Out with the backpackers in with the Chinese - Khao San Road makeover continues

[champers]

Just spent a couple of days near KSR and had a night at a bar there. There were mostly young Western tourists, a few oldies (like me) and a few groups of young Chinese (mostly girls). When the trio played an Ed Sheeran song, a table of 4 Chinese hotties next to us practically wet themselves with excitement and sang along in perfect English. 

I understand that stalls will be back to back down the centre of KSR and it will be free of traffic. New paving will be installed. Sounds OK to me.

No need for Thai ladies to learn Mandarin to snare a Chinese beau. In Pattaya they bill and coo in English and the young Chinese lads are taking the prime lookers too.

Never mind the us v them rubbish. Let's all party together.

[inThailand]

yes, they should stick to their roots....

hookers and hops

[sunnyboy2018]

1 hour ago, Los Luver said:

I recall I read somewhere: the backpackers were begging in the streets of ASIAN....Well Chinese are lot better substitutes......at least Trump thinks so.......money my friends money........

Most backpackers are middle class and relatively wealthy,  often doing gap years, and supported by bank of mum and dad.

[gunderhill]

a  nice  huge  market  to  fleece,  no  change  different  target

[kiwikeith]

20 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

With lots of Chinese , the street will be used as a toilet soon

They are going to rename Thailand soon.

It will become Chailand, teaching vendors to speak Chinese is stupid as most Chinese these days speak English as a second language.

Further ruination of good old LOS, personally I know how Chinese tourists behave, I drove tour busses in NZ.

They throw butts everywhere and when they leave a restaurant it looks like a hurricane went through the place.

The tour guides are bent, the whole tours are bent, we had to take tours to Chinese owned restaurants and shopping factories where they were supposed to get good deals, of course they were set up and ripped.

Not only that some tour guides line them up outside free venues and charge them a fee in USA dollars to get in.

They are of no value to ordinary Thais they are manipulated by the Chinese big business Hiso in Thailand.

Then the government is run by Chinese, my Thai wife said she doesn't care a while back, but now she is very worried about Thailand, even her old mom is now very worried as are many Thais at present, very worried now.

If the Thai BHT continues on its overvalued streak it will reek havoc for expats, it is now 25% above what the average exchange rate was for the NZ dollar a while back, my rent used to cost $360 NZ a month (9000 bht)

Now it costs 440 NZ dollars and the BHT could go higher it was 19 to the dollar down from its old average of around 24/25 a year or so ago.

A friend of mine who deals in currency says a major correction for the Thai BHT is in the wind.

 

With all the bombs going off something is brewing.

 

[Mitkof Island]

4 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Do you remembr, The Hello Bar AKA The Hell bar, and the Pro Guest House?

When mass tourism moves in and millions of obnoxious foreigners raid the streets don,t expect the Thais to be polite. Foreigners in the tourist slums are as common as fleas. Paradise lost kiss it all goodbye. You could not pay me enough to get near Khao San Freak Road

[kiwikeith]

3 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

When mass tourism moves in and millions of obnoxious foreigners raid the streets don,t expect the Thais to be polite. Foreigners in the tourist slums are as common as fleas. Paradise lost kiss it all goodbye. You could not pay me enough to get near Khao San Freak Road

Well we can rename that as well

It can be Chow come Rd

[MRToMRT]

KSR is not the "farang" backpackers haven it used to be (I remember staying there for 20 baht a night albeit 30 years ago and it was a dump btw) it has long been gentrified and the whole area has been expanding for years with some good nightlife and restaurants and a generally young crowd which has become increasingly Thai and "other" asian. 

What we are seeing is tourism changing the country over time. I admit its not a change my rosy colored spectacles like but everywhere is changing. It's just time to see Thailand as it is not as what it was.

 

PS I have and am leaving

[Penicillin]

17 hours ago, hansnl said:

Thailand lost it.

Good luck with the fickle Chinese.

Maybe may I remember those who decide that those backpackersight come back when elder, might influence others to visit Thailand?

The Chinese tend to come once and can not be lured back.

Poor Thai people.

I think (generally speaking) your right about the Chinese tourist coming only one time.  Ive met a number of them that said the same thing .  However, rotating a billion or so screaming Chicoms through their one and only Thai travel experience will take forever and never end because new little ones become of age and affluence. 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, JimmyTheMook said:

 

Vietnan, Laos and few other places are the new wanderlust destinations - TH is just so old hat.

