Expect 325k Chinese tourists next 10 days

[reader]

From Khaosod English Feb. 1)

BANGKOK — Thailand is expected to receive a large influx of visitors for Chinese New Year, raising hope among officials that a rebound in mainland arrivals is underway.

Up to 325,000 Chinese travelers are projected to visit the kingdom to celebrate the Year of the Pig, according to a forecast published by Kasikorn Bank, while an aviation official said at least 13,330 flights will arrive at Bangkok’s two international airports.

Aeronautical Radio director Somnuk Rongthong said air traffic controllers have been put on full alert to monitor the airspace and clear up any delays during the holiday, which lasts Feb. 4 to 10.

Total flights arriving in Thailand will increase by 6.4 percent from the same period of time last year, Somnuk said.

The Airport Authority of Thailand said at least 10,000 Chinese tourists have been arriving daily via Suvarnabhumi Airport since late December. The agency expects an average of 200,000 arrivals per day from all nations during the Chinese New Year – known as the Golden Week in China.

Chinese arrivals took a major hit after a ferry sank in July 2018, killing more than 40 Chinese passengers. Numbers of Chinese visitors to Thailand did not recover until December, when arrivals rose by 2 percent over the year prior.

In a report published today, Kasikorn Bank’s research department said Thailand will welcome about 10.9 million Chinese tourists this year, though it added that the slowing Chinese economy and competition from other countries remain threats to the industry.

“It will be a challenge to maintain and sustain the growth rate,” the report said.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/business/2019/02/01/13300-flights-loaded-with-tourists-inbound-to-bangkok-for-cny/

 

[PeterRS]

Anyone arriving during this period had better be prepared for longer Immigration queues at peak times. Those departing should arrive earlier than usual at both BKK and DMK.

[khaolakguy]

Where better to celebrate the year of the pig than in Pattaya. So much moo daeng on display. 

[Guest]

If my mental arithmetic is OK, that's about 50 % more Chinese than normal.   

If avoiding the airports and the places on their circuit, I guess we will not even notice the difference.

[DivineMadman]

11 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Anyone arriving during this period had better be prepared for longer Immigration queues at peak times. Those departing should arrive earlier than usual at both BKK and DMK.

Excellent advice.  I think Thai Immigration has promised to staff all the immigration desks and now there are also dedicated lines for Chinese visitors -- at least on arrival.  All that plus there is a concerted effort to make things better for the Chinese visitors, so maybe it won't be too bad on arrival.  I do think, however, that Immigration misses the boat (as it were) on departure and it is shame to have vistors' last memories of Thailand be those horrendous lines.... 

[PeterRS]

Just a reminder that anyone 70 and over is entitled to use the Priority Pass Lanes. No need to have a biz or first class ticket.

[TotallyOz]

43 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Just a reminder that anyone 70 and over is entitled to use the Priority Pass Lanes. No need to have a biz or first class ticket.

I find using the Priority Lanes quick leaving LOS but much slower entering.  However, sometimes coming in they are better but I also found checking the regular lanes first a good idea. 

[Londoner]

It was my observation that   there were fewer Chinese visitors around this past fortnight. Perhaps there will be more during the Chinese New Year. The only place they constituted a majority (or nearly) was the new mall , Terminal 21. Central has certainly lost some of its allure.

In Boyztown, I was expecting to see more Chinese customers in Ambiance; it was more or less full last week and its expensive refurbishment ( a huge Chinese investment) makes it good value. Across the soi, more Chinese money didn't seem to have encouraged an influx of Chinese visitors, unless large number turned-up late after BBB closed.

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, Michael said:

I find using the Priority Lanes quick leaving LOS but much slower entering.  However, sometimes coming in they are better but I also found checking the regular lanes first a good idea. 

HOw strange. I usually find exactly the opposite! I expect it has something to do with times of departure and arrival. Normally I depart mid morning and the Priority Lane seems to have a lot of biz passengers. I mostly arrive in the evening. You have to fight your way through hundreds waiting for visas on arrival but Ive rarely had to queue for more than two minutes. I hope I never find myself behind a tour busload of over 70s!

[BL8gPt]

I use the fast lanes the last couple of years that i quality by age. Never had to wait on arrivals, late morning or early afternoon, but there is a que at departure close to midnight, but not long wait.

[ggobkk]

One can only imagine what the visa on arrival area is like during Golden Week...on 2nd thought, better to  not think about it...

[dozzie]

i recall a 6 hour wait at immigration at don meung in August17 being squeezed among hordes of chinese tourists on chartered flights arriving every 30minutes... eventually making headlines on the news too! hope things are better this year.

[fedssocr]

glad I am arriving a week later...hopefully less crowds at BKK

[TotallyOz]

9 hours ago, PeterRS said:

HOw strange. I usually find exactly the opposite! I expect it has something to do with times of departure and arrival. Normally I depart mid morning and the Priority Lane seems to have a lot of biz passengers. I mostly arrive in the evening. You have to fight your way through hundreds waiting for visas on arrival but Ive rarely had to queue for more than two minutes. I hope I never find myself behind a tour busload of over 70s!

