Tourism in Thailand: Lots of Chinese
Royal Cliff Hotel – Pattaya
According to the TAT 38 million foreign visitors are said to have visited Thailand in 2018. A neat row was drawn up, in which the Chinese people are over-represented.
The numbers:
- China: 10,6 million
- Malaysia: 4,1 million
- Laos/South Korea: 1,8 million
- Japan: 1,6 million
- Russians/Indians: 1,5 million
- Singapore: 1,3 million
- Vietnam: 1,1 million
- America: 1,1 million
If you add this list, you get the number mentioned tourists out to 23,1 million people. Of the 38 million people, 23,1 million have been named and 14.9 million people are apparently “other!”
Still a considerable number to think about. Are they representatives from Europe such as the English, Germans, Dutch and Belgians?
Another interesting thought is, are these only cross-border people and how long do they stay in Thailand. What is their residence status?
Pattaya
Pattaya
According to Ekkasit Ngamphichet, chairman of the tourism board in Pattaya, Pattaya would have been especially popular during the turn of the year thanks to all the shows and other events. The Chinese and Japanese more often come as individual tourists and no longer in groups. Pattaya scores well with tourists thanks to its new beach, music festival and international fireworks competitions.
Now Pattaya is already preparing for 2020 because the city will then celebrate its 60th anniversary. The “60th Anniversary Pattaya” is then one more reason to visit Pattaya.
Erkkasita tries to put Pattaya even more on the map with this promotional talk and, according to critics, ignores the problems. There is still a long way to go before this becomes a respectable, family-friendly resort. Or as someone remarked: "You can't make a racehorse out of an old draft horse!"
Been to Thailand for the past 3 months. I think the numbers are nonsense. Number of Chinese is exaggerated. Seems wishful thinking to me. Pattaya is also becoming quieter year by year. High season ended on January 2. Many entrepreneurs complain. Thousands of apartments not sold or rented.
I myself think that if you just look around you, the number of Chinese people is not exaggerated.
Whether you arrive at the airport, visit the big shows, everything is almost Chinese and completely sold out.
For example, Colosseum 3 performances with about 1800 visitors every evening and I am not talking about Alcazar and Tiffany where bus loads drive every evening. The park nooch garden 5 performances with about 2000 visitors full every day, Crocodile Park Pattaya bus loads full.
Even through streets like Soi 6, the guides come to walk through with a flag. When I do my lunch on the Beach Road you also see many Chinese returning from their Parasailing tour.
They even found the Bathbus. These are also packed with tourists, which was not the case before. No, unfortunately for us, but the number of Chinese, Russians and Koreans exceeds us many times over.
For them, the exchange rate of the Bath is not as bad as it is for us with the weak euro. Furthermore, this group of tourists has much more to spend than the average Western tourist.
Tiffany hasn't been open for a while due to renovations!
When I see the number of buses at Noon Nooch, they can't possibly do 5 performances x 2000 visitors = 10.000 people! transport.
You don't have to believe it from me either. But there are always 10 or 12 platforms in use where the buses pick up the participants for the rest of the tour. This of course also includes the floating market. I note that the first 2 performances are completely full. I will show them the third performance with my guests. It is also completely full. Approximately 1800 to 2000 spectators. If there are to be two more performances, a conservative estimate is 8000 visitors. The ladyboy show was also completely sold out for two performances. I think Thailand just attracts a different type of visitors.
Who do not come for the night market, because what is sold there is made in China. Nor do they come for the beer bars and the girls and boys. Just like with us, the tourists follow the guide across the ramparts (here walking street and soi 6)
When I arrive and see the queues at the Aseon immigration they are now longer than those for the foreigers.
When I hear people say that hotel occupancy is lower, who did they talk to, because the larger hotels have several buses every day.
The small hotels do not have any customers for these groups, because they are not suitable for them. Just like all those western restaurants.
I'm not right but open your eyes. The walking street is crowded, but you will not find groups with families in the gogos and bar. A different kind of tourist, who easily pays 1800 baht for a show entry. Which I never saw because I think it's too expensive. And think so much of us.