If LOS is indeed "old hat", it's because the Thai government ( all of them since the 80s ) has allowed the country to become unfriendly to western tourists. All the hoo ha about no back to back visa exempt entries etc has changed LOS from an easy to visit destination to one that has become a pain in the <deleted>.

All the things that bagpackers used to visit for have not disappeared, but the cheap accommodation has, and the beaches are <deleted> now with concrete covering everything.

Frankly, the TAT does nothing to aid tourists, other than being a place to pick up pamphlets.

The office in Pattaya, which used to be in town was moved up the hill to a very difficult place to reach if not in possession of a vehicle. So much for helping tourists, NOT.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

KSR is not the "farang" backpackers haven it used to be (I remember staying there for 20 baht a night albeit 30 years ago and it was a dump btw) it has long been gentrified and the whole area has been expanding for years with some good nightlife and restaurants and a generally young crowd which has become increasingly Thai and "other" asian. 

What we are seeing is tourism changing the country over time. I admit its not a change my rosy colored spectacles like but everywhere is changing. It's just time to see Thailand as it is not as what it was.

 

PS I have and am leaving

KSR was always a <deleted> hole that I used to visit in the 90s to remember why I didn't like it. Full of stupid bagpackers paying way too much for rubbish clothing etc, and sitting in bars watching VDOs instead of getting out and seeing the city.

I regret it's passing ( and it's obviously going down the same path to damnation as Bugis Street did in Singapore ), not because it's chasing away the very thing that made it famous ( KSR, "the street where Chinese like to go" does not have the same cachet ), but because the Thais are not willing to preserve their history, and will eventually come to regret it. Singapore certainly did.

[Gecko123]

KSR used to have a 'crossroads-of-the-world' atmosphere where people could mingle with people from all over the world and sample different kinds of cuisine. Thailand had a reputation for being an inviting step back in time to a more innocent, gentle, natural, laid back era and KSR was a place for people to gather and exchange notes.

I honestly can't understand what TAT thinks will draw Chinese tourists to the revamped KSR. Can't streets like this be found within a 10 minute walk just about everywhere in China? With all due to respect, the Chinese probably see Thailand's cultural heritage as somewhat 'meh' compared to their own, so Bangkok, aside from shopping, dining, and taking in a few landmarks, probably has limited appeal.

 

This leaves Thailand's beaches as a major draw for Chinese tourism. Those which can be accessed by air will probably do reasonably well, but Thailand's roads and surface infrastructure simply can't handle mass tourism. And the most popular beach destinations are over-visited, over-crowded, over-priced and suffering from environmental degradation, over-building, climate change, and maritime and road safety issues, which does not bode well for word-of-mouth and return visit tourism.

 

Thailand really does seem to be struggling to market its modern day appeal to the world.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

KSR is not the "farang" backpackers haven it used to be (I remember staying there for 20 baht a night albeit 30 years ago and it was a dump btw) it has long been gentrified and the whole area has been expanding for years with some good nightlife and restaurants and a generally young crowd which has become increasingly Thai and "other" asian. 

What we are seeing is tourism changing the country over time. I admit its not a change my rosy colored spectacles like but everywhere is changing. It's just time to see Thailand as it is not as what it was.

 

PS I have and am leaving

You may leave, but IMO everyplace has become <deleted>, caused by too many people destroying everything. You may be leaving a country that lost its sanuk ( and its soul ), but I don't know any place that hasn't sold out to big business, so just exchanging one <deleted ) place for another.

Thailand is still great, but only in the hard to reach places well off the tourist trail. So long as the Chinese just ruin the places they have already ruined, the hidden gems will survive.

[Yinn]

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The continuation of the decline of Western tourism. Thailand made a decision long ago, to avoid pursuing the highest quality of tourist around. They are now courting low baht, low quality, for the sake of the annual total numbers of arrivals. Really, really dumb policy. Brain dead planning, by total incompetents. Nearly everyone I speak with, anywhere in the country, who is in the tourism industry says the same thing. They are suffering, this new group of tourists just does not spend much (unless you are 7/11, a fruit vendor, or sell baseball caps), and contribute very little to the local economy.

 

This lack of Western tourists, is a major disaster for the nation, and only a matter of time before this manifests itself on alot of levels. In addition, with so many ex-pets leaving, who contribute enormously to the local economy, one can only hope (with such mindless policy), that the baht eventually drops significantly. One would presume that will eventually happen. 

Yes Mike. The Chinese spend to much money and dont .......

