Thai tourism in trouble: And competitor Vietnam is "scary" for Pattaya

[Leaver]

9 hours ago, ozfarang said:

L, not so.

 

I've been through 5 or 6 police checkpoints in my province were I live and been waved through at all of them.

 

I'm a farang, and have no problems with checkpoints to date, over a 4 year period.

What province?

[TMNH]

On 7/23/2019 at 1:18 AM, BestB said:

Taxi company I use for my biz was always somewhat arrogant but did the job so stuck with them.

 

the other week was going away myself, owner was crying how quite it is. 

 

Anyhow actual owner shows up , no hello of any kind, no assistance to put bag in the car . Not a single word on the way , no assistance taking bag out of the car .

 

did not want to keep quit, told him who I was, and he was not interested at all, not even a sorry.

 

Point is, there are less customers and locals provide even less service yet cry about not having customers .

 

not only that but happy to mistreat existing customers.and charge more .

 

was I a massive customer? No, but was giving them about 10-15 trips per week, now it’s done.

 

if that’s how he treats the owner, do not even want to think how he treated my customers 

Understand...however "quit" was not one one of English sayings. Did you mean "quiet"?

[TMNH]

And 'who" are you customers?

 

[TMNH]

your

 

[TMNH]

perhaps, we might get "some" clue as to what customers you are referring to. I suspect- like many questionable businesses, your target is Chinese tourists? Or if not, who then? You bitch about this and that....perhaps you should have thought about this and that:)

 

[TMNH]

Just like dual pricing. Stupid people who don't get why people do not want to travel there anymore.

 

[TMNH]

A farang? You pay more. And that is why people go elsewhere. And they do not get it.

 

[TMNH]

Think about this...here thailand  is dependent upon tourists. And then those tourists figure out that there is a different pricing. And then.....some figure that out.

 

 

So- you do not bite the hand that feeds you, although some simply are greedy. "If" I was aware of dual pricing- natives and farangs, I would never go there again. Yet, some people think "no big deal". Nope- your thinking is unlike mine- you look the other way. Hence why some are tired of Thailand, and rightly so.

 

[TMNH]

Without being deragatory, Thai people have no clue nor have any initiative to change anything. Perhaps younger people get it, yet the bottom line is that most look the other way.

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, Leaver said:

The Vietnam police wave foreigners through their check points, due to the language barrier.  Completely different to Thailand, where it's the foreigners that are stopped, while Thai's are waved through, because there is bigger money to be extorted from a foreigner.

Well some countries also have respect for foreigners as they regard them as tourists, ie guests and feel they should not be hassled. Yes, in Thailand, foreigners are targeted as an income source, and we can see Thais without helmets, for example, ride around without a care in the world. I do find though, if you have everything in order, helmet, licence, tax and are not drunk out of your skull,  you are allowed to proceed.

[ozfarang]

10 hours ago, Leaver said:

What province?

Check check details under my avatar.

[tropo]

4 hours ago, TMNH said:

Understand...however "quit" was not one one of English sayings. Did you mean "quiet"?

Did you mean "one" or "one  one"? LOL  A classic Muphry's Law blooper (along with a few others too).  

Edited September 21, 2019 by tropo

[tropo]

On 9/20/2019 at 8:47 AM, Leaver said:

The Vietnam police wave foreigners through their check points, due to the language barrier.  Completely different to Thailand, where it's the foreigners that are stopped, while Thai's are waved through, because there is bigger money to be extorted from a foreigner.

Are you sure it's the language barrier, or could it be the firm iron fist, keeping corruption under control? I've never heard of a language barrier getting in the way of police lining their pockets at the expense of foreigners in Thailand and can't see why it would in Vietnam either. Money is a universal language and getting it off foreigners doesn't require much in the way of language skills. Last time they tried it out on me in Pattaya they just pointed to 1000 baht on a plastic card LOL. It's like ordering from a menu.

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by tropo

[JaiLai]

Think about this...here thailand  is dependent upon tourists. And then those tourists figure out that there is a different pricing. And then.....some figure that out.
 
 
So- you do not bite the hand that feeds you, although some simply are greedy. "If" I was aware of dual pricing- natives and farangs, I would never go there again. Yet, some people think "no big deal". Nope- your thinking is unlike mine- you look the other way. Hence why some are tired of Thailand, and rightly so.
 

Thailand is not dependent upon tourists.


