Bangkok especially attractive for shopping
Despite the many cultural and religious attractions, shopping in the Thai capital is the main attraction Bangkok the most popular tourist destination in the world.
That says Kasean Wattanachaopisut, president of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance (TCTA). According to Wattanachaopisut, Chinese tourists in particular make an important contribution to this. It is added that the popularity of Bangkok as a tourist destination will not decrease any time soon, partly due to the relatively low prices and wide range. This year Thailand expects 3,3 million tourists from China.
Bangkok has displaced European London as the world's top tourist destination, according to a report by financial services firm Master Card. The Thai capital is expected to receive 15,98 million tourists this year, while London could count on 15,96 million visitors. That success is largely due to the broad shopping opportunities that the Thai capital has to offer. The Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok is the second most photographed location on Instagram, after Suvarnabhumi, the airport of the Thai capital.
Bangkok attracts large groups of Chinese tourists, among others, who also do not only come from the big cities, because interest in foreign travel is also increasing in smaller Chinese cities. About 83 million Chinese people travel abroad every year. Those tourists spent an amount of 102 billion dollars on foreign destinations last year. “A lot of that goes to retailers in Thailand,” says Kasean Wattanachaopisut. “On average, a Chinese tourist in Thailand spends $167 a day.”
“The Chinese are avid shoppers,” notes Wattanachaopisut. “Most Chinese tourists stay in Bangkok for about a week and spend $1.000 to $1.300. Branded products are bought in droves in duty-free shops and the Chinese are particularly popular with local luxury goods sellers. Moreover, compared to other regional destinations such as Singapore, the Thai capital is relatively cheap and almost everything is for sale.”
In 2012, 2,7 million Chinese visited the Thai kingdom. An increase of 12,51% from the 1,7 million Chinese visitors in 2011, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.