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

[aspenbkk]

I Stopped Looking At their Fake News About Figures As i See For My Self Bars Restos up for Sale All Over Pattaya and No One There And You Can Make Up Your Own mind No Need For Their False Figures. A Large Tiger Beer in Vietnam 30 Baht And In Pattaya Soi Buakhoa 80 baht For The Same beer in The Cheap Bars That Is And Food is Great Also in Vietnam Not Had Food Problems here Also  And Always a Smiling Face Like Thailand Was 15 Years Ago . GLUG GLUG GLUG THAILAND SINKING FAST NEARLY SUNK GREED HAS GOT THE BETTER OF THEM .

Edited July 23, 2019 by aspenbkk

[Guest]

you reap what you sow

 

john 23.07

[spidermike007]

55 minutes ago, Homburg said:

Successive administrations have put an enormous effort into demonising westerners over many years, presumably to combat the undesirable sex tourist trade etc., but that has now impacted how Thais react to western tourists generally.  Thailand does not make western tourists feel welcome in the way it did in the past, or in the way that its competitors do now.

 

The Land of Smiles has turned into the Land of Snarls. 

 

Also the recent drive to "clean up" Thailand (removing street vendors etc.) is destroying Thailand's "exotic" appeal.  If Bangkok is "just another city" (but with dreadful traffic and smog), and Pattaya becomes just a city with a beach (but with a terrible beach and effluent in the water) then why on earth would you go there?

 

The strong Baht has only a limited impact - as a tourist one does not object to the cost provided one is having a good holiday, but these days one can feel far more welcome and have a far more enjoyable holiday elsewhere.

 

Western tourists still have money, and they are still visiting the region, but ever fewer are visiting Thailand.

 

But Thailand has got what it clearly wished for, so surely the Thais must all be happier now?

 

 

 

No. Nearly everything the hapless army does makes the Thai people less happy, lowers their quality of life and diminishes the nation. They are in way over their heads. They need to get out or the nation needs to remove them from their daily lives. They serve no useful function whatsoever and degrade the country. 

[rossco1]

yes well I know few people selling up and moving on 

its getting harder and harder to live here 

its the long stay people that suffer in the end 

I was shopping other day lady said to me another 3 of her best customers have come said good bye 

Edited July 23, 2019 by rossco1

[mrmicbkktxl]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

In your dreams or do you have any data to support this fiction?

Will ot happen Thailand has over 200billion $ foreign currency reserves

[Thaidream]

13 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Everyone I know did, years ago.  You mention retirees want long term stability - that equals money in the bank. 

 

Do retirees have money in the bank at home where they live?  Of course they do. So, when they move to Thailand they put a sizeable chunk of money in a dependable Thai bank.  Same as home because Thailand is now home. 

 

The whole purpose of money in the bank is stability and security and interest.  I get 2% same as I'd get at home.  I pay the bank a commission same as in America to keep my money safe. 

You came to Thailand years ago and so did I- it was a different era. I will no longer place money in a Thai bank and keep it there.  It is completely unreasonable to keep these monies locked up so the Thai banking system can use the money wjhile a retiree then has to bring in added money to live on. If you like this= keep doing it.

 

All monies kept in a Western country have built in safeguards and deposit insurance .  I can use my ATM card to get money when I need it. I never use Thai Banks and never will unless absolutely forced to do so.  There are many people who have expressed the same thought but to each their own.

 

Thailand has always been xenophobic but over the last 5 years it is way over the top.

 

You might want to read the History of the Bangkok Bank of Commerce and Rakish Saxena as well as Finance One- these were Thai banks that didn't treat their Thai customers very well.  Throw in the Tom Yam KKung crisis and there is no way I and many others will contribute to this madness.

 

However, the banking situation and money requirement is not what will keep retirees from coming to Thailand. It is the issues of safety; long term happiness and not having to worry about increasing costs and double pricing as well as safety and envirnmental conditions.

[Bigstef]

No one mentioned Pattaya nice beach and clean ocean water,katoys aggressions,taxi with no meter,restaurants that overbilling,nice big green parks....and the kindness of Thai drivers when you cross the street ???? I've been to Pattaya one time and it was enough for me,but I can understand single men that are going but even if I was single I would go somewhere else.....

