Chinese ‘zero dollar’ tour companies dodge Thai crackdown – and travel agencies defend the practice

[rooster59]

Chinese ‘zero dollar’ tour companies dodge Thai crackdown – and travel agencies defend the practice

 

 

Welcomed during Thailand’s economic slowdown, such ‘forced shopping’ tours are frowned upon for tainting visitors’ image of country; if ban won’t stop them, the growing trend of individual travel from China may see them die out

 

Whenever you go to Thailand these days, hordes of Chinese tourists can be spotted chatting noisily as they queue at Bangkok’s Suvanabhumi airport for visas.

 

You’ll see them ordering 40 baht (US$1.30) bowls of noodles at roadside stalls, shopping in the malls, and posing for group selfies at temples. They can also be seen checking in at various hotels or sharing photos on their smartphones as they board and disembark from coaches in major tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

 

Although the Thai government has been actively courting the Chinese market, as a result of which Chinese visitors made up about 8.7 million of the 34 million tourists to Thailand in 2016 – a 10.3 per cent increase from 2015 – there are a number of factors behind the increased tourist traffic from China.

 

Full story: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2130551/chinese-zero-dollar-tour-companies-dodge-thai-crackdown-and

 

South China Morning Post: 2018-01-28

 

South China Morning Post

[Jeremy50]

It must be absolutely ghastly to be on one of these 'prisoner tours'. But if you sent one of these people out to discover something on their own, they'd probably curl up into a ball, and start whimpering like a little lost child. 

[mok199]

Thailand spent years courting the Chinese , ''Come to Amazing Thailand''.,now they have them...and they don't fit the ''profile''of what Thailand wants..i live ground zero in pattaya and I see Chinese many seniors,im sure on a low budget,but Thailand is unhappy the guests are not spending enough, on over priced ''made in Thailand shinny sh*t'' ,so they herd the touists into shops and markets, and refuse to return hotel keys for some who don't spend what Thailand feels is ''the correct amount''...Shamless Thailand Politicians at a new low... ..

[Bluespunk]

42 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Welcomed during Thailand’s economic slowdown, such ‘forced shopping’ tours are frowned upon for tainting visitors’ image of country;

As ye sow, so shall reap

[Thian]

When we were in Hongkong we wanted to see the city so booked a citytour.

 

First they dumped our group in a jewelry shop where we had to stay for some hours, they unpacked all the gold and gems and there was no place to sit.

 

After that they dumped us in a basement and locked the door, inside was a load of merchandise from Disney all copy copy.

 

Then we had a boattour to see the lightshow...it was an overfull boat, we got coffee and a slice of cake and could see the highrise buildings from the water, those buildings have lights yes but there was no lightshow at all. The boat brought us back after 10-15 minutes and that was all.

 

 

 

[Borzandy]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

and travel agencies defend the practice

Surprised????

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

When we were in Hongkong we wanted to see the city so booked a citytour.

 

First they dumped our group in a jewelry shop where we had to stay for some hours, they unpacked all the gold and gems and there was no place to sit.

 

After that they dumped us in a basement and locked the door, inside was a load of merchandise from Disney all copy copy.

 

Then we had a boattour to see the lightshow...it was an overfull boat, we got coffee and a slice of cake and could see the highrise buildings from the water, those buildings have lights yes but there was no lightshow at all. The boat brought us back after 10-15 minutes and that was all.

 

 

 

Wow... snap... an almost identical thing happened to me.

 

except it was in Bangkok about 15 years ago, and they didn’t lock the basement door (it was actually a large permanent market)

 

my sympathy level for locals ( in this matter) is very very low.. 

[Thian]

8 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Wow... snap... an almost identical thing happened to me.

 

except it was in Bangkok about 15 years ago, and they didn’t lock the basement door (it was actually a large permanent market)

 

my sympathy level for locals ( in this matter) is very very low.. 

Thai style of sightseeing is you go in a tuktuk and he will bring you to the jewelryshop of his uncle where uncle and his staff unpack EVERYTHING so you feel guilty to not buy anything at extraordinary prices.

After that the tuktuk brings you to a taylorshop where he gets free fuelcoupons, the taylor will tell you to buy a suit or 2 and he'll show you pictures of Armani suits and the lot which he can copy.

 

After that the tuktuk brings you to a thai handicraft shop where somebody is making artifacts for show, you can see it for a minute before going to the huge selling department where they all push you to buy their stuff.

 

So now the chinese thai bring the chinese tourists to their chinese uncles and their shops, not by tuktuk buy by coach.....same same krab....welcome to thailand.

[farcanell]

4 minutes ago, Thian said:

Thai style of sightseeing is you go in a tuktuk and he will bring you to the jewelryshop of his uncle where uncle and his staff unpack EVERYTHING so you feel guilty to not buy anything at extraordinary prices.

