Tourism minister finally recognises that "virus free" expats can play important role in tourism recovery

[P100]

What a nonsence once again! Expats and rich students playing golf while their wifes go shopping. Does Pipat live on a different planet? Does he believe expats need the tourism minister to prepare golf trip packages and trips to unseen Thailand? They don't wait to come for golf, they, we, wait for Thailand to fuc*n let us come back home.

 

Did you see the 2 advertising spots on Enlish  tv channels recently? Amazing Thailand is waiting for us to come back...they say. As if we could... Did they actually understand that borders are CLOSED? how can I go back to experience amazing Thailand?
The tourism minister spends now millions on advertising at a time where nobody actually can enter the country...don't they think they will <deleted> off one or two of us? Amazing Thailand.

 

[Rockbottom]

Quote

 

In the absence of foreign tourists due to the pandemic Pipat Ratchakitprakarn believes that foreign workers living in Thailand and foreign students studying in the country can swell the kingdom's tourism coffers at least as much as Thais, reported Daily News.  

 

Their story almost made this out as some kind of revelation, though expats throughout the country have been shouting about their needs and the positive role they could play for months if not years, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Long overdue but perhaps a pseudo-revelation. Ok...let's take it a step further fellas. If current expats in Thailand have cash to spend, then why have they repeatably told many expat consumers to leave by Sept. 26?  Why not give amnesty until the end of the year to increase not decrease tourist revenue?

 

This article only serves to reveal the dysfunctional cognitive response to the obvious. HEEEELLLLO! WAKE UP!

 

Thailand = A 200K sq. m. country surrounded by reality.

[DrTuner]

4 minutes ago, Rockbottom said:

Long overdue but perhaps a pseudo-revelation. Ok...let's take it a step further fellas. If current expats in Thailand have cash to spend, then why have they repeatably told many expat consumers to leave by Sept. 26?  Why not give amnesty until the end of the year to increase not decrease tourist revenue?

I know, I know!!! The farangs are told to leave but they should leave their money behind. Riiiight?

[balo]

Yes expat teachers on 30-40k salaries go golfing, very realistic minister!

[bangkokpete]

Either open the borders or shut the uck up

[Fairynuff]

9 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Seems  so ! 

I also object  to being forced to learn to play  golf while my wife  goes shopping  unsupervised and unrestricted !

Don’t panic, she’s only allowed to shop at the local market 

[ebean001]

^{other countries are way ahead. many countries now have 1 year renewable VISA. why not? Digital Nomads simply make and spend money. they should give them whatever they want. they spend a lot.} 

 

[Eddy Ozark]

Watching landscape is hardly my cup of tea, and not tempting enough for me to want to travel for that reason. Having travelled a lot in this country over the years, I mostly return to places I know well. Even if given 20 flight tickets to different domestic destinations here for free, I would not use a single one of them. Watching movies and reading books is more entertaining. Not to mention more hassle free.

[Eddy Ozark]

43 minutes ago, balo said:

Yes expat teachers on 30-40k salaries go golfing, very realistic minister!

I thought many of them had salaries beginning at 25K.

[Expat Tom]

I have been here for years and dump a lot of US $$$ into this economy but feel pretty much unappreciated. I am supporting Thai friends in Isan now while the stupid generals running this country contemplate buying outdated subs from the CCP (China) pushing the country closer to its eventual position as a Chinese vassal state mired in a  Chinese debt trap. This would be one of the leading countries in the world if it had adult leadership who actually cared about its citizens. 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, mr336 said:

Tell me. . .over and over and over and over again my friend, cant ya see, were on the eve of destruction. Love that song. Seems fitting currently.

Barry McGuire. I had the album back in the day.

[edwardandtubs]

11 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i'm doing my part right now.

 

staying in a hotel in Bangkok 100 meters from Crazy House. 

 

been here for 2 months and booked until October.

 

 

2 months in Asoke Place? I thought 2 hours was the maximum.

[Bkktodd]

Yet still no mention of priorities given to expats with current retirement visas that want to return to their condos in Thailand.  All of sudden they mean nothing, whilst the same lot that didnt leave the thailand  are rock stars.  We bring back money to spend ...something thailand needs. Not to mention food housing fees for vehicles we own.  Damn us because the phuket tourist  are the big spenders.  Best rethink that.  I dont ever see tourists in HomePro buying appliances   

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

What's the difference between a foreigner with a WP and a retiree in your opinion? Many retirees have the same amount of money if not more than several who's working, and they have more time to travel. 

Exactly...that's why they need the government discount less.

[khunPer]

Also let the "stranded" tourists stay, even they might only be counted in 10.000s, they already contribute to the tourists industry, and might be badly missen after September 26th...????????

[Airbagwill]

8 hours ago, champers said:

Not quite true. If I take a break for a few days or more in another place in Thailand I still have to pay my rent, TV, Wi Fi at home.

