Thailand Tourism Industry To Recover In 6 Months

[prinzregent]

If I didn't have a Thai wife, I would have left last month

This is the reason why most aliens come. Sex and Drugs. Pound is down, Euro is down, so those people will come much less. But the beach of Pattaya is VERY full with arabs and men from india. All want have some fun. And more russians will come. I see so many russian family going arround on the walking street. So funny, 4 yo boy looking the gogo bars. There is nothing for children in Thailand, but no problem, Mama and Papa go shoping! They come, the russian familiys. :jap: And even some girls have now a "russian boy friend" who "send money to me".

And Thailand has the best Hotels ... if i compare to the Philipines ...

[prinzregent]

Is this the man who proposed and implemented the 150 baht atm fee on foreign cards? Suggest that domestic airlines increase fares? Another Thai with the monopoly theory so prevalent here, but this time he forgot there is no Thai monopoly on incoming tourist. I think Thailand has entered a phase of diminishing returns on tourist investment.

This is a time for change in thinking and adaption to a new market share. It is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago,(including some of the bar girls) etc. The man spouting this nonsense will probably not be in the International head hunters top 10 recruits.

Post of the day, thanks!

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago,(including most of the bar girls) and a long death toll:

Al Jahdhami, 48, , Pattaya 15.4.2010 Andrew Oake, 28, Aus Prasat/ Surin, 15.4.2010

Boldermo Viktor, Nor Pattaya 7.4.2010

Cassmer Erich, 49, Pattaya, 27.3.2010

Lilja Pederson, 75, Fin Pattaya, 19.3.2010

Anne Marie pederson, 73, No Jomtien, 11.3.2010

Bobby Donner, 33, german, Bangkok, 9.3.2010

Nathan Edwards, AusPhuket, 25.2.2010

Lars Ruter Johansson, 57, Schwed Pattaya 24.2.2010

unkown Jomtien, 9.2.2010

Ernst Joachim Otto Pape, Jomtien, 8.2.2010

Alexander Aristov, Russe, 57, Hotel Jomtien, 6.2.2010

Richard Johnson, USA, 67, Tourist Police, Phuket , 6.2.2010

Kenneth Bjorn, Norweger, 43, Pattaya, 28.1.2010

Wolf Kesselheim, 66, Phuket, 28.1.2010

Garbutt John, British,Pattaya, 27.1.2010

etc. etc.

[Lizard2010]

It will be interesting to see what actually does happen within the next 6 months.

There is still a lot to do to all the countries overseas, can people afford to go on holidays.

That will be the question.

If and when it does happen, all these people unemployed will have to try and get a job.

[Ulysses G.]

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago

All of it is the same as "10 years ago", (but it does not affect most foreigners or Thais).

In fact, it is the same as 20 years ago and much further back. If Thailand is such a horrible place, why do all these whingers choose to live here and then moan and groan about it and never leave?

I hardly ever meet people with so much anger and disappointment with the country in real life, but they seem to dominate the forum. Sometimes the Internet is not all it is cracked up to be.

Edited June 20, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[Robby nz]

I am wondering if those on this post who rant of all the scams, threats etc in TL have ever experienced these things themselves or just heard or read about them from others?

I have been here now 4 years both as a tourist and resident, I have lived in Hua hin Pattaya and several other parts of the country.

I have travelled all of Issan and to most of the south and in that time I have never once felt threatened or been attacked there are only a couple of times when I could say I was overcharged for anything and never been scamed possibly because I check on the price of everything I buy before buying and then get the best deal.

I have only had dealings with the police on 6 occasions and only once have I had to pay that was when we were moving house and the truck was stopped and the driver had to pay 200b because the number plate was obscured.

Other meetings with cops have been very friendly but then I havent broken any laws. one time in particular we met a cop in a moo baan who took us to his house and gave us a big bag of fruit from his trees.

I have come accross a couple of taxis that didnt want to use the meter but I've just said mai koop kun kap and looked for another cab, no problem.

