Too Many Tourists In Phuket!

[snoophound]

Few too many Meldrews living in Thailand unfort.

That said ,Pollution is a problem.

I remember going to that lovely bay off Phiphi with all the coral etc surrounded by the high cliffs etc.(name escapes).

Five metres from the shoreline was pretty much a rubbish dump of plastic bags assorted empties etc.

These are the things the Thais need to focus on.

Perhaps a few bins and a collection service would be a good start.

[Jingjok]

...

Five metres from the shoreline was pretty much a rubbish dump of plastic bags assorted empties etc.

These are the things the Thais need to focus on.

Perhaps a few bins and a collection service would be a good start.

Yup, bang on. I live in Phuket, where I’m building a house. On one side is open jungle. Despite two years of asking, pleading, invoking the Buddha, and then issuing threats it is actually impossible to stop Thais from chucking rubbish. Literally tonnes of junk – from heavy concrete to every days’ plastic lunch bags and polystyrene containers ends up there.

On five occasions I’ve personally paid a crew to clear it all up. This was both interesting and instructive. The uneducated Thais who do that kind of work actually don’t perceive what I call unsightly rubbish in the same way that a Westerner does. They genuinely did not understand what I wanted – That is a leaf fallen from a tree: leave it alone; That is a plastic bag or bit of concrete: take it away. No, not move it over there then chuck it somewhere else, *take it away*. It was very difficult. Their perception is just different.

This is not to impose cultural imperialism – it’s just the way it is.

It went a long way to explain to me the piles of garbage along some of the potentially beautiful roads here, and as others have said the beaches are full of rubbish too and it is not generally the tourists who put it there.

Likewise the crap finishing on buildings; and beachfronts (eg Surin) which are supposedly ‘high-end’ (Ha Ha), but are actually a bit dilapidated, with broken concrete walls, crooked steps, stinking open drains, dirty furniture and no end of trash everywhere.

Could it be that the Thais just don’t see it the same way that us Westerners do?

Maybe us Westerners should learn not to care so much.

Discuss :-)

[simro]

Rubbish, I guess they have never driven down a back road from Kata to Rawi, I guess in low season it still was the tourist dumping rubbish on the side of the road, Chalong bay has a rubbish problem on the shoreline, signs has to be installed to stop the tossers, and the Thai's that work on the boat and cause this rubbish can be called tourist also!

[pepsi666]

You know - you sound so bitter - what happenned to you there ? Leave your heart?

Phuket is nice once you get off the Patong strip - plenty to do and see and nice beaches - also the small out of the way ones.

That being said, I have never been there at rush-hour - I may change my mind next !

Dr. Dweeb

Nope, I went with my wife, who isnt a Thai, and not bitter, just really didnt like the place or people, maybe the Thais have just seen the tourist as a cash cow

Only went down the Patong strip once, wasant much difference between that and Patpong in BKK, both about the same cleanlyness, and amount of rubbish everywhere, but it cant all be blamed on the tourists, we bring a lot of money to LOS, its upto the Thais how they spend that wealth if they want ANY tourists to come back, there is a big world out there and if the tourists get fed up with visiting a cess pit or rubbish dump (high end tourists or even a back packers) they will go somewhere else

[grtaylor]

"doobie"? . . . .

I remember encircling the fish with local fishermen and woman with a huge net at Kata Beach, then concelebrating the catch with a lot of food and beer and a doobie or two. Those were the days. Today you can invite me to Phuket, all expenses paid. I would not go.

[Virgil]

Yeah,

I like the way you think. For me, you can't beat Ko Chiang ... if you don't mind the travelling. I've spent about 20x more time there than Pattaya and Phuket put together. Quiet. Good food. Good fishing. Not many bars and few jerks looking for bargirls.

Love it.

Cheers,

Virgil, Out!

I remember encircling the fish with local fishermen and woman with a huge net at Kata Beach, then concelebrating the catch with a lot of food and beer and a doobie or two. Those were the days. Today you can invite me to Phuket, all expenses paid. I would not go.

[danmtl]

Laopo you got it right maybe TAT or ATTA should read and search a little more internet their figure are just a load of Bullok .

Maybe they want to clean up Phuket first if they want the UP TOURIST most of the Hotels are to expensive anyway and whom need to see James Bond island i can easely watch the DVD all over again .

