robsamui

In fact Thai people will freeze and look blank (and quite often simply walk away) if they are asked to improvise or solve a problem. They cannot project their vision (as they are trained not to have any) or analyze situations (because they've been taught not to question) and are incapable of showing initiative, resourcefulness, compromise or innovation.

Great great observation on such an annoying trait.

What a ridiculous comment. If a Thai goes blank, and I admit that it frequently happens, it is because they don't understand English. I do the same thing when I try to practice Thai and they start jabbering away in Thai. A lot of people go blank when confronted with a test. They do not go blank when approaching a problem that they understand how to solve, they dig in and solve it.

Try giving the average clerk in the US change after the cash registered has calculated the change for them and see it happen. Try asking for something in the west in a nonnative language and see what happens. Humans are the same everywhere. Thai's are no different.

Sorry to shatter your hypothesis, but is readily happens within their native language exclusively. Examples when myself or enlightened Thai friends deal with people. Sometimes they will freeze when a Caucasian speaks their language (only compounding the other issues)

A few days ago at Pantip Plaza I was looking at a Thai language promotional poster below a computer. A salesman saw me and started chucking with his colleague and the two were quite amused until I spoke to them the written words at which point it seemed they entered respiratory arrest.

It is with great sadness indeed that I concur with the above comments.

ps - - - chuckle chuckle - - -

if so, then indeed, "Thai Workers Need to Upgrade Their Skills".

Back on track again!

R

In fact Thai people will freeze and look blank (and quite often simply walk away) if they are asked to improvise or solve a problem. They cannot project their vision (as they are trained not to have any) or analyze situations (because they've been taught not to question) and are incapable of showing initiative, resourcefulness, compromise or innovation.

Great great observation on such an annoying trait.

What a ridiculous comment. If a Thai goes blank, and I admit that it frequently happens, it is because they don't understand English. I do the same thing when I try to practice Thai and they start jabbering away in Thai. A lot of people go blank when confronted with a test. They do not go blank when approaching a problem that they understand how to solve, they dig in and solve it.

Try giving the average clerk in the US change after the cash registered has calculated the change for them and see it happen. Try asking for something in the west in a nonnative language and see what happens. Humans are the same everywhere. Thai's are no different.

Sorry to shatter your hypothesis, but is readily happens within their native language exclusively. Examples when myself or enlightened Thai friends deal with people. Sometimes they will freeze when a Caucasian speaks their language (only compounding the other issues)

A few days ago at Pantip Plaza I was looking at a Thai language promotional poster below a computer. A salesman saw me and started chucking with his colleague and the two were quite amused until I spoke to them the written words at which point it seemed they entered respiratory arrest.

It is with great sadness indeed that I concur with the above comments.

I don't think it's because of the language exclusively, it's what happens when they find themselves in a situation that they don't know how to respond to. This language thing is a side-track - don't get hung up on it. It may or may not be connected with an aspect of the English language. But I've seen exactly the same thing happen with a (cosmopolitan) native Thai man speaking in Thai and complaining at a restaurant. The waitress froze for several seconds, turned and walked away without saying a word and didn't re-appear. Eventually after five or so minutes he went to find the restaurant manager.

Rob

In fact Thai people will freeze and look blank (and quite often simply walk away) if they are asked to improvise or solve a problem. They cannot project their vision (as they are trained not to have any) or analyze situations (because they've been taught not to question) and are incapable of showing initiative, resourcefulness, compromise or innovation.

Great great observation on such an annoying trait.

What a ridiculous comment. If a Thai goes blank, and I admit that it frequently happens, it is because they don't understand English. I do the same thing when I try to practice Thai and they start jabbering away in Thai. A lot of people go blank when confronted with a test. They do not go blank when approaching a problem that they understand how to solve, they dig in and solve it.

Try giving the average clerk in the US change after the cash registered has calculated the change for them and see it happen. Try asking for something in the west in a nonnative language and see what happens. Humans are the same everywhere. Thai's are no different.

