PM Prayut happy with zero-dollar tour suppression

[webfact]

PM Prayut happy with zero-dollar tour suppression

 

BANGKOK, 9th October 2017 (NNT) - Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha has voiced his satisfaction with the success of the campaign against zero-dollar tour operators. 

Government Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd has disclosed that the concerted efforts by all agencies involved had resulted in the prosecution of 29 establishments with links to zero-dollar tours, on charges of violating the Tourism Business and Tourist Guide Act B.E. 2551 (2008) and the Trade Competition Act. B.E. 2542 (1999). 

Maj. Gen. Sansern said the prime minister had asked the officials in charge to perform their duties even-handedly based on the evidence, while ensuring benefit to the country as the ultimate goal. Aside from the suppression of zero-dollar tours, the government is ready to look into complaints from Chinese tourists about unfair treatment such as forced purchase of substandard or unreasonably expensive products and rejected tax refunds. 

Maj. Gen. Sansern revealed today that China National Tourist Office (CNTO) had used the country’s campaign against zero-dollar tours as a model for other countries. CNTO also cooperates with the country in the assessment of tour companies in China. 

The government spokesperson added that Thailand was ranked after the US and Spain in terms of international tourism receipts between 2015 and 2016, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The rankings came after the disruption of zero-dollar tours.

 

-- nnt 2017-10-09

[Lupatria]

Interesting after he returned from his zero-dollar tour in the US

[farang62]

Now tourists are basically locked up , controlled, tours arranged, meals provided, transport provided. All of this is effecting the local shops and businesses, because they don't get any business out of these millions of tourists who come to Thailand. Only the big hotels, tour companies get the money.

here on Samui we have a lot of tour groups we see in vehicles all full of tourists, but none stop and spend money locally, none are sent to shop in Natorn for example, a few hours shopping and some lunch. not happening. Who is suffering, getting no benefits from this tourist boom, the local merchants who have been left out. I see shops close every day because we don't have any of the "locked away tourists" here on our side of Samui. Even the touts have been disappearing from the pier area and very few taxis now.

How are we going to support our local economy and businesses?

 

 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

success of the campaign against zero-dollar tour operators

But will Prayut take financial responsibility from the malfeasance complaint against Bangkok police brought by bus operator OA Transport who had been acquitted in appeals for a zero-dollar tours case?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30327950

As no doubt a defamation lawsuit will also follow, I expect the complaint will ask for billions of baht as compensation.

 

[Kieran00001]

21 minutes ago, farang62 said:

Now tourists are basically locked up , controlled, tours arranged, meals provided, transport provided. All of this is effecting the local shops and businesses, because they don't get any business out of these millions of tourists who come to Thailand. Only the big hotels, tour companies get the money.

here on Samui we have a lot of tour groups we see in vehicles all full of tourists, but none stop and spend money locally, none are sent to shop in Natorn for example, a few hours shopping and some lunch. not happening. Who is suffering, getting no benefits from this tourist boom, the local merchants who have been left out. I see shops close every day because we don't have any of the "locked away tourists" here on our side of Samui. Even the touts have been disappearing from the pier area and very few taxis now.

How are we going to support our local economy and businesses?

 

 

 

A few hours shopping in Natorn?  What sort of tour would that be?  I expect they take them somewhere nicer.

[newnative]

Hate to be a broken record but there is no such thing as a zero dollar tourist.  There are tourists who come in a group with a packaged tour and there are tourists who come on their own.  They ALL spend money and the economy benefits from both the individual tourist and the group tourists.  Tourists in a group tour might spend less than an individual tourist and possibly at less varied places but they still spend.

[Epidemiologist Dave]

7 minutes ago, newnative said:

Hate to be a broken record but there is no such thing as a zero dollar tourist.  There are tourists who come in a group with a packaged tour and there are tourists who come on their own.  They ALL spend money and the economy benefits from both the individual tourist and the group tourists.  Tourists in a group tour might spend less than an individual tourist and possibly at less varied places but they still spend.

You missed the point. Yes they spend but the money goes into the pockets of the Chinese 'owned' Thai family companies not the local Thai SME's.

[newnative]

2 hours ago, DavetheGreek said:

You missed the point. Yes they spend but the money goes into the pockets of the Chinese 'owned' Thai family companies not the local Thai SME's.

     No, I didn't miss the point.  Yes, some of the money might go to Chinese-owned companies but not all of it.  I assume the tourists are not sleeping on the beach so just start with the hotels they stay in while they are in Thailand and expand out from there.  A maid is employed to clean the room, front desk staff are needed to check them in, laundry staff to clean the linens.  Possibly a pool cleaner and security staff.  That's just the hotel and we're not even talking about all the stuff a hotel buys--from linens to toiletries, to food items, to replacement furniture.  

