Hotels in Pattaya remain empty due to declining Chinese tourists
Hotel owners in Pattaya have asked the government to help them. They are watering their lips because 60 percent fewer Chinese have arrived in recent months.
President Suwat of the Pattaya Hotel Club says that between July and October the turnover of a lot hotels has fallen sharply. According to him, the situation is now more serious than in 2016 when the government acted against the zero-dollar tours.
The drop is partly due to the July boat disaster off the coast of Phuket in which 47 Chinese tourists drowned and a scuffle in September between a tourist and a security guard at Don Mueang airport.
To stimulate tourism from China, the government has scrapped the fee for a visa on arrival, but that is not enough, according to Suwat.
The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, which met on Thursday to discuss promotions, says Chinese tourists have lost confidence that Thailand can guarantee their safety.
Last year 14,6 million tourists visited Pattaya, the first nine months of this year 12,3 million. Tourism in the city relies mostly on Chinese, followed by tourists from Russia, South Korea, India and the Middle East.
Source: Bangkok Post
Something is not right with the mentioned numbers of tourists if there is a 60% decrease in Chinese tourists.
Last year 14.6 million tourists (all nationalities I assume) and 1st 9 months this year 12.3 million. Now you can't just continue the trend proportionally, but as a rule of thumb that would mean that roughly 16 million tourists can be expected this year.
If the Chinese are the lion's share and a 60% decline applies to them, then something is not right. Of course we all know that figures and calculation methods should be taken with a large grain of salt. This is a very large grain, in my opinion.
It depends on who comes with the visitor numbers.
If you want to make it a little more attractive, it will simply be published higher.
These figures are conjured out of a hat.
The fiddling with numbers becomes clear once again. The fact that the decline is serious can be seen from the fact that the government is scrapping a considerable source of income - paying visas on arrival for this target group for 2 months. I doubt whether this will compensate for the decline.
And if they don't come anyway, the income from visa on arrival will also decrease.
I've had a lot of complainers in my life. My first reaction is to do the math. Always a bit suspicious because business is also looking at where to get something. Complaining can help with that. I also did the calculation and I have quite a few doubts about the outcome. Hans already wrote it.
They should do something about their etiquette and stop complaining to the government….In the very tourist areas, the average provider of services is unbearable anymore…Unreliable, grumpy customer-unfriendly and often below par in quality…If the Thai don't realize that it's their fault, they won't come back soon those tourists. In other places it's also cheaper, and they're eager for new customers...Thailand is doing its best to scare people away if you let me asks…( has been looking at this for about 12 years now and see clear changes.over the years..and in a bad sense….perhaps understandable, but the customers don't care about that, what your internal problems are… ..
wake up…
That's good news. Are there immediately less of those old filthy soot buses that ruin the city with their black smoke and noise. By the way, I wonder what the Chinese are doing now in Pattaya? The beach is nothing and for those who do not go to the bars, Pattaya is just a busy city with nothing to see. There is not even a footpath.
Look guys, that's what they call Thai math!!
If 9 million Chinese arrived in Patt in 12,3 months, that means 12 million Chinese in Pattaya in 14,6 months, so exactly the same amount!! So a decrease of 0%.
And that's why they need a calculator at every store, hahaa
ps., we used to get mental arithmetic.
PEER, I've also had mental arithmetic and come to 16.4 million for 12 months.
Pear, you also have a Thai calculator?
I don't have one, but do the math: 12,3 per 9 months = 12,3 / 3 per 3 months = 4,1 per 3 months. 12,3 + 4,1 = 16,4 instead of 14,6. Ergo, even an increase in tourists. 😉
Yes guys, you are absolutely right, I got the '6' and '4' mixed up!
I was on my 2nd mojito, so that's the culprit of my negative math hahaaa
It is a fact that there are far fewer tourists than before. The fact that about half of Pattaya is for sale or rent is a result of this…
Pattaya has been running back for years. Too expensive, too dirty and the people are less friendly than before is something I often hear. I myself will keep it up for a while, but many acquaintances have now opted for Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Many soi in pattaya are empty and that is not because of departing Chinese but because of departing Europeans .
Pattaya has become well-known, large and prosperous (the latter, albeit for a limited group) due to, let's keep it civilized, the thriving nightlife. Started as a fishing village, discovered by the US army, made popular by a large number of Germans who 'occupied' Naklua.
But in all their wisdom, the Thai government decided that Pattaya should become a 'family' city. Despite mini beaches overcrowded by rats, the smoking ban on beaches, the beach being closed on certain days, etc. In addition, there is also the daily (evening) 'cleaning up' of the biggest tourist attraction, the ladies of Pattaya. In addition, the increasingly strict, expensive and impossible requirements by the fearful government (control, control. ) with regard to visa events and reporting obligations, all of this does not help, of course.
For many, there is also the realization that those in power came to power undemocratically (coup d'état). And not to forget the changed mentality of a large part of the Thai, money, money, money.
The latter is quite obvious, given the monopoly of only a few families in this market, driving up the prices of living. For example, Thai rice is better quality and cheaper at Lidl in NL than in Thailand.
Finally, the visa requirements of countries such as the Philippines for farangs. Are you married to a Pinay, free stamp in your pass with 1 !! year of residence permit. No reporting obligation. Very tempting to move.
Think that many more people should ignore Thailand first before they wake up here.
But given the prevailing mentality, little hope.
I myself regret this. Lived here for over 10 years and am now also thinking about looking for another place,
Finally, the visa requirements of countries such as the Philippines for farangs. Are you married to a Pinay, free stamp in your pass with 1 !! year of residence permit. No reporting obligation. Very tempting to move.