I think it is often the luck of the draw. And, I usually arrive early morning, like 1 or 2 AM. Many of the lanes are then closed and they have fewer options at that time in both regular lanes and priority lanes. I have also been there when all the Priority Lanes were down to one guy working and thus the lanes took longer than friends in the other ones.

[TotallyOz]

9 hours ago, dozzie said:

i recall a 6 hour wait at immigration at don meung in August17 being squeezed among hordes of chinese tourists on chartered flights arriving every 30minutes... eventually making headlines on the news too! hope things are better this year.

What makes news here is often the norm in other places.  Flying into Saudi Arabia it was often 3-8 hours of wait time. And, getting out could be the same.  I missed 2 stampedes inside the airport immigration area by less than minutes both times.  Thailand is stable and normally reliable with their immigration.  I love coming in as I have always been welcomed with a smile and a welcome to Thailand message. Six hours would suck though. 

[Guest]

The difference is that Thailand promotes and relies heavily on tourism.

I get the impression that Saudi Arabia discourages visitors.   6 hour waits are probably part of the grand plan.  Fine by me, as I don't want to go there.

If you want to encourage visitors have efficient & rapid immigration.   

As an example, on my last 2 visits to Malaysia, immigration probably took less than a minute, including waiting and fingerprints.    Cambodia is fast AND the baggage handling is astonishingly quick.

[TotallyOz]

51 minutes ago, z909 said:

The difference is that Thailand promotes and relies heavily on tourism.

I get the impression that Saudi Arabia discourages visitors.   6 hour waits are probably part of the grand plan.  Fine by me, as I don't want to go there.

If you want to encourage visitors have efficient & rapid immigration.   

As an example, on my last 2 visits to Malaysia, immigration probably took less than a minute, including waiting and fingerprints.    Cambodia is fast AND the baggage handling is astonishingly quick.

Agree and disagree.  Saudia Arabia is one of the top 20 most visited countries in the world. They don't discourage visitors but they don't allow tourists (slight difference). Those that do pilgrimages are a part of the plan for the country and without them, the country would lose relevance.

I agree with the need for efficient and rapid immigration.  I have always spent longer in wait getting into the USA than Thailand. Tourism is important for both places.

 

[floridarob]

7 hours ago, Michael said:

I have always spent longer in wait getting into the USA than Thailand.

Passport app, is free and Faster than Global entry

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Michael said:

Agree and disagree.  Saudia Arabia is one of the top 20 most visited countries in the world. They don't discourage visitors but they don't allow tourists (slight difference).

Saudi Arabia is a special case as followers of the world's second largest religion are expected to visit Mecca during their lifetime.   After subtracting those, how many tourists would be left ?

With all the people doing hajj and the oil revenue, Saudi Arabia does not need my tourist money.   Hence they can screw visitors over with the long immigration queues that you refer to.

Thailand has a big tourist economy, so needs to make immigration competitive.

[fedssocr]

6 hours ago, floridarob said:

Passport app, is free and Faster than Global entry

I've never really had to wait using Global Entry

[1moRussian]

19 hours ago, fedssocr said:

glad I am arriving a week later...hopefully less crowds at BKK

Hope for the same, but actually it is a two weeks festival 

[TotallyOz]

4 hours ago, z909 said:

Saudi Arabia is a special case as followers of the world's second largest religion are expected to visit Mecca during their lifetime.   After subtracting those, how many tourists would be left ?

With all the people doing hajj and the oil revenue, Saudi Arabia does not need my tourist money.   Hence they can screw visitors over with the long immigration queues that you refer to.

Thailand has a big tourist economy, so needs to make immigration competitive.

I thought my response did address the special exemption for those traveling to the country for their pilgrimage. But, Thailand is the sex capital of the world. If you subtract those that partake in at least one happy ending on the trip, how many tourists are left?  (Dang, is that only the Chinese?) 

Saudi does not need tourist money but it will start to need them and thus why the shift is happening.  It will come. I don't think they screw over visitors because of that. I just think it is an old, antiquated system that does not work well and they have not figured out how to do this properly yet.

[fedssocr]

4 hours ago, 1moRussian said:

Hope for the same, but actually it is a two weeks festival 

I arrive on the 16th..

[spoon]

5 hours ago, 1moRussian said:

Hope for the same, but actually it is a two weeks festival 

Haha it ended on 15th day of the lunar month (20th Feb) with a lantern festival or in malaysia, it is called cap goh mei. But thankfully, most countries only gives 1-3 days public holiday, which can be combined with weekends and extra leaves to make it a week long holiday, the week after should see significant reduction of crowds.

56 minutes ago, fedssocr said:

I arrive on the 16th..

Wish you have a wonderful time there, and hopefully boys who were away started working again by that time.

[vinapu]

On 2/2/2019 at 8:02 PM, fedssocr said:

glad I am arriving a week later...hopefully less crowds at BKK

I wish I had this kind of problem coming