"We are not coming back" : Tourists give the thumbs down to Khao San Road changes

[NoshowJones]

15 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Go to Chatuchack  or Rathchada market if that's what you want... what's the problem!

Why do the traders have to take over the pavement & street?

As long as the traders, or vendors leave a clear passage for pedestrians, I don't see the problem.

[mfd101]

7 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

That sounds nice.

 

Just one small problem.

 

What do you think the governing clique wants?

 

Oh, by the way, who in that governing clique gives a **** about what "those of us who live here dream of" ?

 

 

My basic point remains: The interests of residents (whether Thai or 'Western') are not the same as those of tourists.

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

Do not panic, these moves will allow/ make it easier for Chinese tour buses to get in and out.

Chinese shops and restaurants will take over , the buses will let them off, they will be directed to shop and eat, create havoc drop butts all over the place, throw food scraps on the floor or leave on table cloth , then be picked up for next stop. Pattaya.

You forgot to mention crapping on the kerbside.

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, colinneil said:

Yes i do, been there several times in the last 21 years.

I just hope the fake IDs, presscards stall etc doesn't go. Or my trips to the UK will be in jeopardy. 

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, JennaBurrows said:

 

So ban street food, vendors, and all street culture cos you have a few dudes selling fake id's? 

 

Yes, let's close Disneyland down in Shanghai because at the entrance there are people selling forged tickets. Let's close down Casinos in Las Vegas because there are men handing out 'sex for sale' cards with prostitutes. Furthermore we should also close down the area around the Eiffel Tower in Paris as it's full of pick pockets.

 

Incidentally you can buy fake id's in pretty  much any city you visit, even in London's Brick Lane Market - openly. 

Really! Anywhere in Glasgow? I hope not for obvious reasons.

[NoshowJones]

14 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

I think you have it right. The Chinese tour buses need a place to park. The Chinese tourist will not care about the character of KSR they will just want a picture of themselves there and then leave for next tour bus stop.

I don't think there will be too many Chinese going to Khaosan Road, I don't know of any "all you can eat"

buffets in that area.

[manarak]

52 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Correct, you mean like sorting out how to reduce the carnage on the roads.

yes, that among other things that are in dire need of regulations and control, such as

traffic

education

vocational training certificates

big game corruption

labor regulations

...

 

instead they concentrate on chasing street vendors away from places where said vendors were part of the icon tourists were coming for.

[yellowboat]

2 hours ago, JennaBurrows said:

 

They want to be Singapore. But they don't even have a fraction of the wealth Singapore has. They plan to do this by somehow destroying 20% of their GDP that comes from tourism. 

 

Makes sense. 

Exactly, screw up the most iconic tourist center in Thailand.  Most journeys start there.  Ask many a young person where did the land and where did they stay.  Many will say Bangkok and Khaosan Road.  You have pointed out that this government cannot think and is prone to making very bad decisions.  Suthep will be able to explain it away.  The serious dumbness of it all is just sad.  They are destroying all that was wonderful. 

[moutamine]

Bangkok cannot stay a slump forever.  Backpackers economy is shit compared to high end tourism like South of France and Hong Kong.  BKK is cleaning itself up and organizing the city to get up to standard with other major cities in the world.  We don't need these ugly looking college kids from Scandinavia and Europe to come visit with their tank top and slippers.  What this city needs is to attracted the rich and famous and revamp its image and jump start its reputation.  No more hookers and African pushers on Sukhumvit, no more tuktuk blasting there their music at night.

 

If you want crazyness, dirty streets and fake shit go to Laos, Burma or India... There plenty other shitty places in the world for that.

I'm all good with this new venture that the gvmt is undertaking!!

 

 

[MaxYakov]

32 minutes ago, manarak said:

yes, that among other things that are in dire need of regulations and control, such as

traffic

education

vocational training certificates

big game corruption

labor regulations

...

 

instead they concentrate on chasing street vendors away from places where said vendors were part of the icon tourists were coming for.

The low-hanging fruit syndrome. The items you listed are too difficult.

Edited August 8, 2018 by MaxYakov

[Ramdas]

Another bad idea ?  I feel sorry for the food street vendors more than anything.. They’ve lost their businesses and naturally all kinds of people walking by.. The main reason of coming to Thailand was to do because of the affordable price  and all kinds of food it had to offer.. Apart from the weather I don’t see any other reason of coming here since the prices have gone way up hence tourists tends to go elsewhere, I don’t understand why discriminate back packers and anyone who’s on a low budget for that matter, apart from trying to take advantage of the unaware  tourists who come here  by ripping them off, nothing makes sense anymore ??‍♂️

Ps; why making the rich happier ?! 