The Baht is still about the same against the NZ$ that hasnt been hit hard by the global fincial crisis although same hasnt done me any favours.

And yes I still want to live here amoung the friendly people I see every day.

[HerbalEd]

This thread is a joke right? I agree with the post that says 6 years (at best). The people living/running this country have their heads uo their <deleted>. There are so many problems in this country associated with tourists/holiday makers/expat's... Try treating people equally and not ripping them off time and time again.. Half the reason people aren't coming back here is because they are sick to the back teeth of the thai national sport- Let's steel from farang-

Where's all the rip offs???? I've been living in Thailand half the year for five years now and I don't get any more ripped off here than I do in Mexico or Bali .... and a lot less than in Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria .... and maybe a wee bit more than my homeland, USA. I'm always perplexed and sometimes amused by the expats who live in Thailand and yet constantly bad mouth it. I think these people wouldn't be happy anywhere and simply have a perverse need to bitch and moan. Must be a very unhappy life.

Edited June 20, 2010 by HerbalEd

[slapout]

Is this the man who proposed and implemented the 150 baht atm fee on foreign cards? Suggest that domestic airlines increase fares? Another Thai with the monopoly theory so prevalent here, but this time he forgot there is no Thai monopoly on incoming tourist. I think Thailand has entered a phase of diminishing returns on tourist investment.

This is a time for change in thinking and adaption to a new market share. It is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago,(including some of the bar girls) etc. The man spouting this nonsense will probably not be in the International head hunters top 10 recruits.

What difference does it make if the products are the same as 10 years ago. Most people go on holiday to different locations every year. If someone is visiting Thailand for the first time, what difference does it make if the same products are around. I visit NYC every year and the same products are still around. That doesn't make me want to stop going.

In London there are csams, rip-offs, increase in prices, same products, etc but it is one of the most popular cities in the world. There is no logic to what you are saying.

Well mister expert, disagreement and discussion, are good, just because you disagree you need not get personal about it. I always considered myself a logical realist, so I probably need to rethink my logic. Granted, London, New York, Paris, Bogota, Manila, Los Angles, etc have their share of illegal activities. Now Bangkok, Pattaya, and some of the other Thai areas have seemly taken lessons from the rest of the world, but put the various activities in a much more consecrated areas. As far as the same products, you may want to stop in California, I hear they are years ahead of the Big Apple. I have noted that some cities seem to be adding family theme parks, with safe family outing as a advertisement gambling, working ranch /farm holidays, etc. The majority of the adverts are by the private sector and not a government entity doing damage control. In my humble opinion, Thailand is treating/thinking tourism in much the same way they have treated the Thai population for decades, not what can we offer, but what can we get out of the visitors with the least amount of expenditure.

[mridiot]

Recover is six months............when it normally does recover...........huuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm.............that makes sense.......right?

Or am I not getting..........a bit thick u know

[Pacificperson]

Thailand's prices have increased over the years and the exchange rate has become less favorable. Both of these have led to it becoming a somewhat more expensive destination, but comparatively it is still reasonably cheap vacation. Tourism will recover relatively quickly as long as it is seen as safe. Recurrent mob scenes and gunfire in the streets will kill off the higher end segment of the market until they have ended for at least six months to a year.

[posttenebraslux]

Unbelievable ! This article is complete BS and shows clearly that the author has absolutely no knowledge regarding the matter. It shows again that the upper ranks of authorities and businesses are often staffed with people without the necessary education and skills. That's exactly where future development and improvement must start !

posttenebraslux

[djayz]

What percentage of GDP is tourism? I would have thought food exports would be a more important concern for them (I don't have data on this, just speculating), and if the THB is strong, then perhaps there's someone demanding the food at any price, so they're holding the THB up there as it's more useful to them than tourism, which would further suggest that someone knows there's a food crisis on the way. I believe China stocks of grains are well over reported. In India there's a multi-year crop failure and farmer suicides. GM crops, lack of cash to buy seeds blah blah... The weather is playing up strangely this last few years, and tourism might be the last of their concerns.

