Pattaya’s Tourist Numbers Sink

[Undaunted]

Down 40% against a year ago:

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... -pattaya-2

[Gaybutton]

Down 40% against a year ago

And a year ago it was down from the year before. You wouldn't know it from all the tour buses, though. The tour buses are still all over the place.

High Season should be in full swing by now, but from what I'm seeing, it's High Season in name only. If Thailand wants to rescue the tourism problem, they're going to have to come up with ways to dramatically improve the exchange rates - and fast.

It's not only Pattaya. It's likely the same all over Thailand:
__________________________________________________

Soaring baht deals blow to Phuket tourism

'Outsiders' take over from local operators

by Achataya Chuenniran

December 14, 2019

The economy of Phuket is entering a period of recession. Despite a 4% rise in visitor numbers this year, revenue from tourism is falling, according to research conducted by Prince of Songkla University's Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism.

"Phuket's economy is undergoing a transformation. Annual economic growth in the province has been at 6% for the last two decades, but recently we observed a hiccup," Chayanon Phucharoen, associate dean of research and graduate study at the faculty, told a press briefing yesterday.

Mr Chayanon cited a Bank of Thailand survey showing the number of tourism operators in Phuket province had surprisingly fallen, despite rising tourist arrivals.

He blamed the stronger baht for putting a brake on tourism spending, adding that digital disruption had funnelled tourist services and income towards online platforms controlled by outsiders.

Other conditions undermining the tourism sector included degraded beaches and poor road traffic safety, Mr Chayanon said.

There was an urgent need for Phuket to create new tourism experiences instead of relying exclusively on its reputation for sea, sand and sun.

"The sector can be improved in many ways, such as by offering tourists new experiences like cultural activities," he said.

It's not only Phuket that is feeling the pinch of a stronger baht.

Major tourist destinations such as Pattaya in Chon Buri province are also feeling the impact.

Damrongkiat Pinitkarn, secretary of Entertainment and Tourism Industry Association of Pattaya, said bars have recorded a 40% drop in custom from tourist so far this high season.

And though the Chinese still account for the highest number of visitors, many are now opting to explore Vietnam where the local currency is weaker.

Meanwhile the "baht factor" is affecting tourists' behaviour, according to Mr Damrongkiat.

"In the evening, more tourists are staying within the confines of their hotels instead of venturing out to party at clubs or discos."

Providing more positive news for Pattaya's economy recently is the huge influx of Indian visitors, who are attracted by the lively night life. "However, their numbers may not grow any larger, so bar owners need to deal with this tough situation," he said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... et-tourism

[Dodger]

Perfect!

Just the type of trend we need to see to get the Thai baht back where it belongs (maybe).

TaT has to be pissing in their pants.

It's not only the strong baht that's keeping tourists away, but the fading image of Thailand as well. Social media can be thanked for any progress in this area. Too many half-baked rules and ridiculous new policies to follow, creating nothing but a hassle for everyone. This crap is widely publicized and tourists aren't stupid people. They do their homework before traveling to a foreign country for vacation with just a few clicks on a keyboard. When they read about the polluted beaches, unsafe driving conditions, wide-spread corruption, clamping down on nightlife venues, and strengthening of the Thai baht, they start looking at other alternatives. This decrease in tourism was inevitable.

I have a good friend in Chicago who owns and operates a very successful bar. He's been in business for over 45 years and has never once had a day where his lights weren't turned on. He told me once, that the key to success in a business like this was to always take care of the regular customers. The short time visitors come and go, but the regular's are the foundation of the business. I think of this often when I see how the retired expats here are being treated with all of these new immigration constraints. Some are tightening their pocketbooks because of Immigration's new visa policies, insurance mandates, etc., which of course reduces their economic contributions to Thailand, and some are simply leaving. These, in my eyes, are the regular customers. These are the one's who make significant investments in properties, businesses, motor vehicles, boats, etc.,, as well as the money they spend 365 days a year at the restaurants, bars, street vendors, retails stores, etc., who are all becoming disillusioned with the New Image of Thailand.

The Indians aren't detracted by any of this, because the polluted beaches in Thailand offer the cleanest water they've seen in their lifetimes. They probably drink the stuff.