I completely disagree.

When they blank and switch off it's because they are in the process of losing face - and that could be for any one of a hundred different reasons. In this context it is because they do not know how to respond to a specific situation because they have not been told how to do so and don't have the initiative to cope with it.

I've frequently seen this happen with hotel staff who can speak good English. They just go and hide somewhere until the problem goes away by itself (ie the farang gets tired of waiting and clears off.) But perhaps this might be the case in some rural areas . . .

The point here is that the Thai people are specifically trained in school NOT so solve problems - speaking English has nothing to do with it.

R

I think the main problem with Thai workers is that from an early age at school they are taught not to ask why just do it. When it comes to problem solving in later life in their jobs most haven't got a clue because they've never had the encouragement to question. eg taken computers many times for repairs and it's always the same answer wipe it clean and re install.

It will take generations for Thai education to develop to the point where children grow up in an atmosphere which stimulates enqury, exploration and discovery. These are the key elements that stimulate a developing and enquiring mind. Their teachers see themselves as an untouchable social elite with a clearly-defined role and will tolerate no form of questioning or discussion. Obedience is the core subject on all curricula (although it is not actually written) Thai children are trained to obey, not educated.

There are no creative activities at all on their curricula. Thailand has no social history of creativity and there is no value placed on imagination From the earliest of ages children have it drummed into them that the teacher is right and they are to respect this and do what they are told. There is no creative writing where students are stimulated to make up and tell their own stories - only rote-learning ancient legends and traditional stories. "Imagination" is seen as undesirable as it clouds the facts.

Thailand has no history of narrative painting, so "Art" on a Thai curriculum devolves around copying temple decoration and patterns that are already hundreds of years old. They'e not allowed to add new bits of their own; if they do it's seen as almost sacrilege and they are punished. And there are no eye-hand skills developed here - it's all done from tracings and rubbings.

It's the same with dance. There is no concept of self-expression or personal development via this medium, merely repetitive training and constant rehearsal with the aim being a perfect copy of a traditional dance that everyone recognises and respects. And music is the same - it's all rote learning and singing all the ancient cultural songs from hundreds of years ago.

From birth the Thai children are being deliberately moulded to be passive and unquestioning and to accept what they have been led to believe.

The result is that they become a passive workforce, able to be trained to repeat unthinking motions on an assembly line basis but completely lacking in imagination or initiative. In fact Thai people will freeze and look blank (and quite often simply walk away) if they are asked to improvise or solve a problem. They cannot project their vision (as they are trained not to have any) or analyse situations (because they've been taught not to question) and are incapable of showing initiative, resoursefulness, compromise or innovation.

Day to day example:

A successful restaurant gets busy at 9 o' clock when punters arrive for the show. The owner has carefully trained the two nongs making cocktails and they are now are expert and can make the entire list fast and effectively. Unfortunately, by 9 'o clock, most of the cocktail glasses are already lying used and unwashed in the sink. So, unthinkingly, the owner says to the cocktail boys, "I need the sink cleared and all the glasses washed and ready for the 9 'o clock rush. And for the next three days nothing happens, the sink is full of dirty glasses leaving not enough glasses for the cocktail crowd.

So he has another go . . ."I don't care which one of you does it and I don't care what time you do it, but one of you dam_n-well wash the glasses some time before nine'o clock each night or I'll stop the loss out of your wages!" And still nothing happens - the glasses stay dirty in the sink. It is stubborn passive resentment? Is it because they've been scolded and lost face?

He's getting angry and then his Thai wife explains something to him. He hasn't told one of them to do the washing up, he's just said "one of you" - which one? And he has said "sometime before 9 o'clock" - which one of them - he didn't say. And at what time? What does 'sometime' mean, it could be anything. The boys are blankly programmed into a "doesn't compute" state which results in system shutdown, there's nothing in their training that takes a response to these instructions into account - and so when in doubt do absolutely nothing.

