A strong Baht responsible for the decline in the number of tourists

Tourism figures in Thailand have been falling for the last three months, against all odds and also compared to the figures of the previous year. The game of ‘the fault’ is just beginning.

The head of the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand), Yuthasak Suphasorn, calls into question the high value of the baht to explain those which undermine the tourist forecasts. He says European visitors are paying more attention to their money and Thai tourism companies are now looking to India to maintain growth.

This is the first time that someone from the TAT says that the baht can have such effects on the tourism industry, and it is certain that this will make waves in the government.

The Thai media have also advanced the Brexit tracks, the US-China trade war or the impending recession in the West as factors contributing to this situation.

Yuthasak told Daily News that tourist arrivals in the first half of the year reached 20 million, less than expected. To see things on the bright side, the tourist income of foreign visitors has reached B1,000 billion, and that of domestic visitors $ 560 billion – which is acceptable given the global economic situation.

Yuthasak said European travel agencies had to raise their prices by 10 to 20 percent, pushing European travelers to seek cheaper destinations. He also said that European travelers visiting Thailand paid more attention to their expenses because they get fewer bahts when they change money.

The number of Chinese tourists has also decreased since January with a 9% drop in April and May, after a monthly decline of 10 to 20 percent in the second half of 2018, a decline attributed to the Phoenix disaster in Phuket.