Lack of European visitors the cause of Thailand's tourism woes, says hotelier

[Genericnic]

2 hours ago, CaptainNemo said:

Competition from other destinations that seem new, interesting, and affordable, like Vietnam?

Agreed. I stopped recommending Thailand to my friends and recommend that we meet up someplace more tourist friendly like Vietnam, Cambodia, or Malaysia. 

 

David

[UKresonant]

1 hour ago, marko kok prong said:

For expats it's the tm30 nonsense,for foriegn tourists,high prices,,often sub standard accomodation,,rubbish everywhere,scams, dirty beaches,highly dangerous travel by bus or van,for sexmongers outrageous prices even for short time,and now from what i gather much rarer to get the gf experience,plus mangy dogs running all over ,why the hell would you bother.

Add Substantial Dual pricing at the national parks and other tourist venues, superb technique to give a 70/30 whether they go in to such whilst here, and a subject that will likely arise when talking to friends back home, as they ask how they got on,,,not as if it's just a 10% surcharge, perhaps a 1000% ????.

[SmartyMarty]

more tourists opting for the AirBnB experience as well.

[bkkcanuck8]

24 minutes ago, Teee said:

Most expats i still talk to...are not comfortable anymore

I never found bar stools to be comfortable either... ????

[hansnl]

3 hours ago, HLover said:

Me thinks there are other factors besides just these two.

Yes, but naming that would be a huge loss of face.

[natway09]

One more important aspect is that the Governments over the years have reaped but not sown.

The priorities are wrong

Forget about high speed trains, repair existing, double track all existing (25 years overdue),

clean up the beaches, invest in decent sewerage treatment plants, rescind licences of food establishments who refuse to install & maintain grease traps, slow the carnage on the roads with meaningful means not just lip service, stop the touts & ancillary services constantly ripping off people, Let tourists enjoy a drink anytime in their hotels or booked restaurants & get the RTP to do their work properly along with stopping  taking bribes from bars (which just pushes the price up) & get big business to start sharing the wealth.

That's a good start,,, I'm off for my meds

[Teee]

9 minutes ago, davidstipek said:

everyone Is blaming Issues here on TM30 and TN=M28... In the first place why are they needed? Immigration know who everyone is and where they are Lodged. It is not the responsibility of Land Lords, Wife, Family and Businesses to report where every Tourist is. This Is an Immigrations issue, if they were keeping records as the "ARE" required to do. 30 day Visa's. 60 day even 90 day they have everyone Passport Number Address and Visa number. If system does not show them exiting Thailand when required, Immigration needs to go look for them! Period!  ! year Visa, Retirees, and everyone else is doing a 90 day report. This is suppose to tell Immigration where everyone else is (Addresses) every three months. The only logically reason for the requirement of the TM30 and TM28 is to do someone in Immigration's Job for them... Why? First of all we are not allowed to work! If I am doing a Government Job for them... I Damn well want to be paid for it! The real hurt on the economy here is requiring Thai Citizens and Businesses to pay fines for someone failure.... 

 

Wonder who is really keeping this cash flow, is this the real reason these forms are being pushed down the throats of Thai People?

 

If someone has stayed beyond their exit dat... Immigration knows... It's in the system right? Then go get them and do "Your " job!

The 2nd Logical reason for these forms is for Tax Purposes.  "Income"! and who is not reporting it. The way Thai Citizens are treated by their own Government is appalling!. Can any one blame people for not reporting? Does not the Bureau of Taxation keep records? do inspections? Or just a chair in an office  where they reside... telling their Bosses how over worked they are (Yet nothing to show for it...)

 

This is not by any means injection the loss of face on anyone! It is showing the real reasons why Thailand has forced the use of the TM30 and TM28. No wonder there is a double price for everything here, someone has to replace funds that are being used (Minus any Brown Envelopes… if you please) 

 

This is why people are afraid to rent rooms anymore. I get what retirement I can from the Government so I tried to increase it to help my family expenses (Neighbor just told me...) But it's not worth it anymore, I just end up giving it to the Government! They always find a way...

 

This is just one Major reason Tourists are staying away... They Love Thailand, their longtime friends love them too. But we are tired of Thailand always finding a way to take what they can and then run... Politicians not caring one Iota about Thailand or its people and future

 

I will stop here before I really get upset! I am here by Karma... Served my Oversea' duty here, went home! Survived (Thailand Protected me!!) Married Stateside Thai Lady, Ordained a Monk... to learn more, Retired and returned to the Country Kingdom who made sure I survived, returned to Thailand with my Wife to help her take care of her family as She had done in America.... Karma.... say what you want... Just plain Old Honest to Goodness Karma!

Thanks for that.

Yes i believe in Karma too.

But as i have said before, expats not really that bothered about the TM30 etc.

Its their money that they are bothered about. 

Hence why so many now are so uncomfortable with their living standards.

Lets be all honest here, most expats chose to live in Thailand for a few reasons. 

Years ago when they moved there (i will use £ as i dont have access to how other currencies were) 65 bht to £.

I moved to Thailand Dec 2016 i was getting 48bht to £. Now 36.