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[Leaver]

On 9/21/2019 at 2:21 PM, tropo said:

Are you sure it's the language barrier, or could it be the firm iron fist, keeping corruption under control? I've never heard of a language barrier getting in the way of police lining their pockets at the expense of foreigners in Thailand and can't see why it would in Vietnam either. Money is a universal language and getting it off foreigners doesn't require much in the way of language skills. Last time they tried it out on me in Pattaya they just pointed to 1000 baht on a plastic card LOL. It's like ordering from a menu.

 

I can only put it down to either a language barrier, or they have been ordered from above to leave foreigners alone.

 

Either way, I have never been stopped when on the roads there.  Admittedly, I don't speed, I wear a helmet, and do not ride whilst drunk, yet, have seen Vietnamese pulled in, whilst I have always been waved through.

 

Vietnam is a corrupt country, but from what I have seen there, their corruption isn't racist based, unlike Thailand.  ????

[Leaver]

On 9/21/2019 at 2:38 PM, JaiLai said:

Thailand is not dependent upon tourists.


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I agree, but Thailand's tourism industry provides a lot of employment across the country.   

[MayPutThai]

On 7/23/2019 at 12:18 PM, PingRoundTheWorld said:

But yes- keep demanding TM30 and denying long stayers randomly... it'll be alright!

 

 

They must be counting day laborers and layovers in the "arrivals" figures because on the ground the people are not there.

 

I'm on retired visa in Thailand but travel every month to Singapore. 12 x TM6 = 12 Tourists. I know some more people who even travel one or two times per month to Singapore for working.

I don't believe the total numbers of Tourists at all.

I do not travel anymore in Thailand over night. Don't spend money therefore in hotel and restaurants as a result of the new regulation to handle TM30 strictly.

Online App can't even type in my address or any other from the family, but all is tested 555.

If I had known this all 15 years earlier, I would not be here. Now I moved all my belongings to Thailand and have my Thai spouse since 15 years. Very less chance to move somewhere else.

At least if people ask me about retirement in Thailand, I give them advise not to look back only on the 2 weeks holidays, but collect even other experiences from Vietnam, Indonesia, partially Malaysia, Philippines before making a decision. Main points to check are how about Visa, work permit, ownership for land, strength of currency for your pension, tracing Immigration, Language skills in word and written. For Thailand I would not give even one plus anymore. Sad but must accept. The smile of the Land of Smile got frozen.

 

[MayPutThai]

On 9/21/2019 at 11:38 AM, JaiLai said:

Thailand is not dependent upon tourists.


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And why is the decreasing head count of tourism then such a big chapter in the Thai news? I don't have exact numbers now but it was something around 30-40% of the total economy before.

The investors are also going away, mainly on the same reason why the tourist stay away. There is no must for foreigners to go to Thailand. They have a lot of other choices.

If you wish back Thailand as proud farmland, then go ahead and look to force the rest honest and loyal foreigners out too.

stupidity and pride grow from the same root.  

[JaiLai]

1 hour ago, MayPutThai said:

I'm on retired visa in Thailand but travel every month to Singapore. 12 x TM6 = 12 Tourists. I know some more people who even travel one or two times per month to Singapore for working.

I don't believe the total numbers of Tourists at all.

I do not travel anymore in Thailand over night. Don't spend money therefore in hotel and restaurants as a result of the new regulation to handle TM30 strictly.

Online App can't even type in my address or any other from the family, but all is tested 555.

If I had known this all 15 years earlier, I would not be here. Now I moved all my belongings to Thailand and have my Thai spouse since 15 years. Very less chance to move somewhere else.

At least if people ask me about retirement in Thailand, I give them advise not to look back only on the 2 weeks holidays, but collect even other experiences from Vietnam, Indonesia, partially Malaysia, Philippines before making a decision. Main points to check are how about Visa, work permit, ownership for land, strength of currency for your pension, tracing Immigration, Language skills in word and written. For Thailand I would not give even one plus anymore. Sad but must accept. The smile of the Land of Smile got frozen.

 

How do you know these won't change in other countries?

[JaiLai]

1 hour ago, MayPutThai said:

And why is the decreasing head count of tourism then such a big chapter in the Thai news? I don't have exact numbers now but it was something around 30-40% of the total economy before.

The investors are also going away, mainly on the same reason why the tourist stay away. There is no must for foreigners to go to Thailand. They have a lot of other choices.

If you wish back Thailand as proud farmland, then go ahead and look to force the rest honest and loyal foreigners out too.

stupidity and pride grow from the same root.  

Tourism is still an industry, never said it was n't but long gone are the days where they depend on the tourist $$

[Leaver]

14 hours ago, JaiLai said:

Tourism is still an industry, never said it was n't but long gone are the days where they depend on the tourist $$

True, but many here depend on the employment it creates, which puts food on the table for a lot of people.