As for the shirt colour clashes. Again I'd watch the food harvest. Here in Issan you can't hire a worker anywhere as they've all started to plant the rice. When the harvest is in, that's when I would expect the shirts to resume their campaign. That's if there is a harvest. With the water table so low and no ban on SongKran, a stumble now could easily be a crisis down the line.

Do I read that correctly in the first post? that they expect a 45% gain in the economy? I've re-read that line several times. It must be a typo surely (just like "The third factor is the draught") Freudian slip perhaps...

Every time I hear SME's here, I'm reminded of the Uni students here using that acronym. They use it everywhere, but when asked, they don't know what it means. To me it means getting a cheap loan to buy a new motorbike and TV, not being innovative and creating an effective business, or even copying the business that the person next door is doing, and not thinking beyond today.

I'm not well versed in many of the areas this article alludes to, but even as a casual uneducated observer, it looks to me like BandAid has no idea what he's talking about. Worse, is that people will accept without question what is handed to them. I love this country, and it hurts to see it shaft itself like this, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and suspect it will be a multi-generational thing (real education), not a 6 month turn around, especially since its neighbours appear to have picked up the ball so swiftly. It's a hugely complex model, and statements like his will send the followers over the cliff. In a land so concerned about face, I wonder why they do this to themselves at every opportunity.

Thai GDP can be broken down as follows:

agriculture: 11.4% <LI>industry: 44.5% <LI>services: 44.1% - tourism accounts for between 6% and 8% (2008 and 2009 figures), the rest is other services e.g. banking, finance, etc.

The Thai economy is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of GDP.

[Pacificperson]

What percentage of GDP is tourism? I would have thought food exports would be a more important concern for them (I don't have data on this, just speculating), and if the THB is strong, then perhaps there's someone demanding the food at any price, so they're holding the THB up there as it's more useful to them than tourism, which would further suggest that someone knows there's a food crisis on the way.

Thai GDP can be broken down as follows:

agriculture: 11.4%; industry: 44.5%; services: 44.1%; - tourism accounts for between 6% and 8% (2008 and 2009 figures), the rest is other services e.g. banking, finance, etc.

The Thai economy is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of GDP.

Tourism is generally classified as a type of export. The strong THB is possibly due more to the weakness of the Euro than anything else. The strength of the THB matters more in comparison with the currencies of the countries to which Thailand exports. As far as tourism is concerned, how has the THB-Yen exchange rate changed over the past year?

[tso310]

Only certain sectors of the tourist industry will be affected re the troubles AND the strength of the baht/ weakness and the Euro and other European currencies.

Backpackers - no (still cheap and will only use Bangkok as a transit point)

Sex tourists - no (Thailand is still no 1)

Families - most definately (safety of children and costs)

Honeymooners - possibily/probably (really depends on the costs of the packages that will be offered)

middle aged and older couples - most definately (same as families plus been there lets try somewhere else thats more quiet)

It is not the number of tourists that matter its the level of spending they bring. Its the ones that spend the most that will be deterred the most, sex tourists excluded as they operate under different rules.

[djayz]

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago,(including most of the bar girls) and a long death toll:

Al Jahdhami, 48, , Pattaya 15.4.2010 Andrew Oake, 28, Aus Prasat/ Surin, 15.4.2010

Boldermo Viktor, Nor Pattaya 7.4.2010

Cassmer Erich, 49, Pattaya, 27.3.2010

Lilja Pederson, 75, Fin Pattaya, 19.3.2010

Anne Marie pederson, 73, No Jomtien, 11.3.2010

Bobby Donner, 33, german, Bangkok, 9.3.2010

Nathan Edwards, AusPhuket, 25.2.2010

Lars Ruter Johansson, 57, Schwed Pattaya 24.2.2010

unkown Jomtien, 9.2.2010

Ernst Joachim Otto Pape, Jomtien, 8.2.2010

Alexander Aristov, Russe, 57, Hotel Jomtien, 6.2.2010

Richard Johnson, USA, 67, Tourist Police, Phuket , 6.2.2010

Kenneth Bjorn, Norweger, 43, Pattaya, 28.1.2010

Wolf Kesselheim, 66, Phuket, 28.1.2010

Garbutt John, British,Pattaya, 27.1.2010

etc. etc.

