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Accurate Data Needed for Future Phuket
By Prasit Tarnsirisin and Alan Morison Tuesday, December 16, 2014
PHUKET: The actual number of tourists visiting Phuket remains murky with estimates differing wildly, profit margins being slashed and the future of the holiday island lost in turbulence.
Goveronr Nisit Jansomwong rejected an annual tourist total of 11.9 million yesterday as being impossible and order the Tourism Authority of Thailand to determine the accurate figures and provide them to everyone to ensure people knew the exact scale of the industry.
His comments came as latest passenger figures from Phuket International Airport for November revealed a rise of 3.15 percent. The total for the year to December 1 stood at 10,287,328 - but that was for arrivals AND departures.
International visitors continue to dominate, taking out 565,200 trips compared to 433,085 for domestic travellers.
Governor Nisit said he'd recently asked a Chinese passenger sharing a flight from Bangkok to Phuket which hotel she was staying in and she replied: ''No, no, no, we're in an apartment.''
With five-star resorts complaining that room rates have not risen for five years, the island may be attracting more tourists - but the spending is being spread more widely with more people competing for the cash.
The meeting about Phuket's economics was told yesterday at Phuket Provincial Hall that there are 92,700 rooms at 2016 establishments on Phuket including all types of accommodation.
Whether the island is being run for the sensible prosperity of all remains one of those issues that, like the actual number of tourists who visit Phuket, has never quite been figured out.
The 11.9 million tourists forecast for Phuket in 2014 is plainly wide of the mark. But the actual figure? Nobody knows for sure.
Banks encourage investors to spend on Phuket based on the foolish 11.9 million figure.
According to tourist industry reps at yesterday's meeting, five-star and four-star resorts are doing ok - even though they complain rates haven't risen for five years - while three-stars, two-stars and guesthouses are engaged in a fight to the bottom, with apartments joining in.
The problem is, nobody knows for certain what the right numbers are.
Phuketwan suggests it's time the brakes went on speculative construction that is driving Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga to future uncertainty. The way to do this, and to promote a balance with nature, is to impose regulations so that all new resorts, condos and retail outlets are obliged to provide their own water and 20 percent of their power needs.
This would boost the price of development and slow it down while at the same time remove the burden of lack of water and power that is likely to cause serious problems in the near future.
The airports stats show Phuket will have a total of passenger arrivals similar to 2013 - which means any rooms added this year were added without extra tourists to fill them.
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Comments
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Over supply of rooms, poor roads and infrastructure, dirty polluted beaches, exorbitant taxi and tuk tuk prices, greasy handed touts everywhere, over-priced drinks at bars and clubs, traffic clogged roads and ugly signs everywhere, little public transport, greedy and corrupt officials, jet ski rip offs and last but not least lying TAT officials who can't even provide realistic tourist figures.
Posted by
Arun Muruga
on
December 16, 2014 15:40
Phuket should use the same system than Singapore.
Every year, Singaporean agencies and hotel representatives have a meeting to decide by a YES or NO and how many new rooms may be built for the year coming without making the well-established hotels to be in dangerous competition for the cheapest prices.
Unfortunately we are in Thailand with old-fashioned civil servants at the helm of the main decisions.
Posted by
Whistle-Blower
on
December 16, 2014 15:53
Editor Comment:
Thank goodness it's not Singapore
Yes !! At last !! Now we know what has been wrong in Phuket all along. We need a database ! That will solve all the problems.......
Oh deary me ........ You couldn't make this stuff up !!!
Posted by
Amazing Thailand
on
December 16, 2014 19:44
Governor, a data base is not going to stop the downfall of Phuket. You better put your energy in safe traffic over Patong Hill, come public with your report about Immigration extortion in Phuket town,( It still goes on!). Is the airport immigration zig zag line already functioning? I was recently in a Phuket postoffice, there was a zig zag line! I asked them or the Governor passed by. No, in morning the post office counter staff did sett the zig zag line. See, how simple things can be done? I shall not repeat what other readers here already wrote. I still wait to hear why the police not follow orders regarding Patong Hill ( blocked periods of the day for busses and trucks.). The police is not doing their job there. Why is that?
Posted by
Kurt
on
December 16, 2014 20:03
Well, mr Editor, In Singapore no jet skies, no parasail idiots, good public transport, good taxis , cheaper than on Phuket. A fine police force,a perfect Immigration department, A excellent fire brigade who has professionals checking yearly all bars, disco's, etc. A safety certificate wil be issued, No certificate, than bar/dico is closed until safety standard are met again. Clean and wide safe pedestrian walks and street cross overs. Careful driving people.
