Going Down: Businesses on Phuket’s famed Bangla Rd suffer as clientele dries up

[kinmaew]

ohhh boo hoo economy based on pussy. last time I was at the Tiger the girls wanted 2k just for a short time and they were bloody ugly what a joke. On a more serious note, when you hear of the deaths of foreigners coupled with an inept attitude of the police, and all of the other horrors we hear of on that island, what the hell do they expect? I only really loved Phuket around 20 years ago when I first started going there, gorgeous girls, no hassle, fewer crowds and great memories.

[kinmaew]

Wonder if they are doing any recompilations between the 180+ baht rip off on ATM fees charged to only foreigners versus the stellar decline in takings LOL I spent all my holiday money locally this year and expect to do the same again.

[GAZZPA]

Maybe the thing to do is to adapt these failing locations to businesses that suit the Chinese market. Besides from being economically priced, what kinds of bars, restaurants, shops, etc. do the Chinese want while on holiday? I was in Bangla years ago when my brother came to visit and it was dead then in December. Its seems that western tourists basically finished with that party spot ages ago (for many of the reasons mentioned -- mainly based on unpleasant and greedy people trying to get as much as possible for as little as possible). It's time to move on and serve your new tourist base.

Mahjong Parlors...Karaoke Spots? What's the general age and interests of the Chinese tourists? Put on your thinking caps guys and do things like approaching the tour companies to see what their clients want and make deals -- should work for restaurants and shops, maybe even the right kind of bar/karaoke parlor. Don't just sit and whine about selling less wine, so to speak. Adapt!!!

You're right of course. But there is a problem with this. In Pattaya I have noticed "new" Chinese businesses popping up all over the place such as restaurants, massage places and gift shops. All I see are coach after coach of Chinese tourists being ferried around to visit these places. I suspect that these are all linked and money changes hands to keep the Chinese tourists visiting these places.

So, it looks like the Chinese are catering for their own people and keeping the money in the Chinese pockets throughout the whole trip on these tour packages that the Chinese love so much.

It will take a long time, probably decades before the Chinese change behaviour and drop the tour packages. It have been many years since tour packages were big in the UK / Europe. For example once upon a time people in the UK used to travel to Spain on Tour packages, it was the only way to go. Now Europeans use the internet and take care of themselves as International travel and the internet made life so much easier and fear of "going it alone" has long gone.

But it took a long time for things to change this way and Chinese tourists in the numbers we see today is still relatively new.

The Thais would have to legislate and restrict Chinese businesses which I suspect they won't do,, (anyone else they most likely would).

Thailand is changing for sure and the bad reputation is taking its tole.

Lastly, Thailand is not as cheap as it once was (although I still think it is cheap to live here) and there are many other options for holiday makers to consider now.

I do not want to be negative but all I really see is more downhill from here...

[mickyboy]

well i think they should have not put all eggs one basket most things in Russian and cater for Russian run by russians lizards snakes and rip off ladyboys its turned very aggresive now the fun and laughter gone and is replaced by loud rude people mostly sorry to say eastean europeans who think they can buy the world and everyone a dog to be spoken to with there new freedom and money now the chinese no better and are not very nice people so i been told by a few thai people dont spend money like others do on drink and fun have an attitude probelm with the Thais as in we are better then you

it mat recover but like many place i been to koh chang another went there 8 times and now not many people every thing in Russian but they have gone and now people feel recentfull but before i must say yes most is in english but that is the universal language of the world for many countries

are they not going to clean up koh pangnam and samui because Russian mafia and trouble they cause

[mickyboy]

Nah. Thailand is still a wonderful place and I've been here a long time.

This is mostly the result of a lot of western tourists being replaced with Chinese who don't spend much money on the night life. . Plus the new generation of politically correct western tourists not appreciating the night life because its politically incorrect.

so what abuot full moon party and khaosan rd to mention 2 places they seem pretty packed

[bangkapi]

Good!