Drunk backpacker no money are “high quality”.

why?

[MRToMRT]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You may leave, but IMO everyplace has become <deleted>, caused by too many people destroying everything. You may be leaving a country that lost its sanuk ( and its soul ), but I don't know any place that hasn't sold out to big business, so just exchanging one <deleted ) place for another.

Thailand is still great, but only in the hard to reach places well off the tourist trail. So long as the Chinese just ruin the places they have already ruined, the hidden gems will survive.

I don't disagree with you, quite the opposite I agree with you heartily.

 

I think its not the Chinese who have spoilt these areas, it the Thai's (and as you rightly infer any host nation national in other countries suffering the same as well). I don't think the hidden gems will stay hidden much longer, on my own travels I see tourists of all ilks EVERYWHERE.

I spent 3 weeks in southern France earlier this summer, I was amazed at how beautiful, well kept and "genuine" the place was. I would not want to live there for other reasons but at least the French and French authorities take pride and spend money on keeping their villages, towns et al clean, tidy and generally VERY well kept. This is sorely missing everywhere in Thailand IMO and I cannot see the years of going off the rails ever being corrected to give them back what they once had. The thing that made this a great tourist destination..

[thaibeachlovers]

5 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Thailand really does seem to be struggling to market its modern day appeal to the world.

LOL. IMO Thailand does not have any "modern day appeal", unless you were considering the big malls as a tourist attraction. Outside the malls LOS is still decrepit, just as it's always been in the decades I've been visiting and living there.

I visited for the bars, girls and beaches, and also enjoyed visiting temples and out of the way places. At no time did I consider LOS to be "modern" ( outside the malls ), nor did I want it to be. The attraction to me was that it WASN'T modern. If I wanted "modern", I'd have stayed in <deleted> hole London.

 

If one needs an example of how LOS is decrepit, one need look no further than the railways. Last time I travelled, the aircon caught fire ( the entire carriage was disgusting, and obviously not maintained- second class ), so we had to go travel in the 3rd class, and no official explained anything, apologised, or helped me to carry my 40 kg case ( I was on my way out of Thailand ), and I did not get a full refund, or any sort of compensation. I was told if I wanted a full refund I had to return to Chiang Mai!!!!!!!

So much for "modern" Thailand.

 

I miss some things about Thailand, but not the sort that a normal tourist is subject to.

[Ron jeremy]

14 hours ago, leiftheswede said:

Maybe Thai authority's should make a visit to Cambodia (Shianok Ville and Ankor Wat) and c for them self what it means to promote Chinese tourism. First came a few  then more and more until u have nothing but Chinese tourist and nobody else will go.

It's a sad situation, but the truth is Chinese are the biggest demographic in tourism, huge middle class, billions, we are small potatoes, they don't want is, nor NEED us. Couple hundred thousand sex tourists. An ambarresment to Thailand.

Fasten you're seat belts.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I think its not the Chinese who have spoilt these areas, it the Thai's

Correct. The Thais have, IMO, been engulfed in greed, and have been busily ruining every once nice beach by building big hotels and resorts all over them. The sad thing is that the reason the beaches became popular has been destroyed, but the people that stay in the new places don't care because they do everything in the resorts- swimming pools are mandatory- don't swim in the sea anyway as it's probably been polluted by hotel sewage.

Seems as long as the developers get rich, they don't care about the environment.

I remember when one could stand in the sea off Chaweng and not see the hotels, because they left the trees and did not build above the tree line. That was in the days of Charlies Hut, where one could stay cheaply.

[Galactus]

idiotism at its best! 

all for chinese and westerners can just f  off.

it is a haven for western backpackers for many decades and never ever seen an initiative recommending vendors to take English classes!

It was those backpackers made Kaosarn Kaosarn.

Kaosarn Area was great before.

but after the influx of chinese tourists, ranters screwed up there.

Lots of old tradition business were destroyed. Ugly hotels were built over traditional wooden Thai houses.

All those nice local restaurants are gone even the food market!

One part of the market next to Kaosarn road is demolished, just to open space for Chinese tourist buses!

Prices went high. say it food or hotel.

Basically they are telling backpackers to just f   off and leave the space or chinese!

Hope they dont miss backpackers soon!

In Thailand, Chinese get priority and western tourist is just second class.

They have to realize, a backpacker although in budget, is mostly a long stayer and spends more than any Chinese package cheap tourist.

Also backpackers reach and stay in places with not much tourism and help for the development of locals.