After that the tuktuk brings you to a taylorshop where he gets free fuelcoupons, the taylor will tell you to buy a suit or 2 and he'll show you pictures of Armani suits and the lot which he can copy.

 

After that the tuktuk brings you to a thai handicraft shop where somebody is making artifacts for show, you can see it for a minute before going to the huge selling department where they all push you to buy their stuff.

 

So now the chinese thai bring the chinese tourists to their chinese uncles and their shops, not by tuktuk buy by coach.....same same krab....welcome to thailand.

??????........ wait, wait... ?????... yer, yer... that’s the one!

 

[Nielsk]

19 minutes ago, Thian said:

Thai style of sightseeing is you go in a tuktuk and he will bring you to the jewelryshop of his uncle where uncle and his staff unpack EVERYTHING so you feel guilty to not buy anything at extraordinary prices.

After that the tuktuk brings you to a taylorshop where he gets free fuelcoupons, the taylor will tell you to buy a suit or 2 and he'll show you pictures of Armani suits and the lot which he can copy.

 

After that the tuktuk brings you to athai handicraft shop where somebody is making artifacts for show, you can see it for a minute before going to the huge selling department where they all push you to buy their stuff.

 

So now the chinese thai bring the chinese tourists to their chinese uncles and their shops, not by tuktuk buy by coach.....same same krab....welcome to thailand.

It all depends on  You own choise !  If You really want a serious and memorable sightseeing in Bangkok don't be a cheap Charley. Look for a professional guide. I did and got my self  a fantastic Thaiguide (former teacher) english speaking, showing us the historical places.Transportation by tuc tuc and longtail boats.  "Chufah Plienlaor"

[RichardColeman]

Just sit in KFC in Pattaya Central  and watch the idiots reenact Dunkirk every day on the beach.

[Henrik Andersen]

Thailand just get what they ask for why complain 555

[chrisandsu]

20 minutes ago, Nielsk said:

It all depends on  You own choise !  If You really want a serious and memorable sightseeing in Bangkok don't be a cheap Charley. Look for a professional guide. I did and got my self  a fantastic Thaiguide (former teacher) english speaking, showing us the historical places.Transportation by tuc tuc and longtail boats.  "Chufah Plienlaor"

Cheap Charley is such a low grade bar girl word . It’s a word a bar girl would use to guilt you into spending more then you should on her. The only thing you get is your ego massaged by being called geng jai (idiot)

[Ulic]

3 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

It must be absolutely ghastly to be on one of these 'prisoner tours'. But if you sent one of these people out to discover something on their own, they'd probably curl up into a ball, and start whimpering like a little lost child. 

True, but when you don't travel much, don't speak Thai or English, and when

the tour package is cheap as chips. It is easy to take the herd option and go

with the zero baht tour package. If you don't drown or get killed in a motor

vehicle accident, next time you can do the trip with a single friend or two. 

[Jimbo in Thailand]

I'm just wondering how much these "zero dollar" Chinese tourists appreciate the smoking ban on the beaches.  Well, that is, if they're even allowed to stroll on the beaches by the stingy 'kee-neeow' zero dollar tour group leader(s) since there's obviously no money in that activity for them.

[Thian]

14 minutes ago, Ulic said:

True, but when you don't travel much, don't speak Thai or English, and when

the tour package is cheap as chips. It is easy to take the herd option and go

with the zero baht tour package. If you don't drown or get killed in a motor

vehicle accident, next time you can do the trip with a single friend or two. 

Even when you do speak decent english it's better to book a grouptour, saves you much time, you avoid the scammers/bad places, get cheaper hoteldeals and no hassle booking those, easy transport without stress (only bad busdrivers in Thailand), and so on.

 

There is a reason it's called the Land of Scams so in a grouptour you might avoid all that.

[ChouDoufu]

3 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

It must be absolutely ghastly to be on one of these 'prisoner tours'. But if you sent one of these people out to discover something on their own, they'd probably curl up into a ball, and start whimpering like a little lost child. 

ghastly for you, not for the masses of chinese tourists.

these mass production line tours are custom made for the chinese.

this is the style of tourism they are accustomed to.

they likes it.

 

mainland china does not foster rugged individualism.

they are trained from birth to follow the crowd.

doing what everyone else does at the same time is programmed in.

[Anythingleft?]

Dodged? or just guided in a different direction to keep the trough full for as long as possible

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[car720]

3 hours ago, Ulic said:

True, but when you don't travel much, don't speak Thai or English, and when

the tour package is cheap as chips. It is easy to take the herd option and go

with the zero baht tour package. If you don't drown or get killed in a motor

vehicle accident, next time you can do the trip with a single friend or two. 

So true.  Just a few minutes ago my Chinese lady friend told me that she was taking her sister to Thailand and naturally I asked where.  She told me Pattaya and she could see by the way my face turned white that maybe it wasn't a good idea but she said to me that she cannot take her sister to the north or elsewhere because sister would get bored because she loves to do shopping.