[cheapcanuck]

They screw tourists to the limit constantly. Now the govt., have elected to double the cost of a visa on arrival because visitors are not getting their visa from immigration prior to arrival. Well i thought that the VOA was all about convenience. Viet Nam and other nearby countries are going to be doing 'cartwheels' as spur of the moment tourists are going to see VOA Vietnam Bht 1000 VOA Thailand Bht 2000. But this is how Thais do business. Bungalow owners across the road from me 'jacked' the monthly rent up from Bht 7000 to Bht 12000 just because their neighbours were doing it. The bungalow has been empty for 10 months now, but they will not consider bring the rate down again.

Now that is typical example of Thainess

[hagler]

Well, many of these go-go bars can shutdown and die anyway, since they are prostitution venues and don't really attract anything positive. The best case scenario for Thailand is to transform its tourism industry to a more family oriented hub, instead of being a pedophile paradise for old western men. Nothing could be better than to send these former prostitutes back to their villages and start building up their future once and for all, and at the same time these low income lazy doers should return back to their home countries as well.

If Thailand is going to transform its economy for the better, it must do what is right and take the medical pill asap. Thais are basically one of the worst people to do business in terms of understanding economics and this transformation is indeed necessary.

Many of you guys are complaining that the Chinese aren't spending any money. They do in fact spend money and if you look in comparison how much they are making that makes them big buck spenders. They are also enjoying their vacations much better than an old westerner who much of the time only spends their holidays drinking cheap boos. No wonder why this place has become a stinking pig.

Gee . Bet your a barrel of laughs at a dinner party

[soalbundy]

OOP's the teflon has fallen off

[djlest]

Its a double edged sword too....

Personally i would NOT want pay good money to stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel in Phuket or anywhere else in Thailand if there are loads of Chinese staying there, rude, loud and very uncivilized.... who wants to pay for that?

Thailands Karma.... all those years of treating Westerners like garbage and quick ATM machines... first they kicked out the backpackers because they wanted rich westerners, then they raped them, murdered them and blamed it on them for wearing bikinis... Now thailand has even lost the Russians....
You get what you deserve Thailand - Nothing!

What makes me laugh is the Chinese are indeed spending money here yes, bit its not going to the THAIS either... Its going back to the chinese LOL.
The Chinese tour groups are making a fortune, they pay peanuts for bulk hotel bookings, bulk tours, and bus trips... and they probably make about 100% or more being the middle men.
In effect Thailand is <deleted>

[cheapcanuck]

Well, many of these go-go bars can shutdown and die anyway, since they are prostitution venues and don't really attract anything positive. The best case scenario for Thailand is to transform its tourism industry to a more family oriented hub, instead of being a pedophile paradise for old western men. Nothing could be better than to send these former prostitutes back to their villages and start building up their future once and for all, and at the same time these low income lazy doers should return back to their home countries as well.

If Thailand is going to transform its economy for the better, it must do what is right and take the medical pill asap. Thais are basically one of the worst people to do business in terms of understanding economics and this transformation is indeed necessary.

Many of you guys are complaining that the Chinese aren't spending any money. They do in fact spend money and if you look in comparison how much they are making that makes them big buck spenders. They are also enjoying their vacations much better than an old westerner who much of the time only spends their holidays drinking cheap boos. No wonder why this place has become a stinking pig.

Just a note, booze in Thailand is not cheap. Compared to Canada its only 25% less. When you factor in the price of flights, entry fees, accommodations, etc its down right expensive to spend time in Thailand. I get better bang for my buck in neighboring countries to Thailand, central and/or south america.

[mercman24]

WOW , that's a first, finally, someone telling the truth at last, read my lips, chinese do not frequent bars, something all of us ordinary souls know already.

[bkk6060]

The most unfriendly Thais I have met in country are in Phuket.

[Nomyai]

Our Patong is dead thread seems to be right on the money after reading the above.

Its the same in Nana. Customer count is way down compared to the past. I see it with my own eyes and have for some time.

[luckyman]

Due to its greed, corruption, scams and danger Thailand is slowly strangling itself

Bangla Rd is Thailand, right ?

Yes, to be exact the bar/sex center of Patong, Phuket.

Duh! I am aware where and what it is, did some very nice and rewarding construction jobs there over the years. My comment above was meant as a disagreement with oldsailor that just because of the fact one of the seediest sois in Thailand, together with Pattaya's Soi 6 and Bkk's Soi Cowboy is seeing lower (sex) tourist numbers, Thailand is strangling itself, which is utter nonsense. Farang sex is less than 10 % of all sex industry and has very insignificant influence on Thailand's GDP. Capice ?

