Thai tourism industry is hit hard
Thailand tourism in trouble
Thailand pays a high price for the country's political turmoil. The tourism sector will have to write off 100 billion baht in lost revenue this year.
Thailand still hopes for 12 million tourists
The number of tourists who will visit Thailand has been revised downwards. Thailand hopes to reach a total of 12 million tourists this year. Earlier estimates assumed between 12,7 and 14.1 million foreign guests.
Arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport fell sharply
The decline is particularly noticeable at the national airport just outside Bangkok. Only 20.000 tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport every day, normally there are 30.000.
Thai tourism companies are going bankrupt
Many companies that make a living from tourism can no longer keep their heads above water and go bankrupt. Kongkrit Hiranyakit, the chairman of Thailand's Tourism Board, said that the political violence has not only deterred foreign tourists, but also dealt a blow to domestic tourism.
Thailand's tourism was still recovering from the occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport in late November 2008 by the Yellowshirts
In 2009, Thailand attracted 14,1 million foreigners travelers, down 3% from 4,6 million in 2008.
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It is a continuing fairy tale that domestic unrest, it seems, is the only cause of the reduction in the tourist flow.
Undoubtedly, the political squabbles play a role, but don't forget the international financial crisis, which causes many "farang", the most per capita spending tourist in Thailand, to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.
Or, and that is a nice one, it has been discovered that Thailand is by no means (anymore) the "promised" country for tourists.
Corruption, scams, cheating, farang prices, cheating and money grabbing, to name but a few, are also responsible for the diminished wanderlust to the land of smiles.
Or is it perhaps the land of grimaces, or even the land of grins?
Unfortunately, like many, the Thai often suffers from short term thinking, after all 1000 baht in hand is better than 250 baht every month.
Add to this the ability of many Thais to manage to shoot themselves in two feet at the same time, the infinite number of tourists falling from balconies, and the attitude of various officials to treat expats and tourists like troublesome lice, the picture of the reduced tourist flow more clearly.
It is a pity that this reduction mainly means that the financially less well off are the biggest victims.