Chinese Tourists Could Cause Years of Misery for Thai Airports

[ujayujay]

Thai Tourism.....quantity matters. 

[Dave67]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

That's where you're wrong.  They spend like crazy.  Per visitor, more than western tourists.  Look it up- the statistics have been posted many times.  But they spend it on things they're going to take back with them to China. 

 

Smart businesses will catch on and thrive.  The businesses that want to treat them just like they've treated western tourists for decades, won't.

 

Yeah bars and restaurants are not their thing.

[Lucky mike]

Like herding cats !

[joeyg]

4 hours ago, the guest said:

... and your wondering why the European tourists are going elsewhere ?

Thank God!!!

[chuang]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Er... Ahem...

 

Chinese tourists have already caused years of misery at Thai airports. 

Chinese tourists have already caused years of misery in Thailand...

[Cranky]

Keep 'em coming I say.  Hope the country gets buried in Zero Dollar pyjama wearing tourists for years to come and sinks under the strain for bringing it upon themselves through sheer greed and ending up with nothing.  

[impulse]

45 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 Nor is it unusual to see some Thai venues resist any investment to improve their service level if they don't have to spend the money.

I can give so many examples of this.  When my company was looking for our initial hotel to purchase we were amazed by the state of the buildings because owners hadn't reinvested in maintenance, etc.  Never mind the staff training we had to do to get the "cannot do" thinking out.

 

In fairness, when I see some of the room rates on offer, I wonder how they could possibly afford to reinvest any money maintaining the property, much less making improvements. 

 

That's a hazard of operating in a saturated market where so many of the guests choose their lodging based on the lowest web price.  (Not to mention the tour groups that throw business to the lowest bidder or highest kickback)   A hazard that, if I read the OP correctly, they're (maybe finally) starting to realize.

 

[toofarnorth]

Sorry , only on page 1 but fed up with reading about how LoS must accomodate the Chinese.  Around C/Rai airport new roads are being built , 1 to bypass C/rai to send them to C/Mai , another yet to be finished to send them to Maesai.  Suits me as I live halfway between C/Rai and Maesai.  All the signs in the area are written in Thai , English and Chinese .

Where are my socks very cold up here today ?

[DipStick]

8 hours ago, champers said:

Oh dear, what a spoilsport you are, disrupting the rantathon by introducing facts.

At a prime location in Pattaya a Chinese estate/property agent has just opened for business. Many high spending Chinese are here and more and more will come.

If you don't like seeing lots of Asians, you are in the wrong place in Thailand.

 

"If you don't like seeing loads of Asians, you are in the wrong place in Thailand"

Perhaps that would read better if you deleted Thailand and substituted it with Continent

 

 

 

 

[flexomike]

These Chinese tourists are going to destroy Thailand, everywhere these tour groups go there is misery for the real tourist.

[wealthychef]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

And on that it was said '"be careful of what you wish for".... TAT was

boasting about numbers of incoming tourists, now the country is being

selective as what and how many of them they really want and can

accommodate...

Correction:  they are **saying** that they are being more selective.  But every public pronouncement here is utter horse feathers, every time.  I can't recall any of these self-important uniformed monkeys making a truthful public statement since I've been living here.  

[Sydebolle]

While I am not particularly fond of Chinese tourists for being loud, undisciplined, rude and impolite - the subject is a completely different one.

The overload of Bangkok's airports is the immigration. If you look at what snail speed travellers, in or out, are processed then you seriously wonder, if Thailand wants to keep visitors away.

Take the infamous TM6 form; which is not necessary for the immigration. The same goes for TM30 or the ridiculous 90 days notification; the latter two serve the inferiority complex of the official Thailand to demonstrate that who is who on the banana boat. 

On the way out swipe the passport through the machine-readable slot, get the immigration record pulled up which says green OR or red CHECK. 

Next is the completely corrupt taxi set-up at the airports. See Singapore, Hongkong or Kuala Lumpur for alternatives; all opened and operational before Suwannaphoum airport. 

In short, if the host gets the act together, then things will improve and otherwise (quality) travellers will go elsewhere, where not everything is blamed on others and airports and immigration are operated professionally. 

[champers]

5 hours ago, DipStick said:

 

"If you don't like seeing loads of Asians, you are in the wrong place in Thailand"

Perhaps that would read better if you deleted Thailand and substituted it with Continent

 

 

 

 

Definitely not. I am happy as it is.

[kurtmartens]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

In fairness, when I see some of the room rates on offer, I wonder how they could possibly afford to reinvest any money maintaining the property, much less making improvements. 

 

That's a hazard of operating in a saturated market where so many of the guests choose their lodging based on the lowest web price.  (Not to mention the tour groups that throw business to the lowest bidder or highest kickback)   A hazard that, if I read the OP correctly, they're (maybe finally) starting to realize.

 

Agree (mostly).  The market in most of the tourist areas has been saturated with - what I call - guesthouses vs actual hotels.  This can cause a definite "race to the bottom".  From our side we stick to our pricing and try to attract the middle of the road tourists who understand that you get what you pay for at a 500 Baht a night place vs a 1,500 or 2,000 Baht a night place.  But hey ho.

 

[free123]

as asia grows ( economy,lifestyle,prices ) and europe declines in all the chinese are the number one group to visit Thailand to spend their money there ...and i think thais in general favour chinese rather than Europeans anyway because of similar culture and values..any chinese have much much more money than europaens and spend it in a short time...no issues with human rights or abuses of many kind ( is usual in china a way of life )...so they match well....thai favour them a hundred times...

[impulse]

13 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

Agree (mostly).  The market in most of the tourist areas has been saturated with - what I call - guesthouses vs actual hotels.  This can cause a definite "race to the bottom".  From our side we stick to our pricing and try to attract the middle of the road tourists who understand that you get what you pay for at a 500 Baht a night place vs a 1,500 or 2,000 Baht a night place.  But hey ho.

  

Good strategy.  Whether it's hotels or retail, you can't compete on price with someone whose best alternative employment scenario is making $10 a day.  My Jomtien "go-to" place charges me 1800-3000 a night (depending on what rooms or villas they have available) and well worth it for the amenities and the nature of the other guests, who are very family oriented.  Used to be Russkies and Eastern Europeans, but now a lot of Chinese.  Still, delightful people who aren't sweating over every baht and I haven't seen a lady of the evening on the property in a couple of dozen stays.  (Or, at least none that are dressed the part)  So I don't mind paying more...

 

Edit:  BTW, they have villas that go much higher than 3,000 baht.  But mostly for bigger family groups.  And they're usually full.

 

Edited December 22, 2017 by impulse

[caulfield2]

I think the point about quality is right on.

 

I've lived in China (3 cities) for almost 8 years now...and also in Thailand, Phils, South Korea and Indonesia.

 

There are lower quality Chinese as well as foreigners in the cheaper countries...but the Chinese are much more noticeable because of their group behaviors, especially the newly "wealthy/upper middle class" and those who came predominantly from the countryside.

 

Those are the spitting, not honoring lines, terrible driving, pooping/peeing kids, shouting/speaking loudly, pushing, elevator/subway attacking ones, MOSTLY.

 

If you go to Maldives, Singapore, Bali (more expensive flights), Jeju Island, Hainan, Philippines, the behavior and quality of tourist improves exponentially.  You get more experienced travelers who won't fight belligerently for over an hour with tour guides over a $1 national park surcharge in India.

 

The biggest question is how to maximize that revenue...because 75-80% of that money is staying in Chinese or Chinese-Thai hands, just like in the Philippines (think SM Malls, real estate, movie theatres, etc.).

 

How do you prevent other nationalities from having their trips adversely affected while still preserving that new connection with your Asian tour groups?  There are certainly a lot of positives, such as the focus to more retail/consumerism and restaurants, and away from prostitution/drugs.  That said, it's hard to make all of the people happy, and you risk offending one group while bending over backwards for the other.

 

Definitely a tough problem to solve...in a way that maximizes revenues and leads to return trips in the future.

 

Edited December 22, 2017 by caulfield2
grammar

[Ossy]

It's no use trying to paint a house with a nail brush, which is all that farting around with existing tourist provision will achieve. The fact is that the Chinese, especially the vacationing Chinese, are race apart and therein lies the answer . . . they require keeping apart. Restrict their inbound flights to the now upgraded Phuket airport and shuttle them on a rapidly-built dedicated high-speed rail service from the airport, directly to the most suitable islands - yes, tunnelled, of course, but this is Thailand, don't forget, so no probs there. Girdle the islands with promenades, piers and piss-nooks and the odd tacky café and Bob's your uncle . . . happy Chinese tourists and masses of mazooma coming into the exchequer. It's a no-brainer and might well be finished before the Chinese build the H-S escalator to Mars . . . it's on the cards, I hear.

[InMyShadow]

Typical Thai trait of blaming everyone/everything around them, except themselves.

The years of misery are caused not by Chinese tourists, 
but the inept watch-flashing, kickback-taking, non-asset declaring,
dissent-squashing & jetski-scamming Somchai's and their band of cronies.
 
If the amount these incompetent idiots wasted in purchasing GT200 bomb detectors, submarines, radar guns, digital clocks and overpriced microphones was instead, invested in infrastructure, we would be in a very different place right now.
 
Som nam na. 
 
 

"we would be in a very different place right now'

As all the whiners will tell you they do not want to be in a different place. They want what you described to stay so they can live in 3rd world charm.

How dare you suggest thailand should be developed [emoji3]

[lvr181]

" “I think in the near future we need to change from volume to value.”

 

Wow,  a hidden talent in Government. Not often you hear sound thinking from within. Congratulations to Suvit Maesincee!! Make this person the Tourism Minister.

[wvavin]

What kind moronic statement saying the Chinese tourists are causing misery to Thailand? Is there misery when taking in the Chinese tourists" money?

[mikiea]

7 hours ago, Muggi1968 said:

Maybe Thailand should change currency to Yuan (or RMB) ...

some so-called  thai brass have their heads  rammed shoulder deep up chi's keester , it will take forever to extract themselves . 

[dunroaming]

Many years ago in London you would see groups of Japanese and American tourists being shepherded around by guides holding their umbrellas aloft.  As time went by and the Japanese and some Americans got more adventurous and the organised tours got less and the Japanese and American tourists travelled more independently.  On the other hand there are many guided tours offered to British tourists too.  Mainly concerning the more remote destinations or specific "cultural" tours.  These days when I am travelling and staying in hotels in other countries I am very aware of the younger, better educated Chinese families who travel independently and are far more westernised.

 

I think one of the problems with the organised Chinese tours in Thailand is that there are so many of them.  The Chinese people obviously feel comfortable in Thailand because of the similar food and the cheap accommodation, often in Chinese owned establishments.  Add to that the enthusiasm of the Thai authorities in adding to the tourist headcount and you end up with this chaotic mess.

[Ossy]

50 minutes ago, wvavin said:

What kind moronic statement saying the Chinese tourists are causing misery to Thailand? Is there misery when taking in the Chinese tourists" money?

For all except the 0.1% who are taking it, yes . . . definitely yes.

[connda]

Chinese Tourists Could Cause Years of Misery for Thai Airports 

 

I simply love how this is worded.  Heap the blame on the tourists instead of pointing the legitimate blame at a country that doesn't have the necessary infrastructure to handle their own tourism.  Blame the tourists!

This is why I recommend other countries to my friends if they are looking for 'white sand beaches.'  If they are looking for temple tours and Thai culture, than come on down - just be aware of the warts including scams and violence against foreigners and the danger of being a passenger on a vehicle traveling on the Most Dangerous Roads in The World.  That's all.  Forewarned is forearmed, and be aware that some segments of the Thai population will blame foreigners for the congestion caused by Thailand's lack of adequate infrastructure.  How special! 

Edited December 22, 2017 by connda

[Lampang2]

The Chinese are making very few people mega rich (likely more mega rich than they already are) as the tours only go to selected places to shop, eat & visit. The man on the street does not benefit the same as they used to when they were able to attract walk by customers.

Today yes.
But Chinese people will evolve like the rest of us did before them.

Next generation Chinese people will travel as we do today.

Tomorrow is another day.

[laocowboy2]

8 hours ago, PatOngo said:

 

Wishful thinking, not a lot gets solved overnight here. It takes 30 days just to explain where a watch comes from.

Bravo! A classic

[balo]

Since all the Chinese are flying in one group together you don't need them to go through the airport and all that. Just drop them off somewhere on the runway in a restricted area for Chinese only , where the buses and the flag leaders are waiting to take them to Pattaya . They never asked for any luxury when they signed up on the "free" holiday tour.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Thai Ron]

4 hours ago, Cranky said:

Keep 'em coming I say.  Hope the country gets buried in Zero Dollar pyjama wearing tourists for years to come and sinks under the strain for bringing it upon themselves through sheer greed and ending up with nothing.  

Greed??

How was it "greedy" to hedge their bets by courting tourists from countries that didn't look like they were going to be consumed by their own financial idiocy?

How exactly is it "greedy" to try to replace an income stream (farang tourism) that looks like it's coming to an end?

 

What would you rather they'd done.Sit around waiting for farangs to sort their tanking currencies and moribund economies out??!!

Thailand doesn't owe farangs a damn thing; it's just sad that some people can't get their heads around that

[ZeVonderBearz]

I know a few people whose businesses, Nimman CM, are flourishing right now due to the large number of Chinese tourists. They tend to stay only a short time and have money to spend on goods. Maybe they're interested in said business as it's a little hipster and quirky and a little different from China. Never been to china though so can't be sure.