One fact remain the Bombing will not resolve getting more tourist and it is only a start if this present JUNTA DOESN'T CALL A NEW ELECTION SOON it will be worst and then we will see what is the occupancy rate oh well Tahi peoples will have more rom for themselves and go eat at McDonald .

If TAT or ATTA want more tourist this is what i suggest to them..you want your peoples to work in tourist area make mandatory to all Thai Peoples to learn English and be able to explain what your country is all about learn your history most tourist want to know the iff and why when they spend money to come in the Kingdom .

Eliminate the Tuk Tuk driver whom ripp off tourist, charge the same to Farang to visist your national park ( 20 baht for Thai 200 baht for farang) get liflet or brochure explanatory in both Thai and English ( i visited many places in this country) and some have only Thai liflet.

I'm not Thai and i know more of the history of this country than most Thai Tour Guide let Farang work as tour guide the rate of tourist coming will double in no time.

Thailand should definitely learn from MEXICO whom is the 70's Decided to just do this and i can tell you by experience you will not faulter any tour guide on history in Mexico same goes for Costa Rica or even some African nation were i have been and remember Junta or TAT Vietnam is learning very fast and LAOS ALSO.

[pokoal2000]

I hope all the high quality turist all stay in Pukhet and don't come to Koh Chang.I spend many years traveling around the World and the most envirement friendly are the poor turists- the backpackers, they don't expect for somebody to clear after them.

[pap]

There are plenty of places on Phuket to get away from the trash and Bar girls, especially if you are willing to pay the price and even if looking for a deal. Its a big Island.

The problem is not the number of tourists. Its a lack of organization. 5 million is too many if they aren't going to address the many issues.

Someone in another thread mentioned it was knowledge that makes them valuable. The Thais benefit from that knowledge more than the money but they benefit from the money also.

Many of the Thais Are learing from the foreigners, not just Farangs. But they also live in a culture for all its beauty and wonder also manages to give in to its prejudices. This is another simple minded approach to fix a problem than many places in the world dream of. These policies combined with other policies are going to take away many of the gains that the Amazing Thailand campaigns caused.

To bad. The last few months they seem to be doing all the wrong things for mostly the wrong reasons.

[simon43]

Phuket is very much like an Asian Majorca . . .

It's hot and the sea is nice

It's full of Germans

It has some really terrible overcrowded resorts

It also has many unspoilt areas

If you only visit Patong/Karon etc, then you're only seeing what the 'booze and birds' tourists get to see.

Where I live in north Phuket is like a different world. No gogo bars, very few Germans (sorry guys!), unspoilt beaches, no tuk-tuk mafia...

Yes, I have a vested interest because I own a hotel. But too many people seem to venture no further than Soi Bangla and base their opinions on this limited experience.

But . . . I agree totally about the plastic rubbish. It is very rarely tourists who deposit this on the beaches. It's a combination of rubbish that is washed up on the beach and rubbish thrown away by Thais. Perhaps if the tourism minister wants more quality tourists, they should educate the local population about caring a little more for the environment around them.

Simon

[Scott]

People who are questioning the number of tourists might want to consider that Thai people who go to Phuket from other areas of Thailand are also tourists. And the place is quite popular with a lot of Thais.

[LaoPo]

But . . . I agree totally about the plastic rubbish. It is very rarely tourists who deposit this on the beaches. It's a combination of rubbish that is washed up on the beach and rubbish thrown away by Thais. Perhaps if the tourism minister wants more quality tourists, they should educate the local population about caring a little more for the environment around them.

Simon

I fully agree with you, Simon43 !

Rubbish.....

it's all over Thailand but how can anybody expect the Thai to behave and clean up their own mess if there's nobody who ever teach(ed) them to do so...?

their parents, grandparents, schools -teachers-, bosses, GOVERNMENT !!!...nobody ever teached or controlled them !

It has to come from within the people themselves, guided and teached by their own Government.

LaoPo

[grtaylor]

Can someone please enlighten the rest of us as to what a "doobie" is?

Yeah,

I like the way you think. For me, you can't beat Ko Chiang ... if you don't mind the travelling. I've spent about 20x more time there than Pattaya and Phuket put together. Quiet. Good food. Good fishing. Not many bars and few jerks looking for bargirls.

