Lack of European visitors the cause of Thailand's tourism woes, says hotelier

[KhunSugar]

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 7:20 AM, Mike Teavee said:

And not forgetting the TM30 hassles which could be stopping Expats from travelling in-country and staying in hotels, using local businesses etc... 

It's about tourists, not about expats.
Tourists are not bothered by TM30 conditions and even less about extensions.

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, KhunSugar said:

It's about tourists, not about expats.
Tourists are not bothered by TM30 conditions and even less about extensions.

Expat here, I also went on holiday in Thailand 3 or 4 times a year, often with a 'friend'.

Now I go on holiday outside Thailand 3 or 4 times a year, and manage to find a 'friend' from that country.

 

Edited September 20, 2019 by BritManToo

[fruitman]

On 9/18/2019 at 9:14 PM, emptypockets said:

Are you a blackfella?…. I've never had a problem. Ever.

Why are you being singled out?

Nope i'm as farang as one can be...and i always have and had the proper visa for any country i've visited.

 

What's the function of a thai io asking me if i work in Thailand? I just arrived after a long flight, long period of getting my multiple-o based on marriage, have to show them loads of documents for that, also 20 copies of my bankaccounts so they know exactly how i make my money and where i work...why do they have to search in my passport and ask me those questions???

 

And why do i have to show all those bankpapers? I'm married as they know so why not look at my wife's bankaccount and see that she can easy guarantee my stay with that 800.000? I don't even apply for an extendable multi-o where one needs the 800k in bank, that's on my bank plus on my wife's bank as well...And that's only the cash part of my assets....i have much more invested but that's no proof for income.

 

Last week at the embassy there was a guy before me who applied for a TV..he showed them his hotelbookings and all but the clerk found an issue...the guy didn't have a hotelbooking for the day he arrived in BKK, only for all weeks after that. He got refused and had to go home to make a hotelbooking for that first night. He said he would go to Pattaya the 1st night and after that to BKK to his booked hotel but he got refused.

 

Why do they have to treat people like that? Do they think farang all dream of begging on the thai street? And why do they think i want to work in Thailand? I don't have to work and my European business is still running even when i'm abroad in Thailand...i got staff for that. I'm tired of being treated that way. If they want me to show cash, which i do show, they should give or refuse me the visa, not give me stupid questions after i have the proper visa.

[yellowboat]

On 9/18/2019 at 9:58 PM, emptypockets said:

Try Yemen,  very cheap I hear. If that's what determines your holiday or residential aspirations. 

Interesting comment from a user name that denotes a lack of money.   Surrounding countries are more fun, cheaper and offer opportunities that Thailand once had but frittered away.  All in the name of military "glory", wanting to be more like Singapore and deThaksinification.  

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, usviphotography said:

An underappreciated aspect to all this is that Western European birthrates have been extremely low for some time now. That was bound to eventually affect total Western tourism numbers. All things being equal, less Europeans equals less European tourists. Now throw in the relative poverty of younger Westerners, the Pound being at an all time low, and the sanctions that have hit the Russian economy and that just compounds the problem. 

Thailand was opened up by the backpackers, who had lots less money than young people do now, and there are just as many youths travelling the world as in the 80s. What is different is that the little darlings don't want to live in an A frame with no toilet, shower, hot water, tv, AC. In the rush to cater for the flashpackers, Thais ruined the beaches, so IMO people stopped going.

On the other end of the scale, many if not most of the older guys that came to LOS looking for loooove were off the back of a divorce, flush with cash from selling the house. It's just my impression, but seems to me that there are less of them now. It could be that the BGs are just not that looooovable anymore, and they are certainly asking far too much for what's on offer.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Last week at the embassy there was a guy before me who applied for a TV..he showed them his hotelbookings and all but the clerk found an issue...the guy didn't have a hotelbooking for the day he arrived in BKK, only for all weeks after that. He got refused and had to go home to make a hotelbooking for that first night. He said he would go to Pattaya the 1st night and after that to BKK to his booked hotel but he got refused.

If that is the new reality, Thailand deserves to be devoid of tourists pronto.

I never had a booking for first night, as just looked around for somewhere.

Anyway, who wants to have to book for every night of a holiday? I never stayed longer than 3 days anywhere, and decided where I was going on the spur of the moment.

Oh Thailand, when did you become so idiotic ( being polite )? You had a good thing going and blew it.

[Mike Teavee]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If that is the new reality, Thailand deserves to be devoid of tourists pronto.

I never had a booking for first night, as just looked around for somewhere.

Anyway, who wants to have to book for every night of a holiday? I never stayed longer than 3 days anywhere, and decided where I was going on the spur of the moment.

Oh Thailand, when did you become so idiotic ( being polite )? You had a good thing going and blew it.

Sorry but I can understand somebody only having a booking for the 1st 1 or 2 nights but cannot understand why somebody would have a hotel booked for weeks after but not the night they land

 

Good call on the Embassy's call in my view, all to easy to cancel a hotel in the future, not so easy on the day 

Edited September 21, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[fruitman]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

12 hours ago, fruitman said:

Last week at the embassy there was a guy before me who applied for a TV..he showed them his hotelbookings and all but the clerk found an issue...the guy didn't have a hotelbooking for the day he arrived in BKK, only for all weeks after that. He got refused and had to go home to make a hotelbooking for that first night. He said he would go to Pattaya the 1st night and after that to BKK to his booked hotel but he got refused.

If that is the new reality, Thailand deserves to be devoid of tourists pronto.

I never had a booking for first night, as just looked around for somewhere.

Anyway, who wants to have to book for every night of a holiday? I never stayed longer than 3 days anywhere, and decided where I was going on the spur of the moment.

Oh Thailand, when did you become so idiotic ( being polite )? You had a good thing going and blew it.

Well the guy applied for a tourist visa, so must have had booked hotels for that period, at least for more than 4 weeks or het wouldn;t need that TV. I didn't follow it exactly but there is no privacy at all, they just refuse you through the speaker while the whole room can hear that.

 

Thailand should make an appointment with the European countries that if a EU national starts begging on the streets they can just bring him to the embassy who will repatriate him/her...no more work for the Thai.

 

Is it those begging backpackers who caused all this?? There must be a reason why they are so extreme strict these days for a visa. Well, who wants a thai visa anyway with 33 baht for a euro? Better go to Spain.

[fruitman]

6 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Sorry but I can understand somebody only having a booking for the 1st 1 or 2 nights but cannot understand why somebody would have a hotel booked for weeks after but not the night they land

 

Good call on the Embassy's call in my view, all to easy to cancel a hotel in the future, not so easy on the day 

Yes i also don't understand it...but the guy showed them plenty of hotelbookings, those were not the issue it was only the first night that the clerk had issues with.

 

But what is the embassy thinking? That any applicant who doesn't show hotelbookings for every single night will go sleep on the streets? What Western European traveller likes to sleep outdoors in thailand? And they even fly 13 hours for that? It's ridiculous to think that way.

[Vacuum]

On 9/18/2019 at 12:03 PM, Humpy said:

The Bar Fines are too high !!

Tell her to come to your place AW. 

[Vacuum]

On 9/18/2019 at 7:07 PM, emptypockets said:

So it is always about the money!

Yes, this topic is about whining hoteliers.

[wilcopops]

I think it is quite possible that METV and entry restrictions in gnarl are having an effect. many Asian tourist are on packages and their visa is included  ....European tourists stay longer and often try to use Thailand as a hub...the more difficult this becomes the less appealing it becomes as a destination.

 

however as a tacky destination a mass production line of various Chinese and local visitors may be more lucrative, and if European visitors stopped completely the overall figures would simply be the same as about 5 years ago.

Edited September 21, 2019 by wilcopops

[Mitkof Island]

About 25 million too many of them here already. The less foreigners the better. Thailand needs to grow up and learn more is not better. Mass tourism has destroyed the reason for visiting here.

[wilcopops]

4 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

About 25 million too many of them here already. The less foreigners the better. Thailand needs to grow up and learn more is not better. Mass tourism has destroyed the reason for visiting here.

Thailand hs indeed plundered and destroyed much of the natural resources that made tourism about 20% of the Thai economy. However the industry will continue to thrive with less discriminating markets.....So I'd see the future as more tack and more pollution.

