Phuket: "State sponsored extortion" forces prices for tourists up, claims top businessman

[webfact]

Phuket: "State sponsored extortion" forces prices for tourists up, claims top businessman

 

Caption: Patong in trouble

 

One of Phuket's leading businessmen has gone online to claim that state sponsored extortion is forcing prices up for tourists. And the charges are forcing businesses out and tourists to leave. 

 

Peechawut Keesin - the chairman of real estate giant Pisona Group - went on Facebook under the name "Prab Keesin" to say that an 11% "extra tax" had been levied on Patong businesses by the state. 

 

 

He said it was inevitable that prices for tourists would rise. 

 

He said in his post that it was already very quiet in Patong and this would make matters worse. 

 

In a series of hashtags he claimed:

 

People were running scared.

Tourists and investors were disappearing.

Extortion was 11% up.

The local authority have clearly never been businessmen.

The people are sad and leaving in droves.

They don't want fools in the local authority. 

 

He also laid the blame at the door of several government ministries including the Ministry for Tourism and Sports.

 

Thaivisa notes that Preechawut's Pisona Group is referred to online as "a powerhouse corporation with one of the strongest property portfolios in Southern Thailand".

 

The company is said to be the leading real estate investment organization on Phuket. 

 

Source: TNews

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-06-03

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[RotBenz8888]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said it was inevitable that prices for tourists would rise. 

 

He said in his post that it was already very quiet in Patong and this would make matters worse.

With less tourists the prices have to increase. Its logic!

[Razek]

Phuket ..dirty and expensive. Ruined by someone sitting somewhere 

. Never again.

Edited June 3, 2019 by Razek

[PatOngo]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

They don't want fools in the local authority.

Have patience my friends, you will get your wish when the sun rises from the west!......useless as an ashtray on a motocy!

Edited June 3, 2019 by PatOngo

[Kasane]

Always expect a good thing to get ruined by gov admin desk jockeys with their hand in the cookie jar.

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

With less tourists the prices have to increase. Its logic!

Thai Logic 

[petermik]

Not really news...it,s been common practice for a long time...

[pattayadgw]

A regular visitor (friend of mine) to Patong for many years and who recently visited said, 'this is my last visit here due to increased prices'... cost of night outs on par with back home!

[chrisandsu]

Phuket is already over priced for what it is . 

[ChipButty]

This seems like it's going to be a bad low season

[473geo]

I guess 11% on top of the 20-30% shift in the ROE makes for quite a hike for a return visitor with little or no added value

[Phuketshrew]

I guess he just isn't getting his snout in trough as much as the old days when it used to be their own family fiefdom.

[Old Croc]

A bit hard to feel sorry for Prab Keesin.

[trainman34014]

Happening all over the country, Thailand is pricing itself out in almost every respect !

[atyclb]

hope he has some kevlar attire

[findlay13]

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

With less tourists the prices have to increase. Its logic!

Yep it's Thai logic????

[DrDave]

In other words, extortion should be the exclusive domain of the local mafia.

[gamini]

4 hours ago, Razek said:

Phuket ..dirty and expensive. Ruined by someone sitting somewhere 

. Never again.

Many years ago I used to go to Phuket, it was a beautiful place. Now I cannot recognise it. The whole place is overbuilt, overpriced and completely spoilt.

[animatic]

2 hours ago, petermik said:

Not really news...it,s been common practice for a long time...

Mentioning it online hasn’t been.

[madmen]

23 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Happening all over the country, Thailand is pricing itself out in almost every respect !

Nothin changed in pattaya and chiang mai. Still dirt cheap

 

samui and Phuket in a different league 

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

A regular visitor (friend of mine) to Patong for many years and who recently visited said, 'this is my last visit here due to increased prices'... cost of night outs on par with back home!

A good night out in Patong would cost double or triple for a good night out at home where Im from.....4 quid bottle cheap Thai beer, 1,000 baht or more bar fines, 250 baht lady drinks....and doubt its fun either.

[Phuketboy]

5 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

With less tourists the prices have to increase. Its logic!

haha That is the problem.  Stupid people with stupid logic like you.  Would be better to decrease the prices so more tourists come.  More tourists mean more money.  Increasing the prices only makes tourists go to other places that are cheaper like Cambodia and Vietnam.  You my friend are a fool.

[zaZa9]

Wasnt he facing a number of charges when the military came in ? And what ever happened to the Mayor of Karon who definitely was charged around the same time ?

[bbbbooboo]

Logic.... TIT....an oxymoron perhaps?

[owenm]

5 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Have patience my friends, you will get your wish when the sun rises from the west!......useless as an ashtray on a motocy!

I'd be more worried if the sun rose from the east.. 

[wwest5829]

5 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

With less tourists the prices have to increase. Its logic!

It has been one of the things I noted about Thailand as a generality. Another is that used cars and houses will sit but not be lowered in price. At least with the houses a bank would have to show a loss on a property repossessed by the bank and that would be a loss of face so we just keep it on the books.

[zaZa9]

2 minutes ago, Phuketboy said:

haha That is the problem.  Stupid people with stupid logic like you.  Would be better to decrease the prices so more tourists come.  More tourists mean more money.  Increasing the prices only makes tourists go to other places that are cheaper like Cambodia and Vietnam.  You my friend are a fool.

5555 ... I always get a belly laugh over those so willing to call others names when the name  most fittingly applies to themselves ! lol

[DPKANKAN]

8 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

5555 ... I always get a belly laugh over those so willing to call others names when the name  most fittingly applies to themselves ! lol

Especially when they miss the sarcasm of the post they are slating!! 555????????????????

[JamJar]

31 minutes ago, Phuketboy said:

haha That is the problem.  Stupid people with stupid logic like you.  Would be better to decrease the prices so more tourists come.  More tourists mean more money.  Increasing the prices only makes tourists go to other places that are cheaper like Cambodia and Vietnam.  You my friend are a fool.

 

I think you missed the sarcasm....

[johng50]

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

Happening all over the country, Thailand is pricing itself out in almost every respect

Yep, in many of my posts, ive said Thai,s are ruining their own country, like on the east side.

pattaya and jomtien businesses closing everywhere, why? no tourists. Thais have become so greedy

and nasty, the place has nothing to offer, not even cheap sex anymore, sure they can woo the chinese

cheap charlie conducted tourists, who dont spend like farangs use to, sure it was on sex, booze

and like, but it kept working thais with an income, but their attitude has destroyed that. Oh well another

nail in the thai tourism coffin.