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Bigstef said:

No one mentioned Pattaya nice beach and clean ocean water,katoys aggressions,taxi with no meter,restaurants that overbilling,nice big green parks....and the kindness of Thai drivers when you cross the street ???? I've been to Pattaya one time and it was enough for me,but I can understand single men that are going but even if I was single I would go somewhere else.....

Go a little further South.  Pattaya is for tourists. 

[Percy P]

5 hours ago, Metapod said:

Exchange rate is bad, costs are going up, visas are getting a lot harder to get, and more competitive alternatives are arising.

 

it isn't really surprising stuff. Thailand ain't that cheap anymore. Aussie dollar is like 21.7 thb these days. A lot of things are cheaper back in Aus now,

Goods in T/L are very cheap in  Thai Currency . It's your currency that makes it expensive. But your not helping matters by not spending your money in Australia.

[Isaan sailor]

Blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Bank of Thailand.  They dangle artificially high interest rates to take in foreign hot money bond sales.  This has gone on far too long.  Tourism, exports, farm crops all in peril from this foolishness.

And pay no heed to Baht apologists who implore you to compare Thai Baht to the price of gold.  That’s apples to oranges.  Compare your currency to the Baht, then your currency to the Dong.  End result—Dong stable, Baht out of control.  I rest my case...

[raccos21]

No worries the local will boost them up.

[Centra]

2 hours ago, Barber said:

I was just in Thailand. Had the last part of my ( what turned out to be expensive) holiday spoiled by the last two day falling in to a alcohol ban period. I lived in Thailand for a few years and I do respect Thai culture. But is it really a good idea to subject a heavily tourist populated area like Pattaya, to a blanket ban. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to give special licences out to these areas.

Can you explain why it turned out to expensive and was it compared to last time?

[Percy P]

18 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Ya a couple of times in Vietnam but not too much. 

A little is to much.

[tonysilly]

Maybe if Thai people stop scamming the visitors things can get better.  Customer service is what keeps people coming back. People don't really care about paying money so long that the quality of service meets their expectations.. stop the scams!! Especially around the Grand Palace. 

[pokerface1]

5 hours ago, Metapod said:

it isn't really surprising stuff. Thailand ain't that cheap anymore. Aussie dollar is like 21.7 thb these days. A lot of things are cheaper back in Aus now,

You got that right my Thai friends give me a shopping list of items that are cheaper in Aust. To bring back to Thailand. It appears that the only cheap things here is street food and Thai hand crafts, rent of course and beer. Forget the rest. 

[stropper]

5 hours ago, Metapod said:

Exchange rate is bad, costs are going up, visas are getting a lot harder to get, and more competitive alternatives are arising.

 

it isn't really surprising stuff. Thailand ain't that cheap anymore. Aussie dollar is like 21.7 thb these days. A lot of things are cheaper back in Aus now,

really ! none of my mates would agree with you, it may be cheaper but at what level !

[Thomas J]

I can only comment based on casual observation.  I live in Pattaya and it appears the traffic at Jomtien Beach, the stores, and customers in restaurants is way down from two years ago.  I suspect something might have to do with the more expensive baht but I saw this trend starting before the baht's surge.  I am a retiree so I can only comment on that versus a tourist but if they are making things as difficult for the tourist as they are the retiree, it is no wonder that people are choosing someplace else to vacation to. 

[Percy P]

9 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Will ot happen Thailand has over 200billion $ foreign currency reserves

Which will cover all their Foreign debts.

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, Thomas J said:

I can only comment based on casual observation.  I live in Pattaya and it appears the traffic at Jomtien Beach, the stores, and customers in restaurants is way down from two years ago.  I suspect something might have to do with the more expensive baht but I saw this trend starting before the baht's surge.  I am a retiree so I can only comment on that versus a tourist but if they are making things as difficult for the tourist as they are the retiree, it is no wonder that people are choosing someplace else to vacation to. 

