I am very sorry if I am being racist, bit I must admit that as a regular visitor to Pattaya and Bangkok, I am here 4/5 months a year, I am now totally fed up with the indian tourist men in Pattaya. I am sure they are doing what comes naturally but the gang approach to ladies on the beach road or anywhere they are “ hunting” annoys me intensely and they seem to show little if any respect. I have changed hotels now because of the groups of young men in the swimming pool oogling my lady and some only wearing jocks ! Apologies to any decent well behaved Indian visitors ! Several ladies have also told me me they are afraid to go with them as there may be others waiting on the room . Enough said. 

3 minutes ago, terryofcrete said:

I am very sorry if I am being racist, bit I must admit that as a regular visitor to Pattaya and Bangkok, I am here 4/5 months a year, I am now totally fed up with the indian tourist men in Pattaya. I am sure they are doing what comes naturally but the gang approach to ladies on the beach road or anywhere they are “ hunting” annoys me intensely and they seem to show little if any respect. I have changed hotels now because of the groups of young men in the swimming pool oogling my lady and some only wearing jocks ! Apologies to any decent well behaved Indian visitors ! Several ladies have also told me me they are afraid to go with them as there may be others waiting on the room . Enough said. 

Apologies to any decent well behaved Indian visitors !

 

^^ Would be very difficult to find them!

 

4 hours ago, ravip said:

 Yesterday evening at 7 PM , I saw a Western family (Mum, Dad & two 5-10 year olds) being asked to leave a bar by the Police , assumingly because they were underaged in a bar

 

Is that a good thing or bad?

(Two 5-10 year olds enjoying life at a bar? With their parents? Did it need the THAI Police to teach the parents that a bar is NOT the place for such young children? Just askin' as I dont know) 

Were the kids drinking alcohol? Was it in a gogo bar with nude girls?

 

2 hours ago, terryofcrete said:

I am very sorry if I am being racist, bit I must admit that as a regular visitor to Pattaya and Bangkok, I am here 4/5 months a year, I am now totally fed up with the indian tourist men in Pattaya. I am sure they are doing what comes naturally but the gang approach to ladies on the beach road or anywhere they are “ hunting” annoys me intensely and they seem to show little if any respect. I have changed hotels now because of the groups of young men in the swimming pool oogling my lady and some only wearing jocks ! Apologies to any decent well behaved Indian visitors ! Several ladies have also told me me they are afraid to go with them as there may be others waiting on the room . Enough said. 

If u would upgrade from ur 2 star hotel to a 3 star hotel u will nolonger see Indians.

4 hours ago, ravip said:

 Yesterday evening at 7 PM , I saw a Western family (Mum, Dad & two 5-10 year olds) being asked to leave a bar by the Police , assumingly because they were underaged in a bar

 

Is that a good thing or bad?

(Two 5-10 year olds enjoying life at a bar? With their parents? Did it need the THAI Police to teach the parents that a bar is NOT the place for such young children? Just askin' as I dont know) 

It might depend on where the family is from, and if they could tell whether it’s a bar or restaurant.  In Canada there are many places that turn from family-friendly to adults-only around 9pm.  Usually they are sports bars, pubs, and hybrid restaurants/clubs

Yeah, have been here 12 years in row(3-4 weeks holiday), and the first time started to think … no more. Maybe time to move somewhere else, there is still plenty of nice places to

visit and chance to have great journeys. Just god damn too expensive to eat in the decent restaurants and drink few beers...and not even talk about bars, yet. One night there and your 

wallet screams mercy. Both food and drinks are less expensive, almost anywhere else than in Bangkok nowadays, really needs to get out to smaller cities, where its still a little

bit like the old days. Service is poor and people look like back home, where it has more like punishment to work in restaurants etc. for some reason...or maybe its even better now

compared what you get in Bangkok. Hotel reservation has been always great joke, full booked, yeah, sure. We got "the last room" in one big hotel out of Bangkok. Saw around 10 people

during one week on the breakfast, pool, lobby etc. and hotel has +100 rooms...but full booked, no rooms… So Vietnam or Cambodia, its going to be next time or maybe take longer

trip and see few Aussie kangaroos….

As great as it is, most likely expense and hassle. 

44 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

If u would upgrade from ur 2 star hotel to a 3 star hotel u will nolonger see Indians.

... or just avoid Pattaya.

5 hours ago, ravip said:

 Yesterday evening at 7 PM , I saw a Western family (Mum, Dad & two 5-10 year olds) being asked to leave a bar by the Police , assumingly because they were underaged in a bar

 

Is that a good thing or bad?