[Gaybutton]

I agree with most of what Dodger said in his post above. With regard to these rules and regulations, they create problems instead of solving them. And for most of it, there were never any problems in the first place.

I can semi-understand the insurance issue, but they don't let anyone who can afford to do so self-insure.
You can't buy liquor between 2pm -5pm. What's that supposed to solve?
Entertainment venues have restricted hours. Why?
The visa rules make it very complicated and for many impossible, even though they have plenty of money to live in Thailand and financially contribute.

Even now, in Pattaya the sheer stupidity of doing all this road construction work during high season when they could just as easily have done it during low season and had it completed by now - who came up with that, and why?

Those are only a few of the problems. Most other problems have already been discussed. Meanwhile, if they can't figure out why tourism is in serious decline, then the wrong people are making the decisions.

[Jun]

The Indians aren't detracted by any of this, because the polluted beaches in Thailand offer the cleanest water they've seen in their lifetimes. They probably drink the stuff.

Spot on ! Thailand probably resembles Switzerland compared with India. And the air would be so much cleaner.

Right now, sat in a Starbucks in Thailand, I still cannot think of an alternative country to replace Thailand as the centrepiece of my winter break. I wonder where all the tourists are going ?

The strong baht might not help and my coffee costs more than it would in London.
However, the hotel is great value, my lunch was very tasty for 70 baht and the morning coffee in Gafae was outstanding. Excluding boys, daily spend on holiday in Thailand is a lot less than my typical trip in Western Europe.

Of course, dumb government policies don't help. The halfwit who decided to close the beaches on Wednesday probably forgot tourists can go elsewhere. Now they are backtracking on this stupidity by opening 7 days a week, but judging by the abnormally low attendance on Wednesday, not all know about it. The ones who want to spend 7 days a week on the beach are probably already in Vietnam or some other competing country.

Although it doesn't discourage me, they could try and fix the chaotic transport. The southbound baht buses are on beach road, but it can be faster walking, due to a combination of roadworks and traffic queuing at Central. Trams, pedestrianisation, an optimised bus network and measures to discourage traffic would mean better mobility and less pollution.

Then, if I were a new and unprepared tourist paying the obscene 200 baht ATM charge, I would be very unhappy. Such withrawals cost nothing at home, nothing in most of Europe, up to 15 baht for Thai bank accounts and 200 baht for foreigners. £5 ! The government should tackle the banking cartel. Obviously I have a Thai bank account to avoid this, but most tourists will not.

Also, the gay scene isn't quite the draw it once was. Most of the Sunee bars have gone. Perhaps all the years of police raids started the downward trend which then accelerated?

There are, of course still many positives. I arrived at a nice airport and got through passport control in minutes. The wait for baggage was OK. I then had a comfortable ride into Silom for under 60 baht, with only minor inconvenience from dumb ticketing and interchanges. For comparison, a single ticket on the KL airport train is RM55, or 400 baht and I still need the monorail after that.
Thai hotels have been clean and good value. I still don't know of a comparable gay scene. Central Thai weather is reliable during the European winter. There is a good range of dining options. I perceive a very low risk of getting mugged.

[Undaunted]

[Jun]

Blaming the global economy must be nothing more than an abdication of responsibility.

The global economy has grown again in the last 12 months. Oil prices are relatively low. This is not 2008-9.

[Gaybutton]

Add Koh Samui to the list.

While I'm sure there are many factors contributing to the tourism problem, which I think is turning into a tourism crisis, in my opinion the predominant factor responsible for the problem is the strong baht and expensive exchange rates. I also believe people who have been to Thailand before are reluctant to return because they know the value of their money in Thailand used to be fairly good, but now it sux, so people interested in Asian holidays are going to countries where they get much better value for their money.
___________________________________

Not enough tourists for Koh Samui hotels

Oversupply has operators struggling

by Dusida Worrachaddejchai

December 17, 2019

Hoteliers in Koh Samui are suffering from oversupply, dragging down the occupancy rate.

The occupancy rate on the island during the final quarter this year, as of Dec 20, has plunged to 30% from 50% in the same period of 2018, said Vorasit Pongkumpunt, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui.

