News Forum - Japanese tourism numbers in Thailand threatened by weak yen and slow Japan flight reintroduction

[Thaiger]

In light of Japan’s hesitant return to tourism and a faltering yen, Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) has admitted there may be difficulty in meeting the year’s target of 850,000 Japanese arrivals. The figure reflects 50% of the Japanese tourism figures reported in 2019, considered an optimistic scenario by the Tokyo office director of TAT, Kajorndet … …

The story Japanese tourism numbers in Thailand threatened by weak yen and slow Japan flight reintroduction as seen on Thaiger News.

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[TSS]

 need more schemes that target and lure those well heeled Japanese. They like that

[BigHewer]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) has admitted there may be difficulty in meeting the year’s target of 850,000 Japanese arrivals.

When TAT announces a target may be difficult, you know it must be a dire situation.

[Marc26]

Flights seem crazy expensive Japan-Thailand and vice versa

 

@BigHewer would know better than me

 

But I remember you could fly Air Asia to Tokyo for 7500 baht or so

 

I booked a flight for my stepson and it was 29k baht 

[HolyCowCm]

My brother just booked a Japan flight to Singapore then Singapore direct flight to here to CM. Best case scenario, cost and time factor with everything concidered. Seems there is an inherent problem with BKK - TYO costs or flights that divert and delay too much for the best cost.

[Ramanathan.P]

Not sure why the TAT is jumping up and down on a 6 THB difference in the currency exchange. Most who have planned for vacation might have done it way back. These fluctuations are normal in the currency market. There could be other factors involved. Just think about the bad publicity when the Japanese post in their social media due to their experience in Thailand. Unless some drastic actions are take towards such incident nothing will change by simply imposing a simple fine for those cuplrits. 

[BigHewer]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Flights seem crazy expensive Japan-Thailand and vice versa

@BigHewer would know better than me

But I remember you could fly Air Asia to Tokyo for 7500 baht or so

I booked a flight for my stepson and it was 29k baht 

Spot on @Marc26. Flights now are at a similar level to what they were pre 9/11. SARS came along, Air Asia started selling flights through KL, capacity increased and basically we saw a race to the bottom up until 2019.

7000-8000 baht one way became standard in the late 2010s. Not now of course.

Converging factors, weak yen and low demand. The Japanese still think it’s risky to travel. In all the flights I’ve taken ex-Japan since travel restarted, Japanese passengers have been in the minority. 

[Karolyn]

Is there nowhere to compare flight prices by year? 

[Marc26]

9 hours ago, BigHewer said:

Spot on @Marc26. Flights now are at a similar level to what they were pre 9/11. SARS came along, Air Asia started selling flights through KL, capacity increased and basically we saw a race to the bottom up until 2019.

7000-8000 baht one way became standard in the late 2010s. Not now of course.

Converging factors, weak yen and low demand. The Japanese still think it’s risky to travel. In all the flights I’ve taken ex-Japan since travel restarted, Japanese passengers have been in the minority. 

We bought that ticket for my stepson but we can't go and he hasn't found any Thai friends that will go

 

He got a new girlfriend, so hopefully she will go with him

 

Luckily I keep changing the dates and it is only 100baht on Thai airways