So the next night he says 'Sumroj, I want to to wash up all the glasses that are in the sink at exactly 8.30, dry them and put them on the rack. And Yod, At exactly 8.30 I want you to polish all the glasses on the shelf and prepare and chop all the fruit for the cocktail rush. Sumroj, at exactly 9.30 I want you to check the sink and clean the glasses again and then when that is finished continue making cocktails with Yod.

And he never had another problem again.

And this is very probably the same reason that research chemists in Thai Unis just sit around waiting to be told what to do. Or the fact that on the sides of Thai highways you can see 20 or 30 stalls side by side, every single one of them all selling oranges. ot there are a million beach sellers all selling maps to show you where you know you already are - instead of things that are actually needed like sunhats or sun oils: they can't imagine what a farang might want so they sell the things that they see everybody else selling.

But whom of the Thai elite would want a questioning workforce with intelligence and imagination, good language skills, with a logical mind to counter arguments and able to solve problems and improvise in new situations?

Now that WOULD be scary!

R

I'd be interested to hear the responses to this - I read somewhere that without a grounding system a UPS won't be effective. I just don't understand enough about it to be able to say . . .

I've never been able to understand why Thai wiring doesn't include the necessary 'earth' wire too. Every time I touch my desktop computer I get a tingle so it's obviously live. (Maybe their joyous sense of sanook keeps them constantly entertained by the fun of wondering when and where the next exciting jolt will be coming from . . .)

Any truth about needing to use a UPS with a grounding line?

R

One down ...... well maybe.

Anyone have any rough idea how many operate here? One I am familiar with, keeps asking me "do you speak English?" and I am ABSOLUTEly certain I know who they are.

"only when convenient" + a good head fake gets them every time

Fake 'em with the but - head.

R

One down ...... well maybe.

Anyone have any rough idea how many operate here? One I am familiar with, keeps asking me "do you speak English?" and I am ABSOLUTEly certain I know who they are.

well its not them guys seen them working 20 mins ago,marriotts still outside macd,s the only other i know is anaterra who work at the airport.

is there any others

the booth's where being taken away today, not to sure when Mcd's site will shut, but no salesman there now.... shame really , they where the more ' better ' companies....

very good news. though the Mariot time shares are not ntoo bad. they do not chase people down the road the road tricky people. they have a sign saying time shares and they have some good deals.

i just don't like the poeple thsat trick people into thinking they have one something and end up either being conned or having a huge chunck of their holiday wasted

Hey! Someone here said you were closing down. Glad to see not!

R

Very few people here are actually angry about timeshare per se. They are irritated and offended by the moronic grinning grungy kids that all giggle inanely in the background while one of their retarded number tries to be chummy and swaggery and swankey in his disguise as a derelict teenage beachbum. The last time I was hassled by one of these retards he kept referring to "Peninsular" and "Central" without even knowing that the names had been changed to Q Signature and Centara Grand.The dummy couldn't even get the names of the resorts right - he was probably working from an old set of training primers. These are the itinerant low-lifes who are passing through in everybody's face and working illegally and who totally piss everyone off. Without these excremental individuals the Beach Road would be a pleasant place, with only the TAXI TAXI toot toot parade to distract us from our musings . . . and the Thai boxing vans. And the Black Moon Party vans ... and the ice bar vans . .

R

Another reference to working illegally.....baa...selective hearing/reading again........bleat.....baa....all staff have valid work permits!!!!!bleat!!!!!!!...

Timeshare staff arrested over work permits

Five of the seven timeshare company staff caught without work permits yesterday.

PATONG: Shockwaves ran through the Patong end of Phuket's timeshare industry yesterday after six men and two women were arrested following complaints from tourists.

Seven of the eight face expulsion from the country for working without work permits. The eighth is Thai.

Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi said yesterday that the seven foreigners did not have work permits. They were named as Britons Robert Stedman, 50; Steven Peter Coster, 26; Kevin Michael Moss, 40; David Lee Homes, 26; and Denise Marie Mulvaney, 37; Maggi Antonio, 26, an Italian; and Alice Ruth Ne Arif, 30, an Indonesian.

The eighth person, Thanit Tantiwit, 35, owner of the business, was also arrested and fined 50,000 baht for assisting the illegal immigration of the seven to Thailand.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-06-02

Another reference to working illegally....selective hearing/reading again.................all staff have valid work permits!!!!!!!!!!!!...

PHUKET GAZETTE:

ATONG: Shockwaves ran through the Patong end of Phuket’s timeshare industry yesterday after six men and two women were arrested following complaints from tourists.

Seven of the eight face expulsion from the country for working without work permits. The eighth is Thai.

Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi said yesterday that the seven foreigners did not have work permits. They were named as Britons Robert Stedman, 50; Steven Peter Coster, 26; Kevin Michael Moss, 40; David Lee Homes, 26; and Denise Marie Mulvaney, 37; Maggi Antonio, 26, an Italian; and Alice Ruth Ne Arif, 30, an Indonesian.

The eighth person, Thanit Tantiwit, 35, owner of the business, was also arrested and fined 50,000 baht for assisting the illegal immigration of the seven to Thailand.

Pol Col Apirak Hongthong, Superintendent of Phuket Provincial Immigration Office, said officers went to the fifth floor of Patong Tower following complaints and took the seven foreigners to Kathu Police Station in Patong, where they were charged with working without work permits.

“We have fined them 5,000 baht each and they will soon be deported,” Col Apirak said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It really is a sore topic with some, can see the amount of posts already.......in reality, anyone with a business should embrace timeshare, it brings repeat customers to the island...also if you have a good business the staff will recommend to the customers your business, whereas if you go peeing them off they wont..........ask the Thais what they think, many are very happy with the work and business it brings to the island........

Embrace me!

Repeat me!

Recommend me!

Ask the Thais what they think about timeshare . . . . . . : :unsure:ask the thais who work for these outfits and make 3x thai wage

Ask the Thais what they think about the kids with piercings who are not 'working' here and who are not 'employed' pushing timeshare same as all the sextourists they dont care

Ask the Thais exactly what timeshare has ever done for them :huh:billions in thai baht to thai landowners

As the Thais - 'What is timeshare?' :huh:whats the capital of brazil they dont care

Lets go ask some Thais!

R

rob ritz calton have one in krabi,marriotts have about 5 and building more,they also gave over a million usd in aid when clinton and bush stayed at marriotts timeshare resort in phucket after the bigwave hit,westins have a 6 resorts you can stay in thailand banyan tree cost 150,000 usd to join have 2 in thailand ,hilton have timeshare,rainmanland are getting in on the game also ,alot of multi national companies are building in thailand,using thai builders,staff to work in all these resorts,getting suppies food produce,multi services ie telephones,internet, carpets lien and thousands of tourists who spend millions of baht.

ever watch the life of brian,what the romans ever do for us.lol we dont like the kids on the streets but timeshare has brought billions of baht in to thailand and will in the future,im a member of westins holiday club and worth every penny,i got it free not on a scratch card

Well done! I'm sorry about your scratch card - but to make up for it you have been nominated for the "one-hundred-and-fifty-three-word-sentence" award No mean feat. I know how hard it is to go that long without one capital letter. (It's the little up-pointing arrow on the Left side of the keyboard that makes them big or little ...)

Read my posts.

Timeshare is fine. You're squittering against the wrong tree.

Very few people here are actually angry about timeshare per se. They are irritated and offended by the moronic grinning grungy kids that all giggle inanely in the background while one of their retarded number tries to be chummy and swaggery and swankey in his disguise as a derelict teenage beachbum. The last time I was hassled by one of these retards he kept referring to "Peninsular" and "Central" without even knowing that the names had been changed to Q Signature and Centara Grand.The dummy couldn't even get the names of the resorts right - he was probably working from an old set of training primers. These are the itinerant low-lifes who are passing through in everybody's face and working illegally and who totally piss everyone off. Without these excremental individuals the Beach Road would be a pleasant place, with only the TAXI TAXI toot toot parade to distract us from our musings . . . and the Thai boxing vans. And the Black Moon Party vans ... and the ice bar vans . .

