bradiston

Yawn. Rant on. It's your blood pressure.

Could you point me back to the figures you had for tourism spend by nationality? Such a welter of data here...

Try a spa. I go to one that's 3000 pm, free coffee, water melon and water, plus you get to meet a lot of people, all nationalities, sit in the sauna/steam room/swimming pool/hot and cold pools, or just hang out in the open air. Nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Talking to a Russian recent emigrée, she said it was costing her and her husband 1.5m pa for international school for her 3 daughters here. She's a long term resident now. So it comes with significant costs. Anyway, we seem to have drifted off topic slightly. TAT saying bulk of Songkran tourists are domestic - well as someone above points out, no big surprise there. I do remember thinking how absurd it was to repatriate 12,000 Burmese when my understanding was, there was a massive shortage of manual workers here. But that's another story.

Yes, the 3k average spend is probably high. But even the beer sipping old boys probably have to find 1k per day, and those with families or a preferred high end lifestyle much much more. I live alone in Pratamnak. My monthly outgoings range between 65 and 150k. I have 2 hospital bills coming up of 45k each. You can move the figure around, but I think the bottom line is, ex pats do contribute handsomely and well in proportion to their numbers. I wouldn't go along with the proposition that if we all upped sticks and left tomorrow, Thailand's economy would collapse. But in particular, Russian money has flooded into Phuket this year, and probably Pattaya too. The figures on property purchases and rentals are mind boggling. They have almost single handedly revived and boosted the property market there and elsewhere.

I only have figures for 2018, and I'm not disputing where the majority of arrivals originate from. It's plain to see. But arrivals simply means they pass through immigration. How many are high spending tourists? I would guess from ASEAN, except Singapore, and possibly Malaysia, a very small percentage. And how long do they stay? Cross border trade between Thailand and its immediate neighbours is huge, just for everyday items. But it's a 2 to 3 day visit. Sure there's revenue there. But hardly an input into tourism revenue. The majority are migrant workers, nothing to do with tourism. The link below is to a massive 220 page report, but the first 40 pages have tables. https://thailand.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/Thailand-Migration-Report-2019.pdf Also, according to immigration statistics as of 2018, there were 150,707 "ex pats" living in Thailand, by visa status. Just 72,969 retirees. The remainder, and the majority, had family here. But taken as a whole, 150,000 people either supporting themselves or family, and extended families, making a sizable contribution to the Thai economy. Supposing, including rent, and all other outgoings, the daily spend was 3000 thb. That's 450m per day, 13.5b per month, 164b per annum. Include assets, vehicles, property, money held in banks, investments, businesses.... I think ex pats contibute well, in proportion to their relatively small numbers. And we're here in the main, 24/7. So it's not just a 2 week pre booked holiday with much of the outlay staying in the country of origin. We spend at all levels, from street to penthouse.

I stayed in Lengkee for a year during COVID. Even then there were bars opening til 4am, curfew or no curfew. Don't go there.

Hey, that's what the accused's mother said. But there again, she would, wouldn't she? Defending her drunken lout of a son.

Much of what you say is agreed upon. Regional tourism makes up ~75% of tourism overall. But we were being told only a few months ago that tourism was an essential pillar of the Thai economy, in the region of 20% of GDP. This figure moves around, from a low of 9%. Whether international or domestic seems moot. But the estimates and projections made by TAT and Phuket were in the order of billions incoming from international (non regional?) tourists. Now they say actually most of it is domestic or regional. Surely domestic tourism is just churn. It's just spending in a different location. So if what you say is right the farenghi are not very important to the Thai economy at all. But I don't actually believe that either. I did some sums last year based on the most up to date stats I could find on how many expats were based here and a nominal average annual spend. It was not peanuts. All those figures I've now lost. Actually, I can find no stats on who spends what when they come to Thailand. Maybe you have sources. But there are endless projections of 30m visitors, xxx trillion THB etc. With TAT I glance and go. Nothing to see here. Move along. Why don't their press releases ever quote sources?

I've lived here for 8 years. Not as long as some, for sure. I've never read nor heard of this hearsay scam, as that's what it now appears to be. Loading up 2 passengers on a bike then charging them double? Risk losing your licence? Getting into a fight about it? Nope, case dismissed. Your experience seems centered around taxis and meters. Yes, I'm sure that goes on all the time.

Quite so. I also should have seen this coming! Just a final submission. I was a cabbie in London for 15 years. You have to deal with all sorts, drunks of every description, bilkers (those who run off without paying), pukers, violence, spitting, damage to the cab, threats etc etc. It can get stressful. I sympathize with the 60 yo geezer trying to earn a crust. Anyone who thinks it's easy ferrying incoherent foreigners around... Well, rest assured, it's anything but.

In Pattaya, I use Wins only on the odd occasion, usually to and from a bus drop off point or bus station. I've never had a problem with them EVER! I'm only saying this as I find it hard to believe that long term stayers here in Thailand are so prone to this alleged scam. You must see it coming, yet many people on this forum say it happens all the time. I'm intrigued to know how they know it happens "all the time". Surely not to them? Then from where are they getting their stats?

There'll always be the one win who takes them, 2 up. But, easy to point to yourself and your friend and say "80 baht?" The win points to each in turn and says "You 80 baht" and to your friend "You 80 baht". Maybe you come back with 120. Whatever. It's all down to communication. 99% of disagreements are down to misunderstandings.

Not difficult to make sure the fare includes everybody. In Thai even. If you can't speak the language, just walk.

I'm really not sure what you're saying has any truth in it at all. Domestic tourism has been hugely subsidised by the govern5fir years. Several campaigns to try and get Thais to travel inside Thailand and spend have been launched. Yes, they were a huge success, but at an enormous cost to the Exchequer. And Thais don't bring in any foreign exchange. Just a few measly baht. They almost always bring their own food and drink. Rarely eat out. Rarely even leave their booked at a discount rooms. And what is "consumer consumption"? As for regional tourists, I guess that's the sector including Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese and Burmese right? Do Thais holiday in those countries? Are you kidding? I don't think most visitors from the region are tourists. Migrant workers maybe. Day trippers. I wouldn't believe a single word out of TAT.

I never asked for a price. I paid him what I had to hand. 100 seemed fair including a "Songkran bonus". I can't be doing with this skinflint every baht counts mentality.

It's more fun in Thailand, NOT!

Not during Songkran according to one poster. Fully booked.

I say good for him. Pesky Hong Kong tourists. Probably part of a scam gang. Send 'em home I say.

Double during Songkran. Unofficial.

Yeah well, is that really a news story?

Hmm, bit of a climb down from the usual 100 billion THB predicted from 5 million visitors this Songkran, isn't it? Somebody with the balls to report more realistic figures.

I meant the extra over the normal fare, probably 50 THB. After a 12 hour journey, why waste time arguing or haggling? It's 50 THB! It's Songkran. I'm tired. I got the last bus from BKK to Pattaya by minutes. I just wanted to get home. End of. Tot up the extra it costs you at the end of every month. Probably peanuts. I rarely take a Win.

PR coup for sure.

3 different sources quoted for this piece of non news! Virtue signalling ON I took a win from Jomtien bus station to Pratamnak Soi 4/5 after a nightmare journey from Manila to BKK. I never asked for the price. Gave him 100 and a "Happy Songkran". He was extremely grateful. What's wrong with people they can't give a bit extra? It's maybe £1. Get real. Wins have to make a living. Virtue signalling OFF