Just out of curiosity, but what do their deaths have to do with tourism or the recovery of the Thai tourist industry? People die every day of the week, here, there, back at home, etc. I can see that most of these men died in either Phuket or Pattay but I really can't figure out what you're trying to tell us or what effect this has on tourists.... I'm puzzled...

[slapout]

Recover is six months............when it normally does recover...........huuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmm.............that makes sense.......right?

Or am I not getting..........a bit thick u know

I guess you addressed this to me, not sure why. I can see in 6 months time more visitors will come to Thailand than at the present time. Low vs high season, so right, I agree. The figures being bandied around by various Ministries spokesman seem to be somewhat different on present , year to date, forecast etc, arrivals for whatever reasoning or lack thereof. Probably a few people could let everyone in on their plans for possible disruption/protests for the remainder of the year and all of us may change our projections. Not having any direct involvement with tourism, except local prices seem to increase with each downward count. I know that observation does not appear logical, but my observation of the past 4 years of disruption point to this as realistic.

[mridiot]

I guess you addressed this to me, not sure why. I can see in 6 months time more visitors will come to Thailand than at the present time. Low vs high season, so right, I agree. The figures being bandied around by various Ministries spokesman seem to be somewhat different on present , year to date, forecast etc, arrivals for whatever reasoning or lack thereof. Probably a few people could let everyone in on their plans for possible disruption/protests for the remainder of the year and all of us may change our projections. Not having any direct involvement with tourism, except local prices seem to increase with each downward count. I know that observation does not appear logical, but my observation of the past 4 years of disruption point to this as realistic.

I just dropped by and your post was the last in line.

My observations agree: when tourism is declining, prices go up.

It is not logical from a business point of view (at least for most businesses).

[jayjay0]

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago

All of it is the same as "10 years ago", (but it does not affect most foreigners or Thais).

In fact, it is the same as 20 years ago and much further back. If Thailand is such a horrible place, why do all these whingers choose to live here and then moan and groan about it and never leave?

I hardly ever meet people with so much anger and disappointment with the country in real life, but they seem to dominate the forum. Sometimes the Internet is not all it is cracked up to be.

They stay here becouse they are not wanted back home. Also they can get away with there sexual fantcies here and not back at home. Funny not a one of the whiners complains about the sex trade they are all happy with it.

[kuffki]

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago

All of it is the same as "10 years ago", (but it does not affect most foreigners or Thais).

In fact, it is the same as 20 years ago and much further back. If Thailand is such a horrible place, why do all these whingers choose to live here and then moan and groan about it and never leave?

I hardly ever meet people with so much anger and disappointment with the country in real life, but they seem to dominate the forum. Sometimes the Internet is not all it is cracked up to be.

They stay here becouse they are not wanted back home. Also they can get away with there sexual fantcies here and not back at home. Funny not a one of the whiners complains about the sex trade they are all happy with it.

LMAO!!!!!!And how did you gather that information? is that through personal experience? or some other means?

Why do nto you start a topic sex tourism and see what people actually think rather then assuming or presuming

[jayjay0]

What percentage of GDP is tourism? I would have thought food exports would be a more important concern for them (I don't have data on this, just speculating), and if the THB is strong, then perhaps there's someone demanding the food at any price, so they're holding the THB up there as it's more useful to them than tourism, which would further suggest that someone knows there's a food crisis on the way. I believe China stocks of grains are well over reported. In India there's a multi-year crop failure and farmer suicides. GM crops, lack of cash to buy seeds blah blah... The weather is playing up strangely this last few years, and tourism might be the last of their concerns.

As for the shirt colour clashes. Again I'd watch the food harvest. Here in Issan you can't hire a worker anywhere as they've all started to plant the rice. When the harvest is in, that's when I would expect the shirts to resume their campaign. That's if there is a harvest. With the water table so low and no ban on SongKran, a stumble now could easily be a crisis down the line.

