Is the demo affecting tourism....you bet it is

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Returning on a Thai airways flight from Beijing last night I have never been on a flight that was so under occupancy.

The Chinese are running scared.

The capacity of the 747-400 is around 375 and only had around 85 seats taken.

Bearing in mind I flew the same route, same airline and same time in August and I only saw one seat unused.

It was not a case of pick your seat you could have picked your row.

The aft section of the plane was completely empty.

I read that Thai had just lost around 6 billion baht in revenue for the few preceding months and so this is not good news for the National Airline.

I like to fly Thai due to the air crew’s relaxed approach and the smaller ladies are generally more attractive and friendly.

If the demo continues after the holiday how many more besides the Chinese will be changing their travel plans.

It looks bad news for the tourism industry.

 

Pick your row.

 

I wish immigration was like this all the time.

 

Thought I was home and dry......then.

[ZARIS 20]

Thats the thing about placing your bets relying on chinese tourism. Its one in all in, one out- all out.They move en masse. Once they feel a place is too dangerous to go it may prove very difficult to re capture them in the short term.

 

i know a chinese girl here who was very keen to travel to Eygpt.However in light of the violence issues she has canned that idea.I asked her when she may go after the trouble concludes. Her response- "maybe 10 years later, but probably never."

[CheshireTom 1,377]

China has recently passed a new tourism law which has had a huge impact on the take-up of certain package tours. That has also been an issue for the last couple of months.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2013 by CheshireTom

[steamer 158]

I've always thought that the airlines were more flexible than this. Why fly a 400 seater that's empty? Cancel the flight or use/rent another aircraft. And why was your baggage delayed? Might it have been the Swampy authorities reducing staff?

[bigmick 839]

If only Russia would follow suit

 

China has recently passed a new tourism law which has had a huge impact on the take-up of certain package tours. That has also been an issue for the last couple of months.

 

china.jpg

[atlas2 4,329]

My son has an interesting perspective on the traits of Thailand's tourists.

 

He looks kindly upon the many Arabs at the go-kart track. They are crazy and dangerous but generally without malice. Russians are vindictive and sore losers, looking to take him out if they can. The Korean's and Chinese polite and slow…..very VERY slow.

 

Takes all sorts I suppose...

 

Some of the Russian women are sultry-slutty-hot……That's my perspective not his…….It's a perspective that brings me some solace …. makes up a little for their rudeness.

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

China has recently passed a new tourism law which has had a huge impact on the take-up of certain package tours. That has also been an issue for the last couple of months.

 

china.jpg

 

 

Fewer Chinese tourists! Who says there's no good news?

[MM 6,562]

 

 

Fewer Chinese tourists! Who says there's no good news?

 

From the looks of Walking Street, it doesn't appear that this drop has yet happened to Chinese tourism. They are still clogging the street and following the flags in the usual numbers.

[jacko 8,578]

There is also the litmus test at Nong Nooch too...... bloody hundreds of them when I was last there.

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

I like VP more than the Chinese.

[BigDUSA 71]

Without the Chinese and Russian tourists. Pattaya would soon turn into a ghost town.

[MM 6,562]

 

From the looks of Walking Street, it doesn't appear that this drop has yet happened to Chinese tourism. They are still clogging the street and following the flags in the usual numbers.

 

Okay, based on CT's information in the image, I looked around last night (11 pm or so) for Chinese tourists...I think they must have all gone to bed by then, because I didn't see any.

 

I'm going to look again and see if they are not up to their usual numbers.

 

Walking Street was still crowded. Lots of hot looking Slavic girls, some in groups, some with guys.

 

They act like they own the place.

 

I think perhaps they do.

[cbrib 354]

With the number of Chinese tourists that are visiting Pattaya these days they could drop 25% and you really wouldn't notice it . Plenty of them on Walking Street last night and no shortage of buses clogging up traffic

[steamer 158]

I know there's a billion of 'em but is there no end to their scams?

[MM 6,562]

I know there's a billion of 'em but is there no end to their scams?

 

I think these scams are done in concert with Thai tour operators.

[steamer 158]

I think these scams are done in concert with Thai tour operators.

True, but if the same thing happened to you who would you blame more, the Thai hotelier or the Chinese tour operator?

Edited December 6, 2013 by steamer

[papillon 695]

I think these scams are done in concert with Thai tour operators.

 

I think Harris Black is the orchestrator of these zero dollar tours.

[MM 6,562]

 

 

I think these scams are done in concert with Thai tour operators.

 

 

True, but if the same thing happened to you who would you blame more, the Thai hotelier or the Chinese tour operator?

 

I think it did. I went to China with a singles group ten years ago. The price for a ten day tour that went to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai was 1400 USD.

This included airfare, nice hotels, ground transportation (a tour bus), breakfast and dinner each day.

The thing was, we were taken to numerous places to buy goods, rugs, jewels, and assorted other crap we didn't want to spend time or money on.

It was virtually a free trip if you didn't buy anything at these shops. Several of the tourists did tho, and they spent big money for some items.

I can't call it a scam, because we never had to pay for stuff we didn't want.

As for these Chinese tours, I'm not sure how they got scammed. I know they were double and triple charged for some stuff (Polo Agogo used to charge them 800 baht to enter and have 1 drink, half of which was returned to the Thai tour operator), but I can't imagine they come here with that much hard currency, so I'm guessing they paid that in the tour price.

It'd be hard to get that kind of money out of all of them once they've come here..Just based on them being tight fisted mainland Chinese.

I think the tour operators in Thailand were Thai, BTW. The money might have been shared with the Chinese originators of course.

Anyway, I'm glad China put a stop to it. I think they should embargo the whole of Thailand for tourism!

[Nightrider 340]

Anyway, I'm glad China put a stop to it. I think they should embargo the whole of Thailand for tourism!

 

+1.........

[harro1 256]

Flight from Australia yesterday was full.

[tko 219]

I've always thought that the airlines were more flexible than this. Why fly a 400 seater that's empty? Cancel the flight or use/rent another aircraft. And why was your baggage delayed? Might it have been the Swampy authorities reducing staff?

Reminds me of back when I lived in Saudi Arabia. I'd get a flight on Malaysian Airlines to Thailand at the beginning of Haj, and back to Saudi at the end of Haj. Usually 747s with about 40 total passengers, so you could pick your own block of rows The 747s were packed with pilgrims in the other direction, and then they had to get the plane back, empty or not.

[nkped 1,207]

Korean Air operated a 747 on the flight from Seoul-Incheon last night (Jan 7) and it was full. They had another flight a couple of hours later. Immigration was busy at 9:30pm, with about 5-10 minutes to get to the counter.

[MeGoDanceNow 4,281]

Tourist arrivals in Thailand down 50% according to NHK news today. I think it was December month-on-month.

[Daveuk 28]

I arrive in Pats next week

I have been told the place is very busy. Is this true ?

[DrPat 407]

On the one hand, we have news reports here in the UK of gunfire on the streets of BKK and the ongoing state of emergency. On the other hand we are told that tourists are still ‘streaming’ into Suvarnabhumi airport.

 

Whilst a good number of the people currently arriving must have booked their trips prior to the start of the current unrest, until some sort of stability returns, visitor numbers must surely decline over the coming months.

 

In normal circumstances I would have flights and hotels booked by now for a February / March visit, but I’m waiting to see how things pan out. In my opinion, a state of emergency and gunfire on the streets are not conducive to a relaxing holiday.

 

Are other Boardies booking their trip or biding their time?