Survey: Is Thailand’s appeal declining for Western Tourists?

[lamyai3]

11 hours ago, Ulic said:

I really believe Thailand needs a thorough review and overhaul in its tourist/long stay visa rules if it is going to reverse this downward spiral.

Unfortunately the authorities also believe this, but are proceeding in the the opposite direction. 

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, Peterw42 said:

I love low season and less western tourists, no queues, less traffic more parking, resturants not busy, I get my laundry back same day, spare deckchairs at the condo pool.

No such thing as low season anymore, Chinese and Indians are always there.

[Denim]

' Thailand ! ' 

 

Nowadays it has the same exotic appeal that Torremolinos once had.

 

Where people were once envious if you had been , they now titter behind your back.

 

 

[RocketDog]

12 hours ago, ivor bigun said:

To all expats who seem to get ripped off,whats wrong with me ,nobody ever overcharges me ,what have i done wrong? In fact the other day i bought a t shirt in mikes shopping mall and the girl charged me less because i am local,its not fair .

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Ivor, just slip a few hundred baht notes in your waistband next time you go to market. It pays to advertise.

 

But how do you know if you have been overcharged if prices are never posted at most places? Ignorance is bliss.

 

(I love cliches; it saves me from using my brain)

[DrTuner]

6 hours ago, Jingthing said:

It's not one thing. It's a cluster. 

I'd say it's a proper cluster <deleted>. In true Thai style they'll just keep on compounding on it until the last one simply turns their back and walks away, leaving it all in a pile of dung.

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

I'd say it's a proper cluster <deleted>. In true Thai style they'll just keep on compounding on it until the last one simply turns their back and walks away, leaving it all in a pile of dung.

That was implied.

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[Jingthing]

' Thailand ! ' 
 
Nowadays it has the same exotic appeal that Torremolinos once had.
 
Where people were once envious if you had been , they now titter behind your back.
 
 

Well there has been a stigma for a long time towards single men that visit or live in Thailand. But it's definitely doesn't impress very many people anymore regardless.

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[Lucky100]

Maybe simplify visa system and not putnin new rules every 5 minutes and keep consistent, all seems to depend on what immigration you speak too, some helpful, some resentful

[ivor bigun]

Ivor, just slip a few hundred baht notes in your waistband next time you go to market. It pays to advertise.
 
But how do you know if you have been overcharged if prices are never posted at most places? Ignorance is bliss.
 
(I love cliches; it saves me from using my brain)

After being around for 25 yrs i think i know what things cost

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[Longcut]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

Thailand inflation rate 1.1 (world bank).  Currency is not dubious it is the strongest in SEA.  Western currencies are dropping in value because of mismanagement of the West - Trump and Brexit. 

Must be why the economy in the USA is booming. Quite an improvement from the last administration. 

[Longcut]

1 hour ago, Orton Rd said:

800 baht in lolita's and 1500 for the full works from Nana hotel car park, I believe!

Do people really travel half way around the globe just for sex? How ugly do you have to be not to be able to even buy sex where you come from?

[RocketDog]

20 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

After being around for 25 yrs i think i know what things cost

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Hmmm. Inflation must be playing hell with your memory!

I remember when lots of things cost less too. That knowledge doesn't help much.

 

Things change everyday. But if feeling victimized for not being victimized is your thing, then go for it.

Everybody needs a hobby.

 

[mstevens]

8 hours ago, Perhaps2more said:

It is sad that people worry about 20 bahts (50 pence at the present exchange rates). Is that enough a reason for anyone to find Thailand terrible? It is not worth mentioning even in Thai bahts with Thai people. In Singapore, Japan or Hong Kong, people wouldn't pick it up if they see one on the ground.

I don't think the point made was necessarily about being 20 baht out of pocket. I think the point was more that it's easy to get the feeling that many people you deal with are not entirely honest and upfront with you - and when that happens frequently you may feel like you have to have your guard up which wears you down and generally makes life less enjoyable than it otherwise would / should be.

[Perhaps2more]

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

It's not about the 20 baht, but I am not going to try to explain that to you,

Pride often gets people in to big trouble for something worthless. Grow up and stay focus. 

[Perhaps2more]

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

5 mins for wife to clear Finnish immigration a few weeks ago.

Let's take your wife as a standard one off.

[metisdead]

A post and a reply containing a link to Bangkok Post has been removed:

 

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

All of the above. In the short term Thailand has too many problems, too expensive, too many Chinese and Indians, and other destinations are more attractive in comparison. In the long term however these problems will eventually fix themselves, the Chinese/Indians will stop coming, and other destinations will develop their own problems. I wouldn't write Thailand off just yet, but is certainly not going to be an easy time for anyone over the next few years.

[Perhaps2more]

5 hours ago, Longcut said:

Do people really travel half way around the globe just for sex? How ugly do you have to be not to be able to even buy sex where you come from?

It's more about doing it everywhere you go than the simple reasons you said. Buying sex has nothing to do with the buyer's appearance. Many buyers are young and good looking. It's more about what is on offer and the buyer's emotion. You get more control when you buy it. It will cost you more time and money the other way. Courtship and divorce are not cheap. They cost time, money and emotion.

[marcusarelus]

6 hours ago, DrTuner said:

One Mapthaput makes Isaan not. Yes more work in menial factory jobs than on the fields now, but it's still arse up to skies planting rice up in the north. Go take a visit.

Agriculture is 9% of Thailand's GDP.  98% of the executives and high paying jobs on the Eastern Seaboard are held by Thai people it's one of the reasons that incomes keep going up in Thailand.  

