AnotherFarang8

Good for Thailand. Somebody has to revive its tourism industry. It won’t be cash stripped energy-free Urapeeans or mortgage-burdened Muricans. These two categories are now past their glory days.

GBP is likely to reach 1:1 with USD before spring time. This year is really full of interesting trends.

Many. Despite all the talk the bulk of energy inflation hasn’t really started making its way to retail prices yet. Energy companies have been taking losses paying high wholesale prices but the consumers have been shielded from that until recent weeks. Now the bills are beginning to land on consumers. Governments will only increase that inflation by printing more money and raising taxes. They are between the hammer and the anvil: raise rates very high and plunge economy into abyss or not raise rates and let inflation wreak havoc. Both outcomes leave little money for holidays.

Hotels, yes. But there is a sizeable number of long term snowbird tourists who escape to Thailand for 3-4 winter months, they will rent an apartment usually. Counting them together with the two week hotel tourists and dividing total number of days spent by both groups by number of farang visitors will produce an average of 4 weeks per farang. Besides, if i stay 2 weeks in one hotel then move to stay 2 weeks in another hotel/city, do they count me as an average 2 weeks farang from hotel records?

Comparing farang tourists to asian tourists and lumping them as one number of arrivals is obfuscating the picture. Farang tourists stay on average 4 weeks. One Malaysian tourist will spend much less time, often only a weekend, that is 10x less time and money than a typical farang. Both will be counted as equal. On the other hand, a Malaysian tourist may visit more times in a year. What can show a more real picture of what is happening is a count of tourist-days.

The 300 baht fee is not a deterrence, it’s nothing. Most people wouldn’t even notice it if it was introduced quietly. The real deterrence to visiting Thailand right now is a PCR test requirement for the unvaccinated, which can incur a much higher level of expenses and cause stress incompatible with holiday mood if it comes positive even though no symptoms. Vietnam has no such bs requirement and looks competitive right now.

Forum members who condemn Thailand for staying neutral should immediately leave LoS on the first available flight to be true to themselves and never return, shouldn’t they?

Correct, but don’t let the facts get in the way.

Meanwhile Nord Stream 2 is fully operational with shiny new turbines on stand by. Unfortunately it will take crowds of german people running with pitchforks to convince their government to license Nord Stream 2 into operation after entire industries shut down.

Russia’s Aeroflot will resume direct flights to Phuket from October 30. As for good or full recovery of tourism in Thailand, there is a very long way to go, considering all the damage already done and the global economic crash in slow motion that will take years to play out, wiping off the middle class and savings.

It didn’t go well for Sri Lanka where fertiliser production was cut after their government listened to climate change cultists, now food is scarce. It is not going well for energy prices after many countries stopped investments in fossil fuel production. Hopefully Thailand doesn’t give too much floor to these pseudo scientists to avoid getting srilanka’d.

Low season. Anti-covid requirements not fully lifted in Thailand (PCR test for the unvaccinated or get injected with a questionable cocktail is a good deterrent). High inflation taking away savings that could be spent on vacations with no signs of ebbing away. People losing interest to travel after years of staying locked down, some might say the effect should be reverse from the pent up demand but it is arguable. In short, recovery will be very slow and painful, no matter how much lipstick they will try to put on this pork.

Have they lifted the PCR requirement for the unvaccinated yet? Vietnam looks more hassle-free, at least for tourists who don’t look for night life. In general, vacation expenditures will stay low, energy prices multiplying will take care of that.

Gold will rise handsomely in this decade as it appears it will mimic the 70s era, with the Fed’s chief making it clear he will meet market’s expectations. Market expects him to restart easing soon, that’s why stock market and oil went up again even though economic indicators look like <deleted>. Inflationary years are coming. I’d buy a few gold trinkets for a rainy day. Thailand’s gold shop market is very good.

This levy won’t break the bank but extra paperwork and vaccine requirements are not helping to consider Thailand over other destinations.

Vietnam looks more attractive. No requirements for vaccination/tests/quarantine/masks any more as far as i know. They are determined to make money again. Go back to business as usual or go home.

Green policies preventing investments in traditional energy infrastructure and limitless money printing to counter the crash created by nonsensical economic restrictions during covid. Result is shortage of resources but abundance of cheap money chasing those resources. Predictably this leads to high inflation. The only entity that couldn’t see this coming is Fed who admitted recently they had little understanding of inflation.

If all restrictions for tourists are not canceled, inflation in Thailand will run higher with less foreign currency coming into the country.

No, many more people wouldn’t have died as proven by many countries who did almost or absolutely nothing in comparison to countries who did lots of nonsensical stuff. So yeah, two years of intentional damage inflicted upon economies has been net result and likely purpose of this sh show.

It’s too late to aggressively tighten. The bubbles, if popped, will take the whole global economy to abyss. The market is already pricing in Fed’s capitulation and rate cuts beginning in Q1 2023. This is optimistic thinking too, as it will take much more than rate cuts and likely sooner than next year to keep this game of musical chairs running a few more years. We’re talking about tens of trillions of QE injections, which will ensure yearly inflation running in double (hopefully not triple) digits for the remainder of this decade. Prepare accordingly.

But have they fully opened go-go bars?

Ok fine, you win. The point is i am not bothered by dual pricing at all. Minus one serious problem for me.

Those unrestrainedly printed USD debts exported to the world under the disguise of reserves are ending up chasing a limited supply of commodities. Can’t print commodities out of thin air. We are going to see years of soaring prices as countries continue to unload those reserves in exchange for raw materials trying to front-run each other and to support their local currencies. China started in April and it alone has 3 trillion USD to go.

Yes, but you went to find her in Thailand. UK couldn’t do it for you. We got to live with limitations, they just differ from country to country. Thailand discriminates against foreigners, UK discriminates against single men. Or they do not, it all depends how you look at it.

Such heated discussion. Personally i never cared about dual pricing. Tourists are charged more everywhere no matter if the dual price is in plain view or implied, it is what it is. What will hold me back is mandatory vaccination or pcr test requirement and mask wearing. I might choose Vietnam instead. As for dual pricing, no big deal.