If Thais dislike tourists so much, why don't they try harder to cut their dependence on tourism?

[BestB]

12 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

No. I suggest you see the real Thailand, ie away from the tourist traps. The places that don't survive, thrive or need a tourist dollar.

These are the places that have not been spoilt by you, the tourist. And are still, the Real Thailand.

Which village in Isaan are you referring to?

[mogandave]

You even repeated the questions? Great imagination to match the trolling 

I’m not trying to match your trolling.

Is that what we’re down to?

[mogandave]

Which village in Isaan are you referring to?

Why do you assume he’s referring to a village in Isaan?

I live in Bangkok and do not seem to suffer all the abuse the OP and (apparently) you seem to suffer...

Maybe you guys are projecting...

[BestB]

13 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

Why do you assume he’s referring to a village in Isaan?

I live in Bangkok and do not seem to suffer all the abuse the OP and (apparently) you seem to suffer...

Maybe you guys are projecting...

 

What does abuse have to do with tourist dollars or encounters with tourists? 

 

Sure, not all tourists like to go down nameless side streets which you call home, but what does that have to do with matter at hand 

[DieterWiehe]

On 7/31/2018 at 11:18 AM, koimiloi said:

I get that. Many of us coming here don't behave ourselves too well. But tourists have been coming to Thailand in big numbers for a long, long time. If the Thais don't like it, why can't they develop other industries?

The do like the walking ATM machines

[koimiloi]

41 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

Why do you assume he’s referring to a village in Isaan?

I live in Bangkok and do not seem to suffer all the abuse the OP and (apparently) you seem to suffer...

Maybe you guys are projecting...

 

If you'd read my original post clearly I was referring mainly to experiences in places other than Bangkok. 

 

[koimiloi]

16 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

That 20% is not what foreign tourist bring in, it is a total of everything what has to do with tourism Thai tourist included.

 

https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-2017/thailand2017.pdf

The majority of that 20% comes from foreign tourists and visitors. If you visit any resort or major attraction, the vast majority of visitors are foreigners. Not to mention Thais pay much less than non-Thais.

[FritsSikkink]

3 minutes ago, koimiloi said:

The majority of that 20% comes from foreign tourists and visitors. If you visit any resort or major attraction, the vast majority of visitors are foreigners. Not to mention Thais pay much less than non-Thais.

Have even read the PDF?

[koimiloi]

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I do not know where you visited. But, I find what you said applies to some extent in Pattaya, Samui and Phuket. Most of the people who deal with tourists there are jaded and alot are unpleasant. I do not find this attitude anywhere else in Thailand. I find most Thai people to be kind, helpful, delightful, fun loving, and light hearted. Would rather be around them, than the bitter, disenfranchised, sourpuss, unfriendly, cold, distant Americans I encounter whenever I go back there. The exception being some hispanics, and some blacks and asians. White people in America bring so little to the table. It is the people of color that give America whatever greatness it has remaining. 

I was indeed visiting the south. 
 

17 hours ago, shy coconut said:

It seems that you have looked up Thailand on Wikipedia!

Wrong. Combination of the news, talking to a few expats in Thailand, and just reading bits about Thailand's past. 

[koimiloi]

11 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Have even read the PDF?

I have. Did you? 
See page 6. International tourists make up 79.2% of total tourism spending, while domestic tourism makes up the remainder.

[mogandave]

If you'd read my original post clearly I was referring mainly to experiences in places other than Bangkok. 

 

If you’d been following along, you’d know the “he” I was was referring to in the post was not you.

My reference to you was only to point out that in Bangkok, I do not suffer the same abuses you (apparently) claim Thailand is rife with.

Sorry for the confusion.

[mogandave]

What does abuse have to do with tourist dollars or encounters with tourists? 
 
Sure, not all tourists like to go down nameless side streets which you call home, but what does that have to do with matter at hand 

I understand how confusing this must be to you, but tourists being abused has a direct negative impact on tourist dollars and how tourists view their encounters with the locals.

Do your feeble attempts at ridicule make you feel better about yourself?

[FritsSikkink]

19 minutes ago, koimiloi said:

I have. Did you? 
See page 6. International tourists make up 79.2% of total tourism spending, while domestic tourism makes up the remainder.

Didn't understand it though: total tourist spending doesn't make up the 20%, there are loads of other spending's too in this figure like government spending.

