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

[BobbyL]

I do hope these lanes are in a sound proof area so we don't have to listen to them shouting at each other. 

[zydeco]

18 hours ago, Bundooman said:

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.

Ah, the good earth

[zydeco]

On 8/4/2018 at 1:43 PM, 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! 

They'll put up a special lane for the Nigerians before they make one for us.

[jimster]

17 hours ago, overherebc said:

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.

 

Were they ever common in the first place? For years I've only seen Chinese, Russians (who look like westerners but technically are not), Indians, Vietnamese, Malaysians and other Asian tourists. Westerners exist, but they don't come in droves...most are backpackers or other cheap tourists. One simply doesn't see westerners spending it up staying in 5-star hotels...a few elderly European visitors might, but there aren't that many of those.

[Dick Crank]

the more i think about the chinese issue the more it looks like a great match for thai tourism

 

the chinese stay in groups, kind of stay in indoor venues like hotels and restaurants and karaokes and do group tour stuff. they dont seem to wander around the streets wanting to be seen and cause havoc like western tourists do or stick around too long.

 

thats exactly what the thai want is just the money flowing in with minimal problems and minimal "colonization"

 

the thai are also very tolerant so thats a great offset to chinese rudeness. just overlook it and smile. and great for the chinese could care less as long as you remain invisible

 

 

[jimster]

40 minutes ago, Dick Crank said:

the more i think about the chinese issue the more it looks like a great match for thai tourism

 

the chinese stay in groups, kind of stay in indoor venues like hotels and restaurants and karaokes and do group tour stuff. they dont seem to wander around the streets wanting to be seen and cause havoc like western tourists do or stick around too long.

  

thats exactly what the thai want is just the money flowing in with minimal problems and minimal "colonization" 

  

 

Some Chinese tourists wreck havoc just as some western tourists do (you probably haven't seen the videos of Chinese tourists threatening to bomb an Air Asia flight from Bangkok to China or the one where Chinese tourists break into a "joyous" national anthem to protest their flight delay at Don Muang). I don't recall any westerners behaving in such an uncouth fashion recently.

Many Chinese tourists travel independently. Drop the generalizations please. Only thing that we can generalize on is that western tourists very rarely travel in groups and that it's not difficult to find them in tourist areas; however, rarely do they travel in a group larger than a family.

 

In Laos Chinese tourists come as "tourists" and then end up staying and opening a Chinese restaurant, even in the middle of nowhere with no guaranteed customer base - they are actually colonizing the place. If it weren't for Thailand's protectionist policies that require 4 Thai workers for every foreigner employed and 49% maximum foreign ownership, Chinese would be owning everything in Thailand, plastering Chinese language billboards all over the Thai countryside like they are doing in Laos. Westerners on the other hand, aren't doing jack in Laos - it's only the Chinese that are opening businesses everywhere.

[jimster]

35 minutes ago, zydeco said:

They'll put up a special lane for the Nigerians before they make one for us.

Nah...the other guy was right - if there were enough Americans dying in a tragedy (or insert any nationality here) the Thais might consider making a special lane for that nationality. In terms of numbers, Russians actually have a serious shot at being given a special lane (nearly 2 million? arrivals last year) though they have some way to go before they get anywhere near the Chinese arrival numbers (9-10 million). The problem is westerners are becoming poorer and can't afford trips to Thailand anymore like they used to - their economies suck, their cost of living is skyrocketing, they have fewer jobs than they used to have and fewer holidays too. They are more likely to holiday closer to home, if they can afford it.

 

Nigerians? LOL. The Thais hate them. If it wasn't for the fact they'd be criticized for being "racist" Thailand would be more than happy to deport every Nigerian from here and stop issuing visas to Nigerians altogether.

[Dick Crank]

 

most thai photo ops are quite unattractive with the beer belly paunch in the brown uniform

 

but the military guy on the left, thats a man. they need to clone this guy for future photo ops. they need to get this guy on the front line when the invaders come.

