spidermike007

40,000 new cases in one day. And 46,000 according to worldometer. Those are mind boggling numbers. Americans generally have little in the way of self discipline. And there is a multitude of things that can be done to strengthen the immune system and prevent the contagion, and few of the talking heads are getting anywhere near that topic. Nobody is talking about prevention, through diet, and avoiding processed foods, sugar, fast food or other things that weaken the body.

Why are Americans getting infected at such high rates and why does the nation have a fatality rate of over 5%? Americans are by and large very unhealthy people. Many gorge on fast food, fried food and incredibly toxic diets. Combine that with pre existing diabetes, heart disease, morbid obesity, horrendous leadership, and the lack of self discipline (I do not want to wear a mask, and nobody can make me do it!) and many other factors, and you have a perfect storm that we are now witnessing. 

This second economic shutdown is going to be devastating for the US economy, and could very well trigger a great depression. 

What some of these rather narrow minded people DO NOT seem to understand is the multitude of things that can be done to strengthen the immune system and prevent the contagion. Nobody is talking about prevention, through diet, and avoiding processed foods, sugar, fast food or other things that weaken the body.

Why are Americans getting infected at such high rates and why does the nation have a morbidity rate of over 5%? Americans are by and large very unhealthy people. Many gorge on fast food, fried food and incredibly toxic diets. Combine that with pre existing daibetes, heart disease, morbid obesity and many other factors, and you have a perfect storm that we are now witnessing. 

5 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Would be fine if Facebook believed in a level playing field and freedom of opinion. But we all know that they are only interested in handicapping the Republican campaign. As is the most of the media and other social media giants.

A completely ridiculous reply, totally devoid of merit or basis. If anything FB has been looking the other way thus whole time while countless Russian groups did exactly what you are accusing them of to the Clinton campaign. Now, your guy is taking some heat, and you just cannot handle it? Face it. He is looking at the most humiliating defeat of his crooked career. Facebook is simply waking up, and only due to potential loss of revenue. You have only Trump to blame for all of this. 

1 hour ago, Curt1591 said:

 

 Real insight! And, as far as your guesses are concerned, I guess the bags they were taking out were empty.  

What experience do you actually have with Chinese and their spending habits? From what are you basing these insights? My guess is that these are all guesses on your part.

You can't judge their wealth simply by their appearance.

I have handful of life-long friends, friends I have hung with since the 60's. However, the vast majority of the friends I have made, over the last 3 or 4 decades, have been Asians, mostly of Chinese descent. 

As far as shopping goes, Chinese, in general, love to shop. And, from my experience - watching them, shopping with them, and shopping for them - they have no problem spending plenty of money, often over the top.

And, when in groups, it's often seems like the one who spends they most wins! 

 
 

 

 










 

No argument from me on that. My contention is that they are descriminatimg shoppers. I have dealt with wealthy Chinese. They are smart and savvy. And not likely to buy a Prada bag here for 335,000 baht that they can buy elsewhere for $3,900? Not the Chinese I know anyway! 

36 minutes ago, Curt1591 said:

The business that my mother-in-law managed depended so much on Chinese tourism business that, after 2 months of shut down, it was boarded up forever. She had worked there for over 30 years.

If one visited ICONSIAM before the shutdown, one could watch Chinese tourists handing over fists full of baht at places like GUCCI, LV, and the like. We watched one Chinese guy buy over 40,000 baht worth of Godiva chocolate. 

These represent 0.0001% of the Chinese tourists who visit Thaland. As stated there are a dozen good reasons the fat cats do not visit Thailand. My guess is that they were visiting Gucci, to have a laugh at the out of control prices!

In January, prior to Covid, international tourism was down dramatically here. These problems did not start with Covid. Though it is an easy scapegoat now, it is only a part of the reason for the decline in tourism. Some of the following was written prior to Covid. But, it relates just the same, as they will have these same issues down the road again.

