BayArea

9 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

They are better in Japan, but I don't think the Thai ones are far behind - they keep adding more fresh food and more range all the time. You can even buy ribeye steaks (199 baht) - I bought one once for the novelty and it wasn't bad, but I do prefer to pay more for better quality steaks.

7-Elevens in the rest of SE Asia are dreadful: Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia are dirty, tiny, and have nothing of interest. The Thai ones are clean, well run, bright, well stocked., and have excellent service.

7 11s aren't a thing in Viet Nam.  Circle K are the main convenience stores in the major cities and they are comparable to 7 11 in Thailand in terms of cleanliness, stocked items and variety of food options. 

7 11 is essentially the life blood for the average Thai citizens not so much in Viet Nam. 

10 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

"seems like every week, there's a story on alcohol sales, restrictions,  bans, and times."

 

Shows the strength of feeling that people have about silly outdated laws that help to keep Thailand  "third world countryt"!

I agree. 

9 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

Not limited to Thailand.

 

New Zealand has four no-alcohol days each year, I've never heard any whines about the impact on their tourism.

I didn't know about New Zealand alcohol 4 day ban.

I didn't suggest Thailand's tourism taking a hit with alcohol ban, just saying it's rather silly.

Is Thailand the most obsessed country in Asia if not the world regarding alcohol related stories. seems like every week, there's a story on alcohol sales, restrictions,  bans, and times.

You would think a country known for hedonism and wild nightlife culture would be discussing any other topics aside from alcohol related issues.

Realistically,  there's several more factors discouraging foreign investment in Thailand than just delays. 

Unfortunately,  he's one of thousands over staying in Thailand.  Some will get caught and some will never see justice.  

On 2/13/2024 at 5:17 PM, SAFETY FIRST said:

You are so wrong, come down to Pattaya one day, sit at the soi Buakhao and soi Dianna intersection for a few hours, then 3rd road and beyond, so many weird, angry foreigners. 

To go along with the many weird and angry Thais.

Wasn't there a recent article stating tourism is looking up in the new year for Thailand due to its vibrant culture and dynamic economy???

He probably pissed of lots of staff who were sleeping on the job with his surprise visit!!

I'll never forget when my wife's uncle was drinking beer and driving while we were with him. He offered me a drink and I politely declined.  Mind you,  he was a high ranking naval officer who had traveled overseas for extensive training. It's a mindset that won't change overnight. 

Life's  certainties, Death, taxes, and injuries on Pattaya's streets. 

Well soon enough,  his Wang will be Hung!!

3 hours ago, Nigeone said:

Those comments are true but reality is it’s now £1200 return plus to fly to Thailand as against £700 tops a year or so and £450 ish pre Covid. Massive rises in most peoples gas/electric/ food etc and big increases across the board. The days are gone but there again never believed TAT forecasts on numbers . It’s too expensive taking in everything involved in holiday in Thailand for most. 

You're  just focusing on British tourists , Thailand has now broadened its targets and most are from nearby Asian countries 

22 minutes ago, newnative said:

      You may not believe TAT forecasts but they're more accurate than not.  They were very close, for example, for last year.  Some posters focus on TAT changing its forecasts as the year goes on but that is the nature of forecasts; as you have more data, you can fine-tune your forecasts.  This is just January; likely the forecast will change a number of times as the year goes on.  Normal.

     Since you have used flight costs in British pounds, it seems you are focused on tourists from Britain.  While certainly important for a diverse Thailand tourist demographic, the UK numbers are not a very big factor in Thailand making large increases in tourism numbers.  For example, from 2015 to 2019, UK numbers were slightly up for those years.  So, not declining but not rising steaply.   If that was the case for all countries, Thailand's tourism numbers would just grow modestly each year.

     Thailand had a record year in 2019 due to large numbers of tourists from nearby Asian countries, including China and India. Nearly 11 milion of the 39 million just from China.  Both of those countries showed large percentage increases from 2015 to 2019.  To reach its 2024 goal, Thailand will mostly need to rely on visitors from Asian countries coming closer to their 2019 numbers.

Well said especially regarding Asian tourists making up the bulk of LOS tourism numbers. 

On 1/27/2024 at 5:43 AM, paulikens said:

Is any country getting as many tourists as they were pre-pandemic levels?  I doubt it.   

France has recovered nicely and the summer Olympics will undoubtedly put them over the top. western Europe will be back too and probably exceed expectations this year despite economic uncertainties.  I believe most people if they have some financial means will find a way to travel. The pandemic really put life in perspective for many of us.

1. Pay the people a competitive wage to survive and thrive 

2. Provide more training opportunities for people willing to learn in essential trade and skills that benefit the country 

3. Unfortunately, the average Thai is too lazy and has no motivation to earn a decent living that requires dedication and discipline to move forward for himself and his family 

https://thai.news/news/thailand/bangkoks-mastermind-swindler-raveerojs-spectacular-gem-scam-unmasked

I see a movie in the making lol!!

The incessant news on tourism numbers is reeking of pure desperation!! If you didn't know any better,  one would think tourism accounts for 50% of the GDP of Thailand. 

15 hours ago, stoner said:

but remember folks take your shoes off and show some gd respect when entering a temple. what a total joke thai buddhism is. 

 

i mean this is the tippy top of the food chain and he is a corrupt piece of s. not at all surprised in the least. 

My wife is no longer a practicing Buddhist.  She used to ignore the rampant corruption or made excuses for these monks, but she has stop making excuses for their disgusting behavior.  The only sympathy she feels are for the poor Thai who continued to followed with blind faith. 

17 hours ago, crazykopite said:

If he was in prison  he would be allowed a 10 minute visit like all othe prisoners the same conditions should only be allowed in the police hospital as he is a prisoner be it thar he has been given the most preferential treatment afforded to any prisoner in the Kingdom . Come the next election he and his party will be sent to the abyss the Thai people don’t forget the promises that have been broken nor the way he has been allowed to escape a prison sentence ,they well know that this was a well negotiated plan in order for him to return to the kingdom 

After this past year's election,  Thai democracy is dead and done. It's basically an exercise in futility. 

Pretty much all the developing and 1st world countries, 

birth rate is declining. In east Asia , Japan and South Korea have been slowing down the last 20 years or so. China had a 10% drop in birth rate this year, the first time in 60 years! Vietnam is in the same boat with an emerging middle class that prefers to have 2 or 1 kids. 

Indonesia and Philippines are out of control and it will impact any economic development.  Now to the extreme,  Africa and Latin America, those two regions will cause massive economic strain on the world as they migrate to more prosperous nations to look for work and survival 

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Everything in Thailand must be on the Unesco Heritage list.. the food, the dress, the monuments, the events... but in fact Thailand was in  former times several kingdoms and mostly Khmer based.... claiming Angkor Wat was an example that Thailand wanted but did not owned

Thai culture is a fusion of Sanskrit and Khmer.  From their etiquette at the royal court, customs, dance, dress, muay Thai , temple designs, personal names, towns/ cities, festivals and everything else in between.  It's has some or entire elements from those two cultures.