 

nice to see someone finally who works out and is not some unfit fat thai guy in uniform who looks like hes been at a desk for the last 20 years

[zydeco]

3 hours ago, jimster said:

Why would they care about the "white man"? The white man has done nothing to Asians in recent times, he can barely be found anymore in Asia and where he can be found we're talking about an elderly, overweight guy with a bargirl as his girlfriend, a young naive backpacker or a young, tall and skinny English teacher. The white man isn't innovating, starting businesses or doing anything of significance in Asia. He's getting wasted, going out with a bargirl or teaching English. He's insignificant and no threat of any kind whatsoever, hence why he will be left alone.

Well, you have a point or two there. I must admit that I sometimes tend to see things through the lens of 30 or 40 years ago. Essentially, you're more right than I am about this.

[humbug]

in 10-15 years the india economy will produce the same influx of tourists,1.3 billion people and 60% under 21

 

India and China in the same arrival lanes will be one long fight

[JennaBurrows]

The problem with China is that it's own country is a dump. Polluted, void of any natural attractions, void of any man made attractions, ugly communist cities. The President even bemoans the gentrication that occurred during the 90's that tore the heartbeat and culture out of many Chinese cities. 

 

In America, many American don't want a passport and you can understand why at times. There are so many attractions and things to see that you don't have to leave the place. You have New York, Disney, Universal Studios, Vegas, Miami, San Francisco - and many many more unique places. 

 

China has Macau which is quite frankly shit, and only now is it attempting to build some man made attractions like Disneyland. 

 

It's no wonder it's population has no choice to leave the country for a holiday.

[bangrak]

Thank you Thailand: I spend about 100k per month here and have invested over 30 million in the country! Call me stupid... 

[daftdada]

Seeing that the ethnic Chinese are the merchant class in Thailand this was inevitable.

[moutamine]

There are 13M visitors every year in BKK and Chinese make up for 10+ Millions of them... If I was in charge of Thailand, I would also drop my pants and give them VIP treatment where ever I can.  They are now the bread & butter of this country in terms of tourism.

 

In the end, I really don't care because I have a BOI status and always go through the PRIORITY lane ?.

[IAMHERE]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:49 PM, RotMahKid said:

discrimination.

That word has no meaning in Thai dictionary.

[jimster]

23 hours ago, JennaBurrows said:

The problem with China is that it's own country is a dump. Polluted, void of any natural attractions, void of any man made attractions, ugly communist cities. The President even bemoans the gentrication that occurred during the 90's that tore the heartbeat and culture out of many Chinese cities. 

 

In America, many American don't want a passport and you can understand why at times. There are so many attractions and things to see that you don't have to leave the place. You have New York, Disney, Universal Studios, Vegas, Miami, San Francisco - and many many more unique places.  

  

China has Macau which is quite frankly shit, and only now is it attempting to build some man made attractions like Disneyland. 

 

It's no wonder it's population has no choice to leave the country for a holiday. 

You're mostly right but there are some stunning places in China - mostly in Yunnan and other western provinces with low populations - Tibet, parts of Xinjiang, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and western Sichuan come to mind.

[rodney earl]

They are taking over the world by stealth.

[JennaBurrows]

7 minutes ago, rodney earl said:

They are taking over the world by stealth.

They have invaded London this summer. Never seen no many. 

 

You literally couldn't walk two seconds without seeing a chinese tourist. Unbelievable. 

 

However, the ones that come to London, Europe are less annoying. 

[NoMeAmes]

Call it discrimination, whatever, I don't care. I'd just be happy they'd be out of the regular lanes. Chinese tourists are horrible and it's always a horror to stand in long lines sandwiched between them. They block the way, spread out their gazillion bags, scream around near your ear, and push and squeeze themselves forward even when there is nowhere else to go. Keep the monkeys in the monkey lane, please. Let them fight among themselves and get them out of civilization. 

[FunkyDunky58]

That is blatant racism for starters. Its fairly well understood that the Chinese only frequent the establishments that the (chinese operated) tour companies take them, and they are usually Chinese operated shops/restaurants. The benefit to the Thai people is what? It's so cringeworthy to see such grovelling, without even thinking for a minute about how this pisses off all other nationalities. Stupid is as stupid does.

[mogandave]

That is blatant racism for starters. Its fairly well understood that the Chinese only frequent the establishments that the (chinese operated) tour companies take them, and they are usually Chinese operated shops/restaurants. The benefit to the Thai people is what? It's so cringeworthy to see such grovelling, without even thinking for a minute about how this pisses off all other nationalities. Stupid is as stupid does.