Do I read that correctly in the first post? that they expect a 45% gain in the economy? I've re-read that line several times. It must be a typo surely (just like "The third factor is the draught") Freudian slip perhaps...

Every time I hear SME's here, I'm reminded of the Uni students here using that acronym. They use it everywhere, but when asked, they don't know what it means. To me it means getting a cheap loan to buy a new motorbike and TV, not being innovative and creating an effective business, or even copying the business that the person next door is doing, and not thinking beyond today.

I'm not well versed in many of the areas this article alludes to, but even as a casual uneducated observer, it looks to me like BandAid has no idea what he's talking about. Worse, is that people will accept without question what is handed to them. I love this country, and it hurts to see it shaft itself like this, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and suspect it will be a multi-generational thing (real education), not a 6 month turn around, especially since its neighbours appear to have picked up the ball so swiftly. It's a hugely complex model, and statements like his will send the followers over the cliff. In a land so concerned about face, I wonder why they do this to themselves at every opportunity.

Thai GDP can be broken down as follows:

agriculture: 11.4% <LI>industry: 44.5% <LI>services: 44.1% - tourism accounts for between 6% and 8% (2008 and 2009 figures), the rest is other services e.g. banking, finance, etc.

The Thai economy is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of GDP.

Asuming those figures are correct I wonder if they would match the employment percentage in those areas.

I personaly think that even if turism is only 6% the work force in it would probaby be closer to 10% of the avalable work force

also would it not help the export market if the baht was less strong than it is.

[kuffki]

What percentage of GDP is tourism? I would have thought food exports would be a more important concern for them (I don't have data on this, just speculating), and if the THB is strong, then perhaps there's someone demanding the food at any price, so they're holding the THB up there as it's more useful to them than tourism, which would further suggest that someone knows there's a food crisis on the way. I believe China stocks of grains are well over reported. In India there's a multi-year crop failure and farmer suicides. GM crops, lack of cash to buy seeds blah blah... The weather is playing up strangely this last few years, and tourism might be the last of their concerns.

As for the shirt colour clashes. Again I'd watch the food harvest. Here in Issan you can't hire a worker anywhere as they've all started to plant the rice. When the harvest is in, that's when I would expect the shirts to resume their campaign. That's if there is a harvest. With the water table so low and no ban on SongKran, a stumble now could easily be a crisis down the line.

Do I read that correctly in the first post? that they expect a 45% gain in the economy? I've re-read that line several times. It must be a typo surely (just like "The third factor is the draught") Freudian slip perhaps...

Every time I hear SME's here, I'm reminded of the Uni students here using that acronym. They use it everywhere, but when asked, they don't know what it means. To me it means getting a cheap loan to buy a new motorbike and TV, not being innovative and creating an effective business, or even copying the business that the person next door is doing, and not thinking beyond today.

I'm not well versed in many of the areas this article alludes to, but even as a casual uneducated observer, it looks to me like BandAid has no idea what he's talking about. Worse, is that people will accept without question what is handed to them. I love this country, and it hurts to see it shaft itself like this, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and suspect it will be a multi-generational thing (real education), not a 6 month turn around, especially since its neighbours appear to have picked up the ball so swiftly. It's a hugely complex model, and statements like his will send the followers over the cliff. In a land so concerned about face, I wonder why they do this to themselves at every opportunity.

Thai GDP can be broken down as follows:

agriculture: 11.4% <LI>industry: 44.5% <LI>services: 44.1% - tourism accounts for between 6% and 8% (2008 and 2009 figures), the rest is other services e.g. banking, finance, etc.

The Thai economy is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two thirds of GDP.

Asuming those figures are correct I wonder if they would match the employment percentage in those areas.

I personaly think that even if turism is only 6% the work force in it would probaby be closer to 10% of the avalable work force

also would it not help the export market if the baht was less strong than it is.

All those figures are released by the gov and bot and but now we all know how good they are with maths.

Doing a simple maths on your own brings tourism up to 20% and thats being very rough with figures.

