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

[moontang]

1 hour ago, DrTuner said:

Yeah, one of my main gripes. I really like craft beers and often choose a restaurant because they have them, especially Jim's Burgers & Beer is excellent in Pattaya. But it does reduce the enjoyment when the prices are 250-350b/pint, you just feel a bit ripped off. Not their fault, it's the stupid import taxes and laws that effectively prevent small local breweries from selling.

Sierra Nevada were 47 THB in Virginia last week.. but more like 150-200 in a bar, and I am not doing that, either. Can get a 500 Gram choice steak at home for that.  Oh, and the Hardee's next to the Food Lion hiring at 300 per hour to start, let alone the Walmart distribution center hiring at 540-600 per hour... that's the crux of the matter. 

Edited October 18, 2019 by moontang

[Leaver]

22 hours ago, moontang said:

Exactly, same with the craft beer farce(s).  A friend, with deep pockets went to the now defunct Beer Republic in CM.. he was outraged.. OTOH, we went to an outdoor venue with Tiger Beer cheaper than Makro, and he had a blast. Kind of like all the empty airport venues.. Plenty of high wealth thirsty, hungry people, but most got that way by not being a sucker for ripoff.  Wine and cigars are a ripoff, here, period, make no mistake about it.  And that is just the tip of the (rotten) rice stockpile. 

Craft beer is a booming industry in Vietnam.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/04/asia/vietnam-craft-beer/index.html

[Leaver]

On 10/18/2019 at 8:04 PM, DrTuner said:

Not their fault, it's the stupid import taxes and laws that effectively prevent small local breweries from selling.

If you are buying imported craft beers, sure, but why would there be import tax on a craft beer product that is made on site, in Thailand?

[moontang]

15 minutes ago, Leaver said:

If you are buying imported craft beers, sure, but why would there be import tax on a craft beer product that is made on site, in Thailand?

small producers are prohibited..so there is no such thing.  I have seen Phuket Beer, but it is at stupid prices and it may not even be bottled here.  I feel like drinking Heineken and Tiger is about the best way to send a message that you arent supporting the Duo.  I think that tells you how big you gotta be, to be small here.  Heineken is a necessary evil to them.  711 in Nonthaburi rarely even sell Tiger, and that is where it is brewed...worse than some of the WIntel antitrust antics.  Sell the competition (which is known to be better} and bye bye volume rebates.

 

Strange how Tiger is considered upmarket in many pubs, but only cost 6 THB more per case at Tesco.  But, Leo can be used as a vinagrette salad dressing.

Edited October 20, 2019 by moontang

[Leaver]

21 minutes ago, moontang said:

small producers are prohibited..so there is no such thing. 

I have been to a microbrewery in Thailand, so it can't be prohibited. 

 

In any case, there is a thriving microbrewery scene in Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

Here's a random website from Google.  I have been to a couple of these places.  I'll be checking out more of them when next in Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

https://wanderingwheatleys.com/microbreweries-craft-beer-saigon-vietnam/

 

Thailand is being left behind with its "Same Same Never Change" attitude, and its corrupt business model of not allowing competition into the market to protect the wealthy Thai elite.

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Leaver

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, Leaver said:

If you are buying imported craft beers, sure, but why would there be import tax on a craft beer product that is made on site, in Thailand?

To be able to freely make, sell and distribute beer in Thailand you must produce amounts that are far too large for small breweries. That's why they brew them in Laos and Cambodia and import them back. The telltale sign is the tax sticker on the bottle.

 

Microbreweries are only allowed to sell on site and they've cranked their prices to same levels as imports. No competition so why not.

Edited October 20, 2019 by DrTuner

[CALSinCM]

Strong baht, local price inflation, Machiavellian immigration rules, and a "we really don't care about European visitors any longer" attitude. 

If Thailand wishes to find the cause, then need only to look into a mirror.  In the meantime, perhaps the ministers need to book a junket to Vietnam to see what that country is doing right, then come back to Thailand and ignore everything they learned.

[Langkawee]

On 10/18/2019 at 10:18 AM, Leaver said:

Possibly, but many will know a rip off when they see one, and may refuse to pay on principle. 

Thailand gets 40 million tourists a year, 10 million of these stay for one hour crossing the borders of Laos, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myannmar. 20 million enter by airports for connecting flights to another country. They are stamped in for 30 days while waiting in airport for their flight to far cheaper destinations. That leaves 5 million Chinese, Indians and farang who have not discovered Thailand is the hub of mysterious death and slowly decomposing bodies in morgues with no chance of a coroner's report and autopsy. Your son or daughter died for unexplained reasons. Welcome to the land of smile. 