(Two 5-10 year olds enjoying life at a bar? With their parents? Did it need the THAI Police to teach the parents that a bar is NOT the place for such young children? Just askin' as I dont know) 

 

situation like that would not be so weird in France, Italy or Greece.

 

A post has been reported and removed.  

I have been reading the same whining for 20 years and the tourists keep coming. Coming from the good old USA, I can tell you that everything is nice and cheap. The infrastructure is better than anywhere else in SE Asia and there is more to do. Sure, if you want boredom, go to Hanoi or *shudder* Vientiane....tell me whats to do in Phnom Pehn on a Wednesday?

 

Maybe if you want to live in the sticks, some other country is better, although I will say that Thai villages sure look better than Lao ones.

 

 

The massive increase in the number of Indians coming to and setting up stores in Pattaya is at some point going to drive away all the Europeans who do not wish to vacation in Bombay ?

18 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Not if you have the printing contract.

That would a family company owned by the PM

But  I will give you another reason why they have dropped Long queues at the airport. Treating Farang second grade and probably some of the dirtiest beaches in the world filled with scammers The immigration officers here are the most unfriendly rudest people I have ever met. You say "Hello" they don't even acknowledge you. I recently went to Laos and went to the window to get my passport stamped for departure. I came to the window and this arse hole and mind it was a woman in uniform was so bloody rude. I said hello she kept her head down and then starting going right off because I forgot to fill in my departure card It was an honest mistake I said sorry and said give it back I will do it No reply and she did it and after that started shooing me away like a fly. That is what Thais think of foreigners.  Mind you there was no-one behind me so I was not holding up anybody. She was so rude she even forgot to give me an arrival card to re-enter Thailand. There was hardly any pressure on her as it is not like a plane landing. They want to take a leaf out of the Dutch immigration people. Nice smile and hello that is all that needs to be said 

It is Summer in Europe, and rainy season  in Thailand, so why would lots of

people want to go enjoy rains when they can go around Europe and the Med Sea a lot

cheaper?

I’d like to see statistics on the ages of Western tourists to Thailand.  My bet is that the average age is rising, as fewer young Westerners visit.  Thailand is less exotic than it was a couple of decades ago, and other SEA countries have become a lot more accessible (not to mention cheaper and less jaded of foreigners).

World Cup.

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9 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

The massive increase in the number of Indians coming to and setting up stores in Pattaya is at some point going to drive away all the Europeans who do not wish to vacation in Bombay ?

Yep, you can only buy so many shirts. ?

You made me think of the goon show where neddy segoon is asked by the waiter 'what does the dirt encrusted sahib require?'

( Peter Sellers in an Indian voice )

??

Edited August 1, 20187 yr by overherebc

26 minutes ago, Canuckabroad said:

I’d like to see statistics on the ages of Western tourists to Thailand.  My bet is that the average age is rising, as fewer young Westerners visit.  Thailand is less exotic than it was a couple of decades ago, and other SEA countries have become a lot more accessible (not to mention cheaper and less jaded of foreigners).

And a lot less erotic, or maybe thats my age. ?

Maybe the numbers of Russians has plateaued. I think in the last 10 years most european tourist numbers have been pretty static.

6 hours ago, Canuckabroad said:

I’d like to see statistics on the ages of Western tourists to Thailand.  My bet is that the average age is rising, as fewer young Westerners visit.  Thailand is less exotic than it was a couple of decades ago, and other SEA countries have become a lot more accessible (not to mention cheaper and less jaded of foreigners).

The thrill of the unknown has long gone, so less adventurous young people. Also, cheap huts on the beaches thing of the past, Thai beaches too expensive now. 

If I was 30 years younger, I wouldn't be visiting LOS either. It's changed beyond recognition since I first arrived. The sanuk has gone along with the smile.

10 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

But  I will give you another reason why they have dropped Long queues at the airport. Treating Farang second grade and probably some of the dirtiest beaches in the world filled with scammers The immigration officers here are the most unfriendly rudest people I have ever met. You say "Hello" they don't even acknowledge you. I recently went to Laos and went to the window to get my passport stamped for departure. I came to the window and this arse hole and mind it was a woman in uniform was so bloody rude. I said hello she kept her head down and then starting going right off because I forgot to fill in my departure card It was an honest mistake I said sorry and said give it back I will do it No reply and she did it and after that started shooing me away like a fly. That is what Thais think of foreigners.  Mind you there was no-one behind me so I was not holding up anybody. She was so rude she even forgot to give me an arrival card to re-enter Thailand. There was hardly any pressure on her as it is not like a plane landing. They want to take a leaf out of the Dutch immigration people. Nice smile and hello that is all that needs to be said 

I find the airport immigration officers to be the worst out of all the countries I've been to. They're either stone-faced and rude, like you say, or they're chatting away with their colleague in the next booth. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, except when you've lined up for over 20 minutes in a slow moving line. 

