tourism - Chinese tourists are returning - but not to Thailand

[Tiggs]

the headline Chinese tourists are returning - but not to Thailand misleading or wot, then where are they going, it doesn't tell you, i know stopathome, good value, me thinks there spentout or did the mail shootings scare them off. or it might of been a movie.  a sign of the times, There was a time when 76 Garage was so popular you needed to book a month in advance to get a table. These days half the tables are empty.

Chinese tourists are returning - but not to Thailand


And they go there not for the food, but the waiters. In the middle of the restaurant is a swimming pool. The evening reaches its highlight when the waiters, all fit young men, strip down to their shorts and wade into the pool, offering to carry the diners for a photo op and a tip.



For Chinese tourists in Bangkok, 76 Garage, an open-air restaurant on the northern outskirts of the Thai capital, has long been near the top of the list of places to visit.

Thailand's lauded tourist industry is missing its biggest customers: the Chinese.

When China finally lifted zero-Covid restrictions in January, allowing its citizens to travel overseas, Thailand had high hopes. It expected an upsurge in business that would help its tourist industry recover much of the ground it lost during the Covid pandemic.

The government predicted as many as five million Chinese tourist arrivals by the end of the year - still less than half the nearly 11 million who came in 2019. But a big improvement on last year, when there were only 270,000.

That rosy scenario has turned out to be far too optimistic. Fewer than 2.5 million came in the first nine months of 2023.

lots more here  bbc.com

[Pompui]

Good. Concentrate on the people that have been propping up your country for the past 50 years, instead of grabbing money off of get rich quick but been there done that travellers. I see they are targeting Indians and Taiwanese with a no visa policy. scraping the bottom of the barrel there.

[jungle]

Tiggs  I wonder if the failure of Chinese tourists is that much of a financial loss
Chinese have always traveled in organized tour groups and
 Before Covid there were daily cases of zero dollars Chinese tourism being exposed
Where Chinese business operators clandestinely owned the likes of  Thai bus companies ,restaurants ,hotel and tour boats  etc ,using locals as front men .Covid would have cleaned most of them out for now I guess maybe that can explain the slow return ?

[Tiggs]

Pompui, I see they are targeting Indians and Taiwanese. they will target anything or anyone if they can see a few dollars more and their bread n butter long time expats, who have contributed over the years, with their monthly pension, keeping families, buying houses, cars ect. i get the impression who cares.

jungle, I wonder if the failure of Chinese tourists is that much of a financial loss. take a look at this clip from a year ago, 76 garage they were buzzing and now the above post, going down hill wouldn't you say.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFnzmXId58o" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFnzmXId58o</a>

[Tiggs]

interesting video from a couple of months back. China: Is the economy in serious trouble? if this is true than it's the answer or part of why the tourists are not coming. they have no money.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxJtzhXHkwg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxJtzhXHkwg</a>

[Tiggs]

A link on thaipbsworld.com  “There is nothing like that at all.”
Blockbuster movie scares Chinese tourists away from Thailand
For millions of Chinese tourists, Thailand used to be a happy land of water fights, lantern festivals and delicious food.

But thanks to social media rumours and a blockbuster movie, the kingdom’s image among many Chinese people is now one of dangerous illegality and seedy scam border compounds — leaving visitor numbers plummeting.

Thailand is hugely reliant on tourism, particularly from China. The country welcomed more than 10 million Chinese visitors each year before the Covid-19 pandemic — numbers Bangkok is desperate to see return.

But its struggling holiday industry has been hit by viral social media rumours claiming that tourists might be kidnapped and sent across the border to work in brutal scamming compounds in Myanmar or Cambodia.

Chinese tourist Jia Xueqiong spent a week in Thailand with her husband and daughter, despite her parents’ disapproval.

“They felt it was not safe here, and tried to persuade us not to come,” the 44-year-old nurse told AFP outside Bangkok’s unusually quiet Grand Palace.

“All my friends said ‘You go first to explore, if it’s ok we will follow’,” she said.
More here thaipbsworld.com

[Tiggs]

sounds like a set up scam or whatever, no wonder tourists maybe thin on the ground, but 4200 bar fine, ott that's for sure, and who knows soi6 he might end up with another dik.

Chinese tourist attacked over claim of stealing bar girl’s money
A CHINESE man holidaying in Pattaya was assaulted early this morning (Nov. 10) by two Thai men dressed as guards who accused him of stealing money from a bar girl he was taking to his hotel room, TV Channel 7 said.