Very easy, take total amount of tourists which is around 11 million and multiply that by $3000 as this is how much each tourist would spend on average for hotel, food, drinks, taxi, shopping, airfare(many fly with Thai and all pay airport tax).

Take total GDP and you have yourself 15-20% as a minimum, so how the hel_l did they come up with 6%?

[jayjay0]

Thailand is a sick system at present with the scams, rip offs, dual prices, increase in prices, price fixing, same products as 10 year ago

All of it is the same as "10 years ago", (but it does not affect most foreigners or Thais).

In fact, it is the same as 20 years ago and much further back. If Thailand is such a horrible place, why do all these whingers choose to live here and then moan and groan about it and never leave?

I hardly ever meet people with so much anger and disappointment with the country in real life, but they seem to dominate the forum. Sometimes the Internet is not all it is cracked up to be.

They stay here becouse they are not wanted back home. Also they can get away with there sexual fantcies here and not back at home. Funny not a one of the whiners complains about the sex trade they are all happy with it.

LMAO!!!!!!And how did you gather that information? is that through personal experience? or some other means?

Why do nto you start a topic sex tourism and see what people actually think rather then assuming or presuming

four years of observation and common sense when reading these boards. Your explanation for the whiners staying here is__________

Please do not think I don't know what is going on. I have traveled in many other countries and they all have the same problems some to a munch munch smaller degree and others to a far greater degree.

I choose to live in Thailand for many reasons. The people are frendly the country is beuitful it is cheap [make no mistake I have a guarenteed income for the rest of my life that would let me live back home in Canada] I also have a loving 52 year old Thai wife who takes better care of me than I do'

The final reason is that they have different ways and I can enjoy learning them most of them anyhow. I look at them as different not right or wrong just different

[jayjay0]

[quote name='jayjay0' date='2010-06-20 20:47' timestamp=

Doing a simple maths on your own brings tourism up to 20% and thats being very rough with figures.

Very easy, take total amount of tourists which is around 11 million and multiply that by $3000 as this is how much each tourist would spend on average for hotel, food, drinks, taxi, shopping, airfare(many fly with Thai and all pay airport tax).

Take total GDP and you have yourself 15-20% as a minimum, so how the hel_l did they come up with 6%?

You are still playing the governments game

If one tourist dollarr goes to three people and one agriculture dollar goes to two people The people involved in each industrie will not match the percentage of the DNP

.

My point in all this is that a decline in tourism does far more harm than we are told. Any way that is my theory and I may be wrong.

[kuffki]

four years of observation and common sense when reading these boards. Your explanation for the whiners staying here is__________

Please do not think I don't know what is going on. I have traveled in many other countries and they all have the same problems some to a munch munch smaller degree and others to a far greater degree.

I choose to live in Thailand for many reasons. The people are frendly the country is beuitful it is cheap [make no mistake I have a guarenteed income for the rest of my life that would let me live back home in Canada] I also have a loving 52 year old Thai wife who takes better care of me than I do'

The final reason is that they have different ways and I can enjoy learning them most of them anyhow. I look at them as different not right or wrong just different

I do not doubt you love this country for all the reasons you have listed, but that does not mean that everyone has to love everything.

People come from different backgrounds and are accustomed and used to different things. What is good for you may not be good for others.

If one never knew anything better in the past then little something is already great for them.

Every country has its good and bad, there is no perfect place on earth.

Thailand may well be a beautiful country nature wise-but that is if someone enjoys the hot weather.

Thailand may well be cheap for people who like to live in a 8000 baht bungalow and ride a bike or a japanese car.

It is not a cheap country of one wants to live in a nice house or condo in good area and drive a luxury car and eat quality fresh food.

Of course if you are retired and all you do is sit around the house somewhere in the country side with occasional trip out-then all is great and all your neighbors are friendly people and you could have more then you could back home.

For an active non retired person it is a daily struggle to ge things done, people are not friendly and the only thing they care about is how to rip you off.

People do not whinge, people state the facts either from what they have read but mostly from their personal experience.

