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

[Galactus]

land of mafia and rip off: Phuket.

and not only Phuket, most Southern Thailand tourism areas are empty somehow.

a buddy of mine in Koh Samui is having hard days and lots of business closures.

[sydneyjed]

7 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

The billionaire is Bangkok Air, who agreed with the government to build and run a new airport as long as they got a monopoly. They charge approximately 4x as much per kilometer air mile for service to and from Samui than any other flights in SE Asia. No direct international flights except from Singapore and KL and the connections suck. Nobody wants to bother with the hassle and additional expense of getting here, so Phuket gets most of the business. Stupid. Beautiful, well-run airport, though. One of my favorites.

Well actually it's Prasert Prasarttong who proposed the original deal to build the airport at his expense..Very smart move (for him)that was..but another greedy individual in a long list of many!

[SABloke]

9 hours ago, sydneyjed said:

The problem also with Samui is the extortionate air fares for direct flights in and out of Bangkok..The billionaire who owns and built the airport has held an iron fist rule on which airlines can and cannot fly  in there using 'his' airport..at 'his' price.

It is his airport, so no need for quotation marks. Also, of course he controls who uses it. He paid for it - It would be a stupid business practice to build something to grow your business then hand it over to your competitors. 

[snoop1130]

Excise tax ‘final straw’ for Patong entertainment businesses, warns scion

By The Phuket News

 

Patong scion Preechawut “Prab” Keesin has denounced the excise tax as potentially devastating for Patong entertainment businesses. Images: Prab Keesin
 

PHUKET:-- Reports by Patong scion Preechawut “Prab” Keesin, head of the Pisona Group of companies and son of long-time former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, that an 11% excise tax being levied on entertainment businesses in Phuket’s busiest tourism town may be the final straw for their survival are gaining momentum.
 

Mr Prab first denounced the 11% excise tax on his Facebook page last Friday (May 31), saying that entertainment operators in Patong were already suffering heavily from plunging tourism figures.

 

He also posted photos of the streets of Patong devoid of traffic during the daytime.

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/excise-tax-final-straw-for-patong-entertainment-businesses-warns-scion-71662.php#i1msXx7Dx66t67cA.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-06-04

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[impulse]

On 6/3/2019 at 3:08 AM, johng50 said:

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.

 

I'm sure lots of Thais don't see "sex, booze and the like" as drawing the kind of tourists they'd like to keep coming.  Something unsettling about seeing your country's daughters being rented out as sperm receptacles and your streets loaded with morning-after puke puddles, even if it is in the name of money. 

 

For every drunken monger they lose, there's a family looking for a less disgusting place to spend their holiday cash.

 

Not saying they're doing it right.  But I salute them if they're trying to get away from being a destination for debauchery.  It may take decades.  And they may have to try different tactics in different areas.  But in the end, families spend more $$$ and do less damage to the infrastructure and to the culture.

 

[smedly]

17 minutes ago, impulse said:

For every drunken monger they lose, there's a family looking for a less disgusting place to spend their holiday cash.

and Thailand is not were I would be bringing my family past or future, it is a dangerous garbage ridden (deleted) and will never change

[impulse]

1 minute ago, smedly said:

and Thailand is not were I would be bringing my family past or future, it is a dangerous garbage ridden (deleted) and will never change

 

I'm a little more optimistic that it will change... 

 

In fits and starts, with a lot of local vendors and sexpats kicking and screaming.  

 

[bluesofa]

I see TAT are giving clear answers. No drop in tourist numbers of course.

4 June 2019:

"Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), strongly denied that the Phuket was suffering an incredibly low number of visitors during the tourism ‘high season’.

Ms Kanokkittika admitted that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Phuket so far this month has dropped by 2.63% compared with the same period last year, but also pointed out that the fall in Chinese arrivals had been offset by a 3.63% increase in the number of arrivals from other source markets."

 

22 December 2018:

"Ms Kanokkittika noted that room bookings from group tours in Phuket had seen a fall of 5% due to cancellations, and a corresponding fall of 5% (down to about 3,000 a day) in the number of tourists boarding tour boats at Rassada Pier, the main departure point for tours to the islands in Phang Nga Bay, including Phi Phi Island.