R

In my day the OPCs wore polo shirts and nice shorts, looked quite respectable and really did recommend a lot of the local business, like restaurants, bike rentals and different trips so it was a win all round..............if the grungies have taken over thats a sad state to get in.............the reason timeshare is popular in Thailand is its a fraction of the cost of Europe. US etc........I know and still keep in contact with people that are still very happy after 5 years or more, especially skiers that can vacate at places like the Whistler and a week costs them the same as staying one day....bad publicity from years ago in Tenerife and the Costas has marred the image and its very hard to shake off, watching Panorama in 1979 dosnt mean uthe same is happening now 30 years later.........The product is good value for many customers but I think its the OPCs resiedents have the problem with......... a good OPC earns decent money and wouldnt pitch people just walking into a shop, they would wait for them to come out....bad OPCs wont last and will be sacked...its not going to go away, if anything it will become more popular as numrous new companies are operating.....as for marketing any other way, the scratch cards work!!!...so advertising in the Samui Gazzette or similar just wouldnt work......

Sounds like you're out of touch with what's happening on Samui.

Yawn.

R

Can I just ask one question. There is a mention of staff having work permits, fine as many might fall under let's say the " Hotel" umbrella, as in the ones I am aware of are marketed by such entities.

Now aren't the people working on the street commission based? Are they classified as staff? If so are they paying their taxes & the HOTEL/ ORGANISATION supplying the authorities all the relevant paper work?

Just curious.

It's yes and it's a no!

No - they are not on paper or documents anywhere therefore they are not employed or working.

Yes, they are working as far as Integrations are concerned - as defined by their (Immigration's) past actions.

If the boys in Lipa Noi wanted, they could wipe all the louts off the street tomorrow. But they couldn't touch the employers so easily - as the kids aren't actually employed . . . maybe . . .

(Tho I must say that's a logical deduction, rather than a citeable statement of fact.)

R

It really is a sore topic with some, can see the amount of posts already.......in reality, anyone with a business should embrace timeshare, it brings repeat customers to the island...also if you have a good business the staff will recommend to the customers your business, whereas if you go peeing them off they wont..........ask the Thais what they think, many are very happy with the work and business it brings to the island........

Embrace me!

Repeat me!

Recommend me!

Ask the Thais what they think about timeshare . . . . . . :

Ask the Thais what they think about the kids with piercings who are not 'working' here and who are not 'employed' pushing timeshare

Ask the Thais exactly what timeshare has ever done for them

As the Thais - 'What is timeshare?'

Lets go ask some Thais!

R

ESB7 V The Rest

First set The Rest

Worfle worfle snork snutter.

Nice one Roo!

Or go down this path . . .

http://www.timesharetrap.com/escaping-the-timeshare-trap-ebook.html

R

QUOTE:

As i've already said i've no beef with time share as such. In principle its a good concept. The problem lies with so many of the individuals within the industry itself

Its just that from what i've seen its a concept sold very poorly, by companies run totally unprofessionally. To back this up i only have to look back to certain "inaccuracies from your posts on this thread.

inaccuracies???????????????

Brit schoolkids with Thai wives and families doesn't sound very accurate - shall I go on . . . ?

R

Timeshare has been on Samui for at least 10 years and is still going strong.........................how many thousands of foreign owned business of all shapes/colours/sizes have come and gone in that same period of time............supply and demand determines a business success, so it must be something the tourists want

And, indeed, I dare say millions of people the world over have happily invested in timeshare and are pleased with what they get. That's entirely beside the point. (It's a measure of your own attitude that you constantly evade the issue and keep skipping sideways with your arguments - a little touch of humility or apology might score you some points . . .)

