chinasimon

10 hours ago, swm59nj said:

You have to be pretty desperate to visit a country with a high Covid rate. Just for the sake of drinking cheap booze and cheap fun.  

Which country are we talking about? Don't think Thailand is either of these two.

Foxconn has no particular engineering know-how related to EVs, they have yet to begin mass production anywhere. Not sure how they expect to compete against the big outside of protected markets like Thailand. 

On 11/9/2021 at 1:26 AM, aussiexpat said:

I only used to fly them to see the pretty crew smile so I could get back into Thailand happy mood after a long absence.

 

Much better than the old angry dragons on Qantas ????

 

Understandable, I try to avoid European airlines for that reason as well. Long-distance flights are a privilege only for longer-service flight crew (read: dragons). 

But Singapore Airlines has pretty flight attendants and is a nice place for a stopover too. ????

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

On the other hand, i feel much safer here than in countries of Europe US or the middle east, needless to mention Africa or south America...

A good thing then that criminals are usually considerate of your feelings. Otherwise you'd get confronted with the higher crime in Thailand relative to much of Europe. 

We can throw personal preferences and anecdotes around for days, but as a simple matter of fact Ultra High Net Worth Individuals move to

1) Rich, English speaking countries like Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand (and Switzerland)

2) Warm European countries (Isreal, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Malta) or the Caribbean

3) Developed Asian city-states, namely Singapore and Hong Kong

Source: AfrAsia Bank - Global Wealth Migration Review 2018 & 2019

Asia overall - China being the frontrunner - has a large net outflow of these super rich people, and Thailand is likely no exception though there is no substantiated data that I'm aware of. 

Now a lot of reasons have been mentioned but Thailand is simply a good place for people with modest means, but not so much for really rich people. As a single digit millionaire it certainly is an option, if you have more money than that it's not. "Cheap and fun" nightlife just doesn't feature highly on their priority list, nor do tourist beaches. I honestly struggle to think of any advantages or benefits living in Thailand would offer an UHNWI. Occasionally visit? Sure, a couple of exclusive hotels and private islands offer a pleasant enough stay. 

But why in overcrowded, tiny Boracay? Mactan Island, Cebu would make more sense with its 5* resorts. 

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

News items like bloomberg listing Thailand as one of the worst places in the world to be at this stage of the pandemic.. UK red list.. USA, China, OZ etc all not coming.. 

Phuket sandbox merely allowed a system of bypassing ASQ for most part.. Which is why theres barely a handful who have gone to Samui Plus as it all come down to the easiest / cheapest route back in. 

2 years time ?? The tourist industry and the banks that are financing all these hotels, taxis, etc etc are not going to last 2 years.. Sure in 2 years some semblance of numbers will come back but the current players will be bankrupted without this years high season. Cest la vie.. They played the debt growth game expecting better years every year. Its a long time since 97 and it took well over a decade to clear out that malinvestment, this ones far worse. 

 

That's covid-related however. I don't think currently strongly affected countries will take a permanent reputation risk because of that or the political situation. Most tourists just don't care as long as the product/price is right. Besides, there aren't that many real alternatives in SEA - Bali is overcrowded even compared to Thailand. 

And as for tourism businesses failing, that's a problem for the business owners and banks, lots of people will lose a lot of money. But those hotels and restaurants will still be standing, just under new ownership. A big write-down on the initial investment also helps with operating costs, and could make Thailand a bit more affordable again too. Prices only knew one direction in the last 20 years, but it's a distinct possibility after 2022 I'd say. Global mass tourism will take a while to fully recover, but I would bet that it'll eventually happen. 

I used to be interested in a TE card, but no longer. I also considered buying a condo, the P/E ratio is terrible as stated, but the main reason for me was the hassle of owning a place I have to take care of or communicate with the PM office. 

So many attractive rental properties, I don't see myself buying anything even with prices dropping. 

On 11/12/2020 at 3:56 AM, spidermike007 said:

Same applies to the domestic market. There are alot of wealthy Thais here. Other than cars, I doubt they buy any luxury items here. When you own population goes abroad to shop, you know you have been selecting ministers from the bottom of the barrel, for way, way too long!

 

Same applies to wine. (...)
Most wealthy people tend to be smart with their money. They simply will not pay stupid money for stuff.(...)

 

Sure, the neighboring countries are benefitting from all of the mistakes Thailand is making. But, they are also trying much harder, and are far smarter with their policies. They deserve the gains.

These are simply more examples of brain dead leaders, who have no vision, and are NOT leading the nation forward, are not helping the nation to progress, and are not benefitting the people of Thailand.

Those are all excellent points.Global upper middle-class tend to prefer wine over beer, certainly for dinner. And the wine industry is abysmal in Thailand. 

People who go on and on about the Chinese spending more, having the largest middle class in the world etc etc. clearly haven't looked at the numbers. The actual middle class - as defined as having sufficient purchasing power to regularly consume global goods and services (including self-organised international travel) - is smaller than 100M Chinese. The developed world still encompasses the vast majority of affluent people who drive global rather than local consumption. 

So yes, you still need all these Europeans, Americans, Japanese and Koreans to fill 4* and 5* hotels, restaurants and wine bars. But luxury import taxes make Thailand a lot less attractive for that crucial demographic than possible. I disagree that "high-quality" tourists wouldn't come in higher numbers to Thailand, but some things definitely have to change. The restaurant scene in Bangkok for example is top notch, there are excellent hotels, cultural and culinary experiences, good weather, ever improving marina facilities... 

So little wonder tourist arrival numbers have increased while spending per visitor seems to have decreased (?). 

On 9/29/2020 at 5:03 AM, Keyser Soze666 said:

I stopped reading after 'fresh air'

 

None of that here, except for maybe a few weeks a year up Norf.

Not true: 

https://aqicn.org/map/thailand/