 

[cmsally]

28 minutes ago, moutamine said:

Bangkok cannot stay a slump forever.  Backpackers economy is shit compared to high end tourism like South of France and Hong Kong.  BKK is cleaning itself up and organizing the city to get up to standard with other major cities in the world.  We don't need these ugly looking college kids from Scandinavia and Europe to come visit with their tank top and slippers.  What this city needs is to attracted the rich and famous and revamp its image and jump start its reputation.  No more hookers and African pushers on Sukhumvit, no more tuktuk blasting there their music at night.

 

If you want crazyness, dirty streets and fake shit go to Laos, Burma or India... There plenty other shitty places in the world for that.

I'm all good with this new venture that the gvmt is undertaking!!

 

 

A lot of the rich and famous used to come to BKK, but not so many these days.

 

I find the "ugly looking college kids" sentence a very odd thing to say. Most of them look way healthier and better looking than locals (who are now largely overweight and pasty, because of their processed food diets).

[greenmonkey]

From what I understand most Thai's look down on backpackers (they call them farang kee nok - birdshit foreigner). My wifes auntie often refers to me as this because I often wear cheap flip flops!!! The Thai authorities are also of this view and want to attract a 'better' class of foreigner. In their heads they think that by westernising Thailand they can achieve this.... it's crazy. They don't realise that the majority of tourists come here for the 'craziness' that is Thailand. They come for the trillions of food stalls.... the markets.... late night bars and restaurants..... the crazy tuk tuk rides.... etc etc.

[moutamine]

4 minutes ago, cmsally said:

A lot of the rich and famous used to come to BKK, but not so many these days.

 

I find the "ugly looking college kids" sentence a very odd thing to say. Most of them look way healthier and better looking than locals (who are now largely overweight and pasty, because of their processed food diets).

I didn't mean literally that they are ugly...of course they are in good health and shape... they are young after all.  I meant the sloppy looking kind... The ones that actually dress down like drunk kids because they think Bangkok is a shithole and therefore think its ok to look like Hobos. Whenever I see them walking on Sukhumvit with their bathingsuit shorts and tank top, and see all the nicely dress Thai people with nice pants and pretty dresses, I'm ashamed of my fellow foreigners.

[cmsally]

2 minutes ago, moutamine said:

I didn't mean literally that they are ugly...of course they are in good health and shape... they are young after all.  I meant the sloppy looking kind... The ones that actually dress down like drunk kids because they think Bangkok is a shithole and therefore think its ok to look like Hobos. Whenever I see them walking on Sukhumvit with their bathingsuit shorts and tank top, and see all the nicely dress Thai people with nice pants and pretty dresses, I'm ashamed of my fellow foreigners.

You expect them to wear suits and dresses on holiday in a hot climate !!

[spiroinusa1]

The world is changing. Kao son road changed years ago. It was cool then. now it's totally commercial. Try "street food' BAZAR  near train station. Bangkoks a big place. go see it.

[overherebc]

15 minutes ago, cmsally said:

You expect them to wear suits and dresses on holiday in a hot climate !!

A clean pair of shorts and a T shirt isn't that much to ask?

As my old RSM said 'it takes no effort to look like a bag of sh-t tied in the middle with an old bit of rope.'

Same effort required for clean shorts and T shirt in my mind.

[Jim walker]

Where do the backpackers go to now when they come to Bangkok every student around the world new where to go on their gap year heading for Cambodia 

[elgenon]

On 8/7/2018 at 7:54 AM, Thaiwrath said:

Should start with Sukhumvit Soi 3 !

Do you mean 3/1? 3 doesn't seem that bad to me.

Yes Khaosan has lost its charm. Does The General want Thailand to emulate Singapore? I definitely like some of the cleaning up but people go to Khaosan for the craziness. Or did.

Chatachuk should be cleaned up to look like Walmart!!!! Huh? What?

[elgenon]

I don't remember the name of the soi but it is where Liberty Square is on Silom. I went to get my usual somtam and all the vendors had been changed. What's going on there?

[CLW]

Do you mean 3/1? 3 doesn't seem that bad to me.

Yes Khaosan has lost its charm. Does The General want Thailand to emulate Singapore? I definitely like some of the cleaning up but people go to Khaosan for the craziness. Or did.

Chatachuk should be cleaned up to look like Walmart!!!! Huh? What?