      Take a look at Pattaya Bay some morning.  The hundreds of parasailors out on the bay are not old, fat farang tourists.  Many of them are Chinese from tour groups and they are out there even when its raining.  Keeping all those boat workers employed, rain or shine.  Gotta keep to the tour schedule.  Then there are all the restaurant workers,  and all the bus drivers, and all the workers at all the amusement/tourist places they are taken to, etc., etc.  Do I need to go on?  Do I really need to explain that when the boat drivers get paid, and all these other workers get paid, they, in turn, can go out and buy things from shopkeepers?    This isn't brain surgery. 

[PAIBKK]

High quality tourists...

[sjaak327]

9 hours ago, newnative said:

     No, I didn't miss the point.  Yes, some of the money might go to Chinese-owned companies but not all of it.  I assume the tourists are not sleeping on the beach so just start with the hotels they stay in while they are in Thailand and expand out from there.  A maid is employed to clean the room, front desk staff are needed to check them in, laundry staff to clean the linens.  Possibly a pool cleaner and security staff.  That's just the hotel and we're not even talking about all the stuff a hotel buys--from linens to toiletries, to food items, to replacement furniture.  

      Take a look at Pattaya Bay some morning.  The hundreds of parasailors out on the bay are not old, fat farang tourists.  Many of them are Chinese from tour groups and they are out there even when its raining.  Keeping all those boat workers employed, rain or shine.  Gotta keep to the tour schedule.  Then there are all the restaurant workers,  and all the bus drivers, and all the workers at all the amusement/tourist places they are taken to, etc., etc.  Do I need to go on?  Do I really need to explain that when the boat drivers get paid, and all these other workers get paid, they, in turn, can go out and buy things from shopkeepers?    This isn't brain surgery. 

And... it seems the Chinese arrivals have dropped as a result of the battle against "zero dollar" tours, because to them price matters, so they might give Thailand a miss based on price. That revenue, however small would be lost. 

 

[mduras01]

Chinese tourists aren’t dropping, at least not here. They’re crawling all over Chiang Mai. They’re everywhere—and spending. The shopping malls are swamped. My father called me from the South of France. Chinese all over Cannes in the Riviera too, ten times more expensive than here. There’s Chinese money and it’s everywhere. Here, there. I’m glad Thailand & other countries are benefiting.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[wakeupplease]

17 hours ago, farang62 said:

Now tourists are basically locked up , controlled, tours arranged, meals provided, transport provided. All of this is effecting the local shops and businesses, because they don't get any business out of these millions of tourists who come to Thailand. Only the big hotels, tour companies get the money.

here on Samui we have a lot of tour groups we see in vehicles all full of tourists, but none stop and spend money locally, none are sent to shop in Natorn for example, a few hours shopping and some lunch. not happening. Who is suffering, getting no benefits from this tourist boom, the local merchants who have been left out. I see shops close every day because we don't have any of the "locked away tourists" here on our side of Samui. Even the touts have been disappearing from the pier area and very few taxis now.

How are we going to support our local economy and businesses?

 

 

TAT says business is good, so are you making up those stories of shops closing?

[wakeupplease]

2 hours ago, mduras01 said:

Chinese tourists aren’t dropping, at least not here. They’re crawling all over Chiang Mai. They’re everywhere—and spending. The shopping malls are swamped. My father called me from the South of France. Chinese all over Cannes in the Riviera too, ten times more expensive than here. There’s Chinese money and it’s everywhere. Here, there. I’m glad Thailand & other countries are benefiting.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Chinese do have the money at the moment, but the cheap Charles move this way and spend little, the rich ones go to the classics like London, Paris New York. and thats a fact.

[newnative]

9 hours ago, mduras01 said:

Chinese tourists aren’t dropping, at least not here. They’re crawling all over Chiang Mai. They’re everywhere—and spending. The shopping malls are swamped. My father called me from the South of France. Chinese all over Cannes in the Riviera too, ten times more expensive than here. There’s Chinese money and it’s everywhere. Here, there. I’m glad Thailand & other countries are benefiting.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

     It's the same here in Pattaya.  There really isn't a Slow Season any more--at least not in central Pattaya.  The Chinese are touring here year-round, both in tour groups and on their own with young couples, families, and small groups of friends.  

[newnative]

6 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Chinese do have the money at the moment, but the cheap Charles move this way and spend little, the rich ones go to the classics like London, Paris New York. and thats a fact.

   The Chinese 'cheap Charles' may spend little (although I would question that) but one should remember that there are 1.3 billion Chinese a fairly short flight away.  Only around 9% have passports but that's up from around 3% just a few years ago.  It's a huge tourist market  that is only going to get bigger every year as more and more Chinese have the money to travel.   A country would be wise not to do things to offend that market--especially if tourism is about the only bright spot in a sputtering economy and Chinese occupy the top position in tourist numbers.   A small spender gets more and more valuable the number of times you multiply it. 

    Yes, rich tourists, and not just Chinese rich tourists, will likely prefer the cities you mentioned, and others that cater to the rich.  Pattaya and other tourist cities in Thailand are geared more to the mainstream--Holiday Inn rather than the Ritz.   Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason not to offend any tourists that are choosing to visit.