Thailand tourism situation

[Dannie Boy]

I think that pretty much sums it up as it is - Thailand is definitely at the crossroads and it’s next moves will determine whether it can recover its attraction for tourists or whether its game over!!

[Big Boy]

I agree 100% with the article, and it all comes down to something I've said for many years. Thailand always wants something for nothing. If they can sell $100 rooms for $300 , that is $200 for nothing - a very satisfied Thai. However, it does nothing for the country's image, and absolutely nothing to help the poverty ridden population.

Mind you, you have to wonder who is daft enough to pay $300 for a $200 room. I've done a lot of internal travelling in the last few years, but I avoid places where inflated prices exist. My last stay in Suphanburi cost about 800฿ a night. I'd hate to even consider what that hotel would have cost me in Bangkok or Hua Hin - probably at least 5 times more.

Short term thinking. If they lose the tourists, they won't have the cash to realise the rehabilitation goals.

It's just the rich getting richer, and to Hell with the rest. A definite case of I'm alright Jack.

[buksida]

Ministry pledges to address foreign tourists’ complaints
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has pledged to address concerns raised by foreign tourists, including rampant dual pricing, following a recent outpouring of complaints on social media.

Minister Sorawong Thienthong made the pledge after a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue with tourism industry executives and representatives of various agencies.

The meeting was prompted by a social media article titled “Where Have Foreign Tourists Gone?” published on April 24. The article compiled and translated into Thai the views of foreign tourists and expatriates in response to a story that originated in the Bangkok Post.

The news story, “Thailand faces lower tourist numbers”, was also published on April 22 on the Facebook page of Bangkok Post Learning, where it drew more than 1,800 comments about a variety of issues.

The views highlighted concerns about safety, assault, overcharging, threats from transnational criminal groups in tourist areas, and extortion — factors that may be contributing to the decline in international arrivals to Thailand.

Mr Sorawong said that every case involving foreign tourists will now be reported directly from the police to him.

Tourists can submit requests for assistance via the Thailand Tourist Police application, and a tourist assistance centre has been established in every province to support visitors.

Responding to complaints about expensive accommodation, he said that this is often due to seasonal price adjustments, while the rise in airfares is a global issue that has been caused by a shortage of aircraft.

The ministry has pledged to address tourism scams and ensure fair prices for both Thai and foreign tourists, which means the dual pricing system will be eliminated, said Mr Sorawong.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... complaints

[Big Boy]

Said it, but unlikely anybody will listen.

[STEVE G]

Considering how many countries now have people protesting about having too many tourists, perhaps the downturn in Thailand isn’t such a bad thing.

[buksida]

Thailand has had things too good for too long in the land of greed ... time for change ...

Charm alone is not enough
Thailand's tourism industry, long regarded as one of the kingdom's economic crown jewels, is showing signs of severe fatigue.

The recent drop in international tourist arrivals -- especially during peak periods like Songkran -- should not be seen as a seasonal dip, but a red flag for policymakers, tourism authorities and sector stakeholders.

Feedback from tourists -- widely shared after a Bangkok Post Learning discussion went viral -- suggests Thailand may no longer offer the value-for-money reputation it once enjoyed. Thailand's rich cultural heritage, world-class cuisine and natural beauty can no longer guarantee our visitors enchanting experiences.

Their frustrations are valid. Many tourists are discouraged by inflated or dual-pricing, outdated visa procedures and the unchecked proliferation of cannabis use in public spaces.

Foreign travellers are reported to be paying two to three times more for accommodation than they were just five years ago.

Some reports tell of rip-offs at restaurants in tourist areas where a basic dinner for two can exceed 7,000 baht -- rivalling prices in Western capitals. Airfares have also surged, with flights from Europe or the US often costing triple pre-pandemic rates. Even Thai citizens increasingly feel priced out of their own country's tourist hotspots.