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Leaver

[JaiLai]

True, but many here depend on the employment it creates, which puts food on the table for a lot of people.
 

It’s not really many that depend on it really IMO, there’s only a few main stream tourist areas.


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[Leaver]

23 hours ago, JaiLai said:

It’s not really many that depend on it really IMO, there’s only a few main stream tourist areas.


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You are only focusing on the point of sale. 

 

What about, for example, the agricultural sector that supplies food to be sold in the tourism sector?  That's a lot of farmers with no one to sell their produce to, due to a possible downturn in the tourism industry. 

 

What about all the people between the producers and the point of sale? 

 

The tourism industry is a huge employer in Thailand, and given Thailand is experiencing record household debt, any job losses can easily lead to loan defaults, thus, foreclosures and repossessions.  

 

 

Edited September 27, 2019 by Leaver

[Leaver]

On 9/25/2019 at 9:31 PM, MayPutThai said:

stupidity and pride grow from the same root.  

Is it pride, or racism?

[Leaver]

On 9/25/2019 at 10:33 PM, JaiLai said:

How do you know these won't change in other countries?

Good point.  That's why everyone needs a Plan B.  You never know what changes may take place, which may see you unable to stay. 

[KhunFred]

Regardless of the "threat" of Vietnam, the "Thai Tiger" will never change its stripes. They are positioning Thailand as a retirement haven for millionaires. Others need not apply. Park your money in a Thai bank without being able to use it. Perfectly consistent with the rest of Thai thinking.

[Leaver]

On 10/1/2019 at 9:35 PM, KhunFred said:

Park your money in a Thai bank without being able to use it. Perfectly consistent with the rest of Thai thinking.

Don't you mean, "consistent with Thai's contempt for foreigners." 

[fhickson]

 

 

On 7/23/2019 at 12:12 PM, nev said:

What next they will be offering fre tourist visas to those they have been trying their hardest to make it hard to stay here, You may laugh but it happened before.

wont save things though. once momentum gets going reversing it is all but impossible.

 

 

 

 

[pattayadude]

On 7/23/2019 at 1:18 PM, BestB said:

Taxi company I use for my biz was always somewhat arrogant but did the job so stuck with them.

 

the other week was going away myself, owner was crying how quite it is. 

 

Anyhow actual owner shows up , no hello of any kind, no assistance to put bag in the car . Not a single word on the way , no assistance taking bag out of the car .

 

did not want to keep quit, told him who I was, and he was not interested at all, not even a sorry.

 

Point is, there are less customers and locals provide even less service yet cry about not having customers .

 

not only that but happy to mistreat existing customers.and charge more .

 

was I a massive customer? No, but was giving them about 10-15 trips per week, now it’s done.

 

if that’s how he treats the owner, do not even want to think how he treated my customers 

you are absolutely correct. I have been in and out of thailand the last 20 years and I have always complained about Thai attitude being rough, arrogant, loud, condescending and even violent at times towards farangs and this is about both, their men AND their women! Maybe the $hit finally hit the fan and visitors/farangs finally realized this and decided they ain't coming back.

too much more can be said on this topic but I should stop here since I left Thailand a while ago and now living in the Philippines/the actual "Land of Smiles"  and very happy to live among people who are MUCH friendlier, easy to communicate with and where life is less expensive in general. The women are sweet,friendly, romantic and one can actually have long conversations with them. On a final note, they love to sing in your ear any song between 1950s and 2019 IN ENGLISH and they are perfect with the lyrics.  These are things Thailand lacked during my entire stay and I was not even aware of it.

[JaiLai]

you are absolutely correct. I have been in and out of thailand the last 20 years and I have always complained about Thai attitude being rough, arrogant, loud, condescending and even violent at times towards farangs and this is about both, their men AND their women! Maybe the $hit finally hit the fan and visitors/farangs finally realized this and decided they ain't coming back.
too much more can be said on this topic but I should stop here since I left Thailand a while ago and now living in the Philippines/the actual "Land of Smiles"  and very happy to live among people who are MUCH friendlier, easy to communicate with and where life is less expensive in general. The women are sweet,friendly, romantic and one can actually have long conversations with them. On a final note, they love to sing in your ear any song between 1950s and 2019 IN ENGLISH and they are perfect with the lyrics.  These are things Thailand lacked during my entire stay and I was not even aware of it.

Phillipinos F sounds like P, so if they tell you they’re going to eat fish it’s very amusing.

Their accent annoys me but yes their level of English is very very good.

I’ve found the women are more ‘sexual’ there as well but no where near as pretty imo.


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