Someone already had stated that the only reason why he is stuck here is because his wife. In my case, i have lived here for long enough to realize while i can tolerate it, i hate it, and i would not want to see my kids grow up in a country like this. But i am stuck here for now or until i figure out suitable solution for my reason for staying.

You say you like their culture and like to learn it, GREAT. What about your culture? or have you forgotten about it already?

I also must ask what part of culture do you like?

1. No loyalty to anyone?

2. While a Buddhist country yet every single dispute is settled with a gun

3. Never ending scams and frauds

4. Fact that daughter from poor Isaan family is forced to prostitution from the age of 12, while young enough mother and father and brother and brothers wife and uncles and everyone else can sit around, get drunk, gamble and demand money from her

5. Buddhism yet they run over an animal and do not even bother to stop

6. They have accident and drive away from the scene

7. All the cruelty to animals

8. Corruption, abuse of power and everything else related

9. Extreme racism and sexism

10.Total ignorance to the rest of the world

So what exactly are you wanting to learn?

I am failing to see how from your observation you have come up with conclusion that people who stay here are not wanted back home.??

Also i am not sure how you came up with conclusion that they can get away with there sexual fantcies here and not back at home???

I am really unsure what province or countryside you come from, but where i come from i can certainly get much more variety and perversion back home then i can here.

if you have accepted and grown to love this place for all the reasons you have mentioned-all the best for you but do not presume or assume other people who have not are here for some "bad"reasons. As i said some have limited options and unlike you for example do not turn a blind eye to everything and simply had enough of never ending mistreatment.

PS. As i posted before, just few days ago i was ran off the road, luckly i am still alive but look like a mummy all wrapped up in bandages while the other driver of the car did not even bother to stop and police could not be bothered to take report or speak with dozens of witnesses trying to catch that moron and take away his license so he does not kill someone(and with his driving skills i am sure he will sooner or later). Mind you not only i am all f%^&&ked up but also have to pay daily for the hospital to re-mummify me. and you call that friendly people? or Buddhism? or culture?

[Rainmon]

People have a very short memory, come November December they will come, unless between now and high season there is more trouble (which would not surprise me). Or the trouble might start up again with high season, to gain world wide attention at that time, causing people to cancel their holiday plans. But the bottom line, if the Thai's cannot solve these issues and have a peaceful resolution to these problems it will continue.

[Canada]

One final point. It's amazing how many on here are so negative about Thailand, think there are better places, etc, but they are still here. Maybe they stay because they love complaining and being here gives them that opportunity. If it's so bad, why don't you all move to the more wonderful places you all talk about? No offence meant, I'm just curious. If I had had the feelings that some on here have I'd be on the next flight out.

We stay because of our Thai wives, are you suggesting we all just abandon the wife and kids?

If you don't have a job or property in the western world you can't get your Thai family back there ..... or anywhere else.

Not only Thai wives

I am stuck here because of my animals, almost impossible to take them in Australia without having to live in Singapore for minimum 6 months, and then one of my cats is prohibited from entering Australia full stop, unless i can show her papers with her parents of 5 generations.

To some it may sound crazy, but for any responsible animal owner it would make perfect sense

Three dogs....and a wife...Know what you mean

[Canada]

All the bitching and complaining....it's probably what they did back home too, which is why they are here, they'll bitch themselves all the way back home and start over. Lots to complain about everywhere if that is what you like to do.

If not this year, then the next. People forget....they want to. Probably the biggest factor will be whether or not they have money.

It was being a tourist here that turned me into an expat. Loved it then and still do. Yeah it could be cheaper....so could home.

[Thai at Heart]

And they say "a week in Politics is a long time".

To confidently predict that "tourism will be on the road to recovery in 6 months" makes me wonder if the guy would like to take a bet on it.

[wileycoyote]

Considering,that people have to plan vacations ,and have the financial wherewithal to pay for it ,in addition to spending money.,I can not see a rapid recovery.

Europeans are worried about their jobs and pensions,IMO the US is getting more isolationist.