[moontang]

Plenty of excellent viet doctors... all practicing in the US. So try not to get blacklisted in LOS.. it will be a lot more convenient.  I heard they do the warm beer idiocy in Hanoi.  Any truth to that, or is that only at places in LOS where the Brits used to go, before they were knocked off their high horse. 

[Rimmer]

Troll post removed

[WillyPlatt]

I spent sometime in Hoi An in July. Flew into Danang and availed of the UK 14 day visa on arrival.

Spent a wonderful day at Ba Na Hills. 

Vietnam is not Thailand and nothing like Pattaya.

I found the cost of most things similar. Be under no illusion, Thailand has the edge for most of the stereotypical ex pats.

Sterling should strengthen over the next few months but that will not help those expats that are stranded in Pattaya with no way home.

This period of baht strength should serve as a reminder that, for most, keeping a bolthole at home is essential.

[Tony125]

Tourism numbers in  Phuket way down----news report

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shunned-chinese-thai-tourism-hotspot-braces-rare-slump-030154986.html

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals (AFP Photo/Mladen ANTONOV)

Hotels on Thailand's most popular holiday island have been forced to slash prices with rooms left vacant and beaches sparse as tourist chiefs struggle with a plunge in Chinese visitors caused by the US trade war and a stronger baht.

Located on the Andaman Sea and known for its beaches and nightlife, sun-drenched Phuket was the most visited destination in the country last year after Bangkok and a good gauge of the state of its crucial travel industry.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Tony125

[Leaver]

12 hours ago, WillyPlatt said:

I found the cost of most things similar.

Do you have some examples?

 

12 hours ago, WillyPlatt said:

Thailand has the edge for most of the stereotypical ex pats.

Do you have some examples?

[Leaver]

7 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Tourism numbers in  Phuket way down----news report

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shunned-chinese-thai-tourism-hotspot-braces-rare-slump-030154986.html

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals (AFP Photo/Mladen ANTONOV)

Hotels on Thailand's most popular holiday island have been forced to slash prices with rooms left vacant and beaches sparse as tourist chiefs struggle with a plunge in Chinese visitors caused by the US trade war and a stronger baht.

Located on the Andaman Sea and known for its beaches and nightlife, sun-drenched Phuket was the most visited destination in the country last year after Bangkok and a good gauge of the state of its crucial travel industry.

Tourism up 28% in Vietnam. 

 

http://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/index.php/items/14259

 

Not hard to see why Vietnam's tourism industry is scary for Thailand. 

 

Thailand now losing many expats as well.

[mostcurious]

I enjoy going out to a nice restaurants in Vietnam specifically HCMC knowing that the food will be at a reasonable price. Cannot do this in Thailand now because of the awful exchange rates. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/9/2019 at 1:54 PM, Leaver said:

Imaging a similar lifestyle, in a similar climate and environment, where your rent was 60% to 70% cheaper than your home country for the same sized condo, with a pay as you go visa, just pay the money and here is your visa, no other hoops to jump through, where you only see immigration once a year, at a boarder, well, that place is called Vietnam.  ????

If it seems to good to be true, more than likely there is a gremlin somewhere waiting to catch one.

Utopia is still waiting to be found.

[thaibeachlovers]

44 minutes ago, mostcurious said:

I enjoy going out to a nice restaurants in Vietnam specifically HCMC knowing that the food will be at a reasonable price. Cannot do this in Thailand now because of the awful exchange rates. 

Can't blame Thailand for your home currency being TP, can you?

There are plenty of nice restaurants that have food at reasonable prices, but you just haven't found them yet.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

Tourism up 28% in Vietnam. 

 

http://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/english/index.php/items/14259

 

Not hard to see why Vietnam's tourism industry is scary for Thailand. 

 

Thailand now losing many expats as well.

If it gets as popular as Thailand expect it to become just as difficult to live there as LOS. Everything that's great is only great till it isn't, and every good thing ends, as I have found out, sadly.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Tourism numbers in  Phuket way down----news report

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shunned-chinese-thai-tourism-hotspot-braces-rare-slump-030154986.html

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals (AFP Photo/Mladen ANTONOV)

Hotels on Thailand's most popular holiday island have been forced to slash prices with rooms left vacant and beaches sparse as tourist chiefs struggle with a plunge in Chinese visitors caused by the US trade war and a stronger baht.

Located on the Andaman Sea and known for its beaches and nightlife, sun-drenched Phuket was the most visited destination in the country last year after Bangkok and a good gauge of the state of its crucial travel industry.

If tourism in Phuket is down, it's probably because it's the biggest <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> in the country.

It became the biggest <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> in the country when they rebuilt Patong as the same <deleted> <deleted>< deleted>  had been before the tsunami. They had an opportunity to build something really good and they blew it.

