Thailand and Big Joke roll out the red carpet for VIP tourists: they mean the Chinese

[overherebc]

4 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

At 70 years old one can use the VIP lane? 

In SVB there's a lane for 70+ wheelchair users pregnant women and women with young kids. To the right at the top of the ramp but not as far right as business class passengers and etc.

[overherebc]

2 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Actually I think this is an intelligent way to sort out the problem of having to queue with Chinese, too many of whom are just a bit too raw and just rolled off of the turnip wagon to ask people to have to put up with especially after an 11 hour flight or whatever. If they didn't tack on the  VIP bit then the Chinese would be up in arms about being segregated from the rest of us, that it was discriminatory etc. Problem is though I doubt this will stick and it probably is mostly just a PR gesture to make up for the boat sinking.

Yes. If it sticks it makes the Chinese feel good and everyone else feel better.

[Thian]

6 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

discrimination.

If the Chinese also get seperate hotels i won't complain.

[JennaBurrows]

Firmly agree, they should perhaps look at opening a dedicated terminal for the Chinese. The sheer volume of numbers arriving is astonishing. 

[metisdead]

An off topic rant post has been removed as well as the replies. 

[the guest]

Since there has been a significant drop in EU tourists, then naturally the Thais must bow to their new paymasters (ATM's).

[Bundooman]

6 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I can see it now...........

Good examples of role models!

Manners, sophistication, patience, politeness, consideration, selfishness and bad hygiene - + slippets of shit turds swilling around, (probably), - all in one nauseating photograph.

[Belzybob]

6 hours ago, grantbkk said:

So the takeaway here is I can fast track at the airport once we have a disaster killing dozen of American?  Thank you Thailand! 

Plus an "all you can eat" buffet with a deep trough.

[overherebc]

37 minutes ago, JennaBurrows said:

Firmly agree, they should perhaps look at opening a dedicated terminal for the Chinese. The sheer volume of numbers arriving is astonishing. 

If there was ever a time to dump the arrival card system then surely this massive increase in tourist arrivals makes the time 'now.'

I don't know if you have ever landed at Utapao when 2 or 3 other planes have landed just before yours?

I live maybe 20 kilometers from it and from landing from Singapore to getting home took longer than the flight.

Mainly because only about 10% of people had actually filled out landing cards.

[jimster]

6 hours ago, grantbkk said:

So the takeaway here is I can fast track at the airport once we have a disaster killing dozen of American?  Thank you Thailand! 

 

Pretty much. Just that I haven't seen dozens of Americans in one place in Thailand (or anywhere else in SE Asia) for years, which reduces the chances of a large accident involving them from happening. Asian tourists vastly outnumber westerners, most westerners travel alone or as couples, the single exception being Russians, who despite looking farang are technically not westerners.

[jimster]

59 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Actually I think this is an intelligent way to sort out the problem of having to queue with Chinese, too many of whom are just a bit too raw and just rolled off of the turnip wagon to ask people to have to put up with especially after an 11 hour flight or whatever. If they didn't tack on the  VIP bit then the Chinese would be up in arms about being segregated from the rest of us, that it was discriminatory etc. Problem is though I doubt this will stick and it probably is mostly just a PR gesture to make up for the boat sinking.

The Chinese would complain of discrimination because of this kind of gesture? Nonsense. They wouldn't care, nor have the language skills to make a complaint anyway. Chinese are used to being herded around like sheep and told what to do at home, I don't think they have any knowledge that things work very differently abroad, so they have the same expectations. For example, how many Chinese are even aware how badly censored their internet is?

[TPUBON]

Should would be nice if those of us that are living here had a special lane. 

[Ketyo]

Saw this lane at Swampy. When I was there there were hardly any Chinese and the officials were directing the people in the “foreigner” lane to the Chinese lane.

 

But I thought it wasn’t to give the Chinese priority but more to give the other tourists some VIP treatment away from the shouty and large Chinese tour groups. Like for the Chinese dining rooms that have been set up in some European hotels away from the main dining room. Where they can shout, phglem, spit and throw bones on the floor away from tourists who were less ignorant about behavioural norms outside of their home town.

 

Probably a smart move by the Thais. The Chinese will feel respected. All other foreigners will feel relieved.

[overherebc]

To use an old expression 'well heeled' tourists from the west are now rare in Thailand.

Many other destinations make it their business to attract them. Sadly, Thailand has not quite got a hadle on that.

There might be an oasis here and there that almost makes it.

When they go out for dinner at night they expect waiters etc to know what's on the menu and if presented with a wine menu they assume all the wines on the list will be available.

Anyway it's all been said on TV before.

 

[Italian guy]

The word "prostitution" has different meanings: this is one of those...

[Media1]

2 minutes ago, Italian guy said:

The word "prostitution" has different meanings: this is one of those...

