Tourism was a powerful economic engine in Thailand. Then a boat full of Chinese sank

[thesetat2013]

Don't worry.. this article is misleading. I am most certain TAT will make a press release stating the opposite with their usual grins in the photo ops. And of course have some meaningless statistical data to support their claims. Phuket is actually booking right now. Same with Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. 

[Youlike]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The wife wants to buy a luxury handbag. The same Gucci bag that she likes is $5,000 in Singapore, London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, or Dubai. In Bangkok that bag sells for $14,000.

Plus the professional service of the staff is much higher in said countries which is very important for a lady spending big money on a purse.

[thesetat2013]

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Good if tourist numbers drop.

 

It will naturally give the Thai economy a blow....and hopefully give a blow to Thai society to treat the expats, visitors in a more decent manner and stop harassing with grotesque immigration rules.

 

It may also give the real Estate developpers who are both farangs and Thais a message and make them stop treating the foreign buyers as fools by (trying) cheating them off on everything.

Aren't you the dreamer. Anyone who comes and plans to build or stay or open a business automatically accepts whatever is thrown at them to continue their plan. This happens everywhere in the world. 

[ylmiri]

9 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

"I so glad we were not on the Phoenix."

"Me too. Where you want to go on vacation next year?"

"Syria."

 

This photo looks strange because that man with a rubber mat on the top of the half sunken boat appeared quite carefree, he was going to lay down to get some sun ? "While you all do what you can to stay afloat, I just get some sun, this sinking of the boat has nothing to do with me" he said.

[Thaifriends]

I have noticed the massage parlors are also affected as evening time tourist area used to be full of Chinese.

 

Hope they will soon have happy happy business.

[Redline]

12 hours ago, Youlike said:

It's the only way the Thai will learn that safety is important.....

I don’t believe that lesson has “sunk in” yet 

[mikebell]

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Thailand has just become a bit uncomfortable, and a bit expensive.

A bit?!!!!  I am in UK visiting family & aghast at the comparison of UK prices v Thai prices.  I accept that imports are going to be more expensive but, given the strength of the baht, it should not be 8 or 10 times more expensive!  It used to be Rip-off Britain but now it's Rip-off Thailand.

[boonrawdcnx]

Let’s face it Thailand has long lost it’s shine.

The boat tragedy was just one of many negative PR stories going around the world. The toxic air crises in the North was another.

If they would have only learned here to treat their visitors as GUESTS from the moment they arrive in this country- and not as targets to be ripped off!
The fake smile and wai that made the rounds on social media said it all - if visitors do not feel appreciated and welcome - regardless of how much they spent - they will not return and will for sure not urge their family and friends to visit - and word of mouth is still the best - and free-promotion for tourism.

It’s too late now - once tourists move on to other destinations it is almost impossible to win them back. Thailand has become a very “un-sanook” place to visit.

And I am not surprised that Phuket has been singled out here - it’s on top of my personal blacklist of places not to visit again.






Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[DrTuner]

11 hours ago, PatOngo said:

No, the Thaitanic is full of Thais!

Ah <deleted>, that means it won't even sink. Can't do anything right.

[garyk]

The heck with Thailand, And the horse they rode in on.

 I just left a Mayan temple in a little tourist town in Mexico. Showed my drivers license that I was over 60.  FREE.  Great food, clean air.  

Thailand sucks big time.

Edited August 24, 2019 by garyk

[upu2]

14 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I think the strong Baht has a much bigger impact than that boat accident.

It is a factor sure but not one that is big enough to really alter the figures

[whaleboneman]

10 hours ago, HeyHeyHey said:

Which part of

 

selling the boat

 

restoring the boat

 

putting the boat back to the sea

 

make you think Thais are able to learn?

The part where it will be sunk as a memorial to those lost souls makes me think some Thai has learned.

[Bendi]

Thai government doing ewerything wrong. The same they have done for years. Tourists want safety, and nothing is safe in Thailand. It is almost impossible to teach tourist operators in Thailand abaout safety. That cost money. The money they get goes to briebery, a never ending story. When wil they learn? Maybe never.