At 2.30 a.m. the unidentified 34-year-old tourist walked into Pattaya City police station with a bruised face and cut lips then filed a complaint with Pol. Capt.  Nares Phumsuk, a deputy inspector there, saying that he had been assaulted by two Thai men in front of a hotel at the entrance of Soi 3, Pattaya Sai Song road.

Pol. Lt. Nares quickly sent a patrol team to investigate and they were told by a hotel security guard that the tourist and the Thai woman were standing in front of the hotel when suddenly two men wearing black vests showed up and accused him of stealing 15,000 baht from the woman. They then punched him in the face and slapped him four to five times before quickly riding off.

The tourist told police through a translation application that he had gone to a beer bar in Soi 6 and paid a 4,200 baht bar fine to take the woman to his hotel.

Upon arriving there she made a phone call and spoke in Thai, which he could not follow, after which the two men showed up and attacked him before riding off on their motorcycle.

Pol. Lt. Nares recorded the complaint with the investigators to go through surveillance camera clips to verify the incident then track down the perpetrators.
thainewsroom.com

[Tiggs]

What do you believe  - Chinese tourists not coming or surge in visitors from China as ✈

Thai Airways reports profitable Q4, driven by Chinese visitor surge
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced a profitable fourth quarter, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of profits, underpinned by a steady recovery in passenger numbers amid the Covid-19 era. The growth has been particularly driven by a surge in visitors from China.

Thai Airways recorded a net income of 1.54 billion baht (US$43 million) for the quarter ending in September, marking a significant turnaround from the loss of 4.79 billion baht experienced during the same period last year, according to their recent exchange filing.

The data reveals that passenger numbers have risen to 3.27 million, an increase of 22% from last year’s corresponding quarter. This period was when Thailand had just begun to lift Covid-related travel restrictions. Notably, despite the low tourist season, the influx of visitors from China saw an impressive 13% increase from the last quarter, reaching 1.05 million.

As a result of the resurgence in global travel and the easing of visa regulations in Thailand, THAI is planning an earlier-than-projected exit from court-supervised debt restructuring by the end of next year. The airline, which reported annual losses for all but two years since 2013 and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020, has seen most creditors agree to extend terms and reduce some interest repayments as part of a rehabilitation scheme.

full article thethaiger.com

[Tiggs]

has this country lost its magic are there much better alternatives out there. are people going elsewhere or just don't have the money to go anywhere. to many people rely on tourism for a living. an where's the cheap charlies.

Koh Kut falls victim to slump in vacationers
Trat: The number of tourists from European countries visiting Koh Kut district fell by 50% this year, according to the chairman of tambon Koh Kut administrative organisation.

Dechathon Chan-ob, the TAO chairman and operator of a resort on the island, said about 160,000-170,000 tourists visited Koh Kut district last year, generating hundreds of millions of baht in revenue.

The district is home to the beautiful islands of Koh Kut and Koh Mak.

Almost 100,000 tourists visited Koh Kut this year, which was the highest since the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, adding the return of tourists was in part due to the easing of travel from the mainland to the island.

However, the number of foreign visitors especially from Europe dropped by 50% this year and despite the usual uptick in activity during October, the sector remained sluggish.

"Usually foreign tourists visit the island in large numbers in October and November, but business is slow, looking at the numbers reported by restaurants, car and motorcycle rental services," he said.

Mr Dechathon said the likely factors were the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the shooting at a Bangkok shopping mall last month and the Hamas-Israel violence which seems to be escalating.

He said that during the cold season, most tourists visiting Trat are foreigners while Thais head to the northern region, but added that he hoped to see an uptick in domestic visitors in December when the temperature rises.

The TAO chairman urged the Srettha government to launch tourism promotion schemes similar to those implemented by the Prayut administration, adding the visa exemption policy might not be enough to draw foreign tourists.

Non Suwatnanon, chairman of Koh Mak TAO, said the number of visitors at Koh Mak rose by 20% this year after the island received two awards.

Koh Mak recently won recognition from the Green Destinations Foundation and its partners as being among their Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories 2022.

The island won second place in the category of Governance, Reset & Recovery behind Normandy in France at the Green Destinations Story Awards held at ITB Berlin 2023 in Germany.
bangkokpost

[Tiggs]

Chinese police will join Thai police in tourist hotspots what a good idea, Chinese tourists will just love having Chinese police monitor them when on holiday. what about russian police oh! and don't forget the indians.

Mixed Messages on Chinese Police Assisting Thai Police, No Patrols, Only Info Sharing
 In an unusual move, Chinese police will join Thai police in tourist hotspots to patrol in the near future to boost tourist confidence, said the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. However, a later statement by a spokesman to the Prime Minister denied any patrolling would take place and only that the two forces would share information.

