Jump to content

High Season Tourist Arrivals In Thailand Disappointing


webfact

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 132
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Agree with all but applying licences and therefore government interference to small business. There's already a myriad of licences and permits applied to these small places, with brutally imposed fines which are substantial. Example is the entertainments licence, applies if you play music. So my poor old friend Guy (Thai fella) with a tiny restaurant on Samet gets hit with a 25,000 Baht fine for having music on in the background at a very low volume. Over a months takings in the old high season that, he got two kids to support.

Recent UK documentary on Channel 4 showed the effect of government interference on prosperity.

Edited by Rimmer
Quoted deleted reply
Link to comment
Share on other sites

observations:

1. Plenty of negative reviews with tons of bitching and complaning

2. Many Foreigners on here very insecure of themselves since their currency keeps dropping those with USD, EURO, POUND, and cannot any longer stay here or any other asian country, most likely have to go home

3. agree with most that governments here put their heads in the sand,

4. Whatever happens to tourism or any other matter here in thailand realize nothing anything you guys say will matter.

I'd like to post this from another post that makes the most sense to me.

each country has it's own sets of problems. Thailand a place where almost all the government projects work half efficiently as they were originally designed to? (airport, airport link, motorway pavement, automated toll collection, etc, etc.)

The country has progress over the years, at it's own unique cripple-like brain damage speed, and will be this way for a long time, should I say FOREVER? That's why this is an ASEAN member, a backward region where the economic output of the whole region is less than that of a state in the US. It is a pathetic country from the start (they called it 3rd world 20 years ago), before civilization touched the region. The culture and the people are not made for advanced standards, otherwise, it would be the other way around. It is a place where men, feel no special pride when they say they are "Thais".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One post removed from view also quoted replies, please see the following rule:

7) Not to post slurs or degrading comments directed towards any group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And scam after scam posted on the net and highlighted on European TV. The whole World knows about Thai cops and their antics, and the Suwanapoom lock-ups, not to mention the litter police on Sukhumvit. Why come here when you can go somewhere where law and order is on you side,

How to kill the golden goose, suckers.

It must be a small world you live in. My condolences.

If you want to travel to Some of the more affluent western countries you will not have a problem with scams. But if you want to travel in Asian countries you will find scamers. In All Asian Countries.

Most people who have traveled out side there comfort zone into foreign countries are well aware of the scamers There is not that many countries with Honest policemen many are like Thailand and have a large percentage who do not live up to western standards.:(

But let us remember western standards are so high that a lot of western countries can't live up to them either. You might want to try traveling through Africa, Central America and South America. It will most certainly broaden your horizons :cheesy:.

I suppose the UK - even in the current climate - must qualify as affluent. And the most recent notable scam involved ... MPs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have resided in Thailand for 13 years and have been in the tourism business for all of that time. i have noticed only one year that we did not have some problem that was reported internationally. From scams and ripoffs to Sars, chicken flu and violent politics this country is determined to destroy itself. Corruption is more prevalent than before and I personally have watched as the police will not help law abiding citizens and they police kowtow to "influential people" who are ripping off everyone including Thais. If the good people of this country don't stand up and fight back soon then visitors are going to shy away from here and go to other east Asian countries.

this is already happening, as the numbers of tourists from previous "key markets" are on the decline.

but the surge in arrivals from new markets such as China, but particularly Russia and India plus Middle-East (Iran arrivals very strong), with tourist numbers climbing 30-50% compared to last year makes mostly up for that. And even better for local businesses, those new breed of tourists usually won't complain (China) or just have no clue (Russia, iran and Middle East) of the conditions in this country, so the Thais can increase their scam-acitivities. the attitude "a foreigner must be ripped off" will never die here, even big local hotel chains adopt such policies (such as Centara or Dusit, who will rip you off by charging your credit card in your home currency without asking, which means another 3% commission goes into their pockets)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have resided in Thailand for 13 years and have been in the tourism business for all of that time. i have noticed only one year that we did not have some problem that was reported internationally. From scams and ripoffs to Sars, chicken flu and violent politics this country is determined to destroy itself. Corruption is more prevalent than before and I personally have watched as the police will not help law abiding citizens and they police kowtow to "influential people" who are ripping off everyone including Thais. If the good people of this country don't stand up and fight back soon then visitors are going to shy away from here and go to other east Asian countries.

this is already happening, as the numbers of tourists from previous "key markets" are on the decline.

but the surge in arrivals from new markets such as China, but particularly Russia and India plus Middle-East (Iran arrivals very strong), with tourist numbers climbing 30-50% compared to last year makes mostly up for that. And even better for local businesses, those new breed of tourists usually won't complain (China) or just have no clue (Russia, iran and Middle East) of the conditions in this country, so the Thais can increase their scam-acitivities. the attitude "a foreigner must be ripped off" will never die here, even big local hotel chains adopt such policies (such as Centara or Dusit, who will rip you off by charging your credit card in your home currency without asking, which means another 3% commission goes into their pockets)

And they are oh so clever. They put the 2 currency's on your pay slip. When you ask to pay in Thai Baht, they put the 2 currency's on your pay slip. And af course the deduct it in US $ or EURO. I always I refuse to sign such pay slip. It can be a hassle sometimes but at the end they always give me a pay slipwith the amount solely in Thai Baht.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Loss in tourism? No <deleted> Shirlock! The previous 4 pages of replies pretty much explained it. But, considering that very few Thais have any idea of how to compete in a competitive market it is little wonder there are problems. Their idea of good business is to RAISE prices when customers leave. Hello? Anybody home? Many Thais, including officials that should know better, seem to live in a bubble with no idea of the immediate future. They can't seem to realize that if you piss someone off then that person is not going to come back.

But, it's still a lovely country despite all its faults and I'll just put up with the idiocy. I can still live well within my budget and enjoy myself.

As a Canadian I can still stay in Thailand cheaper than I can stay at home in the winter.

Edited by IanForbes
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would think that the thinning of the tourist crowds into Thailand has a lot less to do with politics than with the economy. My American friends aren't traveling ANYWHERE this year, and I suspect the same to be true in much of Western Europe. Would be interestinjg to see stats from those countries on the number of people planning international travel. Down 20 percent seems not too bad in light of the weak dollar/Euro/pound, strong Baht.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...