Posted by
Kurt
on
December 16, 2014 20:24
Editor Comment:
And no happiness, Kurt.
Well Phuket will soon be quite sober regarding tourism digits, but beside the lack of russian tourists (whose money actually loses every value) locals do everything to ruin their tourism on their own. A good friend of mine visiting Patong at least twice a year with his family spending always a lot of money, two weeks ago had trouble at the beach nearly on a daily basis, either with the parasail operators who sent him away, as well as with officials trying to take away his own umbrella. Guess where he is not coming anymore after so many time ... but fine, that way at least the thais have clean beaches for themselves even when they are not so frequent beachgoers (as Ed mentioned yesterday himself)
Posted by
fred
on
December 16, 2014 21:40
accurate data base? How about accurate fatality figures - NO, never!!
signed, Priorities
Posted by
farang888
on
December 16, 2014 22:17
I reckon something in-between will be preferable.
Did you know? There are entire sections of Patong filled with bankrupt guesthouses. However, they keep building more. The banks are lending out money for business that will fail...
Posted by
J
on
December 16, 2014 23:03
you can rent "the most expensive villa" "in a Greater Phuket" even in peak season for just ca.2,900 USD per day - taking inti consideration it is for 12 pplz, it is pure dumping price.
Cheaper than luxury OWB per night for two in Maldives.
Posted by
Sue
on
December 17, 2014 00:24
1992 our first Trip to Phuket, twice a year. 10 years ago, we left Phuket and
went to Phang nga.Arun Muruga posted already why!
Posted by
rwpsundco
on
December 17, 2014 01:18
These TAT tourist arrival numbers have had no credibility in my eyes for ages already.
An agency which has it's success measured by those numbers is also compiling them.
Happy to see the new Governor is having none of it.
Posted by
Herbert
on
December 17, 2014 14:25
Ed, No Happiness in Singapore ?? Are you kidding ?? I have over 200 work colleagues in SG, locals and expats, and they ALL love it, they are proud to be Singaporeans. Fabulous standard of living, low crime rates, great bars and restaurants. If you call "happiness" all the nightmares that go in in Thailand, that's extremely odd.
Posted by
Amazing Thailand
on
December 17, 2014 16:38
Wow! 200+ work colleagues? you must be busy just finding out if they're all happy. Any time for working yourself?
Posted by
mac
on
December 17, 2014 21:56
A friend of mine managing a hotel chain with over 5000 employees here on Phuket just revealed that they have lost 60% revenue this high season compared to what it used to be. Guest numbers are down 40%.
Another friend manages a popular, upscale restaurant chain and their revenue is down about 50%.
Flying in from BKK to Phuket a couple of days ago on TG the plane was perhaps 70% full, half of those Chinese. The
TG check-in counters at BKK, both domestic and international, were deserted.
Check-in rows for other airlines were busy as usual. TG has also just launched promotions from DEC 15th to MAR 15th. Prices even lower than previous promos. This being top peak season, I think it says a lot more about the real arrival numbers than any propaganda TAT publishes.
http://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/plan_my_trip/Special_fare/Offers_Booking/NewYear.page?
Posted by
Herbert
on
December 20, 2014 13:43
Editor Comment:
Is there a hotel chain with 5000 employees on Phuket, Herbert? I am surprised.
@ Ed
Yes there is but please forgive me if I don't want it to be published. If you want, I can email it to you privately.
I would assume that at least 1 or 2 other chains reach those employee levels but since I have no 1st hand info about them, I can't make that claim.
Posted by
Herbert
on
December 20, 2014 19:56
Editor Comment:
I would be surprised if any group had more than 3500 staff. A ratio of one staff per guest is considered reasonable for five-stars
Pfffff,If you like overregulation go back to Europe or Australia,and leave Thailand to travellers
Posted by
khunphilip
on
December 20, 2014 23:49
Ive been flying with Thai (Copenhagen-BKK) every year for a stay couple of months since 1981 or 82. Nor this year.
The ailing company has found a magic treat for their disastrous economy. This year, they have doubled the prices for a ticket!
An impressive model, well known in Thailand.
And, by the way, I read that russians get 90 days visa on arrival. We swedes get one month, so I guess russians are what TAT is longing for...
Posted by
Remarkable
on
December 21, 2014 18:30
@mac,
The company I work for has over 40,000 people dotted around the world, and we have an internal message service rather like twitter. So yes, if people aren't happy, we know about it very quickly. SG is one of our smaller offices, and one of the happiest - always see people smiling there.