Rentals not gone down...but up approx 30% in that time. Electric up approx 4

26%.

Now work it out. Expats pension money they receive can not allow them to keep up the expendature of living. 

Esp as we all know most expats are chasing a younger 3 times a week thai or fillipino to keep them company in and out of bed.

 

[robsamui]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

My Brit pal moved from Chiang Mai to the Philippines then finally Phnom Penh.

He used to spend 65k/month until the exchange rate dropped, then he left rather than try to game immigration.

I visit him every year, you can come with me next time if you want.

 

Two others died, aged 50 (stomach cancer) and 59 (AIDs).

I had been living in Thailand full time since 1997 - until 9 months ago. But a number of things all seem to come to a head at the same time in 2018. 

The immigration policies became confusing and onerous. Suddenly I was being asked to make a donation of 800,000 baht to a Thai bank (or was it 400,000? I'm still confused). More and more rules, regulations and new paperwork appeared.

 

The baht was getting stronger - nobody on this thread seems to have mentioned that (with the exception of state-sponsored petrol) the cost of living in Thailand has doubled over the last decade. And my income from the UK, already getting smaller because of the increasing strength of the baht, plummeted after Brexit.

I'm now in Vietnam. At the age of 70 it was a fraught decision, and it's not all been roses. But now my money buys twice as much and there's no hassles in any way from immigration. I buy an online invitation letter for $10 from an agent, present it at immigration on the way in and get a visa stamped in my passport. That's all there is to it.

Plus the fact that I can enjoy popping back to Thailand  any time I want - and afford to - as a return flight on AirAsia is only $85 (2,800 baht) and takes just over an hour. Life is now altogether simpler, cheaper and less stressful than it was in Thailand - I should have left ten years ago, but who was gonna guess that such a lovely country could turn so . . . words fail me.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

I have read most of the TM30 threads on TV, albeit I admit not completely but so far I haven't seen anyone claiming that they are going to stay at home and give up domestic travel and visits  due to the current TM30 tomfoolery.

I haven't been staying home, I've just changed what I do. Instead of paying for hotels and restaurants in Rayong/Hua Hin I've been visiting friends in Issan/Kanchanaburi. Have a BBQ in the garden, few beers etc. They don't report me staying so I don't have to report I'm back.

 

Obviously the hotels and restaurants lose out, but I've quite enjoyed it and I get the smug satisfaction that I haven't had to report to my "parole officer" on Monday morning when I need to be at work. Normally I'm not so petty, but this TM30 really rubbed me the wrong way.

 

I do actually know a couple of decent hotels in Rayong that never ask for my passport so if they carry on with the TM30 nonsense for a few more months and I do end up feeling the need for a beach weekend I will stay there. Airbnb, Craigslist etc. is another option if I want to rent a place direct from the owner without TM30, more tax lost for the government if I start using those. Up to them.

[Teee]

6 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

I never found bar stools to be comfortable either... ????

Never sat on a bar stool myself im not that sad farang who tried to live the 'dream' of a young thai or fillipino for company ????????????????????????

[Teee]

3 minutes ago, robsamui said:

I had been living in Thailand full time since 1997 - until 9 months ago. But a number of things all seem to come to a head at the same time in 2018. 

The immigration policies became confusing and onerous. Suddenly I was being asked to make a donation of 800,000 baht to a Thai bank (or was it 400,000? I'm still confused). More and more rules, regulations and new paperwork appeared.

 

The baht was getting stronger - nobody on this thread seems to have mentioned that (with the exception of state-sponsored petrol) the cost of living in Thailand has doubled over the last decade. And my income from the UK, already getting smaller because of the increasing strength of the baht, plummeted after Brexit.

I'm now in Vietnam. At the age of 70 it was a fraught decision, and it's not all been roses. But now my money buys twice as much and there's no hassles in any way from immigration. I buy an online invitation letter for $10 from an agent, present it at immigration on the way in and get a visa stamped in my passport. That's all there is to it.

Plus the fact that I can enjoy popping back to Thailand  any time I want - and afford to - as a return flight on AirAsia is only $85 (2,800 baht) and takes just over an hour. Life is now altogether simpler, cheaper and less stressful then it was in Thailand - I should have left ten years ago, but who was gonna guess that such a lovely country could turn so . . . words fail me.

Well done you ????

Hope you live a great life there.

More Thailand expats will join you very soon im sure.

Hope so anyway...

[yellowboat]

Militarily controlled Thailand is a downer no fun in a country known for fun.  Just that simple.  The party is over.

[Bangkokazy]

Thailand is no longer hip, among young Europeans.

The older horny who traveled to Thailand find the same offers in the local area where they live.

The first thing I respond to 40 million tourists comes to Thailand
I don't sit for 10 hours on a plane to queue for 1 month when I bus down to the beach.
Visit the shop and buy a few bottles of wine for 10 euros.
Thailand has nothing to offer tourists other than to help them and clean up the beaches

[ICELANDMAN]

1 hour ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Funded by a 50 baht rise AOT fee on taxis...