This is a situation where nobody is attempting to get to the root of the problem. Of course, in Thai society, it is not particularly popular to look within for the source of the problem. I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more. Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

So, what happened? The Western tourists started to decline in number, and the genius minds at the TAT decided it was time to "lure" the Chinese. They came. They came in droves. But, they did not spend much money. Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, jewelers, galleries, spas, massage shops, bars, and countless other businesses suffered, and will continue to suffer from this extreme myopia, on the part of the officials in charge of tourism. Oh well. Can't say they were not warned. Zero baht tourists are perhaps the majority who visit Thailand now. Sure, they spend some money in restaurants, and in 7/11. But, that is about it, for some of the super low budget Chinese tours. Not many rich Chinese are not visiting Thailand, for a dozen good reasons. They have too many other options.

There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. Granted, they will need to get beyond the Covid phase, but this is the perfect time to be laying the groundwork. The problem with that, is it requires an admission that you are doing things wrong to begin with, and some vision. None of which is going to happen.

The very first thing would be to repeal the anti farang wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry, that produces an highly inferior product. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 360%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. Then they could lower the luxury taxes. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. 

They will continue to get more Indian and Chinese tourists. But, it will be lower income, and lower middle income tourists. Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists anymore. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and go for quality over quantity. 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but we have not forgotten what was done and said. What we have forgotten is the nation named Thailand. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. 

I was recently with a group of friends, and we wanted to order a bottle of wine, at of one of those high end restaurants in the EmQuartier complex. It was Bella Rocca Restaurant. I asked about a 2011 Chianti they had on the list. I was told they were out of stock. I asked about a Barbaresco, at 2,600 baht. Again, out of stock. How about this Nebbiolo? Do you have the 2010, as stated on the list? No, we only have the 2015. OK, what is that wine like? Is it drinking well now? I do not know. Is there anyone here that is familiar with this wine list? No. Sorry sir. Wait a minute. You have hundreds of bottles on this list, ranging from 1200 baht to 10,000 baht per bottle, and NOBODY who works here knows anything about the wine? Are you serious? We all just looked at each other, and got up and walked out. We realized the restaurant was a pretender. And more than likely the food was marginal at best. It was all dressed up to look like a very nice Italian restaurant. But, it appeared to be only window dressing. High end tourists have little patience for that lack of quality and lack of service. 

But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. The entire country is suffering from a declining tourism industry. And that will not change. It is a permanent declining trend. For a hundred valid reasons. 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. There are many aspects of life here, that I truly enjoy. I am sure many feel the same way. Just wish the country was not moving backwards, (and was instead moving forward under the leadership of progressive minds) due to a system of meritocracy, and a complete lack of forward looking vision. A nice dream indeed.

Moving the country forward? I think not. More like "Moving Thailand backwards at an alarming pace".

10 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

(If you don't like it, go home) now considered a racist statement in most countries.

I think you were joking or being facetious. Right? But, nearly every time I see someone complaining, or observing a shortfall about the policies here, or the culture, some guy who has not taken the time to think things through, nor to devote any time, study, or focus on the issue at hand, says something like "Perhaps Thailand is not for you", or "maybe you should leave", or "it's not fair", or the top prize, "if you do not like it here, go back to your own country", or "if you don't like it go home".

Why? Because I have some issues with the place, I am not entitled to complain, or voice my opinions? Half of the posts on this forum are complaints. What is wrong with that? Don't we need someplace to vent? Why the sensitivity? Why such thin skin? Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful thing to be blessed with, it is not something most of us enjoy. The fact that I complain does not mean I do not love Thailand, my lifestyle, and most of the Thai people. I have a good life here. But, I do have some issues with the place, as most do, and I do not like the government, and there are some things I would like to see improved. Do you not see any room for improvement? I should leave because I complain? 

And as far as the racist statement goes, who cares about PC? I sure do not. I am not in any way racist, but thin skin is so unappealing. People are offended by anything, these days, and it means little to nothing to me. 

It is quite obvious this has NOTHING to do with Covid, the well being of the Thai people, and the future of the nation. This is all about the increasing consolidation of power, by a group of very, very small men, with control over vast fortunes of wealth, and untold income.