From littered beaches and broken sidewalks to overcrowded landmarks and rising safety concerns, poor infrastructure and weak regulation sour visitors' experience. Thailand is losing its charms. While policymakers and supporters revel in the liberalisation of cannabis, the policy has alienated family travellers. Some tourists have even cited the pervasive smell of marijuana as a reason they may think twice about a return visit.

Thailand's visa system only makes things worse, and the recent reduction from 60 to 30 days goes against the goal of encouraging longer visits.

Worse still is the perception of discrimination, particularly the two-tier pricing system, where foreigners pay much more than locals for everything from national parks to taxis.

Meanwhile, regional competitors are seizing the opportunity to make gains. Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and the Philippines are gaining ground with competitive pricing, cleaner infrastructure and more.

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/travel/genera ... r-AA1EaOe3

Tourism officials wary of Vietnam
Tourism operators fear Thailand will lose its position as the top Southeast Asian destination to Vietnam in a few years as the latter reported nearly 50% inbound market growth in March compared with the pre-pandemic period, while Thailand struggles with sluggish growth.

Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, president of the Association of Chon Buri Tourism Federation, said it may take only 2-3 years for Vietnam to gain more inbound tourists than Thailand.

For this year, Vietnam set a goal for 23 million foreign arrivals, while Thailand's Finance Ministry slashed its international arrivals forecast from 38.5 million to 36.5 million.

Thailand recorded 2.7 million tourists in March, down 20% from the 2019 level, while Vietnam tallied more than 2 million tourists in the same month, up by 40% from 2019.

Mr Thanet said Vietnam offers lower living costs than Thailand. Family-oriented resorts and theme parks are also newer and cheaper than similar products in Thailand, while all-inclusive packages at Vietnam hotels are half the price of those in Thailand, he said.

Vietnam supports foreign travel agents, such as those from Russia, by subsidising air travel and offering lower landing fees at airports, said Mr Thanet. This caused agents to shift their tours to cities like Nha Trang from Phuket this summer season, he said.

Mr Thanet said foreign travel agents told him many airports in large Vietnamese cities are designed as international airports, enabling them to easily offer new overseas flight routes. The airports are located a 30-45 minute trip by car from tourist areas.

By contrast, if tourists want to go to Hua Hin or Kanchanaburi, they must spend more than three hours travelling by vehicle from airports in Bangkok.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... of-vietnam

[Big Boy]

Fotunately, get yourself into non-tourist Thailand, and prices remain fairly low, the pink ID Card still has some credibility, and I even received Senior Citizen benefits in Mukdahan. My last 2 hotels have been top class, and I've paid under 1,000฿ for 2 people, including breakfast. Thankfully, I've done most of the touristy bits that I want to do, and when I travel, it is usually to real Thailand.

Even the likes of Grab taxis are cheaper away from tourist Thailand. My journey from Nakhon Pathom Railway Station to Nakhon Pathom Football Station last week was quite a distance - 84฿ each way. I had similar prices in Ratchaburi the week before.

The attractions in real Thailand tend to be more genuine as well, not the plastic attractions that seem to be popping up in tourist hot spots at Western prices. Certainly, life in Hua Hin is a rip off. However, I moved here with eyes open, and knew life in Hua Hin would be at a premium.

[buksida]

Agree, outside of the tourist traps, prices remain low, but you have to live like a local (third-class trains, street food, beer from the shop, 2-star hotels, etc.) ... camping is even cheaper!

We also travel this way because we live here, but most two-week holidaymakers don't want that when they come here, they want to be pampered, and they're paying a premium for it and getting fleeced at every opportunity. Other countries such as Vietnam and the Phillys offer way more for much less now, and Thailand will lose out if it keeps taking and not giving back ... Monte Carlo it ain't!

[Dannie Boy]

Have to agree - for expats who’ve lived here a few years, we know how to live relatively cheaply, but tourists don’t and don’t want to spend 2-3 weeks searching out bargains, they want to feel that they’re getting value for money just doing touristy things. As Buks has said, those countries that are offering this will attract Thailand's tourists and once gone, getting them back will be a very steep hill to climb.