However, she added, “We have certainly found that we have more FITs (free, independent travellers) travelling here. Hotel occupancy right now across all nationalities 71.77%, which is a 0.1% increase on last year.”"

 

[Psimbo]

Well the 'scion' would know all about extortion wouldn't he! He had a great example to follow- or was he just a 'benevolent despot'?

 

[sungod]

12 hours ago, smedly said:

and Thailand is not were I would be bringing my family past or future, it is a dangerous garbage ridden (deleted) and will never change

Serious here, I dont understand why you pass comment each day if you hate it so much, just let go and move on. I'd assume by the last comment you dont live here (anymore)?

[smedly]

26 minutes ago, sungod said:

Serious here, I dont understand why you pass comment each day if you hate it so much, just let go and move on. I'd assume by the last comment you dont live here (anymore)?

you must be thinking about someone else 

 

as for people making comments - there certainly are a few moaners on here - hate this hate that - then there are people who discuss about shortcomings and possible ways to improve - serious here, you need figure out the difference, very rarely would I post a "hate Thailand post"

[GeorgeCross]

14 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I'm sure lots of Thais don't see "sex, booze and the like" as drawing the kind of tourists they'd like to keep coming.  Something unsettling about seeing your country's daughters being rented out as sperm receptacles and your streets loaded with morning-after puke puddles, even if it is in the name of money. 

 

For every drunken monger they lose, there's a family looking for a less disgusting place to spend their holiday cash.

 

Not saying they're doing it right.  But I salute them if they're trying to get away from being a destination for debauchery.  It may take decades.  And they may have to try different tactics in different areas.  But in the end, families spend more $$$ and do less damage to the infrastructure and to the culture.

 

 

well, though i admire your ethics, have you actually spent much time travelling around thailand?

 

everywhere from the smallest village to the largest cities has its very own 'destination for debauchery' though in the rest of thailand they are lined with karaoke bars rather than beer bars and the girls sell themselves from 100baht upwards rather than 1000baht up.

 

i'm sorry but its just the thai way and if we (meaning westerners) all disappeared tomorrow the sex industry would carry on unabated.

 

its (unfortunately?) a big part of their culture.

 

not a dig at you by the way it just is as it is.

 

 

 

[Galactus]

totally support this 11 percent extra tax.

dont believe those rich owners crying, bitching and moaning. an tax rates are high here anyway.

they make lots of money in Phuket so they should pay more tax. 

[LivinginKata]

35 minutes ago, Galactus said:

totally support this 11 percent extra tax.

dont believe those rich owners crying, bitching and moaning. an tax rates are high here anyway.

they make lots of money in Phuket so they should pay more tax. 

 

Fine. But where does this tax income go ? It sure won't go on improving infrastructure like water supply, sewage, electricity, roads.  

[Anythingleft?]

Victims ultimately of their own corruption and greed

Thailand has quickly become a bit of a house of cards, the exchange is killing off tourists who demand or expect value for money

One good sneeze and the whole lot could fall about their ears.......

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Redline]

22 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I'm sure lots of Thais don't see "sex, booze and the like" as drawing the kind of tourists they'd like to keep coming.  Something unsettling about seeing your country's daughters being rented out as sperm receptacles and your streets loaded with morning-after puke puddles, even if it is in the name of money. 

 

For every drunken monger they lose, there's a family looking for a less disgusting place to spend their holiday cash.

 

Not saying they're doing it right.  But I salute them if they're trying to get away from being a destination for debauchery.  It may take decades.  And they may have to try different tactics in different areas.  But in the end, families spend more $$$ and do less damage to the infrastructure and to the culture.

 

Families being ripped off and swimming in sewage ????

[stevenl]

There is still something I don't understand. So Prap is claiming there is a new 11% tax demand from the government, only for Patong businesses?

 

I don't believe that to be the case, so is he saying Patong businesses have not been paying their taxes in the past?