JustinTyme

My first trip to Thailand was in 1979. OMG, it was PARADISE !!! 555 ! Made a permanent move here 14 years ago. 10 in BKK ... then built a nice house in Isaan. VERY happy here, away from the drama in the rest of the country.

(Please don't let my "Newbie Status" fool you, I have lived in in Thailand full time for 14 years) I think we have a case of "Be careful what you ask for, you may get it." Thailand has a long history of using the wrong metrics to make decisions. Example: The number of tourists is less important than the total money they spend. Stuffing the country with Chinese and Indian people seems like " a lot" ... but the fact is, per tourist, they spend far less than visitors from the EU, Great Briton, Australia, and the USA. And cause a lot more drama doing it. One might think it would be obvious, but what seems to have not been considered in the "quality tourist" conversation is that there is a real barrier to entry for people who have to fly half way around the planet to get here. So, when we see a Western Tourist, we are seeing a person with the time, money, and motivation to get to Thailand and probably is more focused on maximizing the experience, than what it costs. Just the airfare costs more than a Chinese "Dollar Tour" visitor spends in two weeks on the whole vacation! Part Two: Thailand used to be a beautiful country with authentic culture and positive people whose life view was a delight for Westerners to engage with. It has changed, and not in a way younger, health focused, and environmentally aware travelers want to be in. The air quality is awful in BKK, and the North West mountain regions. (Places tourists want to go to) The entire country has become literally covered in litter and garbage. The beaches are crowded and filthy. There are packs of feral dogs barking, biting, and harassing people 24/7. There is non stop news about all kinds of ways tourists end up in the hospital. And last, but certainly not least, and file under "Thailand, You have lost the plot" ... It was the unregulated and FUN culture people LOVED, and is not sanitized and kept in "Food Court" boxes. The endless street food, open markets, and yes, it really WAS "The Land of Smiles" ... not "What have you done for me lately." Thailand should have done itself a favor and instead of a dozen rich Thais GUESSING what tourists came here for, brace yourself ... ASKED tourists what it was they came here for. "Adventure, exotic new places, clean beaches and mountains, and a Bangkok that was really FUN." It is not the exchange rate, it is that the only people who come here now are "locals" (India / China) looking for cheap fun they can't get at home.