Thailand’s popularity dips in Europe

[Artisi]

48 minutes ago, Elkski said:

How do they possibly get  the amount spent  number? And by group? 

 They do get my passport at the exchange booths so they know how much I exchanged I guess.   Do they actually use the exchange data?  I guess they  must.   

Guess work, creative and wishful thinking. 

[rickudon]

Passenger arrivals from Dubai were down 9.5 % last year. Dubai is of course a hub airport used by many Europeans to fly to Thailand, so i think this shows the trend .....

 

Number of British expats living in Thailand has also declined by over 10% in the last few years. Probably many reasons, but basically attractiveness is declining. I have found the bureaucratic hassles at banks recently very annoying, and the changes to immigration rules (certainly as now applied) is also causing more hoops. But otherwise, living in Isaan has got better in some ways if you are just dealing with locals.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, Elkski said:

How do they possibly get  the amount spent  number? And by group? 

 They do get my passport at the exchange booths so they know how much I exchanged I guess.   Do they actually use the exchange data?  I guess they  must.   

I've asked this question for months if not years. Only reliable source I could think of would be King Power's sales. They do know the nationality and the purchase amount. 

 

But I don't think that's it. No sane European would buy anything from King Power, the spending per head would be 0.

[JAG]

17 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

I've asked this question for months if not years. Only reliable source I could think of would be King Power's sales. They do know the nationality and the purchase amount. 

 

But I don't think that's it. No sane European would buy anything from King Power, the spending per head would be 0.

Thinking about it: if the TAT data field is based on the purchases made by those foolish enough to shop in King Power, that goes a long way towards explaining some of their predictions!

[saengd]

On 1/28/2020 at 6:27 PM, madmitch said:

Nothing unexpected here, though I would like @saengd, who was trying to argue in a thread last week that land border entries don't count towards the tourism figures, to take a look at the number of visitors from neighbouring countries. 1.8m visitors to Laos, for example, which has a population of around 7m. Do you really think that over a quarter of that country's population took a flight into Thailand last year? 5,000 Laotians in and out of Bangkok's airports each and every day?

The point I made last week in that thread is that it is possible to account for 39 million tourists entering Thailand, using flight data alone and without counting land border crossings. You yourself asked the question, was I saying that TAT is understanding the figures and I concluded that was possible. Without going back to dig out the details of that discussion it seems to me that flight/passenger data into the six largest airports accounted for 28 million passengers but that still left the passenger traffic at seven airports (including Samui and Utapao) unaccounted for since those airports are not AOT owned thus they are not included in the AOT report.

 

But coming back to the original topic, the dispute about whether or not TAT numbers of 39 million tourists is correct, the report in the OP of this thread shows yet again that the numbers can be supported by a couple of sources.

[ParkerN]

On 1/28/2020 at 4:35 PM, BRUFC said:

Your tongue firmly in cheek I think. I have no problem with that.

 

In June 2017 before ever I'd come here, my eldest daughter and family changed flights in Swampy on their way back to the 'old country', from Brisbane to Heathrow. A mild-mannered girl until riled, she told me ...'Land of Smiles? <deleted>. I've never seen such a miserable, unfriendly lot of bar stewards in all my life'.

OK, they were just passing through but they 'felt the love' alright.

Didn't prevent me from coming though and I'm glad I did. Keep away from officialdom, live with the locals and life is good. 

 

The problem is that as a country, TL has been congratulating itself on being the world's best everything for years. So now they think it's their rightful place for visitors to come. No need for manners or service, just be grateful TL lets you in. Which is sort of a foot-shot to be candid because TL and Thais are nothing really special. Or such has been my experience, though some Thais are possessed of better manners and more gratitude thn others that people would want to stay here and pay out money for the privilege.

 

 

[BobbyL]

Thailand was a haven for western tourists in the 90s and early 00s. Every Tom, Dick and Harry wanted to come here for something different - backpackers, couples, sex pests, retirees, beach goers, adventure seekers etc.

 

However, what the TAT and the boys in charge failed to realise was to keep this tourist momentum up you need to improve, be innovative and develop the industry so it continues to grow. What I believe Thailand did in their partly ingrained arrogance, is basically nothing. They believed their own hype and thought we will always be able to attract tourists no matter what. 

 

[GarryP]

I would certainly not recommend spending time in central or northern Thailand during the burning season and would tell that to anyone who asks. In fact there should be a health warning for all tourists about the levels of air pollution. Perhaps if such such warnings are issued under overseas travel advisories, the government would actually do something about the problem, which has greatly worsened under the watch of Prayuth.