These guys are lost souls, and they are misguided, ignorant and non visionary men who leading their nation into the abyss. 

Trump deserves condemnation as often as it can be dished out. At this stage, he is getting an exceptionally low number of decisions, statements, policies, and guesses right. And he has come up with absolutely zero on 42 months, to replace Obamacare with. I am not fond of Obamacare. It has driven up costs dramatically. But, if you are going to open you big mouth and criticize your opponent on health care, when you promised you would find something better, then did nothing, it sounds a bit inane and toothless. 

Trump is faltering in a way I never thought I would see happen. He looks weak, feeble, feckless, anemic, and rather lackluster. He is going to lose badly. He is going to be humiliated in a way he never has before. I cannot wait to see that happens. The planet waits with baited breath. 

Trump still thinks that this tough law and order talk works. It does not. Most know he is anything but tough. And it is simply political rhetoric, meant to fire up his base. But, since his base is shrinking, it simply makes him look tone deaf, ineffective and out of touch. He is a relic. 

Good on Twitter for restricting the hateful nonsense. This election is going to be fun. Watching Trump lose by 8-10 million votes and then unceremoniously ushered out of DC, in a humiliating fashion, while whining and crying the whole time, and complaining about a rigged election, will bring joy to many. And he will return to an empire in tatters, with a radioactive name nobody will want to touch. He has rightfully earned all of that. 

4 hours ago, robblok said:

I was talking about corvid rules. Because if one part is not following them all get infected. So it makes no sense to follow any of them. 

 

As for driving without a helmet I dont mind people doing it as long as the guys in the cars that hit (and kill) them don't have to pay out if is proven its caused by not wearing an helmet. Let them kill themselves. I wear an helmet not for the police but for my safety. 

You are basing your presumption on a nation that has alot of infected people like the US, the UK, etc. Just not the case here. The 22 rules are a huge over reaction by men who know very little and were not hired  based on merit. 

My guess is that some small bars will reopen. Most will just take a huge hit. And the longer a place is closed, the harder it is to reopen.

We will be seeing massive vacancy and unemployment for quite some time to come here. 

More inane nonsense. What sacrifices are you prepared to make, to attract wealthy tourists?

Way too late for that. About 15 years too late. Earth to Pipat. What planet are you living on? Are you aware of why wealthy tourists AVOID Thailand? Here are just a few things you could do, or suggest, if you were a serious man.

1. Get rid of Anutin and submit your own resignation. You are two of the least competent ministers in this hapless administration. You and A need to be replaced with talented people who have real experience in their fields and creative minds. Less xenophobia helps too.

2. Lower luxury taxes to 20%. This would help Thailand to attract some wealthy tourists again. Most wealthy people love to spend real money while on vacation. Contrary to what you think, wealthy foreigners are NOT dumb. They do not enjoy paying for stunningly over priced items, and will wait for their next trip to London, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, Nassau, or Dubai to buy a handbag at what it should cost, rather than what you think foolish people will pay. It is a sacrifice. It would demonstrate you guys are serious, and not just jabbering as usual. 

3. Improve traffic safety. 

4. Improve immigration service.

5. Get rid of the toxic army. 

6. Address corruption. 

7. Pay attention to air quality. 

8. Stop treating tourists like dogs. This applies to the govt., not the people. 

That is just a start. I could go on for days. Do not expect the wealthy tourists to return. They come here once, if they come at all. And they do not return for a dozen good reasons like the lack of top quality service, expertise, shopping, English skills, sommelier service, fairly priced world class wine, high standard F & B, high speed transportation options, and on and on and on. 

I could see why these hoteliers are annoyed with these fools. They do NOT have a plan!

A sheer power grab. These guys cannot get enough control. 

This incompetent should have been worried alot earlier when the army sponsored that boxing event at Lumpini. Was the officer in charge ever brought to trial? Was Prayuth dismissed? Of course not. They are all above the law. Only us plebs are not, and we are subject to their bizarre decisions.