Chinese use chinese restaurants or hotels. Uses Chinese tour companies and money goes back to China.

Sad really. i live not far to there and it is not a pleasant place to be in the last 5 years.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, Ron jeremy said:

It's a sad situation, but the truth is Chinese are the biggest demographic in tourism, huge middle class, billions, we are small potatoes, they don't want is, nor NEED us. Couple hundred thousand sex tourists. An ambarresment to Thailand.

Fasten you're seat belts.

True, and many women of LOS will be sad because they won't be getting any more farang ATMs to fleece. Can't see middle class Chinese men rushing to pay Thai bargirls loadsacash to not work in the bar anymore 55555555555555555.

Farewell Thailand, it was great, once- now it's just sad.

Having said that, if I won lotto I'd be going back on the next plane, but to have the equivalent life I had in the 90s, one needs megabaht now. LOS ain't cheap and cheerful anymore.

[Ron jeremy]

16 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Correct. The Thais have, IMO, been engulfed in greed, and have been busily ruining every once nice beach by building big hotels and resorts all over them. The sad thing is that the reason the beaches became popular has been destroyed, but the people that stay in the new places don't care because they do everything in the resorts- swimming pools are mandatory- don't swim in the sea anyway as it's probably been polluted by hotel sewage.

Seems as long as the developers get rich, they don't care about the environment.

I remember when one could stand in the sea off Chaweng and not see the hotels, because they left the trees and did not build above the tree line. That was in the days of Charlies Hut, where one could stay cheaply.

They thought it would never end, build build build, no infrastructure, let's capitalize on tourism, no infrastructure whatsoever , sewage free flow not the beach beside you, ive jumped over sewage creeks on every island in Thailand. In ko tau this winter I couldn't use the mask and snorkel I bought, the water was too dirty. Samui was no better, didn't even get my feet wet there. It's a shame what has happened here. 

Its become a sesspool. I have no sympathy towards the Thais, sadly it's the poorthat are suffering , not the greedy ones that are making the money. ( made the money) greed.

happily spending my money in Vietnam nowadays, 

much better bang for my buck.

[bendejo]

16 hours ago, Too young to be old said:

I think it was American servicemen from the airforce bases and those on R & R, re. the Vietnam War, before them, them were no bars.

I first came here in 1975, the backpacker area back then was around Hualamphong, the main meeting place was the Thai Song Greet, which was torn down in 1981.  There may still be a few dilapidated hotels standing.

 

KSR came into fashion in the 1980s, when word spread worldwide about the full moon party in the islands.  This wasn't really new or Thai, there were places in India known for full moon parties since the late 1960s, guess you could call it a hippie thing, at least originally.

 

But I think that for occidental youngsters (in general) the SEA backpacker thing is out of fashion, and just as well really.  Backpacking used to be adventurous, when people met up we'd have tales of places that may not even be on the map, talk about locals we lived among, usually interesting things.  Then it became a follow-the-leader thing, see and be seen, commenting about other bp-er's clothes, etc.  End of an era.

 

I wonder how the Thais will handle the Chinese, they seem to have an inferiority complex toward them.

 

 

[Gecko123]

When you think about it, Khao San Road was a gathering place for visitors to the Kingdom to mingle and swap travel adventure stories and intel with one another. It's appeal didn't really come from having a quintessential Thai experience, the experience came from interacting and observing fellow travellers. This is something that Thailand needs to understand. Part of the appeal of a country comes from other visitors and pocket communities in that country: Chinatown in SF, Thai Town in LA, Little Italy in Boston, Little Havana in Miami, creole community in Louisiana.

 

In Thailand, whether you're talking about West African gem traders, Japanese women travelling solo, Indian tailors and touts, dreadlocked hippies in KSR, North African food vendors, even scruffy ex-pat barflies and upcountry hermits, they all add to Thailand's appeal in one form or another. Thailand needs to understand that Thailand's tourism experience isn't exclusively about Thailand and Thai people. If the current Thai government did a better job of embracing diversity it would help make Thailand a more inviting and attractive place for people to visit and live long-term.

[overherebc]

13 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

When you think about it, Khao San Road was a gathering place for visitors to the Kingdom to mingle and swap travel adventure stories and intel with one another. It's appeal didn't really come from having a quintessential Thai experience, the experience came from interacting and observing fellow travellers. This is something that Thailand needs to understand. Part of the appeal of a country comes from other visitors and pocket communities in that country: Chinatown in SF, Thai Town in LA, Little Italy in Boston, Little Havana in Miami, creole community in Louisiana.