Why not ask Yukontorn Wisadkosin, She is president, Ford ASEAN.  

[ukrules]

On 7/15/2019 at 3:10 PM, marcusarelus said:

The pound and Aussie dollar are too low to make Thailand a low cost vacation.  Simple really.  

No, they're not. All currencies in the world are low against the Baht - this means that the Baht has gained a significant amount of value over the last few years.

[marcusarelus]

Just now, ukrules said:

No, they're not. All currencies in the world are low against the Baht - this means that the Baht has gained a significant amount of value over the last few years.

That means the other currencies have lost a significant amount of value.  I'd imagine this could be checked by looking at the pound vs gold and baht vs gold.  

[Perhaps2more]

8 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

China is doing pretty well at that price eh?

Relatively a different league ? China has 1,400 million Chinese, a world market in itself. Within that many are still suffering in poverty. Thailand has 68 million Thais, a village comparing to China, and with massive amount of bad debts. Many Thai economists are expecting a big crash in property soon, while Thai government is increasing international debts year on year. 

Top 20 Economies in the World ; Number 6 ... is India. 

Have you been to India? Do you think it is developed? Are there many extremely poor people? 

Doing well as a country says nothing much about the real people living in it.

(https://www.investopedia.com/insights/worlds-top-economies/)

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, Longcut said:

Do people really travel half way around the globe just for sex? How ugly do you have to be not to be able to even buy sex where you come from?

I earned a lot of money, dressed well, looked reasonable, and was intelligent.

In the UK after age 23, I got nothing, not even from my Brit wife.

In Thailand age 52, I got as much sex as I wanted from more attractive women than I ever had in the UK, and they were half my age or less.

 

From what I see of young, good looking white male tourists in Thailand, their white gfs are generally overweight and ugly. I can't understand it, it's as if all the attractive white women are too busy posting selfies on instagram to actually date any white guys. 

 

Thailand still has plenty of slim and attractive women available at bargain prices.

[Rookiescot]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I earned a lot of money, dressed well, looked reasonable, and was intelligent.

In the UK after age 23, I got nothing, not even from my Brit wife.

In Thailand age 52, I got as much sex as I wanted from more attractive women than I ever had in the UK, and they were half my age or less.

 

From what I see of young, good looking white male tourists in Thailand, their white gfs are generally overweight and ugly. I can't understand it, it's as if all the attractive white women are too busy posting selfies on instagram to actually date any white guys. 

 

Thailand still has plenty of slim and attractive women available at bargain prices.

Aye and thats a fact.

See young westerners walking around with their girlfriends who look like a bulldog chewing a wasp.

I think Thailand is a reality call for them. Back in the west they are able to pick which boyfriend they want.

Over here they look awful.

Still does not stop them thinking they are Gods gift to mankind though.

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, Perhaps2more said:

Pride often gets people in to big trouble for something worthless. Grow up and stay focus. 

When intending to use English, look up the word you are selecting before you post it, "pride" as you suggest has nothing to do with getting ripped off, perhaps another wisely chosen word should have been, "displeasure" as for growing up and staying focused, yes please do chump !

[4MyEgo]

37 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thailand still has plenty of slim and attractive women available at bargain prices.

[wobalt]

How do you expect a country to develop when a local person in work has about £10 a day to cover all his living expenses with perhaps few people in his family?

Already today locals have to leave their country to work overseas


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[Perhaps2more]

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

When intending to use English, look up the word you are selecting before you post it, "pride" as you suggest has nothing to do with getting ripped off, perhaps another wisely chosen word should have been, "displeasure" as for growing up and staying focused, yes please do chump !

Pride has nothing to do with getting ripped off.  Not being careful has. 

I did not say pride had anything to do with getting ripped off. I said it could make you respond unwisely.

Pride is what gets you to respond to some situations unwisely.

Pride is what gets you to fight for a seat, a woman, or with a queue jumper, and sometimes very upset for being done by only 20 bahts. The amount you probably give to a beggar, but it bothered you that the seller did that to you. What did she think you were?

Displeasure, or annoyance is just a feeling.

Pride is an emotional term. It can move you to do unreasonable things.

Grown-ups rarely bother themselves with something trivial.

Stay focus - you see things as they are. 20 bahts is worthless, it's not 2,000 bahts.

Your name probably is a giveaway, because Ego is an unhealthy form of pride. 

 

[Dave67]

For me it will be home for the rest of my in my heart. But its not Farang friendly. My Wife is Thai my kids are Anglo/Thai and Thai citizens and yet in some form I have to get Visa every year for the rest of my life

[Perhaps2more]

14 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Even with my Thai wife on a Thai passport entering the US we have been processed in about 30 minutes. Second to last 20 and last trip 10 minutes thru JFK.

 

Since when is Europe a standard for anything? Why do you think England wants Brexit as well as half the other EU countries. Europe can't do anything right these days.

I did not say Europe is a standard but I was answering the point which he said, because Thailand is an underdeveloped country when the immigration queue takes long time he will not bother to visit it again. The developed countries like those in Europe should be better obviously but it is not always the case, especially when they see a non European person. ... At this point, you mentioned your wife with a Thai passport standing next to you, I assume.

From what I know a non European travelling alone always get plenty of suspicious questions from European or US immigration, what, when, where, why, how, then checking everything, looking very angry for uncertain reasons. 

If your wife tells you from what she knew that Thai people get easy pass at foreign immigration, she'll be lying.

People like coming to Thailand because the locals treat foreigners with respect not disdain.