Chinese tourists are swarming Thailand

[EricTh 348]

Just now, CMHomeboy78 said:

Spot on, Daddy.

Those were the days when the  Warbucks were really flowing into Thailand.

It wasn't only the GIs coming in on R&R, hundreds of thousands were also stationed here over the years at bases like U-tapao; Takhli; Udorn Thani; Ubon Ratchathani and Sattahip to name just the bigger ones.

They changed this country in fundamental - and often deplorable - ways long before the anonymous hordes of Chinese tourists ever arrived.

 

You mean the Vietnam war?

[thaibeachlovers 16,060]

On ‎10‎.‎06‎.‎2017 at 3:06 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. The man with the golden gun caused the ruin of "James Bond" island, The Beach ruined Phi Phi, Hangover pt 2 was complete BS.

You didn't mention Rambo 3 ( I've been to the temple he was repairing- it is near Lamphun, but they don't remember the movie being made there. Worth a visit. very nice temple on a hill beside the Temple of the Footprint ), or Rambo. Then there was that awful Nick Cage film, and at least one of Bruce Lee's films was made in Thailand. Also the last Ong Bak film was set in part down Phuket way, I believe. All of them would have been seen in western countries.

I forgot to mention the latest "Mechanic" film with Jason Statham. It had a very attractive Thai beach with rustic bungalows that I wanted to visit. Unfortunately, I think they built the huts for the film and the reality is less attractive.

[Dante99 2,300]

38 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

You mean the Vietnam war?

No, it would have been the Civil War or the Revoulutionary War.

[thaibeachlovers 16,060]

44 minutes ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

Spot on, Daddy.

Those were the days when the  Warbucks were really flowing into Thailand.

It wasn't only the GIs coming in on R&R, hundreds of thousands were also stationed here over the years at bases like U-tapao; Takhli; Udorn Thani; Ubon Ratchathani and Sattahip to name just the bigger ones.

They changed this country in fundamental - and often deplorable - ways long before the anonymous hordes of Chinese tourists ever arrived.

LOL. They didn't "change" Thailand. IMO they tapped into an existing culture, and the real damage has been done to Thailand long after the last Vietnam R and R soldier left for good. The real damage was done in the late 1990s with the financial bubble.

I saw a "real" US R and R nightclub/ brothel and experienced the pimps. All that was gone long ago.

[CMHomeboy78 762]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. They didn't "change" Thailand. IMO they tapped into an existing culture, and the real damage has been done to Thailand long after the last Vietnam R and R soldier left for good. The real damage was done in the late 1990s with the financial bubble.

I saw a "real" US R and R nightclub/ brothel and experienced the pimps. All that was gone long ago.

Your reply is totally clueless.

Excuse the blunt contradiction, but your assumptions aren't based on reality.

What Thailand is today can be understood - to a large extent - by reading its history and listening to the older generations in Thai families.

The Chinese have had an immense influence on the country, especially urban areas, since the mass migrations of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

From the end of WWII until the American defeat in Vietnam their diplomatic, military, and economic presence in Thailand was the dominant factor. Nobody who was here for even part of that time would dispute that obvious fact.

The currency collapse of 1997 ended the boom times that had started in the early 1980s. The bubble burst, but it was only a speed-bump for the economy. As soon as easy credit became available again the consumer culture took off in high gear. Look at Bangkok and other cities, big and small, as well as many places in the countryside. Money is being spent - even if it's not their own. Being Thais, they're enjoying the rollercoaster ride to the max... and it's great to live among people who can get so much fun out of life regardless of whether they're going up or down.

Swarming Chinese tourists, close economic relations with their country, and big government-to-government deals will bring changes for sure, but to what extent, and how good or bad they will be is impossible to say.

[WinnieTheKhwai 7,117]

11 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

There is a smaller boxing stadium along Loi Kroh road, anyone knows what's their admission price compared to this boxing stadium near Mercure hotel?

 

By the way, where did you manage to take a photo of the commission letter?

 

Loy Kroh boxing area pricing is also really high.  So much so that a lot of bars in that area now want to opt out of being part of it, which is where all those screens come in.

 

And the commission letter I got via a friend who recently opened a guesthouse.   It's not really surprising though, absolutely everything around town pays commission, from cookings classes to Art in Paradise to the Night Safari to the Old CM Cultural Center, Tiger Kingdom, Jungle Zipline, Elephant parks, Tube Trek water park, any taxi or van service: you name it and free money comes out all by itself.  Even many restaurants, massage shops, etc, etc.

[piewarmer 174]

5 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Loy Kroh boxing area pricing is also really high.  So much so that a lot of bars in that area now want to opt out of being part of it, which is where all those screens come in.

They have been trying to opt out since I came to CM 11 years ago.

I had a bar at the stadium entrance and often heard the owners moaning about boxing nights because the ringside bars are closed to foot traffic. 

[EricTh 348]

I went to the same spot tonight to have a closer look.

 

Lo and behold, there are two flags inside the cabaret building and they are China's flag and the other seems to be Taiwan's flag. The hall was filled with a Chinese song blaring.

