution is in the hands of individuals .. on the local level.  

 

Example: It is not possible to use an elevator on ANY floor of our building and not see this sign.

And yes ... it worked!  
 

[BritManToo]

35 minutes ago, rott said:

74% vacancy or occupancy? 

The screenshot said '26% of our properties are already booked for your travel dates'

Screenshot was taken in the 5th, date was for the 13th. 

[SiSePuede419]

Why would Chinese come to Thailand for Chinese New Year?

 

Isn't that like going to Canada to celebrate 4th of July? ????

[Destiny1990]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

This is it.

I have friends at Unixx, Pattaya Posh, The Base.

All always packed with Chinese.

That is just 3 places.  

100's of places advertised on Airbnb alone.

Add the hotel sites that advertise condos.

The younger non tour Chinese are staying in these places.

U also claim the soi bukaw bars are very busy but then if i check that its dead !

[phantomfiddler]

2 hours ago, petermik said:

Simply untrue....T.A.T figures confirm tourism is on the increase with big spending Indians arriving in their droves   

And spending an average of 10,000 Bht per day !!!

[mokwit]

22 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

It's not airbnbs problem tho.

Will be when they list on the stock exchange and people whose homes have been ruined find a way to get on their investors conference call. The vilification of Adam Neumann at Wework is going to look like it was a canonization.

 

AirBnB executives likely live in nice areas for the same reason we all do. Need to arrange a party house next door to them for some guys from the 'hood.

Edited January 13, 2020 by mokwit

[Janner1]

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

10 billion bath.

Do they have 10 billion “ Bath “ in Thailand?

[peter48]

Three reasons why Tourists not coming: The Baht, The high Baht and the never coming down Baht . £ down again ( gee Thanks Brexit) at 39.24 probably similar for Euro/Aussie dollar. Real shame noticed weekend UK press saying Vietnam is a bargain now

[peter48]

UK and Europe most prosperous biggest economic area ( bar Canada perhaps) so why for goodness sake is Baht so  HIGH!  Can someone who knows about Asian Economics please explain why Baht so high?  ( anecdotally Thais keep saying how bad things are both in Tourist spots OK we know that and also Thais beyond Bangkok say everyone is miserable about prices etc).   

[peterkroll]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Europe is cheaper than Thailand now plus the quality is much higher, safer, cleaner, bigger portions of food, cheaper quality wine/beer/cheese, better to walk and do sightseeing, real friendly people (no fake smiles).....Thailand should be 50% cheaper to compete.

Beaches that Europe does not have. So they either need to lower the prices, or improve all what you mentioned. And rethink the policies reagarding Chinese tourists. Which won't happen.

[Isaan sailor]

Well, Chinese Yuan up nicely today--USD and paired western currencies took a hit.  And of course, no one suspects this inversion is anything more than coincidence--right?  

And Thai government incorruptible, right?

[thequietman]

Som Nom Na Mother#$*#%&'s. ????

[mokwit]

7 minutes ago, peter48 said:

UK and Europe most prosperous biggest economic area ( bar Canada perhaps) so why for goodness sake is Baht so  HIGH!  Can someone who knows about Asian Economics please explain why Baht so high?  ( anecdotally Thais keep saying how bad things are both in Tourist spots OK we know that and also Thais beyond Bangkok say everyone is miserable about prices etc).   

Money coming in but less going out because they are not buying anything.

 

I would look to see if their is much capital goods investment i.e. baht sold for $ to buy machinery and raw materials. to offset buying of baht from tourism and agricultural exports and property purchases. When an economy is expanding it runs a current account deficit and borrows- The baht used to be maintained by a managed float to provide the correct balance between export competitiveness and strength to make machinery and raw materials imports cheaper. Seems to me all that Thailand economy is being driven by, property sales in particular does not require much from overseas.

Edited January 13, 2020 by mokwit

[madmen]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

I suppose it could work "perfectly" in other tourist places, but perhaps they don't have AirBnb users who throw rowdy parties like the Russians, or who wash their smalls in the swimming pool like the Chinese and Indians, or who come and go at all hours of the day and night.

 

There really is not much to recommend these sorts of tourists if one is living in a condominium building, and for my money the current rule not allowing short-term "residents" unless it is a registered hotel, is fine and should be more strictly enforced. 
 

Your right, nobody parties in any tourist hot spots, only Russians. Never seen indians or chinese washing undies in our pool or any pool anywhere and i travel a lot. 

 

As mentioned chinese are huge fans of air bnb especially with chinese owners. But why ANYBODY would stay in a 40 year old rundown hotel with often rude and tired staff when they can stay in a modern condo at least twice the size with a kitchen for less is beyond me

True 5 star and short term stay of 2 days are still the domain of hotels and rightly so but stay a week, nonbody wants to sit on a bed in a 15sqm room !!

