The council released a survey showing thattaxi service, immigration procedures at the airport, and waste management attourist sites are the three issues that make international tourists to Thailandcomplain the most, local media reported.
The survey, which wasconducted in the fourth quarter of 2022 with the engagement of 200 foreigntourists in the country, indicated that the satisfactionwith taxi services received the lowest score of 3.5 out of 5, with touristsindicating this is the most critical problem that should be solved immediately.
The survey of tourists in Bangkok found they were not satisfied with what theydeem to be unfair treatment as taxi drivers often only take passengers whoagree to pay a fare without using the meter, which means drivers canarbitrarily charge higher prices for their service.
In addition to taxi scams, thecomplicated entry process at Thailand’s airports upon arrival is also a majorconcern for foreign tourists, receiving a score of 3.45.
The problem oflittering at many popular tourist sites and air pollution from hazardous fineparticulate matter (PM2.5) also received complaints from tourists.
In response to these concerns, the TCT on January 30 urged the government to increase its budget for the 10 most populartourism provinces, stepping up natural resources preservation schemes andincreasing the capacity for garbagedisposal, especially on the islands.
The council suggested limiting the capacity at some popular attractions toavoid overcrowding, which could help maintain a positive perception regardingThai tourism.
TCT president Chamnan Srisawat said thegovernment can help provide solutions to this problem by cooperating withprivate taxi firms to offer a different type of taxi service with a distinctlabel or sign, such as a white-coloured taxi, to guarantee the fares are basedon the driver's meter.
The survey found 50% of respondents hadtravelled to Thailand before.
Some 98% were travelling for leisurepurposes, with 93% choosing Bangkok and 50% Phuket as their travel destination.
Tourists from the US spent an average of 2,000-3,000 baht (61.02-91.52 USD) onaccommodation per night, with a length of stay of 14-15 days per trip. Togetherwith other expenses, their spending in Thailand averaged 96,269 baht each.
Meanwhile, most European tourists chose a room priced 1,000-2,000 baht pernight, staying in Thailand for 12-13 days on average, with spending averaging88,661 baht in total on their trip./.