Thailand tourism situation

Local Hua Hin and regional Thailand news articles and discussion.
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hhfarang
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by hhfarang »

Chinese tourism is exactly the same here in Europe, there are large groups of them everywhere but they just go and look at the sights, go to a Chinese restaurant together and go back to the hotel for an early night. Most of them are retired couples and not exactly the type of people to cause any bother to anyone. The only time I've seen any of them in a bar is when big soccer games are on.
That's because they are relatively new to travel and not many are fluent in other languages. They travel in the safety of numbers and with a guide and translator. I remember in the 70's and 80's that the Japanese were exactly the same when they first started to travel the world as tourists. Now you see many of them in couples or pairs on their own. Give the Chinese another two or three decades to become confident with unguided travel. After all, from the end of WWII until after the end of Mao's regime in 1976 it was almost impossible for a citizen to get permission to leave and that remained difficult until well into the mid 80's.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

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and in other related news...

"China names and shames 4 tourists over Thai airport incident"

"BEIJING (AP) — Chinese authorities have named and shamed four travelers over an incident at Bangkok's airport in which they vented their frustration by belting out the Chinese national anthem.

The four were part of a group of Chinese tourists whose flight home had been delayed by eight hours until 3:00 a.m.

When the plane arrived, they refused to board until their compensation demands were met, then broke into the national anthem amid hooting, shouts and general chaos in the departure lounge.

A 57-second clip of the incident recorded on a mobile phone circulated widely on the Internet in China, prompting an investigation by the China National Tourism Administration, which said Saturday it had added their names to its list of those accused of "uncivilized behavior."

The four "incited other travelers to disrespect public order in the airport, spoke and acted hysterically, seriously harmed the image of Chinese travelers abroad," the administration said in a statement. Their names will remain on the list for between two and three years. ..."

Full story: https://news.yahoo.com/china-names-sham ... 19444.html
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by JamesWest »

maybe they will harvest their organs...
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by jumusman »

hhfarang wrote:
Chinese tourism is exactly the same here in Europe, there are large groups of them everywhere but they just go and look at the sights, go to a Chinese restaurant together and go back to the hotel for an early night. Most of them are retired couples and not exactly the type of people to cause any bother to anyone. The only time I've seen any of them in a bar is when big soccer games are on.
That's because they are relatively new to travel and not many are fluent in other languages. They travel in the safety of numbers and with a guide and translator. I remember in the 70's and 80's that the Japanese were exactly the same when they first started to travel the world as tourists. Now you see many of them in couples or pairs on their own. Give the Chinese another two or three decades to become confident with unguided travel. After all, from the end of WWII until after the end of Mao's regime in 1976 it was almost impossible for a citizen to get permission to leave and that remained difficult until well into the mid 80's.

"Give the Chinese another two or three decades to become confident with unguided travel"

How many decades should we give them to learn decent manners ?
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by STEVE G »

jumusman wrote:
How many decades should we give them to learn decent manners ?
I imagine that the Chinese would say exactly the same thing about many farang tourists in Thailand!
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by JamesWest »

you know the commies grew up have to fight for everything. long bread lines. the russians are the same.

a russian i knew said you can always tell the Americans because they queue up in line, don't cut in and are polite.

well except now with the new dumbed down generation and new Obama phone voters demographic.



America completely destroyed.

ok i know, back on topic...
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

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TAT launches special campaign for tourists
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has joined hands with a private tourism company to promote the Thailand Stronger Together campaign with attractive offers from today until the end of October 2015.

The TAT has joined hands with Gullivers Travel Associates (GTA), a provider of tours and accommodation packages, to launch a campaign to boost tourism in Thailand named: ‘Thailand Stronger Together’.

The campaign's promotions includes various offers. Tourists will immediately receive an extra free night at selected hotels in Phuket after booking a night's accomodations, as well as discounts on food and drinks discounts, and tourists will be able to upgrade their accommodations hosted by GTA agents worldwide. Travelers can also receive free Stronger Together t-shirts by take a photo of themselves wearing shirt at selected hotels with '#ThailandStrongerTogether' included in the caption.

The campaign is an attempt to boost tourist confidence, and boost the nations’s tourism activity during the low-season, especially among travelers from Asia and the Middle-East which are considered short-haul travelers.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/website_en/ne ... 9220010016
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Stargeezer »

I am hoping that with the Real numbers of tourists, being far less, than the Tats estimates,
I can get a slightly lower rate on the place I will be staying at. In BKK I have my Thai relatives,
but in Hua Hin, I have to either crash at my buddies place, until his wife kicks me out, or stay
at a rental. The Canadian dollar has tanked this year and is only at 75 cents to the US, so I
am going to have to spend more for my Chang, and Singha beverages, Darn! Oh well, at
least I will be away from the cruel, cold Winter of Canada for a month or two.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by Big Boy »

I've noticed things are definitely on the up in Hua Hin over the last few days.

The first tell tale sign is Tesco running out of Flora margarine. This is the 4th consecutive year that a rush on Flora has heralded the return of the snow birds.

The second sign is groups of Farangs wandering up and down Soi 94, 4 abreast, with no fear of Thai traffic.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by lomuamart »

One of my yardsticks is the amount of people on and around the beach.
Walked it this morning and whilst there weren't exactly hordes of people on the beach itself, hotels like The Hyatt and others on the beach were noticeably much busier than they have been for months - with westerners.
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Post by JamesWest »

Yes picking up around town. New and high season only places opening up. Soi 94 has picked up.

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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

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"Tourism No Boon for Thai Air as Rescue Plan Rejected Amid Loss"

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... o.headline
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by buksida »

They must be measuring Chinese as there are very few westerners about compared to previous years.

No idea how a surge in Chinese tourists benefits Thailand; they pay in advance at home for a package trip to a Chinese tour company, use Chinese flight operators, Chinese tour buses and eat in Chinese restaurants - all the money going where? Not to Thailand.
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

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Yes indeed,,I think the same as Buksi on the subject of Chinese visitors.
Maybe the fact that reports seem to always use the Far Eastern tourist-figures masks the reduced visitor-numbers from the West.
Hua Hin IMO took a hit in the early part of this year when the currency exchange rate for Sweden & Norway to a big hit over Xmas/N.Yr..see many long-stayers leaving earlier than planned.
I have not yet asked any Skandis how their currency is fairing against the Baht just now..let's hope it made a recovery,
& these regular long-stay folk come back again this year-end..or we may see a drop in numbers due to them opting for another country..??
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Re: Thailand tourist slump continues

Post by STEVE G »

hhfarang wrote:"Tourism No Boon for Thai Air as Rescue Plan Rejected Amid Loss"

Image

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... o.headline
For Thai airways to be losing money at the moment takes a special kind of incompetence, with fuel being so cheap, it's the best environment for the airline industry for well over a decade.
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