 

In Thailand, whether you're talking about West African gem traders, Japanese women travelling solo, Indian tailors and touts, dreadlocked hippies in KSR, North African food vendors, even scruffy ex-pat barflies and upcountry hermits, they all add to Thailand's appeal in one form or another. Thailand needs to understand that Thailand's tourism experience isn't exclusively about Thailand and Thai people. If the current Thai government did a better job of embracing diversity it would help make Thailand a more inviting and attractive place for people to visit and live long-term.

Embracing diversity doesn't exist in most cases.

Supplying, to the tourist, what they would like themselves, in most cases, is the norm'.

With regard to litter and rubbish 'I didn't throw that there so why should I pick it up'.

[ChipButty]

On 8/6/2019 at 10:27 AM, RichardColeman said:

With lots of Chinese , the street will be used as a toilet soon

Sooner than you think

[Saltire]

Classic: Train the Thai vendors to sell back mostly Chinese-made products back to the Chinese to take back home to China? ???? 

[Yinn]

Ii

On 8/6/2019 at 10:08 AM, BestB said:

 Very wise decision , instead of pushing for multicultural street they now pushing it for declining number of Chinese and then maybe change to Indians ?

 

On 8/6/2019 at 10:09 AM, simon43 said:

If ever there was a clear sign that Thailand is licking up to it's boss (China), then this is it.

 

On 8/6/2019 at 10:15 AM, ezzra said:

Way to go Thailand, this country tourism was built on backpackers, you owe your reputation to those carefree guys and girls over that the years have spread the good words about visiting Thailand and now being shunt and discarded lie a used tissue in favor of the chinese... 

 

On 8/6/2019 at 10:50 AM, Vacuum said:

I wonder if this was their plan from the beginning?

 

On 8/6/2019 at 11:11 AM, spidermike007 said:

The continuation of the decline of Western tourism. Thailand made a decision long ago, to avoid pursuing the highest quality of tourist around. They are now courting low baht, low quality, for the sake of the annual total numbers of arrivals. Really, really dumb policy. Brain dead planning, by total incompetents. Nearly everyone I speak with, anywhere in the country, who is in the tourism industry says the same thing. They are suffering, this new group of tourists just does not spend much (unless you are 7/11, a fruit vendor, or sell baseball caps), and contribute very little to the local economy.

 

This lack of Western tourists, is a major disaster for the nation, and only a matter of time before this manifests itself on alot of levels. In addition, with so many ex-pets leaving, who contribute enormously to the local economy, one can only hope (with such mindless policy), that the baht eventually drops significantly. One would presume that will eventually happen. 

 

On 8/6/2019 at 11:22 AM, tlandtday said:

another brilliant chess move by tat lol... the chinese are coming to see a farang landmark so hey let's make it chinese... now with the chinese currency manipulation they will not be coming in droves...

 

I want to say same as Winnie the Khwai, below say. The link only talk about help to take care of Chinese tourists. 

 

Only Thaivisa say “Thailand” want to throw out the backpacker. 

 

Real headline

 

“Khao San Road Official Organise Local Business to Practice Language and Technical skills to Assist China Tourist”

 

Throw out the Backpacker. Not true, fake news!!! Try to give the member something to complain, mock, criticize and complain about. It worked!!! 10 pages of complain, talk about stupid Thais.

 

thankyou Winnie. 

 

On 8/6/2019 at 11:22 AM, WinnieTheKhwai said:

This is complete ThaiVisa hyperbole.  The linked article makes no mention of 'out with the backpackers'.  It merely reports on the need for Chinese language skills, as more and more independently travelling Chinese tourists visit the area. 

 

[car720]

19 hours ago, Neeranam said:

KSR is not in Pattaya.

You lost me.

What has Pattaya got to do with it?

 

[zydeco]

22 hours ago, CeeGee said:

Recently,I suggested to my partner that I would like to go back to Chinatown in Bangkok,as it was a long time since I had been and that this time we would book a hotel in the area so we could have the full night market/food stalls experience.

Are you crazy? That means filling out another set of TM 30s!  

[zydeco]

21 hours ago, Too young to be old said:

I think it was American servicemen from the airforce bases and those on R & R, re. the Vietnam War, before them, them were no bars.

Hmmm. I thought it was W. Somerset Maugham on one of his pass throughs. Or, if we're thinking up north, it could have been Merian C. Cooper.