How is it racist to have special lines for people that speak Chinese?

Is it racist to have different forms in different languages?

[DrTuner]

Finally a good idea. Remember to make sure the Chinese are only allowed to use that lane and let the officer have many toilet and lunch breaks. Preferably 99% of the time. The fleecing can be done while they queue, no ploplem, just turn back for return flight when done.

 

 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed.  

[bangrak]

4 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

How is it racist to have special lines for people that speak Chinese?

Is it racist to have different forms in different languages?

 

Well, 'mogandave', when you don't get it, let me tell: there are Immigration Police lines for Thais only, very normal, they are nationals coming back to their home country, but outside of these, why would/should chinese persons have dedicated lines? Hmm?

Not even sure these will be open for ...chinese people from Singapore, Taiwan or Hong Kong...

Why would PRC citizens deserve any preferential treatment from the IP, not because of the money they will leave into the Kingdom, for sure, but then, again, why ...?

According to your 'logic', there should be special lines for every of english, indi, arabic, japanese, korean, russian, french, spanish, portuguese, and maybe hebrew too, or what?

When a difference is made based on origin, language, appearance, etc., IT IS RACISM!

But, maybe a Thai citizen (or a foreigner having been 'digested' by the local habits), you don't discern the signs of blatantracism, xhenophobia, ...and rancid nationalism, which are presently part of the local general ways, of 'Thainess', alas.

[wabothai]

Great news !!

[mogandave]

Well, 'mogandave', when you don't get it, let me tell: there are Immigration Police lines for Thais only, very normal, they are nationals coming back to their home country, but outside of these, why would/should chinese persons have dedicated lines? Hmm?
Not even sure these will be open for ...chinese people from Singapore, Taiwan or Hong Kong...
Why would PRC citizens deserve any preferential treatment from the IP, not because of the money they will leave into the Kingdom, for sure, but then, again, why ...?
According to your 'logic', there should be special lines for every of english, indi, arabic, japanese, korean, russian, french, spanish, portuguese, and maybe hebrew too, or what?
When a difference is made based on origin, language, appearance, etc., IT IS RACISM!
But, maybe a Thai citizen (or a foreigner having been 'digested' by the local habits), you don't discern the signs of blatantracism, xhenophobia, ...and rancid nationalism, which are presently part of the local general ways, of 'Thainess', alas.

I think it has to to with the volume of non-English speaking Chinese. Most of the immigration officers speak enough English to process English speaking people through, and most non-Chinese tourists speak some level of English.

I thought racism had to do with race, but whatever.

People of different origins have different visa requirements, is that racist too?

In any event, you seem to think it’s better to clog all the lines and punish everyone under the guise of equality rather than attempting to streamline the process.

I’m guessing you’re a lefty, yes?

[Hoppyone]

On 8/9/2018 at 2:17 PM, FunkyDunky58 said:

That is blatant racism for starters. Its fairly well understood that the Chinese only frequent the establishments that the (chinese operated) tour companies take them, and they are usually Chinese operated shops/restaurants. The benefit to the Thai people is what? It's so cringeworthy to see such grovelling, without even thinking for a minute about how this pisses off all other nationalities. Stupid is as stupid does.

Maybe their own Chinese airport next

[dallen52]

On 8/9/2018 at 2:17 PM, FunkyDunky58 said:

That is blatant racism for starters. Its fairly well understood that the Chinese only frequent the establishments that the (chinese operated) tour companies take them, and they are usually Chinese operated shops/restaurants. The benefit to the Thai people is what? It's so cringeworthy to see such grovelling, without even thinking for a minute about how this pisses off all other nationalities. Stupid is as stupid does.

Came in via Phuket yesterday. 

Seven dedicated points marked Chinese. 

2 officials on each.

 

We had to look hard for the Thais gate.

I was with my partner. 

Foot soldier said use any gate.

Took ages to get through. 

But miles better than Bangkok. 

 

Also a separate area for Visa waivers. 

 

All other gates were marked Foreigners. 

Albeit they also had Russian writing too