[TheCruncher]

1. got too greedy and priced yourselves out of the market, same happened in walking street Pattaya

2. as above - price fixing cartels not allowing bars to drop their prices as they want too using threats and intimidation

3. The Chinese don't do bars, they might walk around looking but spend FA

Greed is destroying these places and the same patterns can be seen in Bangkok and Pattaya, as western visitors decline you will typically see the same destructive business pratice of increasing prices instead of rescueing tourism and the bar scene with reduced realistic pricing, supermarkets 7/11 and familymart are a good guide and a silid stake in the ground - if they didn't exist this country would be in ruins

fair pricing and your business will boom again

You mean fair pricing in Phuket will fix the huge economic crisis that is going on in Europe and the US for years already, and has just started accelerating?

[strawpanda]

I prefer to go where there is freedom of speech, democracy, respect, a genuine welcome and fair prices.

[sunnyjim5]

I prefer to go where there is freedom of speech, democracy, respect, a genuine welcome and fair prices.

Where is this place ?

[soalbundy]

I prefer to go where there is freedom of speech, democracy, respect, a genuine welcome and fair prices.

Where is this place ?

Albania

[ozyjon]

The record number tourists are Chinese tour groups. They don't spend any money in Thailand

And are in bed by 9 pm

It's karma i tells you

[gollum_hkt]

When was the writer last down Soi Bangla since Soi Crocodile has been closed for the last few months.

[sawadee1947]

oh dear. Now PM has to subsidize even the red light businesses?

Now think twice when you want all Chinese only (non spender) into your country. You might remember the old days with Westeners?

[Scouse123]

You have a government that doesn't care about tourism as they have other things on their minds, you have unsolved violence, rapes and murders ,gun crime and road accidents out of control, and the only thing they wish to do is blame the foreigner, increase prices, make visas and entry/exits more complicated with increasing frequency.

You then add to the mix, rising prices, a bar scene in decline with changing customer base, filthy beaches, a police force and military which now doesn't even attempt to hide their disdain for the Western tourists and people who are now definitely exercising their options to visit neighbouring countries where they do not get ANY the above and value for money to go with it.

People are now deciding with their feet and their airline choices, after years of threatening to go to new places, actually making the move and finding they like the alternatives!

Who wants to go to Phuket, now the most unfriendliest place in Thailand and the biggest rip off; mafia taxis attacking tourists, price gouging etc, prices out of control and all the nonsense about parasols on beaches and you cannot do this, that and the other!!!

I live in a backwater as I have said before and am happy with my lot but when we holiday, the only reason we go to Bangkok is to fly to Hanoi, Siem Reap, KL, Singapore etc. We no longer even enter inner Bangkok as there is nothing there any more to enjoy or interest us.

[gamini]

Chinese tourists are not interested in Thai bar girls. They are replacing the sex tourists i.e. westerners looking for cheap sex with good looking girls, or are so ugly they cant find a decent looking girl in thier own country. Many of the bars are owned by British pimps and I would be happy to see them all go

[DrTuner]

Aging half arsed copy of the real thing, EOL.

[metisdead]

A post containing content which messed up the formatting of this page has been removed.

[Patje55]

When you kill the goose with the golden eggs, you are left with the feathers.....

Mix with some tar and use it on the greedy bunch that has been destroying Phuket for years now

[HerbalEd]

Must be time to raise bar-fines again.

Bar fines are actually a very small part of a bar's income. It's all about the drinks and their high profit margins.

[Tony125]

Thing is;

Thai government is quite happy to get rid of Westerners as well as the 'dirty business' they patron.

They only tolerated it because they had no choice.

Now with Chinese; they have the perfect tourists: No prostitution; no alcohol, no drugs; no overstay; etc...

And NO money !

[Felt 35]

Thing is;

Thai government is quite happy to get rid of Westerners as well as the 'dirty business' they patron.

They only tolerated it because they had no choice.

Now with Chinese; they have the perfect tourists: No prostitution; no alcohol, no drugs; no overstay; etc...

more like; Birds of a feather flock together