Stickman

[Faustian]

I don't think Stickman's losing readership in droves' date=' but more like the total opposite -- I think he's higher these days than he's ever been.

 

Doesn't bother me that he goes on the occassional rant against prostitution. What does bug me is if he just goes on and on about how bad business is in the bars these days and doesn't try at all to talk to someone other than bar owners and get a different angle on the scene or more customer-oriented (and interesting) stories. I mean, getting the bar owner perspective can be interesting now and then, but not as a rule, and esp not when it's all just about how bad business is sucking. BORING. Anyway, despite his opinion, he still puts plenty enough in the column to keep 'em coming back. Including me. [/quote']

 

This is a really good point and yeah, I am totally guilty as charged on this one. I take on board what you say and will try and look at why these things are happening.

 

The first piece in tomorrow's column concerns the Bank of Thailand's FTA number for December which was released yesterday - and shows a new record for foreign tourist arrivals...which I find kinda interesting.

 

Interesting, because I travelled over the place in December and January, from Pai to Phuket. I'd say it was substantially quieter this year than last. Never had problems getting a flight, hotels weren't full, neither were the planes! Odd then that they are reporting a record....

 

[Gadfly]

Tourism might be up from last year, but recall what happened last year. Tourism was way down last year because the airport debacle so even a so so year would be an improvement. It was a horrible year. Almost anything would have been better than last year.

 

Also, even if tourist arrivals remains steady or improvie slightly, the industry still suffers from over capacity. Look at all of the new hotels and resorts that are coming on-line by now. Further, a high level of education is not required to work in much of the tourism sector (particularly the BG sector); it's a great employer of the uneducated. It also provides tremendous opportunities for the modestly educated, which makes it quite popular. All of this means that Thailand needs much more than modest gains in tourism just to keep from going in reverse.

 

Bangkok is more diverse than it was before, and that is a good thing. It should be more than one big NEP, but, quite frankly, the scene is and will remain a major draw. The number of male arrivals still outnumbers female numbers by a significant margin - are they all businessmen?

 

And look ahead at what is expected for this year. Last week the Bangkok Post's main above the fold story was about a possible coup. Even if that doesn't happen (and I hope it doesn't), that sort of press is not good and the immediate future does look a bit shaky. What type of tourist is most likely to be deterred if things go sideways? If things remain claim here, I suspect we will slowly see more balance in tourism, but it will be slow and gradual. And who knows what the next few months will bring.

 

 

[Hugh_Hoy]

...Odd then that they are reporting a record....

 

Odd? Indeed. You don't suppose that "maybe" numbers are being "fudged" a tad, do you?

 

HH

(Disclaimer: my no means am I implying that a specific person, living or dead, is lying about tourist arrivals.)

 

[buffalo_bill]

And who knows what the next few months will bring.

 

 

Quality tourist BuBi on the 10th of February .

[buffalo_bill]

How about studying what makes some bars a success and others a total flop?

 

Though beeing a world record holder in eternal fidelity , I usually sneak into town 1 day before official arrival to do the bars . No boom boom , just seeking fun , conclusion :

 

Most bars bore to death , half asleep "dancers" and " youbuymedlink " make me fall asleep . The secret but simple formula is to find girls caring for customer , it is therefore that I usually visit a joint at Patpong II , called Strip Bar because the ladies are kind and sexy which is all I am looking for . The place should be a success though I don't know .

[USVirgin]

Odd? Indeed. You don't suppose that "maybe" numbers are being "fudged" a tad, do you?

 

HH

(Disclaimer: my no means am I implying that a specific person, living or dead, is lying about tourist arrivals.)

 

They're talking about 1.68 million tourist arrivals in December, 2009, which I also find a bit staggering. I suppose they could fudge the numbers a bit, but it's pretty hard data they're using (simple immigration forms, "Where you come from, where you go, how long you stay Thailand?") and I imagine the global business community would take deception seriously.

 

Having said that, at least in the 90s, we in the US didn't know where the hell people leaving our country were going to. As you know, there's no immigration process upon leaving the US. All the gummint knew was your citizenship and your immediate ports of embarkation/debarkation (in other words, if you were flying LAX-NRT-BKK, they only knew you departed LAX for NRT).

 

The landing cards completed by arriving foreigners weren't much informative either, so a govt. organization called the USTTA (at the time) put voluntary surveys aboard a select small sample of flights in order to extrapolate all the who, what, where, when and whys. Maybe you've been offered one on a flight. Seemed ridiculous to me at the time, since all other countries I'd visited got this information directly from the customs/immigration process.

 

I guess what I'm saying is...if Uncle Sam can't produce reliable tourism data, why should Thailand be expected to? (Although reporting legitimate tourist arrivals is something even we can do, but our motivation to skew the numbers isn't as great as Thailand's.)

 

Hope this made sense (it's late, I've had a few and I'm babbling).

 

http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/ifs/qamythbuster.html

[shygye]

In the USA, on return you list every country that you visited!

[USVirgin]

True, on the customs declaration form. For some reason, that data wasn't factored in to the DOT's reports (and still aren't, as far as I can tell).

[cavanami]

>They're talking about 1.68 million tourist arrivals in December, 2009, which I also find a bit staggering...

 

1.68M / 31 = 54, 193.5 tourists arriving everyday (average).

Say 250 passengers on one plane:

54193.5 / 250 = 216 flights a day.

 

If the airports is open and taking flights 18 hours a day:

218 / 18 = 12 flights an hour; one every five minutes.

 

The numbers sound bloated but TIT.

[Flashermac]

I'm sure they are counting total arrivals - including overland. This means everyone going on a visa run gets counted, as does every Lao crossing the border to go shopping in Udorn or Nongkhai (quite common), plus every Malaysian shopping in Songkhla or shagging in Sungai Kolok. The figure may even include transit passengers who simply arrive at Swampypoom, sit on the ground for an hour, then continue their flight somewhere else.