Thai administration and government always want want want but the result is zero. They see something abroad that they like and trying to implement this here without having any knowledge. Just blowing hot air and wasting money. Best example is the phrase Thailand 4.0 or now better to be referred as Thailand 0.4

 

[elgenon]

9 minutes ago, CLW said:

Thai administration and government always want want want but the result is zero. They see something abroad that they like and trying to implement this here without having any knowledge. Just blowing hot air and wasting money. Best example is the phrase Thailand 4.0 or now better to be referred as Thailand 0.4

 

When I read the Post there are amazing stories of how well Thailand is doing. Then I read the business news.The GDP is good because of the infrastructure programs. But where does all that money come from? My understanding is that their tax collection is not efficient.

[scorecard]

On 8/7/2018 at 8:11 AM, Thian said:

So now the Indian tailors have nobody to harass on the sidewalks? And the poor tribal lady with the frog who always harassed me while eating in a restaurant is also gone? Oh i will miss them so much.

 

And all those fake Nike slippers which break in 2 days and become waste, the tourists still miss those? 

 

They should open a nice market close to kao sarn and real shops in the fronts, taxi's on the street waiting...i don't see the problem.

 

Further, just wondering who asked the tourists, and how many tourists, whether they would come back?

 

OIC, someone asked 4 tourists using a loaded question... then we have a big font headline 'tourists say they won't come back.'

 

 

[Rally123]

On 8/7/2018 at 8:12 AM, darksidedog said:

Further proof that stupid people always find a way to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Tourists dont go there for a sanitised environment and clearly won't go at all if this idiocy continues.

That is wrong. Take Singapore in the early 70s. A shit hole somewhat similar to Bangkok now. Now look at Singapore, and tell me they made the wrong decision.

[scorecard]

4 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

That is wrong. Take Singapore in the early 70s. A shit hole somewhat similar to Bangkok now. Now look at Singapore, and tell me they made the wrong decision.

 Excellent and very relevant comment.

[Yeahbutwhytho]

1 hour ago, greenmonkey said:

From what I understand most Thai's look down on backpackers (they call them farang kee nok - birdshit foreigner). My wifes auntie often refers to me as this because I often wear cheap flip flops!!!

 

I don't think its your flip flops thats triggering the name calling - especially something like 'Birdshit Foreigner'.. Your aunt there is a racist ?

[ThreeEyedRaven]

33 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

That is wrong. Take Singapore in the early 70s. A shit hole somewhat similar to Bangkok now. Now look at Singapore, and tell me they made the wrong decision.

Which proves that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I lived and worked in Singapore for 18 months and absolutely hated the place. Totally sterile and without any soul or character, and the locals are as boring and brain washed as any I have ever met. We closed our office there because Singaporeans were to us, unemployable. I will take Bangkok, warts and all, over Singapore any day of the week and I think many people, including probably every back packer who has been to both will agree with me. 

[Yeahbutwhytho]

37 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

That is wrong. Take Singapore in the early 70s. A shit hole somewhat similar to Bangkok now. Now look at Singapore, and tell me they made the wrong decision.

Singapore is the boringest city in the world, even singaporeans think that - they hate it there! And how do you expect to live out your retirement if the cost of living goes 5x up to match singapores, might aswell just live somewhere as beautiful as France if you're spending that kind of money..

If you answer to that is 'i have enough money to spend 5x here', then you got to think.. what kind of mischief are you getting up to where you prefer spending 5x here ? which lets bring it right back, your 'mischief' would be GONE in the sanitization anyway

[CLW]

When I read the Post there are amazing stories of how well Thailand is doing. Then I read the business news.The GDP is good because of the infrastructure programs. But where does all that money come from? My understanding is that their tax collection is not efficient.

I can't recall the exact number but the percentage of people paying income and other taxes is very small here. Amazing how the government can allocate the yearly budgets.

[spidermike007]

A rather ridiculous decision. Many of those being made these days here. The goons in charge are focusing their efforts in all the wrong areas. They are trying to make Thailand a Quaker State. A land of purity. They should be focusing their efforts on traffic and public safety, easing import tariffs, making visa policy simpler, and more friendly, boosting Western tourism, real crackdowns on slavery, and illegal fishing instead of nonsensical hyperbole, improving the infrastructure, cleaning up the water, the air, the rivers, and the beaches, and other things that actually improve lives. 

 

Khao San road has seen better days. It has gotten too commercial, and does not have the flavor it had back in the day. However, the street vendors were still at least one charming aspect of the place. Opportunity missed, yet again. The penalty for a lack of vision is significant. 

 

Little P. Not making Thailand great again. And moving the nation backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace.