Thailand plans for even more tourists as numbers top 35 million

[spidermike007]

21 hours ago, Pesche said:

Indeed, spidermike007, spot on.

 

I do remember well the scandalous tax raises on wine in the 90s! Before that I could offer a decent selection in my restaurant and guest were delighted to drink "wine by the glass" of nice selected wines. After the repeated increases the wine became unpayable since the price was even higher than in Europe! They did destroy the market and many restaurateurs know how bad decision it was.

 

Specially the immigration procedures at arrival are since ages snail-slow and it is acute when tourists travel for so long and have to cue for hours to get in.

I was blown away when I arrived at Hong Kong Airport last year for a brief visit: I was from the plane to out of the airport within 15 minutes!

Including a smiling and welcoming immigration officer!!

It was a really amazing positive experience!!

 

However, when back in Thailand, arriving at 05.00 at Krabi International I was squeezed by hundreds of pushing and loud Chineses (sorry! I like Chinese, BUT...).

The Lobby was as crowded as a can of sardines...

And there was 1 (one) officer checking the passports, with a grumpy face and friendly like a bulldozer...

I could finally get out within 1.45 h.

The flight from Hong Kong took 1.15 h.

 

If Thailand wants to become a leading destination, they definitely have to improve communication (finally speak English) and Service skills (professionalism).

I recall, Thailand had the Boom starting in 1988. If you compare then and now, it changed to get worse and worse and, with an attitude...

The "give me money" Mentality

 

Xenophobic behavior is nowadays also a norm we experience every single day, specially if you live in the Land of Smiles which doesn't smile anymore...

My humble Salt & Pepper

 

No doubt the wine duty was about a small lobby, that paid a senator to pass anti fareng wine legislation, to promote a handful of very inferior domestic wineries. A myopic policy, that staggers the imagination. To think of the hundreds of billions of baht the country is losing every year. If the duty was only 100%, the wine industry here would explode. It would benefit tourism, bu attracting a far higher level of tourist, the hotel industry, restaurants, and the people, and ex-pats, who could choose from good wine, at fair prices. As it stands now, a decent bottle here costs in excess of 1,000 baht. And at the restaurants, the prices of good wine is downright silly. I have seen house wines, that cost 1,500 baht, that are available in Los Angeles for $4. Good wines that I pay $30-40 for in LA, cost 6,000 baht here, if you can find them. And who is going to pay that kind of money for a wine that is 80% less overseas? It is a bit like an ignorant hi-so guy paying 15,000,000 baht for a Porsche 911 here, that cost $120,000 in the US. 

 

As far as the xenophobic behavior, I find that surliness confined to the big cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, and tourist areas like Samui and Phuket. And I am often surprised by how cool the locals are in Bangkok, for big city people. Part of the issue is that they are exposed to alot of very low class tourists, who make trouble, are not polite or respectful, are drunk alot, and they get jaded. It is the worst in Samui, Phuket, and Pattaya, in my opinion. In the smaller towns, and out in the country, most people are utterly delightful to be around, and are not the slightest bit xenophobic. I think most Thai people genuinely like foreigners, regardless of all of the dogma they have been subjected to, by a fabulously ignorant succession of administrations. And I also find that the Thai people really respond to a good attitude. If I am friendly, open, lighthearted, humorous, kind, and respectful, the reaction I get is usually very gratifying, and very warm. I adore most Thai people. They beat the hell out of the bitter, disenfranchised, surly, cold, humorless, and heavy hearted souls back in the US. 

Edited January 18, 2018 by spidermike007

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Along with the rest of TV crown I would normally laugh at these numbers, but I'm trying to book some usual 4 and 5 star hotels this month and they are all sold out or more expensive than usual.

 

 

[Sir Dude]

Indians will be piling in too, sharing a beer between 6 of them and asking the bar girls if their whole group of 10 mates can tag-team her for the normal short time price for one person.

[toughlove]

Out if curiosity how do TV posters know if the numbers are true or false especially since so many post from the west.

Like the infamous condo light counters is there a team with a hand counter logging numbers at the taxi exit ramp at Suvarnabhumi and Don mueaug?

[srchino]

The pricing and lack of decent wine is horrendous in this country, and it’s a damn shame because the food pairing possibilities are simply amazing. Someday the two will find each other, one can dream....