[koimiloi]

28 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

If you’d been following along, you’d know the “he” I was was referring to in the post was not you.

My reference to you was only to point out that in Bangkok, I do not suffer the same abuses you (apparently) claim Thailand is rife with.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

You referred to me with "OP" which is why I replied  to you. I know "he" was another poster. 

[koimiloi]

8 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Didn't understand it though: total tourist spending doesn't make up the 20%, there are loads of other spending's too in this figure like government spending.

Direct spending is what tourists spend. Total spending includes government or corporate spending on airplanes for the airlines, hotels, roads in holiday destinations, catering, and sanitation etc.

[mogandave]

You referred to me with "OP" which is why I replied  to you. I know "he" was another poster. 

Was that not clear in my response to you?

I never claimed you had ever been to Bangkok when you made your blanket generalizations about how poorly Thais treated tourists.

I was merely pointing out that in Bangkok, I was generally not treated poorly by Thais.

Is that more clear?

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, koimiloi said:

Direct spending is what tourists spend. Total spending includes government or corporate spending on airplanes for the airlines, hotels, roads in holiday destinations, catering, and sanitation etc.

Yes, so the direct spending of foreign tourists is just a fraction of the 20%.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

 

If you’d been following along, you’d know the “he” I was was referring to in the post was not you.

My reference to you was only to point out that in Bangkok, I do not suffer the same abuses you (apparently) claim Thailand is rife with.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

I completely agree. I find the locals in Bangkok to be some of the most well adjusted people I have ever come across, in a major world capital, especially a major capital in a developing country. Most are delightful. Most seem fulfilled, and few have the kind of angst and bitterness you would find in most big cities in the US, for example. 

[mogandave]

I completely agree. I find the locals in Bangkok to be some of the most well adjusted people I have ever come across, in a major world capital, especially a major capital in a developing country. Most are delightful. Most seem fulfilled, and few have the kind of angst and bitterness you would find in most big cities in the US, for example. 

You clearly hang with a different crowd when in the US than I do.

[koimiloi]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I completely agree. I find the locals in Bangkok to be some of the most well adjusted people I have ever come across, in a major world capital, especially a major capital in a developing country. Most are delightful. Most seem fulfilled, and few have the kind of angst and bitterness you would find in most big cities in the US, for example. 

I think Bangkok is actually one of the better capitals in a developing country. But is it a good thing that it is so much developed than the rest of the country?

 

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Yes, so the direct spending of foreign tourists is just a fraction of the 20%.

More like a significant amount than a "fraction." Much of that government spending would also not be happening if it wasn't for tourists. 

[mogandave]

More like a significant amount than a "fraction." Much of that government spending would also not be happening if it wasn't for tourists. 

And all the money the government spends it takes from the citizenry one way or another.

Assuming the bottom did not drop out completely, a steady decline in tourism would not be a huge problem.

[BestB]

6 hours ago, mogandave said:

 

I understand how confusing this must be to you, but tourists being abused has a direct negative impact on tourist dollars and how tourists view their encounters with the locals.

Do your feeble attempts at ridicule make you feel better about yourself?

 

More trolling , I never said tourists were abused.

 

 

[mogandave]

More trolling , I never said tourists were abused.
 
 

You don’t need to preface every post by declaring it a troll.

In any event, I think treating tourists poorly is the same as abusing them, you don’t, whatever.

[BestB]

43 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

You don’t need to preface every post by declaring it a troll.

In any event, I think treating tourists poorly is the same as abusing them, you don’t, whatever.
 

 

Again nothing but troll comments, totally unrelated to my posts.

If your aim is to win troll competition, you are doing really well.

 

 

[mogandave]

1 hour ago, BestB said:

Again nothing but troll comments, totally unrelated to my posts.

If your aim is to win troll competition, you are doing really well.

 

 

That's all ya got, really?

 

Weak

[jimster]

On 7/31/2018 at 3:49 PM, morrobay said:

Sure Thais make things  , that is from foreigners setting up manufacturing and production for export. Without FDI and tourism in Thailand take a look at Laos. And by the way even Stevie Wonder could see that Thais dislike foreigners.  

Laos is also heavily reliant on tourism, otherwise it's got mining, resource extraction such as logging and hydropower. Most countries in SE Asia are heavily reliant on tourism, this includes Singapore.

[jimster]

On 8/3/2018 at 4:24 PM, koimiloi said:

Oh dear, maybe I should get cosmetic surgery, which ironically Thailand is good at. Seriously speaking, maybe I might have that 'sort of face' but I've traveled to many countries in Asia without encountering as much arrogance and passive hostility like in Thailand. Considering I didn't know those guys outside my hotel and didn't say anything to them, I don't see how my personality has anything to do with it. 

 

 

The people in Venice are begging for less tourists. In my experience, people in Paris or Rome act indifferent to visitors.    

According to the Thai government itself, tourism accounted for almost 18% of income.
http://investvine.com/thailands-dependence-tourism-reaches-critical-dimensions/
"Economy-wise, Thailand’s reliance on tourism is unhealthy as it seems to be the only organic growth driver for the country under the current military administration, the only other (non-organic) being public project spending. And it is also confined to a few regions, mainly Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chonburi and the southern islands, which means that distribution of tourism income is highly disproportionate and does neither contribute to rural development nor balance nationwide incomes."

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/tourism-made-whopping-17-thailands-income-last-year/
By the way, is that woman on the left in the photo Thai? Damn, she's stunning. 

Are you sure those guys outside your hotel were Thai and not Chinese, Indonesian or something else?

 

I am very good at identifying who's what nationality and in tourist areas there are lots of tourists and most are Asian. Many could pass for Thai at first glance, but look a bit closer and it becomes apparent they aren't. Even if you don't speak/understand Thai. Also, no Thai wears a singlet and very short shorts, but Asian tourists do.

[jimster]

On 8/1/2018 at 8:10 AM, cmsally said:

Herein lies yours answer. (above)

You obviously know little about the history,politics and economics of Thailand.

 

Getting back to tourism specifically, a lot of the workers these days are just low salaried employees. Many of the owner operated businesses have disappeared.

If you come across one of the owner operated/family businesses that are still "hands on", you will see the difference. 

Plenty of family/owner operated businesses in Thailand, but unsurprisingly, these will tend to be located in upcountry towns and cities, not in large cities like Bangkok. They haven't necessarily disappeared, only relocated or were never to be found in some places to begin with.

[Bill Miller]

Learn a little Thai language, and don't be one sided with the "land of smiles"  routine.
I have only been here for four years, but find if you smile at almost anyone here when you meet their eyes they will smile back. They seem to appreciate my poor attempts to speak the language. Also, I am somewhat crippled, and get a helping hand quite often, which I would not in the states. Not so much in Bkk where the world cynicism is becoming entrenched. Young men especially could give a toss about the signs on the BTS instructing people to give up their seats for the elderly, etc., while middle aged women will often offer me a seat. Imported transnational rudeness.

 

[koimiloi]

11 hours ago, jimster said:

Are you sure those guys outside your hotel were Thai and not Chinese, Indonesian or something else?

 

I am very good at identifying who's what nationality and in tourist areas there are lots of tourists and most are Asian. Many could pass for Thai at first glance, but look a bit closer and it becomes apparent they aren't. Even if you don't speak/understand Thai. Also, no Thai wears a singlet and very short shorts, but Asian tourists do.

Those guys outside my hotel were staff of the other hotels on the street, not tourists. As the street I stayed on was practically deserted at night, they were hanging outside doing nothing. 

 

10 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

Learn a little Thai language, and don't be one sided with the "land of smiles"  routine.
I have only been here for four years, but find if you smile at almost anyone here when you meet their eyes they will smile back. They seem to appreciate my poor attempts to speak the language. Also, I am somewhat crippled, and get a helping hand quite often, which I would not in the states. Not so much in Bkk where the world cynicism is becoming entrenched. Young men especially could give a toss about the signs on the BTS instructing people to give up their seats for the elderly, etc., while middle aged women will often offer me a seat. Imported transnational rudeness.

 

I've heard that sometimes when Thais smile, they don't actually mean it. I've had Thais try to scam me and they were smiling in a way that was obviously not friendly. In my experience, Thais are in the middle, more easygoing than Japanese and much more polite than the Chinese, but not as polite as Taiwanese or friendly as Vietnamese.
I didn't mean to imply all Thais dislike tourists but that it seems a lot do. I've met a few very polite and friendly Thais too.