JoeyMac

The Rich in I have news for you ... the billionaire or rich Indians aren't coming to Thailand. Like the Chinese, the well off citizens there dream of heading to Europe or western countries. The type of visitor attracted to Thailand are low rent. They are there on a budget. And now arriving in huge numbers because they are perhaps one of the only countries that are allowing them in. There is no country even in Africa that let Indians in visa free. Mark my words in a few years they will out number Chinese for visitor numbers.

You would need 10 indians to replace a decent spending foreign tourist. No wonder the roads are blocked in parts of Pattaya with heavy traffic. You then turn away the high spending foreign tourist. No one is going to holiday in a region that is spiked full of low spending Indians on their first holiday. There was simply no need to stop the restrictions on visas. You go into Terminal 21 or Central there and there are no Indians in there. They are notorious low spenders, especially the ones heading to Thailand. The galling issue is India have offered Thai citizens no free visa, so i am curious as to what bilateral relationship they are talking about ? Thai logic is to look at the numbers of arrivals, and TOTAL spend - as opposed to spend per visitor.

Think i won't be going back to Pattaya anytime soon then.

I think you need to address the issue of her giving land to her brothers. You need to put a stop to that.

India doesn't even give Thai's a reciprocal visa free entry. Yet Thailand is rolling out the red carpet for them.

Allowing so many Indian tourists is damaging to wanting to have 'quality high spending tourists'. Indians make up for very low spend tourism. But their numbers are massive, and for many it's the first ever holiday (as no one else lets them in so easily) and you get ensuing poor behaviour. You will never find them in malls for one ... look around next time.

Bali was a paradise back in the 80's and 90's ... such a beautiful place. It is now a dump, that is solely for cheap tourists who go for a drink up. With Thailand's beautiful islands they could attract quality tourists ... at least keep away cheap mass tourism. But nope, they simply have done the opposite. Income from tourism is down, so the Thai solution is to get even more numbers in. The experience from tourists is awful.

The damage done to Phuket is irreversible. I remember a college lecturer at my university talking about the dangers of over tourism. It all makes sense now. A beautiful place, now nothing but some shoddy beaches, no infrustructure that will suffice for cheap Indian tourists, and Russians escaping war.

He has almost 140,000 in 2 months deposits from me.

I'm being quoted 3000 to have my a/c cleaned. There are 3 of them. It's not really the money aspect, it's the fact i feel i'm being taken advatage of here. 'get your bed sheets cleaned professionally', 'get the property cleaned and show reciept' - i can clean my property myself.

Embarassing.

Even agent now saying we should clean a/c, have the whole room cleaned with reciepts and even get bedding cleaned. Totally taking the mick. Agreement only says 'a/c must be kept in good condition'. No where does it state 'clean a/c before returning'. We've had the a/c cleaned so many times on our own, the last just a few months ago. Been taken advatage of with the deposit being held. This is not a backstreet condo, but high end condo in the heart of Sukhumvit with a major developer behind it.

I was given a PDF document. I have yet to use it as i'm still in Thailand. I am obviously talking about travelling and immigration guys. The idea i have to travel around with 2 passports is pretty annoying.

Eh ? since when. My last a/c clean guy said no need for a clean for at least 6 months.

Dayam so i have to carry my old passport around for the next 10 years?!