The announcement was first made today, Sunday November 13th, 2023, by Thapanee Kiatphaibool, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It followed a meeting with the Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport earlier today.

According to Thapanee, a meeting with the Chinese embassy would take place on Tuesday, November 15th, and top Thai police, tourist police, and Central Intelligence Bureau officers would attend to hammer out the specifics of the plan. The exact locations where Chinese police would patrol were not yet released but would be areas Chinese tourists gather in large numbers, said Thapanee. TPN media notes that places like Pattaya and Phuket would almost certainly be on the list.

Thapanee stated that the unusual move was a must to restore the confidence of Chinese tourists in their safety in Thailand, damaged by several factors over the past several months including a major mall mass shooting where a Chinese tourist was one of the fatalities. Additionally, a popular movie in China, No More Bets, in which Chinese nationals are conned into going overseas for legitimate jobs in Southeast Asia and then forced to work in illegal online gambling under horrible conditions by human traffickers, damaged tourism severely as well.

Thapanee added that this program isn’t unheard of or a first globally, with China and Italian police previously having a similar program that has since ended. The program was not without its criticism, notes TPN, but ran for multiple years.

Thapanee concluded by saying having Chinese police patrol with Thai police will make not only Chinese tourists feel safer but also tourists from many other countries, who, according to him, trust the Chinese police system.

The announcement has led to furious discussion and debate, much of it negative, online, notes TPN. In fact, it led to a late statement from Chai Watcharong, spokesman for the Thai PM, who said the two forces would only share information, especially involving Chinese criminals, but not have Chinese police actively patrol.
thepattayanews.com

[jungle]

Tiggs this is Bizarre to say the least
What are they thinking
As for your exstapulatqion leading to Russian police 55555
  Jezz could you imagine the reaction from Russia long term stayers to a Russian police presence
“Hello here’s  your mobilization papers” :0/

[Tiggs]

Tiggs this is Bizarre to say the least
What are they thinking
As for your exstapulatqion leading to Russian police 55555
  Jezz could you imagine the reaction from Russia long term stayers to a Russian police presence
“Hello here’s  your mobilization papers” :0/

yes! russians nice one jungle good to see your updated with the latest news.
they want there bread and butter back

Govt defends RTP proposal for Chinese police to work here
They would not patrol with Thai police, says spokesman
The RTP said they had found Chinese tourists were afraid they could be targeted for attack by Chinese criminals while visiting Thailand. The RTP was of the opinion the presence of Chinese police in Thailand would give them more confidence that they would be safe while in Thailand.

Police representatives suggested the best way to cope with Chinese criminals was for Chinese police to be invited to come and work alongside Thai police. They could provide Thai police with information to enable effective operations against Chinese criminals, and prevent them destroying tourists' confidence, Mr Chai said.
bangkokpost

[Tiggs]

No Chinese cops on Thai streets, says police chief
National police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol has denied that Thai police have sought Chinese counterparts' patrols in the country, saying that would raise security issues.

Pol Gen Torsak voiced his stance on Monday in response to earlier reports that authorities planned to invite Chinese police to patrol in popular tourist areas to boost confidence among Chinese visitors who formed a major source of tourism-related income.

The national police chief said the Royal Thai Police Office did not make the proposal and he thought there was a misunderstanding on the issue.

He said he disagreed with the idea of inviting Chinese police to take care of Chinese tourists in Thailand, saying that would breach Thai sovereignty. The Royal Thai Police were already able to protect both residents and visitors, he said.

Pol Gen Torsak said he was aware that Chinese police officers had been deployed in Italy, where there were communication problems. "But there is no such problem in Thailand," he said.

The police chief said relevant officials had discussed a coordination centre where Thai and Chinese officials could jointly handle criminal issues concerning China.

"It is necessary to exchange information about culprits and crimes. The coordination is continuing,"  Pol Gen Torsak said. "Officials were assigned for the coordination and usually they are Chinese police officers who supervise the Chinese embassy in Thailand."

According to earlier reports, the idea to invite Chinese police to jointly conduct patrols with Thai counterparts in tourist destinations was raised during a meeting of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin with representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Immigration Police and Tourism Police.

The prime minister chaired the meeting at Suvarnabhumi airport on Sunday before he left for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in San Francisco.

Officials discussed the idea because it was implemented in Italy. They expected the idea to help promote Thailand as a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
bangkokpost

[Tiggs]

Little impact from extending stays
Extending the length of stay for all markets enjoying visa exemptions may not create much impact except for long-haul markets, while the government might have to hike costs to look after foreign tourists, say hoteliers.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) proposed extending the length of stay for 56 nationalities eligible for 30-day stays.