Love it.

Cheers,

Virgil, Out!

I remember encircling the fish with local fishermen and woman with a huge net at Kata Beach, then concelebrating the catch with a lot of food and beer and a doobie or two. Those were the days. Today you can invite me to Phuket, all expenses paid. I would not go.

[astral]

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Tourist Association has urged the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to limit the number of travellers to the island

to a maximum of 5 million a year, due to a lack of hotel rooms and services.

How will they do this?

Special Visas for Phuket.

"There are 30,000 hotel rooms in Phuket, with an average annual occupancy rate of 70 per cent and bringing in revenues of Bt70 billion a year. This should be enough for Phuket," said Maitree.

The island is expected to have 1,000 more rooms within the next few years, but most will be small boutique resorts with expensive rates.

Maitree said the government had provided 150 additional police in all tourist places and public areas in Phuket, in order to restore tourists' confidence, while operators were adding more security measures.

Dr Suwit said that the plan for 2007 was to target the niche market of “good quality, foreign tourists”.

He said, “To support the growth of tourism, we must consider upgrading tourism resources according to ‘star rating’ standards,

but at the same time use the ‘green leaf’ standard to protect the environment.

“We will also promote sport to attract tourists; and most importantly, help local people and communities to take part in local tourism,” he added.

Controlling development is one way, but will the Fat Cats allow that to happen?

Judging from the Elite Programme attracting high rollers has been a utter failure.

An extra 150 policemen seems like a flash in the pan. :D

[LaoPo]

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Tourist Association has urged the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to limit the number of travellers to the island

to a maximum of 5 million a year, due to a lack of hotel rooms and services.

How will they do this?

Special Visas for Phuket.

No, just close the airport and bridge after they've reached 5 million tourists; simple

LaoPo

[moo9]

Maitree said the TAT should try to draw tourists of quality rather than in quantity, in order to preserve Phuket as a high-end destination.

Quality Tourists, Quality Investors, let's hope that the Thai institutions and the government equals this demand for quality.

Considering recent developments here in Thailand, one can't deny a certain anti-farang and Thai rak Thai sentiment. It's kind of sad.

[BlackJack]

So wheres all the money going?

[baabaabobo]

Can someone please enlighten the rest of us as to what a "doobie" is?

Yeah,

I like the way you think. For me, you can't beat Ko Chiang ... if you don't mind the travelling. I've spent about 20x more time there than Pattaya and Phuket put together. Quiet. Good food. Good fishing. Not many bars and few jerks looking for bargirls.

Love it.

Cheers,

Virgil, Out!

I remember encircling the fish with local fishermen and woman with a huge net at Kata Beach, then concelebrating the catch with a lot of food and beer and a doobie or two. Those were the days. Today you can invite me to Phuket, all expenses paid. I would not go.

A Doobie is a member of the band The Doobie Brothers - all members were called Doobie although they weren't related.

In Phuket during the seventies members of this band were often passed around wherever a party was in full swing. NOT!

I agree that there should be less "low class" tourists for Phuket so that those of us who live here don't have to watch them half naked and constantly pissed driving around with no helmets. Seriously though you cannot judge Phuket on what you see in Patong/Karon etc. It is a very large island and has still alot of beauty if you know where to look.

[Barryz]

What's interesting in this report for me, is the clear implication that rich people pollute the environment less than poor people. Fewer rich people are more desirable than a greater number of (relatively) poor people.

In some respects, this is true. A certain percentage of any class is going to belong to the 'ignorant yobbo' category who has no regard for the environment and who will discard a coke bottle or plastic bag wherever they please.

Restrict the number of tourists by pricing out the poorer people, and the number of thoughtlessly disposed of plastic bags and coke bottles will decrease.

Unfortunately (and fortunately for those of us less well-heeled) the economics of supply and demand usually favour the greater quantity. A few rich people, isolated in their luxurious ivory towers, are not going to be good for the prosperity of Phuket as a whole. The gap between rich and poor (between the tourists and the locals) would be obnoxious. The Patong Beach 'bar' scene would disappear. Many small shops would go under through lack of support from tourists. The total revenue take for the island would drop. I have no doubt of this.