10 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

But  I will give you another reason why they have dropped Long queues at the airport. Treating Farang second grade and probably some of the dirtiest beaches in the world filled with scammers The immigration officers here are the most unfriendly rudest people I have ever met. You say "Hello" they don't even acknowledge you. I recently went to Laos and went to the window to get my passport stamped for departure. I came to the window and this arse hole and mind it was a woman in uniform was so bloody rude. I said hello she kept her head down and then starting going right off because I forgot to fill in my departure card It was an honest mistake I said sorry and said give it back I will do it No reply and she did it and after that started shooing me away like a fly. That is what Thais think of foreigners.  Mind you there was no-one behind me so I was not holding up anybody. She was so rude she even forgot to give me an arrival card to re-enter Thailand. There was hardly any pressure on her as it is not like a plane landing. They want to take a leaf out of the Dutch immigration people. Nice smile and hello that is all that needs to be said 

 

Thai immigration compares well with US immigration, same shit, rude, not polite, unfriendly

On 7/31/2018 at 2:40 PM, dave moir said:

Not T.A.T it's A.O.T that says there's less European tourists! What do they expect when bars have to close between 2-5pm and close at 12 midnight then close on buddha days and any other days the junta feels like!!! Over the last 3 years I've seen a big decline in European tourists around Chiang Mai.

I guess 7/11 is a bar on your world.  Take it as gospel bars do not close between 2 and 5 and most stay open after midnight. 

The religious closes I can see your point.  Try getting  a beer in Oz on Good Friday or Christmas. Day 

More Chinese = Less Europeans. Same with Russians. All my Euro friends that used to come every year have now found new places, mostly closer in Portugal, Spain, etc. All tell the reason is too many Russians or Chinese.

1 hour ago, koimiloi said:

I find the airport immigration officers to be the worst out of all the countries I've been to. They're either stone-faced and rude, like you say, or they're chatting away with their colleague in the next booth. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal, except when you've lined up for over 20 minutes in a slow moving line. 

Came through swampy on Sunday.  2 people in the queue..... Straight through no problem. 

However at DMK domestic on Tuesday I got stopped by 3 police as I walked into the departures section before even checking on.  All good and had a laugh with them about Isaan food.  They did take photos of my passport front page,  permission to stay stamp and departure card. 

I wonder how many overstayed they will catch if this is the new normal. Might be a heads up to those who say they only use their  Thai DL when travelling on domestic flights. 

1 hour ago, melvinmelvin said:

 

Thai immigration compares well with US immigration, same shit, rude, not polite, unfriendly

 

and yes, Russia and Iran are also pretty bad, Germany no good either

 

This will be the first year in 8 that we won't be returning to Thailand for our monthly Christmas trip.

 

It's a combination of things, but the huge groups of Chinese don't help.... there were certain times that we got peeved off over the past few years and this year we've decided we'll go elsewhere.

 

That said, maybe we were also bothering the Chinese being in their presence (2 of us, 30's, European) .... sitting in the corner, minding our own business. To be fair, it's not like that they affected our holidays much.... one funny incident was on an island (national park), everyone diligently Q'ing for the (ladies) bathroom (including young Chinese girls), when an old bat (Chinese) began to skip the Q... not a peep from the young Chinese girls (I think this is the norm... older = respect) .... my GF wasn't long telling her to get to the back of the line (which to be fair, she did)

 

Will Thailand miss our few thousand €€ spend? Doubt it. Do we expect to be asked back with open arms? Absolutely not, we know we won't be missed.

Edited August 1, 20187 yr by alt

1 hour ago, tryasimight said:

Came through swampy on Sunday.  2 people in the queue..... Straight through no problem. 

However at DMK domestic on Tuesday I got stopped by 3 police as I walked into the departures section before even checking on.  All good and had a laugh with them about Isaan food.  They did take photos of my passport front page,  permission to stay stamp and departure card. 

I wonder how many overstayed they will catch if this is the new normal. Might be a heads up to those who say they only use their  Thai DL when travelling on domestic flights. 

It's the low season now and there aren't that many tourists so going through immigration at swampy is easier. 
There's no reason the police should take photos of your passport and departure card if you aren't in trouble. hope they don't do that too much.  
 

On 7/31/2018 at 3:06 AM, Get Real said:

There must be a simple explaination for this, right? I just had it on my tounge, but it seems like it slipped away like the tourists.

 

  The exchange rate, perhaps?