Do you have to be married to a Pinay, and then also enter the country together. otherwise it will not work.
the most beautiful country in the world for me in the Isaan but if you go after the tourist places you will come across another Thai who only smells bats and wants to help you get rid of it.
the people in the tourism industry should follow me on a course HOW DO I DEAL WITH MY CUSTOMERS.
they don't have to count double prices when I leave the hotel I always leave a big tip and every day I give 100 to 200 Baht to the girl who cleans our room..
customer friendliness is often hard to find, especially with the taxi drivers
if you have to pay 20 Bath and you give 50 or 100 Bath they often drive away in front of you.
not for those few baths but the principle comes into play.
that's why Bangkok and Pattaya have become a thing of the past for me and we go straight home instead of a few days at the beach.\
it is also nice to stay in Chang Ray and Udon and I think the people are a bit more customer-friendly
let the chinese teach them a lesson in the field of safety and customer friendliness and they will come back in large numbers to walk behind a flag in the walking street with 100 people
The best thing is to send the Dutch away from Thailand because, according to the government, the Chinese bring in more money. So don't complain now if that is suddenly not the case.
The Dutch were a trusted source of income, but many of them have now left for Cambodia, including myself.
I hope everything goes down there. Is not a grudge but a very big finger to the Thai government
14.6 million tourists in Pattaya…..
Only in Pattaya ....... (what is so worth seeing in Pattaya)
Disneyland, Fantasyland…..etc
Who has released these figures because I have been in Pattaya for the last 3 months and have seen very few tourists or many Indians.
Rara….how is that possible..
TonyM
Pattaya, there you can 'shoot a bullet' at certain times.
Well, the government doesn't care too much about the numbers.
Not only Pattaya, all of Thailand is emptying.
But the government doesn't mind, just annoying those foreigners. They have their own opinion and with such matters and democracy we can do nothing with that. Don't touch our wing.
In my opinion, Thailand is just a colony for a few rich Chinese/Thai families and people like that are not known for their social empathy.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm not sorry about the declining number of tourists in Pattaya. I can usually drive around town by car again without it taking hours. The unbridled building boom takes its toll and vacancy is the order of the day. Not that there is any learning from that, because it goes on and on. I have no pity for the big hotel owners, they will make their living. The small heart-working Thai entrepreneurs are having a harder time than before. The cost of living has also risen as have land prices. The amounts asked for a tiny apartment by the sea are disproportionate. You can easily pay 2 to 3 million baht for a booth where you can't turn your back. No wonder that less is invested by the average jan modal. The mentality of a group of Thai people in the tourist world is hard to find. Safety is not a top priority for that group and we see the accidents and tragedies on the news too often. The government can only partially do something about this. But many Thais do not like rules and usually flout them. However, it is time for the quality of life and safety, that there are rules that make sense and are complied with, with supervision by the authorities. Now people just do something and if that is not done carefully, it will have negative consequences. It is good to see that the sex business is declining, because there is still a lot wrong with it, which we should not close our eyes to, but which is tolerated, often out of self-interest and in favor of a certain target group of tourists.
14.000.000 tourists per year divided by 365 is 38300 tourists per day. If you put 100 in a bus, you should see 383 buses a day here. I suspect that a maximum of 2000 from China arrive or depart here per day. These are almost 50 speedboats of 30 tourists… and 510 Which are not sailing… sorry for this primitive message from the beach of Pattaya as my mobile suddenly shows the Thai language and I don't know how to change it…
Sitting here on the beach from 9 o'clock this morning to 1 o'clock this afternoon and have not yet seen 7 Chinese buses pass by. And if you can prove that there are more than 30 groups of 30 Chinese people walking down Walking Street: congratulations and hopefully it's not too much of singa. And for the vinegar pisser: the beach is almost completely finished and at least 30 to 40 meters wide. Friendly people if you smile yourself, that's the way it is everywhere? Also in my 3 star hotel very friendly people! If you can imagine yourself a little in the life of these Thai people, you will experience a much more pleasant holiday! Correction here two more buses just passed by but I don't know if they are really Chinese who are in them… I stick to 3 and 4000 Chinese a day – Even if greatly underestimated – seems impossible to me to even reach 1 million a year come.
If tourism is doing well, ie an increase in numbers and spending, you will not hear from the entrepreneurs. Their bank accounts are filling up and every government measure to regulate business (or also to get a piece of it, for example through extra taxes) is seen as 'entrepreneur bullying'.
Now things are not going so well and now all of a sudden the government has to help. That would make sense if the government is the cause of the problems, but that is not the case in Pattaya. The Chinese (and other tourists) stay away for reasons that have everything to do with the behavior of companies, entrepreneurs and their employees. It would be to the credit of entrepreneurs if they:
1. realize that doing business involves a certain degree of risk;
2. look in the mirror and let their colleagues take a look and come up with a joint strategy to improve the image of Pattaya and also take internal measures if fellow entrepreneurs do not comply with the agreements.
I would say first get your own shop in order and then knock on the door of the government if that is still necessary. I think it is clear that the tourism product Pattaya is over the top and can only slide down if no real changes are made. By this time, the savvy and wealthy entrepreneurs have long left the sinking ship Pattaya.
Here in Siem Reap you almost trip over the Chinese nowadays and Sihanouksville has become a Chinese city.
Hallo,
This is very good for domestic tourists.
Places to stay in Pattaya are becoming affordable. Remember that average wage is around 300 bht per day.
Now Thai tourists from all over the country can enjoy this development. BRAVO.