Yes 

[overherebc]

20 minutes ago, Ketyo said:

Saw this lane at Swampy. When I was there there were hardly any Chinese and the officials were directing the people in the “foreigner” lane to the Chinese lane.

 

But I thought it wasn’t to give the Chinese priority but more to give the other tourists some VIP treatment away from the shouty and large Chinese tour groups. Like for the Chinese dining rooms that have been set up in some European hotels away from the main dining room. Where they can shout, phglem, spit and throw bones on the floor away from tourists who were less ignorant about behavioural norms outside of their home town.

 

Probably a smart move by the Thais. The Chinese will feel respected. All other foreigners will feel relieved.

Friend who was an F&B manager had to do this as by the time expats were coming down for breakfast everything had been eaten or scooped into plastic bags to eat during the rest of the day.

[chama]

7 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I can see it now...........

Which is why all of the rest of us should be happy that the Chinese are being segregated. Then if the squat while in line we don't all have to walk around the result, the pushing, loud bickering etc should all be done away from the rest. And yes, this is a result of the loss of tourism revenue which always drives change in Thailand...but this is not unusual in any business, just seems that the moral aspect is often implemented a a lesser rate.

[Oziex1]

If I'm walking anywhere in Thailand with my camera out. can I expect to meet Big Joke and his cronies looking for a photo op?

[Hoppyone]

7 hours ago, AdamTheFarang said:

What qualifies as VIP? 

Good question I arrived on 19th July same airport immigration line was huge I have a disability having suffered from polio for 66 years,I asked the immigration female officer who was checking arrival cards as people were joining long queues if I could go through priority or disabled lane she abruptly said they didn’t have one,I politely told her Dom Mueng has one, about 15 min later she could see I was struggling in line She asked if I would like to follow her to another line,my reply was it a bit late now I’m nearly there

[Fex Bluse]

Prostituting themselves (as usual) now to the Chinese after the Chinese hit them in TH pocket canceling tours and property speculation after the morons in the government blamed the Chinese tourists for the deadly boat accident.

 

Sad. Those guys in the photo look like they know it, too. 

[Snow Leopard]

First through immigration. First to the buffet. 

[goonnerone]

9 hours ago, shady86 said:

Single lane is not enough, they should built a special terminal just for Chinese tourists. Chinese speaking staff, whole immigration counters just to cater all of them.

yes one that leads straight back to china

[cnx355]

I am guessing, but will  they get their special TM6 card in Chinese language ( arrival-departure card ) ?

 

Thai and English ( The official ASEAN language is also English ) not good for them ?

[dallen52]

9 hours ago, moto77 said:

Both. ?

 

But seriously, I have an APEC ID

All praise the APEC card.

Used to love it when I had one.

$200 for five years it used to be. 

90 days entry, express lane.

They even used to open up one, if it wasn't open.

Access to 20 countries. 

Was brilliant when I worked in Nanjing China.

Thailand too. Obviously. 

[dallen52]

3 hours ago, TPUBON said:

Should would be nice if those of us that are living here had a special lane. 

Maybe same for those departing too.

Without doubt the biggest delay is always the Chinese who dont have the TM6 stub attached to the passport. 

 

Or just expand the E gate use to all biometric passport holders.

 

Would save a lot of ink pads and stamps too.

 

Come to think of it.

Just stick a microchip in my wrist now..

No passports, no licenses. Woo hoo.

[humbug]

i came in through DM today and they had four seperate immigration arrival sections. One for Chinese, one for thais, one for all other foreigners, one for visa on arrival.

 

Foreign section the busiest then the thai section third busiest was the chinese section but the least busiest was visa on arrival.

 

the chinese section had 4 lanes, foreign section 8 lanes, thais 4 lanes and visa on arrival 2 lanes

 

 

[BestB]

One day they cracking down on Chinese owned businesses and  $1 tours, next day they rolling out red carpet and priority service for the very same people.

 

am I missing something here?

 

[JennaBurrows]

It actually might be an idea to just do away with the boarding card form for the Chinese, or have a designated desk to fill it in for them. The vast majority of them just don't bother with an air of 'Why should we?'

 

 

[robertson468]

Went through Swampy two days ago to return to UK.  There were humungous queues.  Out of EIGHT desks, only THREE were I     manned, although a very senior Immigrations Officer, a junior immigration officer and civil servant type spent nearly an hour ripping down one of their standard notices behind the immigration officer's desk.  Would have thought that the time to do this would have been sometime after midnight when there is a much lower volume of people passing through Immigration Control, instead of at peak time.  I can also imagine the throughts of all the other Foreign Visitors to Thailand...........should make them all feel very special and happy.  I do wish these people would think before they act and stop shooting themselves in the foot.  Not surprised to read the other day that more and more Youngish Foreigners are leaving Thailand.