The point is that:

1) Everybody (except for you) detests these moronic and cocky young kids hassling people on the street. This is what gives "timeshare" the bad rep. You can skwark your protests as much as you like but continually defending them makes you look foolish.

2) They are being employed illegally.

3) They are working illegally.

Timeshare companies in first-world nations have now abandoned this unpleasant approach to selling timeshare because they know it doesn't work. People being approached know what it's all about and are repelled by it. I can only assume that the timeshare companies on Samui are working on the assumption that Thailand is an emerging nation and thus is filled with people who are too stupid to know better.

Shame on you!

R

Must be time for the periodic timeshare bashing brigade to get on their high horses..................bring it on

Sorry to disappoint you but i really don't have a problem with timeshare as such. Its your choice to take it or leave it. What i do loathe is the pathetic sales pitch of Brit gap year students calling me mate and asking me if i'm enjoying my holiday like they really give a toss, before they blatently lie to me about what they are selling.

However, i think many "legal" expat workers here have a problem with them working here "illegally" without "work permits" when most other people have to go through the correct procedures, which ofcourse costs money aswell for a "work permit" to work here "legally." Many also feel these people make life harder for those who take the time to abide by the law. Most i've met could'nt sell water to a dying man in the Gobi desert but thats another matter altogether.

Hows that for starters?

I suppose you also either work or have very close friends/relatives that work at the labour office and can confirm they do not have work permits......sorry to dissapoint you but all OPCs and Reps are issued with valid work pernits so they are in fact working legally..as for gap year students, that isnt exactly correct, think you will find most are long term residents with Thai connectins...wife/children

OPCs? REPs? These must be the people that sit in the offices, whilst the dozens of grinning youths without work permits, dressed like beach bums, hassle people on the street?

Got it!

Come on!

With the company laws re capitalisation/proportion of Thai employees, there is no possible way these street-workers are legally employed. None of them are here for long enough to make any money, never mind the hassles of getting a non-tourist visa and WP. And how many slobby Brit kids have Thai wives and children!

I remember a few years ago one of the major international hotel chains in BKK was fined a half a million baht or so (the employer - not the illegal workers) because they had a management exchange scheme between their BKK and London hotels. None of the Londoners coming to Thailand for the 3 month exchange had Work Permits.

If anyone from Immigration is reading this - how about making some tea money and doing us all a favour at the same time? Don't bother with the kids on the streets - hit their timeshare employers!

R

Why do you need pics ? Do you also need a diagram on how to eat?

Just go & try , simple as that. Do you ask for pics for another sponsors buffet?

By reading the posts, yes, people need more information, whether the OP is a sponsor or not! Particularly in view of what seems to be a similar and "unbeatable deal" nearby and at a reported 420 baht with enough on the plate for four people.

But, then, it's entirely up to the OP how keen he is to promote his business. Something like . . . "Great ribs here!" won't exactly win prizes for the advertising campaign of the year . . .

R

Thai market tattoo shops reuse needles without sterilization whereas any good studio opens a new sterile needle in front of you! I have Buddhist tattoos all very carefully thought out and made in the UK. We know this is more rubbish by bureaucrats who have to justify their existence, however, they have no clue as to just how classless tattoos have become in the west or how much they are part of modern popular culture.

Your observations show little awareness of this country ...

This is the impermeable Kingdom of Thailand. Why should anyone in this country

a) even begin to grasp the concept of "classless", and

b)have any interest in or awareness whatsoever of "modern Western popular culture"?

R

Just about every Thai guy in our village has some 'lucky' religious tattoo somewhere on his body. Alot of them done at the local wat. I wonder if the proposed law banning religious images on the body is intended for both farang and Thais?

You obviously didn't bother reading the story.

R

I don't see what happened to my posted? it seems to have been off topic or misplaced.