The only way is to get reed of briebery. No more envelops. No more getting of the hook. Eaqual lowes for everywhone, poore ore rich.

 

Dont see that coming when im alive and im just 53.

Skål på den????

[Soikhaonoiken]

16 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

For Brits and Aussies surely, beyond that ...... there is a pretty big world out there.  

It's the Baht which is strong, and affects all world currency, but unfortunately it hits harder on countries that there currency is weakest, hence Brits, Aussies, are going to Vietnam, Cambodia etc where thire Currency is not as strong, and gives better value for money. 

[lkv]

Ok so then I take it this did not work out well, did it?

 

https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/01/23/thailand-invites-chinese-tourists-to-record-breaking-sticky-rice-mango-feast.html

-------

"Chinese tourists were invited to enjoy the most famous Thai dessert along with Thai food and fruits as well as Thai-Chinese performances. Organizers said they want to build up a good image of Thai hospitality through this event.

"Considering there was a sharp drop of Chinese tourists to Thailand, we've been making an effort to improve the country's safety standards, expecting to restore the confidence of tourists from China and let them know Thailand care about them." said Pichit Kuandachakupt, chairman of the committee of religion, art, culture and tourism of the National Legislative Assembly."

------

 

No, you haven't made any effort to improve anything. You thought you'd buy 10,000 of them off with mango and sticky rice (probably more rice than mango), thinking they will go on Weibo so excited about how great Thailand is.

 

If I was Chinese, I'd feel insulted. They probably are.

 

Particularly coming after Prawit's comment.

 

Not very believable, is it?

Edited August 24, 2019 by lkv

[Lingba]

good..Thailand deserves it

[harada]

12 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

Maybe the Thai Government should legalise gambling and start building casinos. That'll pack the Chinese tourists in. 

Word on the street is that it's already in the pipeline. ????

[faraday]

18 hours ago, PatOngo said:

No, the Thaitanic is full of Thais!

And can't you guess whose at the front, pretending he's DiCaprio?

 

Yes folks, the mums & dad's favourite, Mr 'Amazon' Chan o Cha!

 

Who's the leading lady though....?

[PatOngo]

55 minutes ago, faraday said:

And can't you guess whose at the front, pretending he's DiCaprio?

 

Yes folks, the mums & dad's favourite, Mr 'Amazon' Chan o Cha!

 

Who's the leading lady though....?

DPM PW!

[martinhp]

22 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I think the strong Baht has a much bigger impact than that boat accident.

you are wrong tax is a problem, withot growing tax ,currency not a problem

the boat was just one accident out of many but the one to many .

and bad thai maners and lack of common sense invite people treat them poorly and trasport them around with no regard for there safety 

you get the truth no matter what you say and thais say a lot there is not true

and do a lot there truly doesnt help them there is a difference in harassment and being helpful thais today do the first best ,before reversed 

i think that the tourist industry got too big and now they lack education in there system and experience show.

they can not run it they way they do and thats why the truth is a problem you can not run from that

the emigration is a lot off irrelevant information which work as harassment as it dos not help thais in the industry its only good for fine tourist there try to live normally but the ones who doesnt and make the problems are not in the system and the most off them get in and out .

and again this effect tourist there only see it as it is a lot of information for no result 

the truth is always hard if you do somthing wrong and thats what i think is going on

[flyingtlger]

Tsk tsk tsk...playing the blame game!

It's not the boat that sank, it's the government and Immigrations and all the BS tourists as well as long term visa holder have to go through now a days just to stay in Thailand.

Vietnam and Cambodia are looking like much better alternatives....

[raccos21]

It’s time for travelers look for safety countries to travel then. 

[seancbk]

On 8/24/2019 at 8:34 AM, Youlike said:

It's the only way the Thai will learn that safety is important.....

 

The other benefit being it has helped keep the Chinese away.

[Guest]

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

And nearly all the western currencies are doing just as badly.

But the sad truth is, all the other countries around Asia are much more tourist friendly these days.