Here is the real attraction for the Chinese.  Cheap shopping.

[wakeupplease]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

8.7 million

Only 8.7mill are you sure its that low?

[biggles45]

I got a laugh out of the "pretend" concern from the Thai officials about the poor consumers and the Thai image. Who are they kidding, its all about the loss of,the money into the right Thai pockets and it always will be. 

[trainman34014]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Just sit in KFC in Pattaya Central  and watch the idiots reenact Dunkirk every day on the beach.

Shame on you Sir; nobody is Bombing and Machine Gunning people on Pattaya Beach !

[Bluespunk]

9 hours ago, Thian said:

When we were in Hongkong we wanted to see the city so booked a citytour.

 

First they dumped our group in a jewelry shop where we had to stay for some hours, they unpacked all the gold and gems and there was no place to sit.

 

After that they dumped us in a basement and locked the door, inside was a load of merchandise from Disney all copy copy.

 

Then we had a boattour to see the lightshow...it was an overfull boat, we got coffee and a slice of cake and could see the highrise buildings from the water, those buildings have lights yes but there was no lightshow at all. The boat brought us back after 10-15 minutes and that was all.

 

 

 

You got off lightly

 

" in October 2015, a group of 19 Chinese tourists were taken to a jewellery shop in Hong Kong’s Hung Hom neighbourhood. An argument broke out after one of the visitors refused to make a purchase. Miao Chunqi, 53, a member of the group from Heilongjiang province, tried to intervene and was beaten up by four men. He was later certified dead in hospital."

[Nielsk]

6 hours ago, chrisandsu said:

Cheap Charley is such a low grade bar girl word . It’s a word a bar girl would use to guilt you into spending more then you should on her. The only thing you get is your ego massaged by being called geng jai (idiot)

You  must know as You obviously come in low grade bars contrary me.  Thank you for enlighten me......

[Thian]

24 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

You got off lightly

 

" in October 2015, a group of 19 Chinese tourists were taken to a jewellery shop in Hong Kong’s Hung Hom neighbourhood. An argument broke out after one of the visitors refused to make a purchase. Miao Chunqi, 53, a member of the group from Heilongjiang province, tried to intervene and was beaten up by four men. He was later certified dead in hospital."

On the kowloon nightmarket there was a tourist who made a remark about a product for sale on a stand, the old lady owner started yelling very loud and told him to Pee off chasing him with her broom. She followed him for 100 meter while cursing/yelling to him.

 

But there's nothing interesting to see in Hongkong so i won't go there again, only good thing was the yamazaki bakeries there which had much better products than the ones in thailand.

[mick220675]

The Chinese have the upper hand, the Thais will have to accept the Chinese ways. I would like to see a Thai try to stop a Chinese tourist smocking on the beach.

 

I was in Cambodia at siem reap airport, the security was stopping Chinese from passing thru security with flasks of tea. So the Chines one at a time poured there tea on the floor. Then a airport worker told a Chines man to stop smoking, so he gave his light cigarette to a young child. The child had a big drag and walked away.

 

 

[Heng]

Yeah, I heard a similar one.   Thai farmer tells a Chinese tourist back in 1800 and something that he couldn't smoke here.  So they came back and bought up the whole country and gave everyone jobs.  

[chrisandsu]

32 minutes ago, Heng said:

Yeah, I heard a similar one.   Thai farmer tells a Chinese tourist back in 1800 and something that he couldn't smoke here.  So they came back and bought up the whole country and gave everyone jobs.  

True . But those same people could be the ones complaining about zero baht tours ! When cheap meets cheap no one gets anywhere ! Why do you think they leave in the first place ? Much like India , they barter to the point of no one making anything . 

[Johnnyngai]

13 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

ghastly for you, not for the masses of chinese tourists.

these mass production line tours are custom made for the chinese.

this is the style of tourism they are accustomed to.

they likes it.

 

mainland china does not foster rugged individualism.

they are trained from birth to follow the crowd.

doing what everyone else does at the same time is programmed in.

Even today, once you travel out of the four major cities, China is third world everywhere.

People in Third world countries can't afford the luxury of individualism, they have no choice but to follow the crowd.

 

 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, mok199 said:

Thailand spent years courting the Chinese , ''Come to Amazing Thailand''.,now they have them...and they don't fit the ''profile''of what Thailand wants..i live ground zero in pattaya and I see Chinese many seniors,im sure on a low budget,but Thailand is unhappy the guests are not spending enough, on over priced ''made in Thailand shinny sh*t'' ,so they herd the touists into shops and markets, and refuse to return hotel keys for some who don't spend what Thailand feels is ''the correct amount''...Shamless Thailand Politicians at a new low... ..

How can you speak so ill of our wonderful 'hosts'?......

Edited January 28, 2018 by jacko45k