Same same with Phi Phi, the worst ruined <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> beach in the country, when it used to be fantastic in the early 90s. 

[atyclb]

On 10/18/2019 at 10:26 AM, moontang said:

Exactly, same with the craft beer farce(s).  A friend, with deep pockets went to the now defunct Beer Republic in CM.. he was outraged.. OTOH, we went to an outdoor venue with Tiger Beer cheaper than Makro, and he had a blast. Kind of like all the empty airport venues.. Plenty of high wealth thirsty, hungry people, but most got that way by not being a sucker for ripoff.  Wine and cigars are a ripoff, here, period, make no mistake about it.  And that is just the tip of the (rotten) rice stockpile. 

import and craft beer in thailand is a ripoff. the big beer companies maintain a monopoly and tailor laws to keep it that way.  

 

lots of fairly priced craft beer made in vietnam as they do not try to stop microbreweries as does thailand.  even those with deep pockets feel like they are being raped and lost enthusiasm.

 

http://7bridges.vn/

[Ron jeremy]

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If tourism in Phuket is down, it's probably because it's the biggest <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> in the country.

It became the biggest <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> in the country when they rebuilt Patong as the same <deleted> <deleted>< deleted>  had been before the tsunami. They had an opportunity to build something really good and they blew it.

Same same with Phi Phi, the worst ruined <deleted> <deleted>< deleted> beach in the country, when it used to be fantastic in the early 90s. 

Don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, Ron jeremy said:

Don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

If I did I'd be suspended.

I used to love Patong. Went there all the time. Then it got too pricy, but didn't offer a better experience for the extra cost. Same old dump it always was. Pattaya offered a better experience at way less cost, but the beach was not as good as Patong. The beaches were the attraction for me on Phuket, but not enough to make me still go back as Patong had become such a dump

I did go back after the tsunami as prices were way down, and saw they were building it back exactly as it was before. Never went back again.

Had a day trip to Phi Phi while I was there. Same story, except they had conned a bunch of farang tourists into rebuilding the same <deleted><deleted> it had been before.

Never went back there either, even though it had been the best holiday I ever had in LOS back in the early 90s. Too depressing seeing how they made such a dump of the place. 

[JaiLai]

Don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

He’s a bitter old man coz his teerak shafted him and he’s back in Blighty.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, atyclb said:

import and craft beer in thailand is a ripoff. the big beer companies maintain a monopoly and tailor laws to keep it that way.  

 

lots of fairly priced craft beer made in vietnam as they do not try to stop microbreweries as does thailand.  even those with deep pockets feel like they are being raped and lost enthusiasm.

 

http://7bridges.vn/

I'll give the same response as I do to posts complaining about wine. If you only go somewhere for the booze, then go elsewhere. Thailand has more attractions that grog, if one cares to look.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, JaiLai said:

He’s a bitter old man coz his teerak shafted him and he’s back in Blighty.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

In Blighty! 55555555555555555555555

I could have gone to live there as I'm a British subject- passport and all, but I did work there for 11 years and I'd rather cut my <deleted> off with a rusty razor blade than go back there to live out my days in a grotty high rise with a broken lift and spend my days in a cold park with a bottle in a paper bag pretending it's not booze. I saw them all the time at Old Street, and I said to myself, no way, no way ever.

 

In any event, I loved most of LOS, just not Phuket.

Edited October 21, 2019 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Leaver said:

Do you have some examples?

 

Do you have some examples?

Cheaper dental is a big one. 

Cheaper accommodation is another.

Being warm all the time is a really big one.

[marqus12]

Me think I won't fight Thai visas much longer.
One maybe two screws more and my Thai mix kid
will have a sister or brother in Vietnam.

[mostcurious]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Can't blame Thailand for your home currency being TP, can you?

There are plenty of nice restaurants that have food at reasonable prices, but you just haven't found them yet.

 

 

I just arrived in pattaya and will be visiting my favourite restaurant Cafe Petini on soi buakhao. The food they serve here appears to be of a high standard I think. 

 

On the subject of beer. I was passing through Korat (not much to see here, just being honest) and visited one of the few bars in the city. The drinks menu at the bar displayed a massive selection of bottled beers from around the world. Surprisingly the price of each bottle was between 200 and 250 baht. No way will I pay that much for beer. Anyway there was a pub next door called the George and Dragon which I visited. It had a nice selection of drinks at a more reasonable price. 

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, Leaver said:

Tourism up 28% in Vietnam. 

Up from what to what.... easy to have impressive increments in % terms when the starting point is low.

[marqus12]

9 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Up from what to what.... easy to have impressive increments in % terms when the starting point is low.

at least them UP is real 555