Thailand has just become a bit uncomfortable, and a bit expensive.

that is the sad truth but thailand will survive but will not learn from the past with the Thai attitude of head in the sand and they especially do not like to be told.

[Road Warrior]

Thais don't understand the word SAFETY  just look at their  driving !!!

[spidermike007]

11 hours ago, garyk said:

The heck with Thailand, And the horse they rode in on.

 I just left a Mayan temple in a little tourist town in Mexico. Showed my drivers license that I was over 60.  FREE.  Great food, clean air.  

Thailand sucks big time.

 

Thailand thought the country was something very special, and was it was the center of the known universe, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned.  

[Peterbkk99]

8 hours ago, lkv said:

Ok so then I take it this did not work out well, did it?

 

https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/01/23/thailand-invites-chinese-tourists-to-record-breaking-sticky-rice-mango-feast.html

-------

"Chinese tourists were invited to enjoy the most famous Thai dessert along with Thai food and fruits as well as Thai-Chinese performances. Organizers said they want to build up a good image of Thai hospitality through this event.

"Considering there was a sharp drop of Chinese tourists to Thailand, we've been making an effort to improve the country's safety standards, expecting to restore the confidence of tourists from China and let them know Thailand care about them." said Pichit Kuandachakupt, chairman of the committee of religion, art, culture and tourism of the National Legislative Assembly."

------

 

No, you haven't made any effort to improve anything. You thought you'd buy 10,000 of them off with mango and sticky rice (probably more rice than mango), thinking they will go on Weibo so excited about how great Thailand is.

 

If I was Chinese, I'd feel insulted. They probably are.

 

Particularly coming after Prawit's comment.

 

Not very believable, is it?

 

" probably more rice than mango"

lol exactly what i was thinking ????

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Peterbkk99

[anemone]

I really think it is the general attitude to foreignerswith visa and permit getting so hard to obtain in recent year, so much focus on the "bad guys" that they make all the "good guys" scared, tourist and foreingers feel like criminals just coming to Thailand

[manta]

Not the land of smiles anymore nothing to do with the boat..

[Dumbastheycome]

From my  reasonably  long term  observations of the overall " tourist"  market  in Thailand is  that it is  quite simply  opportunistic  and  disorganized. Whilst the  Government   may  welcome the significant  revenues generated  by tourism  there are  random legislations in effect  to  protect  or  enhance  tourism in any real terms  other than promotional  banners .

Too often the experience of  tourists  is being the subject of  unscrupulous  operators whose primary  motivation is to extort with the complicit  backing  of  "Law" enforcement in the  face of  complaint.

That is  in most ways a total reversal of  the  Indonesian Bali experience  for tourists. 

The  attitude  is so  different in the sense  that  Bali  has  long adapted itself  to a  local  economic dependency on tourism and they appreciate tourists in a  genuine  way. A  significant  percentage of those  who interface with  tourists  in Bali are  multilingual to a reasonable  communicational degree because it is  important to them.  By  comparison  too many Thai are  derisive and  scorning  about  tourists   incapacity  to speak  Thai . Illogical ! If  you  are involved  in a  Tourist   market  accommodate the  market .  But that is  not  how  Thailand seems  to operate. Instead  you are expected  to  take what is offered .

That Thailand has suffered some  major instances  of  fatalities  involving  tourists  is  no surprise  considering  the failure  of  administrative  checks and balances  not specifically in favour  of tourists  but  in failure of regulating  the  ad hoc  operators of  tourism facilities to  protect damage to  tourism.

Yet that is  the same  attitude applied  to the  general Thai population. You live, you  die. 

The  tourism revenues  are a  composite incidental  of the overall  economy. Significant  to ?

Put  that in a  contextual  relevance to the  fact that  1 % of the  elite possess what %  of  the money in Thailand and put that  up against the  relevance  of  tourism and  individual  tourists as  opposed  to  Thai.

As a  human percentage as  Thai, tourist  or  expat  we are  are incidental with respect to the  overall economy over and  above what provides  for the  masses.

As an expat  I  could  be  living in the  usa. Same same  but   not so  different.

No real quality other than the propagandist  claims.