DonniePeverley

The business model is flawed then. I saw numerous people walk away as their was no seating. But you had primarily westerners sitting there, buying one bottle of water, then setting up a full office on a table - if there was a spare chair they'd use it to put their bags on. None of the staff did anything to play fair and move them on after 30 minutes or so. Nope they just sat their for hours. After my lukewarm coffee, i went to a few shops. Came back as i left my umbrella, and the same souls were sitting there.

Depends what you mean by 'trouble'. Violence, disorder and poor behaviour can be seen to have increased by anyone with experiencing living here. However, i doubt they are worried by that. What is clearly on the rise is those working here illegally, engaging in scams, etc

The UK let in nearly 1.2 MILLION LEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN 2024. 36,000 illegal immigrants is nothing in comparison. The boats was just a Tory race bait that was an own goal. Go to the USA and see the sheer volume of illegal immigration from Mexico - it's astonishing.

Malaysia is not getting 40 million tourists a year. Thailand's borders are open to the world - which is an experiment of child like idiotic behaviour no other country has tried it.

First thing that goes when mass tourism takes over is the service quality. They know they have plenty of others behind you, so need to make any effort. Stick to local places.

The UK is an island. If we had a land border, you'd get hundreds of thousands crossing. If you live in Thailand, and go to the Myanmar Thailand borders, thousands cross the borders back and forth all day long. 36,000 a year is nothing. There are estimates that from Bangladesh into India they see some 10,000 pour into INdia a day !

36,000 people crosed the channel illegally last year into the UK. It's nothing. You are being played with.

I've only just read the headlines, but completely absurd if true. The UK along with France, is the only real superpower who can offer a defence to Europe. This is a time when countries like Poland and Scandanavian countries (who are most under threat) really have to use their voice. Poland last year were incensed around the EU's behaviour to be playing politics with the UK over defence.

Different strokes for different folks.

I do. Just now i have come back from my local cafe. I said i wanted it extra hot. He nodded. Then gave it lukewarm. I told him to take back the cup and bring it hot. He took it back, and bought it back luke warm again. I gave up. Doubt he was bothered. The shop was packed with westerners sitting on their laptops with a bottle of water, using their electricty and wifi.

Very true. Those staying 2-3 months, will often also go into short term rentals (which apparently are now illegal), and will not pay to stay in hotels in general. As a result the benefitiary is not the state but the owner (usually Chinse) of the condo.

Hot. I want to take my time drinking it, over a conversation. If the first sip is luke warm (which invariably it is in Bangkok) then a few minutes later (with the ac on) it's going to be a cold drink, which is absolutely horrific. Why doesn't Thailand get it ?

You get lovely instagramy cafes in Thailand. But the actual state of the coffee is horrific. Today, twice i had to send back my cup as it came back luke warm. You can never get a hot cup of coffee.

Schengen Zone does not offer visa free access to India, China, most of Africa, South American countries. It does not even offer visa free access to Thai people. Thailand has removed all restrictions to most of the world - just come and enter, even if you are criminal. If you are a Thai national the process of getting a Schengen or UK visa are soul destroying - as well as the mandatory insurance they make you get. Thailand is an open border. For example, it seems so enamoured with Indian tourists (often pointing out to the revenue they bring, whilst ignoring the revenue per head is actually pretty low, and the damage from low economic tourists will turn away other tourists). Thailand has removed all checks and balances it had on visitors - when was the last time they even asked to see a return ticket? There were dangers of removing all restrictions on Chinese visitors - there was evidence from neighbouring countries who have put protocols up.

Pretty much this. It's rubbish as usual. Nothing will ever change. The country has been told so many times to diversify it's economy, and not rely solely on tourism. It does nothing to implement any changes, the population constantly stuck in a cycle of cheap mass tourism. All it would take is a war, or some economic hit effecting tourism and the country will be in the mire again. The difference being this adminstration has turned tourism into a free mass for all on steroids. There is not a single soul who can tell me being in Thailand now is better than say 10 years ago. It's just appalling out there, and the soft approach from law enforcement, lack of spend in infrustructure has been appalling. Quality visitors who will spend money in Thailand - like myself, are genuinally looking to go elsewhere.

If the US had no tarrifs then imo Tesla would be struggling to compete with the Chinese brands - who are just producing much cheaper, much more efficient cars. The deal with Tesla, was it became a brand that people got behind - like say Apple. But since Musk has had these sinister moments it's turned off the actual people (tree hugging liberals) that were his market.

Have you been holed in a cucoon for the past few months?

What happened to free speech Vance and co were lecturing Europe about? Oh wait, is 'free speech' just speech they like ?