The proposal follows a government initiative to allow Russians to stay up to 90 days until April, along with a temporary visa-waiver for citizens of China, Kazakhstan, India and Taiwan.

Suksit Suvunditkul, president of the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said the extension will attract long-haul tourists from Europe to stay longer than two weeks during winter, which is the high season for these markets.

Mr Suksit said tourists may plan to visit more provinces during their trip, hopping from Phuket to Krabi and Phangnga by spending a week in each.

He said hotels may not see a significant increase in room nights as tourists are expected to roam around different destinations, while some might even choose apartments and condos instead of hotels.

Mr Suksit said the scheme might not be able to lure short-haul markets, such as China or Southeast Asia, as they normally travel for a few days but with many trips per year.

Chairat Rattanopas, president of the Eastern Spa and Wellness Association, said even though the scheme would increase tourism spending, tourists might eventually have to squeeze their daily budget to stay longer.

He said the scheme might benefit remote workers or businessmen rather than leisure tourists.

Moreover, the issue is how the government would balance the income with costs incurred from tourists' consumption as they don't pay other taxes apart from VAT, which is included in food or accommodation fees, said Mr Chairat.

For instance, using power resources at the subsidised price that the government provides to locals.

He said the government should start collecting a tourist tax, since the mechanism could be allocated to other developments in the country.

Given the government targets 2.5 trillion baht tourism revenue from foreign markets, Mr Suksit said the goal is challenging amid global economic uncertainty and wars.

He said the government should rather prioritise enhancing tourism safety and boosting flight capacity.

To drive more revenue, Mr Chairat said the government should lure high quality tourists by promoting wellness and local community tourism, which have been trending after the pandemic.
bangkokpost

[Tiggs]

Thailand's Immigration Launches Automated Passport Control
 On November 14th, Police Lieutenant General Chengron Rimphadee, head of Immigration Bureau 2, discussed the progress in developing the Automated Channel at Suvarnabhumi Airport, reported dailynews.co.th

This initiative aims to alleviate congestion at departure gates, allowing passengers to board their flights more efficiently. Additionally, it involves the use of technology for outbound passenger checks, freeing up immigration staff to focus more on inbound checks. This move aligns with the government's policy to enhance tourism convenience.
source
pic@Daily News

[Coolkorat]

I've never had much of a wait at Swampy, coming or going. Must be pure luck I guess!

[Tiggs]

I've never had much of a wait at Swampy, coming or going. Must be pure luck I guess!

Hi CK. i wouldn't know, last time out of th was 2008
if the flights come in together i suppose it can get a bit conjested ✈︎

Automatic processing for outbound foreigners from next month
bangkokpost.com

[Tiggs]

TAT expects up to 3.5m Chinese tourists, below target
Thailand expects 3.4 million to 3.5 million visitors from China this year, below its target, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on Friday, despite rolling out a visa-free programme to attract Chinese tourists.

About 3.01 million Chinese tourists have visited the country so far in 2023, it said. China has been a key source market for Thailand's vital tourism industry, with 11 million Chinese visitors in pre-coronavirus-pandemic in 2019, accounting for more than a quarter of all arrivals that year.

"China's slowing economy makes people worry about spending on tourism," Chattan Kunjara na Ayudhya, TAT deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific, told a briefing.
full article bangkokpost.com

[Tiggs]

That's just one more reason, who'd want to go on holiday with sick kids. let's hope this is not serious as the gates are open to most.

WHO says no novel pathogen behind respiratory illness surge in China
China called for vigilance on Friday as a surge of respiratory illness hit schools and hospitals and the World Health Organization, which has asked the government for disease data, said no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected.
full article  bangkokpost.com

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94GAN1ysAv8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94GAN1ysAv8</a>

[Tiggs]

Call for new strategy to entice Chinese visitors
Flights still slow to resume

Thailand needs to rejig its tourism strategy to reboot the Chinese market as arrivals from the mainland this year are projected to reach only 26.8% of the 2019 level, says a former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Yuthasak Supasorn, a former TAT governor, said the government should focus on negotiating with China to allow more flights and slots for Thai airlines on a fair and equal basis with Chinese airlines.

This will increase the recovery rate and maintain appropriate airfares amid an economic slowdown, he said.

For the cool season, from October 2023 until March 2024, flights between Thailand and China have recovered by 24.3%, with 16,330 flights compared with 67,062 flights in 2019.

As of Nov 20, Chinese arrivals tallied 2.98 million this year, recovering by 26.8% of the 2019 level.

full article bangkokpost.com