They aren't.  They are only making things difficult for the person who lives here and pretends to be a tourist. 

[generealty]

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. Thailand will go down hill fast if they do not APPRECIATE tourists, as apposed to exploiting them.

[marcusarelus]

18 minutes ago, aspenbkk said:

I Stopped Looking At their Fake News About Figures As i See For My Self Bars Restos up for Sale All Over Pattaya and No One There And You Can Make Up Your Own mind No Need For Their False Figures. A Large Tiger Beer in Vietnam 30 Baht And In Pattaya Soi Buakhoa 80 baht For The Same beer in The Cheap Bars That Is And Food is Great Also in Vietnam Not Had Food Problems here Also  And Always a Smiling Face Like Thailand Was 15 Years Ago . GLUG GLUG GLUG THAILAND SINKING FAST NEARLY SUNK GREED HAS GOT THE BETTER OF THEM .

Always like that in low season.  Same for 20 years. Unfortunately you can't make up your own mind because anecdotal evidence is not valid.  You'd have to have lived in the same place in Pattaya for 20 years and walked the same 5 miles every day. 

[Grandisse]

27 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Your currency is horrible not the exchange rate.  Where can you go and not get beaten down?  Turkey or Egypt I guess. 

It is true, it is more the Euro being made deliberately weak than the Baht being strong - still, the exchange rate is horrible. And I suspect some Thai people, influencial people, are not so unhappy about it, since it makes their own foreign investments more profitable.

[uncleeagle]

2 hours ago, remorhaz said:

I know a lot of people who basically lived in Thailand on back to back tourist visas for years.  They spent loads of money into the economy (true fact).  Most were Western pensioners or close to it and didn't get into trouble with the law.  Now is what they did legal?  No.  Did it help the economy?  Yes absolutely and that's gone now.  

 

You aren't going to replace this with Indians trying to put pencils into your hands then demanding money.  

 

It was entirely legal, they were granted visas legally, they entered the country legally and they contributed hugely to the Thai economy without taking anything from it. 

 

It is only the narrow minded idiocy of Thai immigration to randomly deem their behaviour somehow illegal.

 

Instead of their mindless hostility in branding these visitors as criminals they should have been on their hands and knees begging them to keep on coming back.

Edited July 23, 2019 by uncleeagle

[marcusarelus]

Just now, generealty said:

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. Thailand will go down hill fast if they do not APPRECIATE tourists, as apposed to exploiting them.

They never did appreciate the tourists.  20 years ago same as today.  Less money less Brits.  Appreciation the same. 

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, Grandisse said:

It is true, it is more the Euro being made deliberately weak than the Baht being strong - still, the exchange rate is horrible. And I suspect some Thai people, influencial people, are not so unhappy about it, since it makes their own foreign investments more profitable.

The reverse.  Rich people are hurt the most by the high baht because exports are down. 

[Centra]

1 hour ago, marcusarelus said:

I guess that's why Thailand has 40 tourists to Vietnam's 1.

Not for long.

 

[Percy P]

4 minutes ago, tonysilly said:

Maybe if Thai people stop scamming the visitors things can get better.  Customer service is what keeps people coming back. People don't really care about paying money so long that the quality of service meets their expectations.. stop the scams!! Especially around the Grand Palace. 

I agree. And taxi scams. 200,300 Baat were the price is 60 Baat. Thonburi railway station, Khaosan Rd

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, uncleeagle said:

It was entirely legal, they were granted visas legally, they entered the country legally and they contributed hugely to the Thai economy without taking anything drom it. It is only the narrow minded idiocy of Thai immigration to randomly deem their behaviour somehow illegal. Instead of their mindless hostility in branding these people as criminals they should have been on their hands and knees begging them to keep on coming back.

You don't have the grasp of the situation that the Thai Immigration people do.  They do not want to become the retirement home for India and China as the middle classes in those two heavily populated countries get more money. 

[CNXexpat]

No double pricing in Vietnam (Hanoi) at tourist attractions. 

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, Centra said:

Not for long.

 

How long? Thailand has problems but Vietnam's government!  Forget about it.