[Big Boy]

Prices are crazy in touristy areas. I know in Bangkok last year when I went for the Royal Barge Procession, I think the room (nothing special) cost about 3,000฿ and a small bottle of beer, whereever we went in that area was priced at 280฿.

A couple of nights ago we went to the rooftop bar at the Hilton in Hua Hin to watch the sun set. That rushed us 200฿ for a small beer (we did get a complimentary bowl of nuts though ).

On our first night in Mukdahan, 2 of us ate a 2 course meal, which included 2 large bottles of Heineken at a local restaurant, and the bill was 420฿.

I doubt many tourists have even heard of Mukdahan, but it was the same food (minus Anthrax ), and same beer at Thai prices. Tourists have heard of, and go to places like Bangkok and Hua Hin, and are being fleeced, and beleive it is the norm for Thailand.

[buksida]

Indeed, but tourists don't go to Mukdahan or Nakhon Pathom because there is bugger all there. The Thai tourism industry is centered around these few hotspots, which are priced off the chart (as tourist traps are in most countries). It's pure greed IMO, they charge what they want because they can. A good kick up the arse from neighboring countries should give Thailand the wake up call it deserves but I very much doubt prices will ever come down here (unless the bullet-proof currency takes a hit).

[STEVE G]

.A couple of nights ago we went to the rooftop bar at the Hilton in Hua Hin to watch the sun set. That rushed us 200฿ for a small beer (we did get a complimentary bowl of nuts though ).

On our first night in Mukdahan, 2 of us ate a 2 course meal, which included 2 large bottles of Heineken at a local restaurant, and the bill was 420฿………

To put another perspective on that, beachfront property in Hua Hin costs something like a couple of million dollars a rai, probably even more for the Hilton’s location. I don’t know what the cost of land is in Mukdahan but it’s going to be relatively nothing in comparison.
To run a business in an area with very high property prices is going to be expensive, I know people running bars in central Luxembourg who have to charge a lot because they’re paying 20,000 euros a month in rent.

[Big Boy]

Comparing the likes of Mukdahan to Hua Hin, apart from a beach, what does Hua Hin have that Mukdahan does not have? A lot of extra bars and restaurants, but tourists are not going to visit more than about 1% of Hua Hin's bars and restaurants. More hotels, but IMHO the hotels I stayed at in Mukdahan or Suphanburi were as good as anything Hua Hin has to offer at a fraction of the price. Hua Hin has a few plastic attractions. Be sure, if the likes of Mukdahan suddenly became designated as a tourist hotspot, things like Farang food would soon start filtering through.

Personally, I think these 'Tourist Hotspots' are areas designated by the Government to herd foreigners into small areas, which then become legitimised dens of iniquity to rip tourists off.

[thecolonel]

Comparing the likes of Mukdahan to Hua Hin, apart from a beach, what does Hua Hin have that Mukdahan does not have? A lot of extra bars and restaurants, but tourists are not going to visit more than about 1% of Hua Hin's bars and restaurants. More hotels, but IMHO the hotels I stayed at in Mukdahan or Suphanburi were as good as anything Hua Hin has to offer at a fraction of the price. Hua Hin has a few plastic attractions. Be sure, if the likes of Mukdahan suddenly became designated as a tourist hotspot, things like Farang food would soon start filtering through.

Personally, I think these 'Tourist Hotspots' are areas designated by the Government to herd foreigners into small areas, which then become legitimised dens of iniquity to rip tourists off.

About 9 quality golf courses...

Sent from my 2412DPC0AG using Tapatalk

[Big Boy]

OK, just me, but I visit golf courses less than I visit beaches. I know people play golf whilst on holiday, but I'd guess your average 2 to 4 week tourist doesn't have time. We get quite a few visitors passing through, but only 2 ever play golf.

However you are 100% correct, Hua Hin does have a few golf courses.