I will be eating out on holiday, drinking more, spending on tourist attractions and travel.

Yes- granted - but you don't buy your food and alcohol there. But this is a short period - \I really think that th amount it helps is minimal - especially if a business is going down the pan, they may not even be able to offer a d=full facilitated service any more.

One guest in a report that usually would have a hundred won't stop them going broke.

[Rockbottom]

So let's summarize shall we? According to published reports from Thai officials closely aligned with the tourism debacle their worldview is: Farang men wear dirty clothes, don't take showers, have large sums of disposable cash and go golfing? Did I miss anything?

[whaleboneman]

8 hours ago, warcy said:

There are many people on internet who do discriminate against Chinese and think that only Chinese get infected. Now we know the truth...it affects everyone.

name three.

 

[Albert Zweistein]

13 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

Those of us having been here 5 years or longer could be given an easy pathway to permanent residency forgoing all the immigration hoopla we go through 12 monthly and in doing so he will avoid gagging every time he has to say ex-pats are useful and an aid to the economy.

 

But then he was talking "foreign workers living in Thailand and foreign students studying " not retirees. ????

Foreign students ? Where they come from and what they study in a low educational country like Thailand ?

[djuiiy]

the headline is empty.

if this is headline worthy news, why wasn't his refusal to acknowledge in the past few months also headline news? Why would he refuse? What was the effects of that refusal? What are the effects from the acknowledgement now? The answer to all these questions is : no reason and nothing. just more nebulous newspeak to keep us distracted while business is quietly reordered behind the stage.
More relevent news is thai airways and eva airways are still selling tickets for November. They knows whats going on and when Thailand will reopen. So far they have not been selling tickets less than 2 months in advance of corona-canceled flights. This is the 1st time they've done it. So every day into September that they continue to sell November tickets is a good sign, but of course its not a gurantee.

[malthebluff]

19 hours ago, ftpjtm said:

In other news, all virus free tourists must exit the country before September 26th 

Also in other news the 2pricethailand will be doubled for foreigners 

[Keesters]

20 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Foreigners with WPs could maybe be eligible for the We Travel Together promotion...as for retirees, hotels and attractions already have pretty promotional pricing so probably no more incentives to travel are needed.

That's still discrimination. It should be same for everyone. We are all equal. 

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Foreigners with WPs could maybe be eligible for the We Travel Together promotion...as for retirees, hotels and attractions already have pretty promotional pricing so probably no more incentives to travel are needed.

So you want to exclude retirees as-well.... why not have the same promotion for everyone, lets have it fair.

Stimulus is the same for all.

Let us choose which package we want to go on, not what are we allegeable for.

[mikebell]

Anyone tried to renew a driving licence recently.  A mate went to Pattaya with all the docs needed last time.  He was sent away to Immigration for a 500 baht letter.  He detailed other inconveniences too.  Hoops, hoops & more hoops.  All foreigners should have a large tattoo across their foreheads - ATM.

[Kildonan]

However all "all farangs are dirty"??? 

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Pipat Ratchakitprakarn believes that foreign workers living in Thailand and foreign students studying in the country can swell the kingdom's tourism coffers at least as much as Thais, reported Daily News.  

Sorry i can't help no WP and not a student, so i don't count, anyway what am i going to do when dad's out playing golf and mums out shopping. ????

[brianthainess]

27 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Anyone tried to renew a driving licence recently.  A mate went to Pattaya with all the docs needed last time.  He was sent away to Immigration for a 500 baht letter.  He detailed other inconveniences too.  Hoops, hoops & more hoops.  All foreigners should have a large tattoo across their foreheads - ATM.

Always needed letter from immigration but some do with yellow book.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

So you want to exclude retirees as-well.... why not have the same promotion for everyone, lets have it fair.

Stimulus is the same for all.

Let us choose which package we want to go on, not what are we allegeable for.

But our mums and dads are out shopping and playing golf were not trusted to go out alone. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 hour ago, Keesters said:

That's still discrimination. It should be same for everyone. We are all equal. 

Why should foreign retirees get the same benefit as Thais and working expats...they pay the 7% VAT, social security taxes, and income taxes; retirees only then VAT. There is a limited pool of incentive funds...just my opinion that it should go to who deserve and need it the most.

[Stargeezr]

If the people who own property, or especially the ones who are married to Thais,

cannot get back into Thailand, then the empty words of this politician are indeed

just empty words.  I know of plenty retired people who would also go to Thailand

this Winter, even with the forced 2 weeks of quarantine if not in as 5 star

expensive place, but a more reasonable priced hotel. There will not be the millions

of tourists visiting anywhere if most countries are as hard to get into as Thailand.

  Good Luck to those who are trying to get back to Thailand.

Geezer