I am always amazed by the numbers from TAT, I am currently back in Pattaya where my girlfriend lives, and it seems to be getting quieter in this city even though it is high season now. Not only I see it, also when I talk to owners of catering establishments and the inhabitants of the city, this is confirmed. When I arrived at Bangkok airport 2 weeks ago, I was emigrated in less than 10 minutes, while the Chinese New Year would start the next day. An article I recently read was that Thailand was now going to focus on Tourists from India because, and that they would also spend more than the average Westerner, I don't take TAT's numbers really seriously anymore.
However, I got the impression that the Indians are not welcome customers of the nightlife districts because of their disrespectful behavior.
Would rather see them go than come. On the other hand, many “richer” Indians are partly responsible for the construction of new complexes in Jomtien South.
Did the TAT really investigate why people came to Pattaya – for that new beach?
Then it will be quiet again after the next rainy season, because then the beach will be in the sea again.
Expecting sand to remain on slippery plastic bags without being washed away when it rains is very optimistic.
Yes, those 'tourists' from Malaysia and Laos are just day trippers buying weed and condoms in Thailand.
Furthermore, those figures are worthless if you do not tell them how long they stay in Thailand on average. 1000 Chinese who stay 3 days on average is a lot (50%) calmer than 500 Chinese who stay 12 days in Thailand.
Living partly in Jomtien I notice the following.
The number of buses parked at the weekends on the second beach road is decreasing enormously.
My woman human worked at the tourist police. We talk regularly with former colleagues and also her boss. All state that it decreases every year and every season.
She also has friends who have a shop and or on the (night) market. They also complain that it is getting less and has been for a long time.
So where is the growth coming from?
It is also true that the Chinese on tour make little or no use of Thai hotels and other things such as restaurants and shops.
A large (eating) shed where around lunchtime often 8 to 10 buses are located somewhere near Sukhumvit 33 in pattaya north.
That will also play a part. Chinese eat and entertain Chinese
The Jomtien Garden Hotel is full every day with Chinese buses, where the trips of the Dutch travel agencies used to be brought.
Yes Chinese people everywhere speak only Chinese in common and no English, so depend on tour groups. Although I also spoke some Chinese in the bath bus where the man spoke English and asked me how it worked with the bath bus. Because last time he had only paid 200 baht and now he saw that they only paid 10 baht per person. I explained to him that because he gave an address, the bathbus immediately became a taxi.
The Chinese also only eat Chinese and not the Chinese as we know it in the Netherlands, because that is Chinese adapted to us. Yes, and in many places there are large massage parlors, Big Eye, special shows, and souvenirs in the large complexes along highway 7, where you will find many buses. But what I already noticed: approximately 7000 to 8000 visitors every day at the ladyboy show and around 9000 visitors every day in Noogh Park, these are not numbers that you can overlook.
But yes, the Walking Street, all Soi with beer bars or smaller hotels are of no use to that. (although I should note that also in Soi 12 of Pattaya Klang, often see a large number of suitcases coming through the street, after the hotels that the buses cannot reach.) and the night bazars have nothing to do with it. Because by then the Chinese will have long since returned to the hotel and, with the exception of a few, will not go out alone.
Now there are mainly Indians there again, because despite they are not so popular. They are present in large numbers and when I see the girls with their motor bikers standing against the entrance every evening at the hotels. Will certainly not be for nothing, otherwise they will certainly not be there every evening with 5 to 10 people.
Staying at Ao Nang Beach Krabi for the moment. Yet more Chinese than in previous years and young people always come without a guide with a flag. I think the hotels arrange things themselves using computers and also find the best places to eat. Sometimes you also see young people with wives and children and possibly also parents who come along, as some young people speak a little English. Sometimes only a few days stay in Thailand, perhaps due to not enough leave or the strong bath. They usually buy their own drinks in 7/11 or on the street (fruit shakes) and consume them in a restaurant with the ordered food. A few years ago I saw a Chinese family in Chiang Mai receive a comment from the boss in a restaurant that he was not allowed to consume the drinks he brought with him there.
Don't make a counting mistake, isn't it Laos 1,8 million and South Korea: 1,8 million
Russians 1,5 million and Indians: 1,5 million I don't think they count these groups together.
Also considering the load of Indians and Russians on buses. So that would mean that the number of others, including Europeans, would be another 3,3 million fewer. These figures could be correct, there are simply far fewer Europeans. Not surprising given the low euro exchange rate.