Yes after waiting An hour and a half to Don Muang to enter the smile country I have to wait another 10 minutes and pay 50 baths for have the right to take the taxi, a really brilliant idea to attract more tourists

[soalbundy]

55555555???? what goes around comes around.

[Petchou]

Actually basing the assessment 9f the situation only on number of tourists doesn't have much meaning.  It's the total of money spent by tourists that matters.  Having low number of tourists who spend substantial amount of money is way better than Getting 30 million of packpackers and cheap tours tourists

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

4!

 

Any advance on 4?

why dont u ask who has NOT changed their lifestyle because of tm30.

[lust]

Does anyone else secretly enjoy watching Thailand squirm? You mistreat your guests, what do you expect to happen? Som nam na, bitches.

[unamazedloso]

Is it as simple as the childish TAT cant admit they miss us Whitey's?

Its obvious, I used to come here for a month at a time, rent a car the whole time and hotels, hotels, hotels... i do all the islands, time and time again... Been all over Thailand countless times.

Im now married and stuck at home too dam scarred of the tm30 and too poor with the baht????????

Whitey's like to have fun and fun costs money! Whitey's see value in this????

 

[robertson468]

We own a small Resort on Samui and we know that Guests are down more than 30% this year and talking to a Friend of mine the other day who owns a high end Hotel, he feels that a combination of the strong baht, lack of promotion by TAT of Samui as a holiday destination and the rediculous flight prices by Bangkok Airways has hit hard this year.  He is even recosidering what market he should aim for to attract more Guests.  Very sad, but even more so that TAT and the like keep saying we are X% more, when clearly this is untrue, but if you calculate one chinese for 5 days as a Guests and 1 European for 14 days, how do they come up with things are on the up and up?  Crazy.

[Teee]

2 hours ago, MartinKal said:

If you are looking for an explanation for the drop-off in the number of visitors from Europe, an explanation largely overlooked is very simply that the unusually hot summer kept Europeans at home for holidays on their own coastlines or mountain or city breaks.

Highly unlikely.

Most tourists will plan their holiday well in advance and paid for the cheaper flights months before and way before the unexpected hot summer all of Europe (not the Uk) so your comment is not really correct.

[Isaan sailor]

#1 Reason for western tourism decline......high Baht

 

#2 Reason......high Baht

 

#3 Reason….high Baht.

 

I'd be happy to fill out TM30's every time I come back....just bring the damn Baht back to normal.

[madmen]

3 hours ago, djlest said:

i was planning a two week vacation all around Thailand at nice hotels, then i realized i would have to do TM30 so i cancelled my trip and instead... ill stay home and watch netflix and spend my hard earned money buying <deleted> from china. mai pen rai - up to you Thailand

Bit dramatic. Up to the hotels to file them and you file just one tm28 

[Stoker58]

  Ain’t no substitute for good old fashioned farang tourists.

Also, the TM30 scandal is undoubtedly inhibiting us resident Europeans from taking local holidays within the country. 

  Who wants to go on a weekend break if you think the Stazi are watching you?

[madmen]

12 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Is it as simple as the childish TAT cant admit they miss us Whitey's?

Its obvious, I used to come here for a month at a time, rent a car the whole time and hotels, hotels, hotels... i do all the islands, time and time again... Been all over Thailand countless times.

Im now married and stuck at home too dam scarred of the tm30 and too poor with the baht????????

Whitey's like to have fun and fun costs money! Whitey's see value in this????

 

tourist don't need to do a tm30

[ThomasThBKK]

2 minutes ago, madmen said:

Bit dramatic. Up to the hotels to file them and you file just one tm28 

Nah he wouldn't have to do anything... tm28 for tourists got scrapped anyway and was never active

[bkk6060]

I disagree with all of it.

 

More and more are Airbnb, etc. renting condos.  1000' s of people everyday come to Pattaya, not staying in hotels.

 

The hotel industry should have put a stop to it a few years ago.  But they are unorganized and basically not smart about a situation that will just get worse and worse for them.

[SteveK]

For me to do a TM30 involves a 200km round trip, and a good 60-90 minutes wait in the office. It really puts me off going anywhere to be honest, twice now we have changed our minds about trips to Chiang Mai and Pattaya because it's just a massive headache. If they sort the online system out then obviously it wouldn't be much of an issue.

[brendanmann]

Why would I visit Thailand. After spending extended periods of time there 5 years ago. I still get bullied by immigration. I have to show large amounts cash in local currency to even pass immigration.  When I do get in, I am hit with some of the worst exchange rates in the world due to the artificially inflated baht and the UK pound being in the toilette.

 

I looked a few weeks ago and I would have seen about 32 baht to the pound at the ATM. I have to pay the highest ATM rate I pay in the world to get my money. What is it now 220 baht to use the ATM. Whats the point. In Vietnam I enjoy 300k to the pound and it costs me 1 pound to use the ATM. The people are more friendly, the scams are less and the police leave me to it. Even the immigration man was polite. Thailand is dead to me, the only thing I am sad about is other people are catching on.

[PhonThong]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

In the south of what?

The North