Thread: Foreign tourists have declined by 50 per cent in 2008

Tourism Ministry to seek 25 billion baht to prop up tourism
28 December 2008
Wanitcha Sumanat

Ministry of Tourism and Sports weighed asking for additional budget amounting to 25 billion baht from the Government to prop op local tourism by speedily circulating cash to private entrepreneurs adversely affected by global economic and local political crises.

Ministry of Tourism and Sports’s Head of Inspector Mr. Seksan Nakwong said on Saturday (December 27) that the additional budget would be a supplement to the ministry’s existing budget of 10 billion baht. Apart from shoring up the industry, he said the stability of the entrepreneurs’ businesses in tourism industry would help build positive image and confidence to the country.

Mr. Seksan claimed that foreign tourists have declined by 50 per cent in 2008, while hotels' booking has decreased to a mere 10 to 20 per cent of total number of hotels' rooms. At the same time, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Advertising and Marketing Miss Phatmat Wongphatthanasiri added that it should take at least four to six months to get the embattled tourism industry back on track.

thainews.prd.go.th

prop op local tourism by speedily circulating cash to private entrepreneurs adversely affected by global economic and local political crises.

oh boy , money for jam ,

line line starts here .

.

Funny how they miss the farangs they hate

Originally Posted by jim1176

Funny how they miss the farangs they hate

If some of the farangs you say they hate acted like human beings instead of total ass holes maybe things would be different.

^ Some of us do, while others are a disgrace... Can't tar the whole lot of falungs with the same brush...

I wonder if any falung owned travel related businesses will qualify for this aid???

Also funny how they have excellent tourist figures when they need them for propaganda purposes, and can turn the same numbers into catastrophe to squeeze more money from the trough.

So only half the expected tourists have come. Don't worry, the Thais are working on them too....

The sense of desperation is almost palpable in some areas... Many Thai don't understand why falung no come this year... The mai bpen rai attitude only goes so far when you're hungry, can't pay your rent or send baht home to the family... Truly sad...

Originally Posted by keda

Also funny how they have excellent tourist figures when they need them for propaganda purposes, and can turn the same numbers into catastrophe to squeeze more money from the trough.

can't green for that but how true.

phuket is well dead

But these figures are pure fiction in any case. According to their statistics I am in actual fact 13 tourists in 2008 thus far and will magically be another one when I land tomorrow. Funnily enough, I don't go to tourist bars, restaurants or resorts, rarely stay in a tourist type hotel and can't remember the last time I visited a tourist attraction.

Amongst my circle of friends, most appear as a similar number of tourists in their crude figures. I suspect it is this underlying number that makes up the bulk of the 50% number.

Until they get rid of the lese majeste law I don't see how could tourism possibly recover. In no other place in the world you risk to be jailed for not standing up in a cinema or for writing three lines in a 7 copies sold book. Only in Thailand.
In no other place you risk to be stranded for a whole week because "you know who" sends a mob to close all international airports to get rid of the government the people dared to choose against his will. My advice to all tourists is to stay well away from Thailand.

Doesn't really matter, chick flu, global meltdown, PAD or coup, farangs numbers may dwindle for a month or two but they'll keep heading this way for as long as they can get their rocks off at the right price. Never mind the other attractions like temples, culture, food and scenery, next to the women they're little more than noise.

Originally Posted by davearn

phuket is well dead

And I assume the others venues are dead, too.

I good time to go or be there.

Wait a second -- what happened to the TAT lady that not even a week ago claimed that there was NO decline in tourism, that everything was 'back to normal', and that at most they foresee a 1% decline in tourism over the next year -- you know, situation A.O.K...?

Where is she in all of this?

That 50% mark, by the way, is just for 2008, based on this statement -- so a LOT is being buffered by the rest of the year -- let's just see how sober the number for the first quarter of 2009 end up being.

With currently, in the 'high season', many hi-end hotels that are used to having 80-90% occupancy, having less than 2-3% occupancy, I feel that this 50% value is highly creative, squeezing everything they can out of 'arrivals', not necessarily 'tourists' (remember, they suddenly switched to using 'airport arrival numbers a couple of weeks ago, to claim that numbers were 'good').

As those on the ground can attest, the real numbers are very different, and very sobering, and there is only so much and so far the spinmeisters can stretch things, before reality collapses over them.

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

Wait a second -- what happened to the TAT lady that not even a week ago claimed that there was NO decline in tourism, that everything was 'back to normal', and that at most they foresee a 1% decline in tourism over the next year

Now you see, you can't believe a word of the military/PAD proxy PM Abhisit Vejjajiva Government

Originally Posted by keda

Doesn't really matter, chick flu, global meltdown, PAD or coup, farangs numbers may dwindle for a month or two but they'll keep heading this way for as long as they can get their rocks off at the right price. Never mind the other attractions like temples, culture, food and scenery, next to the women they're little more than noise.

There's more to Thailand than Pattaya or Nana Plaza. In five years of running a tourist business here in Chiang Mai I'd say that about 1% of our customers have been sex tourists.

BTW, any more details on how to actually get any of this free money?

Watch the shiny object... I wonder just who they think they are fooling with these bullshit numbers???

Originally Posted by Mid

Marketing Miss Phatmat Wongphatthanasiri added that it should take at least four to six months to get the embattled tourism industry back on track.

^

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

Where is she in all of this?

in a world of her own

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

Wait a second -- what happened to the TAT lady that not even a week ago claimed that there was NO decline in tourism, that everything was 'back to normal', and that at most they foresee a 1% decline in tourism over the next year -- you know, situation A.O.K...?

Where is she in all of this?

That's been covered, the situation's changed and now TAT needs more baht from the pot so the farangs are staying away till they get it, then the farangs will flow back. So easy, sometimes I wish I were a Thai.

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

So only half the expected tourists have come. Don't worry, the Thais are working on them too....

The Physics of Black Holes... fatal attractors...

Originally Posted by jim1176

Funny how they miss the farangs they hate

Foking amasses me when someone trots out tripe like this, more to the point they should ask themselves :

Why do the Thais think I'm a coont when they like other farang ?

Suppose this dude lives in pattaya.

Actually I'll go a tad further with this one, how about touring the north east of Thailand and foking meeting the locals out there, maybe you will get to meet some real nice Thais instead of spruking shite like your post.

Originally Posted by Repubblicano

Until they get rid of the lese majeste law I don't see how could tourism possibly recover. In no other place in the world you risk to be jailed for not standing up in a cinema

For fok sake can some bastard please put this flogger in jail. Foking muppets writing absolute bullshit piss me off.

^ he's right though Tel.

That Thai boy that did it not so long ago has had threats of legal action, death threats and been assaulted in the street.