Bangkok (VNA) – The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has requested local authorities to apply measures to settle foreign tourists’ complaints.

The council released a survey showing that taxi service, immigration procedures at the airport, and waste management at tourist sites are the three issues that make international tourists to Thailand complain the most, local media reported.

The survey, which was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2022 with the engagement of 200 foreign tourists in the country, indicated that the satisfaction with taxi services received the lowest score of 3.5 out of 5, with tourists indicating this is the most critical problem that should be solved immediately.

The survey of tourists in Bangkok found they were not satisfied with what they deem to be unfair treatment as taxi drivers often only take passengers who agree to pay a fare without using the meter, which means drivers can arbitrarily charge higher prices for their service.

In addition to taxi scams, the complicated entry process at Thailand’s airports upon arrival is also a major concern for foreign tourists, receiving a score of 3.45.

The problem of littering at many popular tourist sites and air pollution from hazardous fine particulate 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 popular tourism provinces, stepping up natural resources preservation schemes and increasing the capacity for garbage disposal, especially on the islands.

The council suggested limiting the capacity at some popular attractions to avoid overcrowding, which could help maintain a positive perception regarding Thai tourism.

TCT president Chamnan Srisawat said the government can help provide solutions to this problem by cooperating with private taxi firms to offer a different type of taxi service with a distinct label or sign, such as a white-coloured taxi, to guarantee the fares are based on the driver's meter.

The survey found 50% of respondents had travelled to Thailand before.

Some 98% were travelling for leisure purposes, 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) on accommodation per night, with a length of stay of 14-15 days per trip. Together with other expenses, their spending in Thailand averaged 96,269 baht each.

Meanwhile, most European tourists chose a room priced 1,000-2,000 baht per night, staying in Thailand for 12-13 days on average, with spending averaging 88,661 baht in total on their trip./.
VNA