Where is his bike? Did anybody account for it? Is it missing? He went out for a tatoo I assume he didn't walk. Can you leave the Island with it and not have been video taped by a security cam - I assume it is on the Island or took a ferry ride. Maybe it is at home but didn't recall mention of it. I assume it is not a wave 110.

Security cam?

What security cam!

The warnings go out here to farangs staying long term in Thailand, which is; Do not become involved!

Avoid business ventures within the sex industry, such as bars and massage parlours.

Watch your backs those successful owners in the restaurant businesses, as there are those that want to be more successful than you and gain a main foothold into your territory, it has become cutthroat.

Consider carefully when financing land and real estate, many have died in land disputes.

Try not to become romantically involved with Thai women from the underclass's or other such Thais.

Stay safe and use common sense when living here in Thailand, if you value your well being and life that is.

In other words, don`t dive in the pool if you think it`s too deep.

Are you for real or do you think you are something better or by any chance a racist???

Try not to become romantically involved with Thai women from the underclass's or other such Thais.

If you are to scared to live here why you not just go home??

That s the most hilarious Bullshit I ever read.

And guess what there are loads of Foreign people for example in Bangkok who are involved in the Sex Industry.

But of Course you need muscles and or be well connected.

But certainly you need to have this assets as well in any other Country if you want to get involved in that Industry

Got it???

Good post mate,is he honestly giving advise,because thats some bullshit khun Beetlejuice.U obviously are an expert in this area,i think not.Forgot to say,wash your mouth out racist human

Please don't forget that this is a country that is built around a class system and it is an active and daily part of the social system. This is Thailand. An emerging nation. It is unwise to project your assumptions onto the way of life here and a measure of your ignorance that you do so with such anger.

R

One assumes you mean vinyl lettering, to peel & stick on?

There are two or three shops between Maenam and Chawang that do that.... but I cannot give exact locations, one if I remember is after Tesco Chawang, same side, I think near the first set of traffic lights heading toward Lamai...

No idea of costs....

Glad you made the distinction - I was just about to offer advice where the guy could have 15 copies made of the letter he had written . . .

Samui Aksorn will do this - (stick on lettering) - but you best check with them first to see what format of file they like to work with.

R

It's impossible to even try to find out how many tourists arrive on Samui each week! And how much simpler could that be!

Simple fact - there's no way with the way the current administration works to even make a guess which might be accurate. There is no available information at all. None.

This is an emerging nation after all. It would be far toooo much to expect for someone in immigration to add all the numbers of all the different visa-holders (even with a calculator) and then try to factor-in the ones who take breaks here for 6 months a year on a tourist visa and keep houses and cars full-time. Plus all the ones that are living and working without WPs for the majority of each year. Nightmare.

And ask them again 3 months later and the chances are you'd get a totally different number, depending on what nong got lumbered with the calculator this time round.

Somewhere between a 1,000 and 8,000? And that's as accurate as you're going to get - in my lifetime anyway. It's anybody's guess!

Move on dude, move on.

R

i think they base the offical numbers through BKK air , as easy to calculate.... but this fails to add everyone who arrive on the ferry, via x amount of ports

but as you said impossible to calcualte the exact amount

PS remember a few months ago we all had to fill in a censor which is done every 10 years ... no one will be able to avoid it ?? ... well i was never asked, and i have not met one expat who filled one in !!!!!!!!

But as has been pointed out people flying in include Thai nationals and business people also, and makes no allowance for people arriving on the ferry - many of whom are now set for KPG abd Koh Tao instead of Samui.

It would be extremely easy to actually work out the precise numbers of holiday-makers here - simply check all passports on the planes and ferries. But even that wouldn't take into account the increasing number of Thais taking a break here.

And all immigration needs to do to get an official figure is to actually tally how many farangs are here with tourist and also with non B visas or on retirement/resident. But why would they ever want to bother doing that!!

R

What census (censor)? I haven't met anyone who filled this in!!

R