[nickmondo]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Europe is cheaper than Thailand now plus the quality is much higher, safer, cleaner, bigger portions of food, cheaper quality wine/beer/cheese, better to walk and do sightseeing, real friendly people (no fake smiles).....Thailand should be 50% cheaper to compete.

i could not agree more!!!!!!

you are absolutely correct in all of this.

i was in Spain in November, and probably going back there to live in February

the only thing better in Thailand is getting a younger woman if you are an old git like me and not a millionaire.

But as we all know, they come at a price, and really, is the price worth it??????

I think not.

[d2b2]

59 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Often wonder why people like you don't move back to your home country.

Maybe it's because your going to moan about how much BETTER Thailand is when you get there.

 

 

“You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or who says it.”

[Guest]

1 minute ago, d2b2 said:

 

“You're not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or who says it.”

I do not see this as "blind patriotism" .. it is simply common sense.  If you go to a restaurant, and constantly complain about the food, yet eat every meal there ... dude .. that is on YOU.

[noone223]

no wonder thais are dreaming of becoming like japan.

they can keep dreaming. 3 months on arrival, intelligent, honest, decent & lovely people...

nobel prize winners and hard workers.

leo pop gan mai,

hope thailand will go thru a huge turmoil because their karma earned it.

Edited January 13, 2020 by noone223

[Jimbo2014]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

She cited economic conditions, the world political climate and the strength of the baht as ongoing problems. 

Im sure they would overcome these minor obstacles so they could enjoy a pleasant holiday in Thailand.  

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Chinese are travelling less because of their economic slowdown. Bali has lost about 14% of Chinese visitors in 2019. It's not just a Thailand problem, numbers are down throughout the region. 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-05/bali-beaches-bangkok-temples-go-quiet-as-chinese-stay-at-home

Finally some good news.

[Millcx]

3 hours ago, petermik said:

Simply untrue....T.A.T figures confirm tourism is on the increase with big spending Indians arriving in their droves   

Ahhhh ... Not sure if that plane arrived with the Billionaire Indians ... Think they might have went to Vietnam “;0)

[Dario]

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

7/11s mama sales down 10 billion bath.

I cannot believe this. Where do you take this info from? We would like to see a reliable source for your claim.

Sale of Mama noodles should never go down, because this is the cheapest meal you can buy. More and more people resort to instant noodles. Maybe not the tourists, except the Chinese.

[Millcx]

4 minutes ago, Dario said:

I cannot believe this. Where do you take this info from? We would like to see a reliable source for your claim.

Sale of Mama noodles should never go down, because this is the cheapest meal you can buy. More and more people resort to instant noodles. Maybe not the tourists, except the Chinese.

Hahahaha.. Think you will find that is a thing called sarcasm .. You need to get out more methinks “;0)

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

We can expect TAT to provide a conflicting perspective backed up by meaningless figures in due course I am sure.

What are your figures?

Figure projection start of 2019 say will be 41 million.

Not get. But still 39 million come. A lot.

 

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 

 

I note though that even these people are trying to provide excuses, such as strong baht, world economy etc.

Strong baht is a problem for tourism. Many TVF members also complain a lot.

Weak euro/dollar/ruble also problem. The Russian start come again.

 

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 

They would be better off looking at the country itself and the way tourists are treated once they get here. Too many negatives,

Hmmm. 

Think have very successful tourism in Thailand. You came right? Like so much you now full time right? 

 

Thailand number one in SEA. Sure.

 

Last year record 39 million, most ever.

How many do we need? Think 30 million+ enough.

 

Can not make every tourist happy. But many tourist come back again and again and again. Most people satisfied.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

 

 

generally created by greed and a disregard for the tourists safety are something that is causing it, but is never meaningfully addressed.

 

Think we will be ok.

[lujanit]

4 minutes ago, Dario said:

I cannot believe this. Where do you take this info from? We would like to see a reliable source for your claim.

Sale of Mama noodles should never go down, because this is the cheapest meal you can buy. More and more people resort to instant noodles. Maybe not the tourists, except the Chinese.

During the Tom Yum Goong disease period there was the Noodle Index. The less money was around the higher the Index went.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

She had little hope for any improvement in the first quarter and said that Thailand faces a tough 2020.

Happy New Year T.A.T for years you've jointly screwed the tourist and rung them out for the last baht.

You've done nothing to improve quality or amenities, done nothing as far a safety goes, never bothered to clean up the streets or beaches, the water quality is at best poor, and now the social media has told the truth to the world.

Thailand is a done deal.

[DefaultName]

Chinese come, get scammed, robbed, some killed, the survivors go home and talk.  Is it any surprise that less are coming?

 

As to Europeans, scams, constant BIB when driving, immigration making up rules when it suits them, the exchange rate.  All contribute to the exodus of expats.

 

So, target Indians, they don't know about all this yet.

 

I despair sometimes.

Edited January 13, 2020 by DefaultName

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, lujanit said:

During the Tom Yum Goong disease period there was the Noodle Index. The less money was around the higher the Index went.

You are talking about the Tom Yum Goong RATIO ... not the Wet Noodle Index!  Get your facts straight!