The only people who would prosper would be the owners of the luxury hotels charging US$1,000 a night.

[wilko]

If they want "up-market" they will have to be "up-market"....concrete and condos is not up-market.

[phuketdiver]

what a load of bullocks ....................

bet the figures are totally inaccurate

Based on what?

If you have more accurate figures, why not share them and cite the source.

Or is this another farang fairy tale?

, they need to define the types of beds ( 5 star resorts / guest house )

smells of a misguided attempt to raise the snob value

Yes, far better to promote more backpackers and patrons of the bar-beer type of establishment.

One family of high spenders generates more income and more employment than a whole lot of the free spirits who spend B100 a day on MacDonald's fare and some cheap room or are permanently attached to a bar stool intent on getting puking drunk.

The local paper here - Phuket Post - has run a story last week questioning the TAT figures of 4.7 m visitors last year. According to Airport Authority of Thailand there were 2.3 m arrivals through Phuket. If you add the number of departures it comes to around the 4.7 m the TAT are claiming.

If the AOT figures are correct this means 2.4m people arrived by sea or by bus - about 180 buses per day, all full.

And check out the maths on the rooms - does not add up or there are some very crowded rooms.

Strikes me as another unthought out scare story at a time that the Island does not need one.

Yes it is dirty in places, and yes it needs cleaning up in places but parts of the island are quiet and beautiful. Try going aaway from the tourist west coast of Surin to Kata and you will be amazed at what Phuket has to offer.

Someone also needs to check their figures on the rooms opening in the next few years. There are 12 major 5* hotels opening in Phuket in the next 5 years and a number of smaller boutique hotels.

We would all be well off, thais and ferang, if the 4.7m people had come to the island as claimed. But it just hasnt happened.

As an aside to the poster that came here and could not find a room - had the same problem for a friend visiitng for a few days - but then he did arrive on 29th December - I defy anyone to find a room easily around that time in a major tourist destination

Phuketdiver

[boes]

Somewhat symptomatic for this regime. Instead of duing something innovative about the problems - they prohibit to regulate......... TIT very very - kindergarten.

[gmac]

Five metres from the shoreline was pretty much a rubbish dump of plastic bags assorted empties etc.

These are the things the Thais need to focus on.

Perhaps a few bins and a collection service would be a good start.

That would be great if they didn't then take the bins out to sea and empty them there!!

[falux]

I'm risking to repeat myself, but hearing the words TUK TUK and seeing fat, ugly farangs and Thais who forgot how to cook, but still ask ridiculously high prices, should be enough to limit Tourism.

I found only 4 places where we paid dearly but ate decently. I thought my Thai wife would die, as she ate almost nothing; everything was disgusting. And I have never, ever been treated like shit in Thailand before, except in Phuket. Only two or three Thais on the whole island were kind.

[paulbrun]

I agree that there should be less "low class" tourists for Phuket so that those of us who live here don't have to watch them half naked and constantly pissed driving around with no helmets. Seriously though you cannot judge Phuket on what you see in Patong/Karon etc. It is a very large island and has still alot of beauty if you know where to look.

Agree 100%. There are far too many 'low life' tourists spoiling what was once a very beautiful, and relaxing island to visit. (it still is in some areas..) These are the 'wrong' type of tourists, no matter how much they spend while they're there. How to segregate the good tourists from the bad, is a difficult question though...? I have been regularly visiting the island for many years, and will shortly be moving there. As far as I'm concerned, reduce the numbers, and try to atttract a better, more family-oriented type of tourist/traveller. Putting the hotel prices up might not help. Closing down, or limiting the hours of business, of the 'seedier' type of bars, would almost certainly help though. Imposing restrictions on the types of entertainment available for these people might also help..? If it's no longer an attractive place, for them to come, maybe they'll start going back to places like Pattaya and Benidorm again. By the way, I liked your explanation about the 'Doobie' brothers very much, one of my favourite bands from a 'golden' era..! PB.

[aka_jack]

O.K Here goes i dont claim to know much about the tourism industry in phuket but i would imagine making the place a high end tourist destination ie remove back packers, beer bar-ers, and like will not improve the tourism industry there. These so called high end family tourists they so desparately want there, i would imagine come mainly in the school holiday seasons which would leave the rest of the year looking pretty bleak, beer bars closed thais out of work. Mc donalds, burger kings, subways closed, how many rich familys eat in these places every night??, motorcycle renters gone, as these high end tourists will all be driving around in the new mercs and bmws they will be wanting to rent, the cheaper hotels out of business = derelict buildings the list goes on!!