You can do well and still be an arse hole. The two aren't exclusive.

Won't even go into a Tesla show room any more. Musk is ridiculous and the politics is awful.

They won't make any changes because it would be an admission they made mistakes. The sheer volume of Russian and Chinese visitors working (when you stray beyond the tourist path) is astonishing. The Chinese visitors especially are just piliging Thailand for everything. The 60 day rule, with an extension - essentially allows you to stay non stop with the odd flight back to reset. To go back to 30 day, will highlight those abusing the system. It won't stop illegals working, but it will greatly reduce it. WIll they do it? No. Because it's the current administration that has basically opened the borders with it's ridiculous easy entry to the whole world, esentially making Thailand an open border to the world - something no other country has done - politics of the playground not real world. The results have been a disaster - with an increase of low rent visitors, crime risen, cheap tourists who spend low, the mass turn off of quality high spending tourists, and open hostility growing from locals (which will only increase if you see what is happening in European tourist spots and Japan). If you allow visitors to stay long term in Thailand (with little checks) they will seek income - it's obvious, and they will take local jobs that should be protected for Thais. You have videos of indian tourists sleeping 20 to a small room, never mind the horrific worldwide viral videos of them sleeping on beaches. The sexual predatory nature of their visits to Pattaya. A visa on arrival would have ensured every India visitor had a hotel booking in their name. But nope this adminstration just threw everything out, including visa outs with a sheer lunacy stimulus. Irony being India doesn't even let Thai's in visa free, despite a much worst economy per person. Vietnam, Malaysia all have checks and balances (including return tickets and accomdoation checks with their visas for Indians). As i say, other countries may offer an increased amount of stay for certain nationalities - but they also mix in greater controls on certain nationalities. For example, Vietnam ensures Indians obtain a visa before arrival, and ensure every visitor has a hotel booking and return ticket. Thailand has no such checks. The real issue is the extreme lax in the implentation of the DTV. It needs reviewing immediately. The goal may have been to increaase tax revenues from foods and goods, and help the struggling real estate market. But all that's happened is cheap tourists who don't spend alot per head flood the country, pile pressure on infrustructure, and increase crime, and take jobs from local Thais. The real estate market has become decimated by the short term rental as potential buyers fear a shiny new condo will become a short term rental hub flooded by horrific tourists. The issue with short term rentals and has priced out local Thai's - forcing them to move to the outskirts as visitors take up more space. In countries that are still developing it's dangerous to begin to use homes as investment opportunities. The Thai population still need protecting. Policing has become soft, with fears for putting of tourists - ironically having the opposite effect, as visuals on social media show the growing volume of crime and violence in Thailand, fuelled by drugs and alcohol. There should be a no nonsense approach to the hoardes of Bendirom British and drunk Russians misbehaving. Thai solution is to add more cheap visitors into this mix is beyond parody. Thailand is bordering on nearly 40 million tourists, and now mix into that you have a set that are staying long term. No other country is having such a huge influx of visitors like this. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia seek out quality tourists with higher spends per net. Singapore offers no free entry to Indian visitors for example. To simply say 'Singapore offers so many days more' is misleading. The enviromental and physical impact with mass increase in visitors on the country is startling. Go see the impact on Phuket and the horrific over development as a result. Beautiful islands wrecked by over tourism. There needs to be an immediate return to a 30 day visa programme. Implentation of visa on arrival protocols for certain nationalities (like India) to ensure there are return tickets, and each person has a hotel booking in their name. The DTV has to be stopped, and a more easier to obtain version of the Elite visa implemented (that isn't ridiculous expensive and impossible to obtain, but stronger than DTV). Nothing will change. The only ones to gain are 7/11 shops and cheap tourists spending money on cheese toasties.

That's not a backup then is it ? A backup is something that comes on straight away, not requiring days to set up.

Is it true the backup generators were diesel emitting so closed down ? I'm reading this a fair bit on my X timeline, so taking it with a pinch of salt, but few prominent posters posting this. I'm not buying the excuse that it takes time for a backup generator to get up and running. That doesn't it render it a backup at all then.

Yes until someone breaking the 'laws' effects you hey. This simply has to be the most idiotic statement on this forum

Because very few (not even third world) offer Indians visa free. Yes cumulative they may generate income to Thailand - but person their amount is very low. Quantity over quality seems the mantra. Furthermore, one of the ways to get Indians spending money was via the visa on arrival route - as it ensured every visitor had a hotel booking in their name. Now you have a scenario 10 plus guys can just pimp into one room (and i've seen that with my own eyes).