I do not think that widening the market to the other Middle East countries not currently coming to Thailand or other states of the former USSR ,will provide a significant increase in numbers or revenue.

I think that the airlines and hotels should plan a common strategy ,but I can not see that coming ,or at least for another 12 months.

I have doubts that "high" season will improve ,however it may make someone in TAT sit up and think !

On the otherhand ,I think the political situation may deteriorate & if it does ,that will definitely postpone the "recovery"

[ryladie99]

Tourism to recover in 6 months ............ Hmmmmmmmm

The western world is broke, unemployment high, wages down.

Air fares to Thailand are two to three time what they were (2009 I paid 245UKP for a return LHR to BKK, 2010 cheapest was 650UKP)

The Baht is 20 percent more expensive (2009 I got 54Bht to 1 UKP, 2010 47bht to 1 UKP)

Western news portrayed Thailand as a war zone

None of Thailand's problems have been resolved

I don't think tourism will ever recover in Thailand, in fact I think it will get worse as new bookings are unlikely to be made.

UK travel agents don't advertise holidays to Thailand any more, and the Baht is not listed in UK currency exchange shops.

If I didn't have a Thai wife, I would have left last month.

Agree with your perception from a western view, but since 55% (Source: Tourism in Thailand) of tourists are from the relatively strong economies of Asian countries, an increase in tourists may well be expected from the Asia pacific region to offset a reduction of revenue from the west, so a recovery is not out of the question.

Good post?? I am going to Thailand with my family no matter what?? It will cost me more to vacation in Hawaii than Bangkok. Well, the tourists have to go somewhere that he or she can make the best of their money. My take and opinion.

[kuifje]

The majority of tourist in Thailand are from within the region and do not forget the Thais themselves.

See article :

Tourism Authority of Thailand register 16% increase in Tourism arrivals

Friday, June 18, 2010The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that Thailand received 6,563,099 visitor arrivals during January-May 2010, registering a 16.07 per cent year-on-year growth. Tourism receipts were estimated at 242,559.35 million baht, or about US$7.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20.26% in comparison with January-May 2009.

The top five visitor-generating markets during the period were Malaysia (770,804), China (428,709), Japan (419,980), United Kingdom (352,586), and South Korea (335,648). These markets are Thailand’s traditional top tourist producers, but other markets such as India (277,393) and Russia (284,424) showed phenomenal growth during the same period.

TAT expects a number of markets to continue to perform well until the end of the year. Proximity and value for money will still be the main attractions for tourists from South Asia, the Middle East and ASEAN countries.

via Tourism Authority of Thailand<br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">

Many of the traditional measures like waiving of visa fees and special concessions given to the airlines on landing charges have been extended beyond their expiry date of last March. The Thailand Travel Mart 2010 (TTM), the country’s leading home-based travel event, has been postponed to 8-10 September, 2010. More heavy-duty marketing campaigns and stepped up fam trips for travel agents, media, and MICE events organisers will be deferred until the end of the year.

Chinese tourists are known to be very sensitive to political troubles | photo : Camilla Davidsson

The most cost-effective means of marketing today is social media; such as Facebook and Twitter, which is being used by both the TAT Head Office and all overseas and domestic offices. TAT also sees this as an opportunity to expand its presence into new markets with future potential; such as, the Central Asian Republics, North African countries, and the Middle East. This can be done by working in cooperation with the Gulf carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, and Gulf Air. Other new markets showing considerable promise are Iran, Turkey, and Israel.<br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">All of these can be developed by improving flows of information, facilitating visa processing times, doing joint marketing with airlines, and organising Thailand product seminars and road shows. Thai tourism industry leaders are confident that the global and local political and economic situation will remain stable over the next few months, and that the rebound should be in the second half of the third quarter. This will help meet the revised target of visitors arrivals for the year. This would be exactly in line with what happened in 2009, when the industry was affected by the global financial crisis in the first half and then generated a strong surge in the second half, with total visitor arrivals of 1.6 million in December 2009 being one of the highest monthly arrivals on record.