Posted by
Amazing Thailand
on
December 21, 2014 23:26
First time visitor to Phuket here, myself (European) and wife, Taiwanese, with two kids. Have been disappointed with rip-off tuk tuks and taxis, extortionate, also lack of friendliness of service staff, makes Taiwan service levels look good!
I don't mind bargaining or paying a bit more but 600 baht to go on a 20 minute drive is simply way out of line.
The trip started off badly at the airport as the taxi drivers claimed that to drive to Karon was 'too far'...and then didn't help with luggage, smoked, and dropped us into a dodgy tourist office on the way. I was about to argue but quickly realised that I was dealing with a taxi mafia so that would be pointless, I held it in for the sake of my family. BAD START to the holiday!
Beautiful natural beaches but Patong was visited for one day and henceforth shall forever be avoided (low end crap). Karon was a stunning beach but the place we stayed lied about being a resort when it was simply a guesthouse on the busy Phuket highway..urrghh.
Lack of transportation options really puts us off coming back. We are now staying at Kamala beach which has a much nicer village type athmosphere and move variety in the tourists, even if the local expats stick to themselves in all their ethnic bars.
We will most likely not be back for a long time as it's just too over developed and expensive for our tastes. The repetitive Thai food is also poor , although it is possible to find decent places if you look around I guess...mostly need to get away from Patong and the heart of Karon though to find it.
Lack of local arts and crafts shops etc....quirky stuff...even Taiwan is streets ahead on that score...seems Thailand is still trying to sell 80s and 90s tourist package holiday...along with the same old tacky souvenirs.
Posted by
taipeir2001
on
December 22, 2014 00:09
Editor Comment:
Thanks for writing. Phang Nga and Krabi are probably better options, unless you've come for the shopping. And beyond the tourist spots, the real Thailand is still wonderful. Phuket has developed the way it has because the stream of tourists has appeared to be never-ending. That's no longer the case.
A couple of other numbers my friend who works for Pegas told me today.
They used to fly in about 1000 tourists per day. As of now, they are looking at 50.
They use charter flights and with those numbers it's not viable. They said they will honor the bookings made and arrange flights on different airlines (Pegas uses mainly Nordwind) but the future looks really bleak.
Since the mainstay of Pegas tourists are Russian, they are especially hard hit.
@ Taipeir2001
Agree with the Ed, Krabi and Phang Nga are much nicer. Equally you can find some of the nicest and friendliest people anywhere right here in Thailand, but you do have to get off the beaten track and explore remote villages. Not the most practical thing to do when travelling with children.
My recommendation would be to try Philippines next time but either way, don't bother with Phuket until this island has been reborn.
Posted by
Herbert
on
December 22, 2014 12:58
Thanks for the recommendations. I've been to Krabi and other Thai islands previously, I was aware Phuket was a more developed destination but not well prepared for the ill effects of mass tourism done wrong.
If you can't hop on a scooter it's just a real arse getting around unless I rented a car, which I don't have the intention of doing.
We have enjoyed many of the nice cafes and restaurants in the Kamala area, helped by the large community of expats that make their home here, certainly much better western fare than in most of Taiwan! The cost is also very reasonable taking into account the quality of the food.
I've been to the Philippines and Malaysia previously, Sabah, Bohol, Boracay, Lankawi, they are not as built up as Phuket obviously and they have a lot more in the wildlife department.
The Philippines islands still have a great fishing and sailing culture along with great diving and snorkel-ling thats not overwhelmed with tourists yet, and people are really friendly too, just a bit hard to get around sometimes and a little bit dodgy in places....depends what our aims are.
I'm glad I visited Phuket to see what's what a but won't be in any hurry to come back as there just a lot of other great places to visit in the region these days and I only have a limited budget and time available for vacation.
So it would be nice if Phuket could someday somehow sort out some kind of decent public transport system or reasonable tuk-tuk service and also if people could have some training in how to welcome tourists and SMILE once in a while. I don't think we've welcome warmly in any place so far and that includes the expat places and their expat owners, which seem to adapt to the local ideas of 'service', or lack of it :).
Posted by
taipeir
on
December 22, 2014 16:37
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Over supply of rooms, poor roads and infrastructure, dirty polluted beaches, exorbitant taxi and tuk tuk prices, greasy handed touts everywhere, over-priced drinks at bars and clubs, traffic clogged roads and ugly signs everywhere, little public transport, greedy and corrupt officials, jet ski rip offs and last but not least lying TAT officials who can't even provide realistic tourist figures.
Posted by Arun Muruga on December 16, 2014 15:40