Thailand sees 60% slump in January-May tourist arrivals, spending

[webfact]

Thailand sees 60% slump in January-May tourist arrivals, spending

 

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Empty chairs are seen on a beach which is usually full of tourists, amid fear of coronavirus in Phuket, Thailand March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand recorded no foreign tourists for a second month in May as borders remained closed to control the coronavirus spread, with the 6.69 million visitors from January to May a slump of 60% from a year earlier, the tourism ministry said on Friday.

 

Spending by foreign tourists over the first five months was also down 60% to 332 billion baht ($10.75 billion).

 

The tourism-reliant country, which had a record 39.8 million tourist arrivals last year, imposed a ban on incoming flights in April, when it first had zero foreign visitor.

 

In May alone last year, there were 2.73 million foreign tourists who spent 118 billion baht ($3.82 billion).

 

International passenger flights remain banned until the end of June and there are plans to allow some inbound foreign travellers starting next week.

 

Thailand has been 32 days without a domestic transmission of the virus and most of its patients have recovered.

 

The central bank forecast the number of foreign tourists to plunge 80% this year to 8 million. Last year, spending by foreign visitors accounted for 11.4% of GDP.

 

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-25

 

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[ThailandRyan]

Just call it what it is. 100% of international tourism is absent from the country, trying to sugar coat it does not change the Facts.

[RichardColeman]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

The central bank forecast the number of foreign tourists to plunge 80% this year to 8 million. Last year, spending by foreign visitors accounted for 11.4% of GDP.

wish they would make their mind up, earlier in the week foreign tourists made up 22.7% of gdp and thai tourists made up 10% ish of gdp

[AlfHuy]

but in a few months, 2 billion Chinese will come, each month.

They booked each 5 holidays at 6 weeks a pop.

[Mavideol]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand sees 60% slump in January-May tourist arrivals, spending

why claiming 60%.........they close down the country, nobody allowed to enter, the small quantity of the ones forced to stay behind sure will not do much for the tourism, the slump should show 100%, they should start to learn how to properly/correctly report, why always try to make it look rose/pink or whatsoever

[cyril sneer]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

The tourism-reliant country

not what I heard

[realfunster]

2 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

why claiming 60%.........they close down the country, nobody allowed to enter, the small quantity of the ones forced to stay behind sure will not do much for the tourism, the slump should show 100%, they should start to learn how to properly/correctly report, why always try to make it look rose/pink or whatsoever

 

Well, they are discussing the year so far (Jan-May) and January/February would have been 'OK'.

March patchy.

April/May nothing.

60% down through to end of May seems about right.

 

 

 

[473geo]

Amuses me when Q1 figures are quoted to lessen the blow, in a few days Q2 figures will be available regarding governments and companies, then we will see the true impact, that could roll through to Q3 if actions to 'open up' are not forth coming.

[spidermike007]

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

 

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

 

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

 

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

 

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

 

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

[LEKPHUKET]

Not surprising the way they handle the situation. 

A soldier in  the nicest suit stays a soldier with no clues for economic challenges 

[Curt1591]

16 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

But, [Chinese] did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism.

The business that my mother-in-law managed depended so much on Chinese tourism business that, after 2 months of shut down, it was boarded up forever. She had worked there for over 30 years.

If one visited ICONSIAM before the shutdown, one could watch Chinese tourists handing over fists full of baht at places like GUCCI, LV, and the like. We watched one Chinese guy buy over 40,000 baht worth of Godiva chocolate. 

[Bender Rodriguez]

a farmer with a suit is still a farmer

a thief with a suit is still a thief

 

killed tourism over 58 death of old sick people with chronic diseases

[Bender Rodriguez]

4 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

The business that my mother-in-law managed depended so much on Chinese tourism business that, after 2 months of shut down, it was boarded up forever. She had worked there for over 30 years.

so it never made any profits to put aside in case the s.hit hit the fan ?

bad management

 

never put all your eggs....