In addition, Thailand in the Netherlands is mainly equated with a sex tourist holiday. You only have to talk about Thailand in the family or circle of acquaintances, then that will come up first.
Most tourists do not see a small part of Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket and a trip to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, they do not see much more of Thailand. Traveling with the Fox - SNP is often only 1 or 2 coaches. While the many other buses are filled with Chinese and Russians.
I will have to go to the ophthalmologist because apparently I see double. I think there are a lot of people in Pattaya this year. The vans from Pattaya to Jomptien and back are full all day. then privately rented, especially by Asians. You do not see these on the beach. Very many Russians on the beach, but the part where we are only seen very genteel Russians who have a lot to digest, also at the beach sellers. Our block (2 Chairs ) is, sat, full every day. What I read here about the Indians, I can only agree that they are people you would rather not have near you. We are staying in the Arab district in South Pattaya and although I have no sympathy for I have to admit that I have seen most of these people almost daily that begging money was given. Along the Thapraya road it is full of parked buses. In the restaurants that we usually visit in the south, certainly no less people than in previous years. Twice visited Patrick around 4 am, always full. The bars in the area also have a lot of people. Never seen so many people in Nigt Bazaar opposite Festival on second road. I have the impression that it is busier than previous years, or am I seeing double?
The numbers are NOT tourists but 'tourist arrivals', ie the number of times a non-Thai crosses the border to enter Thailand. That applies to all visa runs, foreigners who cross the border for an evening to gamble in a casino, the Malaysians who come to the Thai side of the border for the nightlife, the Cambodians and Laotians who cross the border every day to enter Thailand. to come to work, etc etc….. And yes, the 'normal' tourists are also counted, at least once and if they also visit a neighboring country in addition to Thailand, they count double.
In short: absolutely not the same as tourists/holidaymakers…
Dear Chris, do you have a source for that? I believe you immediately, but when I discussed this with (Thai) friends, they immediately said that it would be too stupid if the TAT counts like that. They asked me for substantiation, which I could not find or give after searching around.
Become = words.
The indicator of tourist arrivals provides all data referring to arrivals and not to actual number of people travelling. One person visiting the same country several times during the year is counted each time as a new arrival. Likewise, the same person visiting several countries during the same trip is counted each time as a new arrival. (Definition of the WTO, the World Travel Organization)
In the Netherlands we count tourists and those are non-Dutch people who cross the border and stay AT LEAST 1 night, not with family and acquaintances.
Thank you Chris. I just assume that the TAT applies the WTO rules.
Dear Rob, take a look at the link below and in particular the document for meeting the tourism statistic... You can download this and then you will receive a lot of information about arrivals etc.
https://www.mots.go.th/allcont.php?cid=411
Thank you Ger, I know that site. I also shared that data with friends in a conversation that at the TAT the press releases are always positive and show increasingly better/growing figures. Year in and year out. These friends therefore criticized that it would be absurd for the TAT to equate tourist figures with border passages (entries) and asked me to quote where it was stated that the TAT publishes its tourist figures in this way.
I personally do not find anything strange about it, it is incorrect and incomplete, but the Dutch government does the same in other areas. For example, with migration, where people talk about completed forms (1st application, repeated applications, profession, family reunification, etc.) instead of people. Although with some digging you can find the real numbers there (number of people who applied for migration status).
I also addressed this in my posting, albeit not so explicitly.
The same problem also occurs with the number of road fatalities.(out of the topic)
Do only count the victims on the street or later also those who die as a result of a
traffic accident in the hospital!
We stayed on Koh Samet in mid-January. Many Asian tourists, including of course many Chinese. Our neighbors under the coconut trees on the beach were from Bangladesh and spoke perfect English. Around dinner time, dozens of large speedboats (2x200 hp outboard) arrived on the beaches packed with Chinese tourists. They immediately took over the pop-up restaurants on the low-water beaches. The same thing happens at breakfast the next morning. After dinner and breakfast we all go back on board and take a noisy boat ride back to Baan Phé.
Catering owners always complain, that's not news, the TAT assumes entry at the airport, they always talk in their favor who doesn't, you can't advertise your own country negatively, you have to live there to be able to judge whether it is quieter than before.
A strange reasoning!
All border crossings in Northern Thailand by Chinese do not count?