During the last two weeks of December, the occupancy rate should rise to 90%, putting it at 50% for the year.

He attributed the low figures to the strong baht and trade war, as major markets such as the Chinese flock to cheaper beach destinations in Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The slowdown will linger into the first quarter next year, considered the high season for the island.

The occupancy rate for next year's first quarter in Samui stands at 35%, down from 50-60%, according to bookings.

Mr Vorasit said the situation in the upcoming year should worsen because at least 1,000 hotel rooms from big hotel chains are going to be added on the island, while the number of tourists has not kept pace.

Hoteliers will be involved in a price war because of the glut of 30,000 rooms, which will eventually lead to layoffs and other social problems, he said.

There are about 40 flights to Samui airport, operated by SET-listed Bangkok Airways, with 3,000-4,000 passengers per day.

This pales in comparison to Phuket, which has 200 flights per day.

Mr Vorasit said he would like the airline to consider providing cheaper airfare to attract more tourists to Koh Samui, especially during the off-peak season of October-November.

He also suggested lowering the landing fee at the airport to draw more chartered flights.

Some 40% of tourists visit the island by air via Samui airport, while the remainder use ferry services from Surat Thani.

Mr Vorasit said to facilitate tourists, a cruise pier at Koh Samui is necessary to serve cruise ship travellers, a segment that has potential to increase tourism spending and add to the occupancy rate when they stay overnight.

This idea was presented to Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn during his trip to meet with operators in Koh Samui earlier this month.

This year 55 cruise ships are expected to visit Koh Samui, averaging 2,500 tourists, with 60% spending their time on the island shopping and sightseeing.

Another 62 cruise ships are projected to dock at the island next year, with 48 ships scheduled for 2021.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/18 ... mui-hotels

[Dodger]

I guess the Deputy Mayor must have accidentally forgot to mention the "over-strength of the baht" being the number one reason for the decline.

Their concerted efforts to change the "Image of Thailand" are becoming more noticeable. If their goal was to attract fewer tourists, they have certainly succeeded.

[pong]

That DM probaby has not the faintest idea about what that means, he (I guess its not a she) only knows Baht.
But all this darkness does not correspond to the figures. As I sometimes told before and whilst now happily in pension, I used to have strong contacts with the travel-agency world and still see friends etc. who know and work in it. From EUR the nr. of tourists visiting TH is NOT falling, perhaps it does not rise as fast as before due to many more markets being opened, the nr. of airtix sold is the same-slowly rising, as does the nr of available flights or bums on seats (as is widely seen as the best indicator). Of course they cannot knwo what thy spend, thats another story.
And in this area of BKK where I again happily stay-far out from the Silom ghetto, new HTls open by the day, as do catering places (most however not providing Thai food) and the nr of whiteys and also what seems to be mainland Chinese is rising fast-esp. this last week as Xmas and superhighseason approaches.
Seems more like what they call shifting markets. Plus the Thai fenomenon of imitating: as soon as someone sees one is maikng money it gets parrotted/imitated for a slightly lower price and in the end noone makes any money -see all those empty gay saunaś here in BKK or the oversupply in male massages. I guess thats what old Marx foresaw as the end of capitalism.
As for the decline in gay travel or gay bisnis: I have quite another opinion about that, more sociology, but I think/fear I will be hanged if I ever would try to explain that here. Perhaps when I find the time I start to write something about it after more serious research.
Oh-these ever tightened rules and regulations for long time stayers have nothing to do with normal tourism. Indians are also attracted as for them the former 1000 bt fee for the tourist-entry-permit has been scrapped for a time now.
What the Thai however completely ignore is making rules for those in between: repeat visitors, not permanently living here, who come for extended times-winter refugees or whatever you call them. My mother at her time went for 6-8 weeks in jan to Spain, in a bus (and said: dont call, I only call when serious things happen-there was hardly www at that time). I do about the same now for the max 60 days and sit shorter time in a plane as she did in that bus. Its also commonly known among tr-agents that single older ladies also go on holidays to find some temporary partners with hard sticks-no, that was not so for my mother. Spain is not very well known for that. Some african countries do.