[hottrader77]

27 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

 

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

 

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

 

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

 

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

 

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

what about the indians , thought they were the answer ohh they suddenly realised they dont spend in bars or go go bars baboons in charge ends up with monkey business , here is a tip make it 80 baht to gbp english pound like it used to be and stop robbing us then more will return after next month

[spidermike007]

36 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

The business that my mother-in-law managed depended so much on Chinese tourism business that, after 2 months of shut down, it was boarded up forever. She had worked there for over 30 years.

If one visited ICONSIAM before the shutdown, one could watch Chinese tourists handing over fists full of baht at places like GUCCI, LV, and the like. We watched one Chinese guy buy over 40,000 baht worth of Godiva chocolate. 

These represent 0.0001% of the Chinese tourists who visit Thaland. As stated there are a dozen good reasons the fat cats do not visit Thailand. My guess is that they were visiting Gucci, to have a laugh at the out of control prices!

[spidermike007]

32 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

what about the indians , thought they were the answer ohh they suddenly realised they dont spend in bars or go go bars baboons in charge ends up with monkey business , here is a tip make it 80 baht to gbp english pound like it used to be and stop robbing us then more will return after next month

I have spoken to gals at massage shops who say they were offered a 200 baht tip to perform extras, by some Indian "gents". What can one say?

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out.

The most hilarious thing about this rant is that you have saved it to be “cut and pasted” over and over and over.  And not only on TVF.

[wombat]

42 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

Indian and Chinese tourists.

i.3 billion indians and 1.4 billion chinese
LOS needs western tourists like a fish needs a bicycle 

[SuwadeeS]

Everybody knows the number is down.

I see many shops closed for good.

Many people are unemployed.

Export is down.

 

So, why the Thai Baht doesn't go down????

If you look at the economy, it should be 1$ = 45-50 Baht

 

 

[Moonfire]

I know that 6 was upside down, meant to be 90% 

[Swimfan]

So the average spend is approximately $1400. Sounds a bit on the low side to me if that includes all accommodation, meal, drinks and shopping ??

[JusticeGB]

Don't forget that Thailand is blessed with only 1% unemployment!

 

Edit Government Statistics Official Figures 

Edited June 26, 2020 by JusticeGB
Added the edit

[Airalee]

8 minutes ago, SuwadeeS said:

Everybody knows the number is down.

I see many shops closed for good.

Many people are unemployed.

Export is down.

 

So, why the Thai Baht doesn't go down????

If you look at the economy, it should be 1$ = 45-50 Baht

 

 

It doesn’t go down because Thailand isn’t throwing money at the problem like the US is.  Just look at the crazy unemployment insurance being handed out in America.  A $10/hour worker in the US ($400/week) would get the standard 80% ($320) plus an additional $600 per week from the federal government until July 31st.

[Chiang Mai Bill]

2 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

not what I heard

Me too! I remember about 10 years ago the Tourism Minister claiming Tourism only amounted to 12% of Thailand's GDP and it meant little to the economy. 

[smudger1951]

You are right the lockdown kicked on 23 rd March, the day I was booked to return by chance. I await the stats for June- August which would be 100 % as there is no info on opening up.

[smudger1951]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

 

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

 

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

 

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

 

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

 

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

spidermike007, a very good comment and analysis of blinkered policies in LOS. Also, just imajine the inflow if foreigners could truly buy a property in their own name. The difference between LOS and UK is total.

[lks7689]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

The most hilarious thing about this rant is that you have saved it to be “cut and pasted” over and over and over.  And not only on TVF.

Some People here just like to whine, let them be.

[Mung]

are you sure it isn't 62.5%?

[lks7689]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

 

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

 

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

 

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

 

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

 

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

At that price range for wine, I think your expectations for the level of service are not exactly in line with what you think you are paying for. Maybe in a place where the range starts with a couple of zeros more you might feel rightly indignant. And just to add, your claims about western tourists spending more are no longer relevant, so get over it. The fact that the Thais are no longer sucking up to you would have gave you a hint, no?

Edited June 26, 2020 by lks7689
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[newnative]

19 minutes ago, lks7689 said:

Some People here just like to whine, let them be.

Maybe that should be 'wine'...