 

I also saw several double decker busloads of Chinese coming in.

 

Many red songtaw were waiting outside the boxing stadium but I didn't see many customers going in.

 

[Flustered 1,607]

14 hours ago, Dante99 said:

 the Revoulutionary War.

Was that the War of Insurrection?

[hspace 15]

On 6/8/2017 at 0:08 PM, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

This is probably the current challenge: what do do with bars to get more Chinese people in. 

 

Perhaps I can help with that. Chinese like spectacle performances: dancers/singers with a flashy light show. Some bass-thumping Chinese EDM. Or beautiful, sultry singers that they can send drinks/"flowers" up to the stage to. 

 

They love to play drinking games. Have lots of standing tables, and provide lots of dice. 

 

Western bars to them are boring. Lower-energy performances, unfamiliar music, just sitting around. 

[Trujillo 1,114]

I'd like to have a word or two with the Central Group about their Festival mall. Crawling with Chinese and not a single Chinese restaurant in the place. More than a dozen Japanese one, mind you, but the Chicoms and the Japanese are not pals. I can't imagine a Chinese eating Japanese food. 

Why can't we get at least ONE Chinese restaurant? 

[EricTh 348]

Just now, Trujillo said:

I'd like to have a word or two with the Central Group about their Festival mall. Crawling with Chinese and not a single Chinese restaurant in the place. More than a dozen Japanese one, mind you, but the Chicoms and the Japanese are not pals. I can't imagine a Chinese eating Japanese food. 

Why can't we get at least ONE Chinese restaurant? 

 

Japanese companies are richer and more influential at malls in Thailand?

 

Actually, you can get Chinese food at a lot of average Thai food restaurants and shops. 

If you take out the spicyness from Thai food, you get Chinese food.  So the Chinese can get Chinese food easily but not the Japanese.

 

Those dumplings, fried rice, noodles, chicken rice, pork knuckles, kale at average Thai shop are actually Chinese food. 

 

The Chinese can go to a Thai restaurant and say 'no spicy' and that is your Chinese food. Pad Thai, Pad Si Eew, Khao Tom are all basically Chinese food.

 

I heard that 15% of Thai are actually descended from Chinese.

 

 

[hspace 15]

5 hours ago, Trujillo said:

I'd like to have a word or two with the Central Group about their Festival mall. Crawling with Chinese and not a single Chinese restaurant in the place. More than a dozen Japanese one, mind you, but the Chicoms and the Japanese are not pals. I can't imagine a Chinese eating Japanese food. 

Why can't we get at least ONE Chinese restaurant? 

This is amazingly untrue. Some Chinese, esp from the bigger metropolitan cities, love Japanese food and Hello Kitty. Chinese tourists are the No. 1 spenders in Japan for the past 3 years. 

Also, what "Chinese" restaurant? Cantonese? Shandong? Szechuan? Or the Westernized-version: "fried rice, dumpling, chop suey"?

 

Anyway, across from Maya and also in Nimman, there are 2 pretty big Szechuan-style hot pot places. If you're adventurous, can check them out!

[hspace 15]

4 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

Japanese companies are richer and more influential at malls in Thailand?

 

Actually, you can get Chinese food at a lot of average Thai food restaurants and shops. 

If you take out the spicyness from Thai food, you get Chinese food.  So the Chinese can get Chinese food easily but not the Japanese.

 

Those dumplings, fried rice, noodles, chicken rice, pork knuckles, kale at average Thai shop are actually Chinese food. 

 

The Chinese can go to a Thai restaurant and say 'no spicy' and that is your Chinese food. Pad Thai, Pad Si Eew, Khao Tom are all basically Chinese food.

 

I heard that 15% of Thai are actually descended from Chinese.

 

 

No. It's just that Thai's love Japanese food. Thus more Japanese restaurants.

 

Yes, Thai food has similar ingredients and cooking methods to some Chinese food. 

 

Also, there are EIGHT major, and quite distinct, Chinese cuisines. And countless variations amongst the hundreds of cities in China. Szechuan cuisine, for example, is OMGWTF numbingly spicy. They don't like the sweet-spicy of Thai cuisine. Southern Chinese actually like the Thai spices.

 

Saying Chinese don't like a certain food, is EXACTLY like saying "Europeans don't like X cuisine". There are Italians, Spanish, British etc all with different tastes.

[elektrified 3,008]

4 hours ago, hspace said:

This is amazingly untrue. Some Chinese, esp from the bigger metropolitan cities, love Japanese food and Hello Kitty. Chinese tourists are the No. 1 spenders in Japan for the past 3 years. 

Also, what "Chinese" restaurant? Cantonese? Shandong? Szechuan? Or the Westernized-version: "fried rice, dumpling, chop suey"?

 

Anyway, across from Maya and also in Nimman, there are 2 pretty big Szechuan-style hot pot places. If you're adventurous, can check them out!

I was just talking to my friend in Tokyo today. He said the Chinese are everywhere - spending money like there is no tomorrow. And they love Japanese food.