Quality Tourists

[Nignoy]

The tourists they want are the ones who will pitch up at LHR (et al) and throw all their fat wallets and credit cards into a container which is then loaded onto a BKK bound freight flight. The "tourists" then p1ss off back to Surbiton, or wherever, and go back to work to earn the money to do it again next year. In a way this would be good for the tourists, at least they only get ripped off once in their holiday!

What does Thailand have to offer?

Beaches?

In the main scruffy, dirty and plagued by scabby dogs and pushy vendors for everything from tee shirts to game boys (of both types ). In any case why do tourists go to, say, Samui, and spend their time around the hotel pool?

Temples?

Again, in the main, see beaches above minus some of the vendors. Those that are not of that ilk are the big ones in BKK and they're not temples they are tourist traps. But nevertheless just how many temples do folks want to visit in an average two week holiday?

National Parks?

Disregarding the pricing ripoff, which is a subject that elicits a fair number of conflicting views, they are nothing but scruffy garbage strewn tracts of once beautiful forest now sadly abused for commercial gain. At weekends they are infested by the 4x4 brigade complete with ghetto blasters.

Sports?

OK, but just how many times do they want to go paragliding, bungee jumping, jet ski noise-making etc etc. For golfers it's a paradise but for golfer's wives and families it may be hel_l on earth. The main attraction is that the weather is always conducive to outdoor activities and it's cheap. Scuba diving is one of the big attractions but you really have to go to the Andaman sea to get the best.

Culture?

Yes you can go round hill tribe villages and see the cuddly little folks in their traditional costumes and pay to have you photo taken with them. It's OK, as soon as your coach is round the corner they are back in their Mega Death tee shirts and denim pants and their minders have stripped them of any takings.

Food?

Now you got me! The food is arguably the best on earth, so why do so many tourists patronise MacDonalds, Pizza Hut et al?

Shopping?

Well I'll go to the foot of my stairs! Just dragged the family on a 12 hour flight costing a couple of grand all to go round a fcukin' shopping mall and buy stuff you can get in any high street . Or you can go round the markets and buy touristy trash at ripoff prices.

Nightlife?

Yeeeaaahhhh, way to go baybeee! NO! Quality tourists do not indulge in that sort of activity. Quality tourists sit on their hotel balconys in the evening sipping Chardonnay and reading Dostoyevsky.

I could go on but I won't (thank god you all say!). So why do I like Thailand? Precisely because it aint a "quality tourist" place. Sure it's scruffy, disorganised, dishonest and sleazy but I love it. Some one defined quality tourists as those who spend 7000 Baht a day against those who stay in 500 Baht guest houses spending 1000 Baht a day. Well I stay in a 500 Baht guest house and budget 100 GBP (circa 7000 Baht) per day, and usually spend it, so where does that leave me? Replies not required, I know my place.

PS any truth in the rumour that a copy of Quiet Flows The Don has been spotted in the Dog's B*ll*cks?

If this was not thai thread could have sworn you were talking about Brisbane and Cairns!! okay the sport is good here,but the beaches in the tourist areas are just as polluted because of over development, the tourists get ripped off just as much as in thailand, even the back packers get exploited!!mind you the food is great, ITS ALL ASIAN!! and of culture there is no trace, unless you worship the turf at the Gabba or Suncorp Stadium.I love queensland but as far as Tourism goes the only difference between the Gold Coast and Pattaya or Phuket is!! in Phuket the street traders Smile when they rip you off Nignoy

[Khun ?]

Maybe just a poke at ending the $30 day spenders that have several months and years

of 30 day entry stamps or nearby obtained visa permits. Trying to change the 30 to 50

year old clientele that make up 20% of the accountable tourist entries into the country.

Isaan has been complaining how they are changing the eating habits of the local herd.

Good luck hope there is alot of trailer parks and extra space at relatives homes.

They must account for about 1 out of every 3 tourist one meets on the streets of Thailand.

[astral]

only quality destinations regularly attract quality tourists.

thailand is not there yet , and should be working on improving itself

I would have said that Thailand used to be a quality destination,

but is heading downhill.

Look at Phuket.

It used to be a peaceful and beautiful destination, but they want to close it

now as it is getting too crowded.............

If tourists want crowds they can usually stay home.

[helicoptor]

One who's money gets spread around all of Thailand, and not just diverted indirectly to Isaan villages.

you mean via Pattaya ?

[Pakboong]

only quality destinations regularly attract quality tourists.

thailand is not there yet , and should be working on improving itself

I would have said that Thailand used to be a quality destination,

but is heading downhill.

Look at Phuket.

It used to be a peaceful and beautiful destination, but they want to close it

now as it is getting too crowded.............

If tourists want crowds they can usually stay home.

One of my favorite Yogi Berra quotes: "It's so crowded, nobody goes there anymore".

[Nignoy]

only quality destinations regularly attract quality tourists.

thailand is not there yet , and should be working on improving itself

I would have said that Thailand used to be a quality destination,

but is heading downhill.

Look at Phuket.

It used to be a peaceful and beautiful destination, but they want to close it

now as it is getting too crowded.............

If tourists want crowds they can usually stay home.

lets face it, if the Royal engineers had not had a vehicle breakdown in a fishing village outside of Jomtien in february 1962 maybe pattaya would be different today,and as expats today in thailand like to go fishing, so did we back in the early 60,s and what an adventure, by train from Ubon to bangkok and then by bus and ferry to phuket for 2 weeks fishing no girly bars or big hotels, acouple of houses of illrepute in phuket town, but these were the haunts of sailors because the harbour was pretty busy in those days, so maybe we are at fault for discovereing these little bits of paradise Nignoy

[Phil Conners]

Quality tourists don't put up with:

- hustling taxi touts running loose inside the Airport

- only transportation option for a tourist in Pattaya by life threatening baht bus, driving by mad, aggressive and cheating driver

- concrete slum

- overcrowded beaches with life threatening unregulated water scooter and speed boat activity around swimming kids

- double pricing and other scamming (as soon as they find out, and they find out fast)

- bars closing at random but much too early hours and when they go back to sleep they're kept awake all night by blaring karaoke bars who obviously are beyond closing laws.

[texpatriate]

A quality tourist is a farang that comes to the land of smiles with pockets full of money, spends all his money and then GOES HOME!

-texpatriate

[Ulysses G.]

A quality tourist is a farang that comes to the land of smiles with pockets full of money, spends all his money and then GOES HOME!

-texpatriate

By jove, I think he's got it!

[klikster]

I would guess that older middle class retired couples would be high on the list. Good spenders and stay awhile.

[Lucifer]

I would guess that older middle class retired couples would be high on the list. Good spenders and stay awhile.

...Almost. rich couples who spend a lot, go home quickly, make loads of more money and come back and spend it quickly......

I belive they're having a large bucket at the new airport, for rich 'tourists' to leave their money and get on the plane back.

Oh, they can buy a few trinklets at the duty free for friends and family..