[LaoPo]

The local paper here - Phuket Post - has run a story last week questioning the TAT figures of 4.7 m visitors last year.

According to Airport Authority of Thailand there were 2.3 m arrivals through Phuket.

If you add the number of departures it comes to around the 4.7 m the TAT are claiming.

If the AOT figures are correct this means 2.4m people arrived by sea or by bus - about 180 buses per day, all full.

And check out the maths on the rooms - does not add up or there are some very crowded rooms.

Phuketdiver

2.3 Million is more like it; add 700.000 by land and you come to 3 million, NOT 5 million.

Also: 30.000 rooms, according to the OP's article, with a 70% occupancy...

30.000 rooms at each 1.4 tourist (assuming many singles but also families with children) x 365 days/year x 70% occupancy=

10.731.000 tourist in Phuket per year...

Even in the case the 30.000 rooms have just 1 guest x 365 days/year x 70% =

7.665.000 tourists in Phuket per year...

I think someone has to go back to school...(kindergarden is better)

LaoPo

[wilko]

I always get a strage feeling wghen I hear /read people using expressions like "low life", "common" "low-class" and physical stereotyping.....I get the feeling that they are themselves what they describe, yet seek to distance themselves from it by critizisng it.....yet.....by doing that they themselves become that....geddit?!?!?

[moskito]

Phuket is very much like an Asian Majorca . . .

It's hot and the sea is nice

It's full of Germans

It has some really terrible overcrowded resorts

It also has many unspoilt areas

If you only visit Patong/Karon etc, then you're only seeing what the 'booze and birds' tourists get to see.

Where I live in north Phuket is like a different world. No gogo bars, very few Germans (sorry guys!), unspoilt beaches, no tuk-tuk mafia...

Simon

Do racist talking here and all u write will be deleted by admin imidiately.....not so if u talk about germans. Sure the germans are doing all the naughty things here on Phuket...throwing plastic everywhere,- are noisy and always drunk.

There are also a lot of English, Swedish and ppl from Netherlands on both islands Mallorca and Phuket.

I agree totally both islands are nice ones if u start leaving the crowded places.....BUT PLEASE DONT.... I need it quiet

and dont want touris around which doing photoshooting while I am sitting in my garden at lunch.

The worst thing here on Phuket is the overcrowded traffic, sometimes in the evening its like bkk in some places.

I also wonder how many tourists are injured every year because of a lack in walkways, specially in kata and karon, the little space there is blocked by tuk tuk and parking cars.

I remember times not too long ago where one can sit on the road in front of a small restaurant and while having a beer 5 cars and 2 motobikes passed. In the same time now one will count 150 cars and 300 motobikes....mostly driven by single ppl.

The criminal statistic is rising too here....and I am not talking about tuk tuk drivers

[moskito]

..........AND.......sorry forgot something.

Dont blame always the tourists for all the shit happens here. There is also a lot of rubbish because EXPATS building houses here. Maybe not of the Expat himself but the rubbish of all the workers which HE bring in to Phuket to build HIS house as cheap as possible. Mostly ppl from Myanmar and the poor regions of Thailand. Once they are here they won`t leave Phuket again after the house is finished. And the next Expat build another house with another ppl......

Some of the members here realized finally that Phuket People are not friendly...... for sure they arent. Its everywhere the same in the world

where only money rules.

And taking away all this lovely barladys will drop income for their familys in poor, poor north.

They sit on barstools in third generation. Thailand is well known all over the world for its LADYS

How else they can make money up north?? WORKING?? like a hundred years ago?

Fact is if one hear Thailand, BEACH is not the first thing ppl are thinking off :D

Suggestions on some garbage bins are nice, Phuket and Thaigovernment have to realize that they can not always only TAKE TAKE TAKE.... without giving anything but blue water and heat.

They have to start educating their ppl in shools...but why should they? educated ppl ask questions, so better letz show another dumbassed soap in TV

Edited January 11, 2007 by moskito