[AussieBob18]

We were in Hua Hin recently for 2 weeks and we visited all the golf courses - they were worse than anything I have ever seen (last time in 2017). The whole town was 'down' and there was a distinct lack of western tourists and not as many Chinese/Russians as usual. But most of the golf clubs still wanted full price to play - only a couple had 'special' pricing - unbelievable arrogance to the realities of the market.  Banyan and Black Mountain had very few playing - never seen that before.  

 

The Chinese are not coming as much, the baht is too strong and Thailand has lost its appeal to westerners. And the mob that caused the problems by not looking after their proven 'customers' (westerners) are blaming the world economy. Well boys the USA economy is booming but there aint no increase in the numbers of Yankie tourists or expats.  The sun is setting boys - you were warned years ago - you reap what you sow. Good news for us expats with Thai wives - the baht is going to crash - it is as inevitable as the proverbial going downhill - it is just a matter of time and temperature - and things are starting to get warm.

 

 

[fhickson]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:45 PM, BritManToo said:

I just use non-os and never interact with Thai immigration, so don't need to do TM30s.

Trip to Vietnam every 90 days isn't that onerous a duty.

Went to DaNang in July, off to Hanoi in October.

agree 100%. i prefer the flight out over the immigration office visit. if i dont have a visa in hand im not here, and it ends up being about the same price.

[fhickson]

.

Edited September 22, 2019 by fhickson

[fhickson]

On 9/19/2019 at 12:53 AM, fruitman said:

Even with the right multiple visa i have stress to pass the thai immigration...they always search my passport like i 'm a criminal and even have to accuse me of working illegally in Thailand which i never did or will do. I'm married with a Thai, have plenty cash, never did anything wrong so why they have to treat me so bad??

tell them your not interested

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by fhickson

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, fhickson said:

tell them your not interested

 

Well in the past i did a lot of business and sure could sell whatever they produce in Thailand. But if they treat me this way i won't have anything to do with thai officials at all.....

 

And nope i don't want to work in Thailand, i can't stand it when everything goes wrong and there's nobody to blame.

[MaxYakov]

Lack of European visitors the cause of Thailand's tourism woes, says hotelier

 

I don't think Thais in general are very good at identifying 'root causes'.  

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 9:12 PM, fruitman said:

Well the guy applied for a tourist visa, so must have had booked hotels for that period,

WHY????????

I NEVER booked ahead, and just went where I decided at the time. I had, and have no desire to be confined to one place, especially as that place may be beside a building site, or as happened to me be on a beach with a very loud party bar till 3 am every night.

It was never necessary to have booked ahead when I was obtaining TVs to allow me to return on a Sunday, if that put me over the 30 day limit. It was often only needed for one or two days.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, AussieBob18 said:

We were in Hua Hin recently for 2 weeks and we visited all the golf courses - they were worse than anything I have ever seen (last time in 2017). The whole town was 'down' and there was a distinct lack of western tourists and not as many Chinese/Russians as usual. But most of the golf clubs still wanted full price to play - only a couple had 'special' pricing - unbelievable arrogance to the realities of the market.  Banyan and Black Mountain had very few playing - never seen that before.  

 

The Chinese are not coming as much, the baht is too strong and Thailand has lost its appeal to westerners. And the mob that caused the problems by not looking after their proven 'customers' (westerners) are blaming the world economy. Well boys the USA economy is booming but there aint no increase in the numbers of Yankie tourists or expats.  The sun is setting boys - you were warned years ago - you reap what you sow. Good news for us expats with Thai wives - the baht is going to crash - it is as inevitable as the proverbial going downhill - it is just a matter of time and temperature - and things are starting to get warm.

 

 

I last visited H H over 10 years ago and it was so disgusting I never went back. Horrible place.

[Fex Bluse]

Well, the Thais put all their faith in the Chinese.

And, nobody else wants to visit a place that is overrun by Chinese tourists.

It's simple really.

[smedly]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:58 PM, NanLaew said:

Oh wow! Now THAT'll set the proverbial car among the pigeons. Legend has it that as far a Chiang Mai immigration are concerned, one has to file a TM30 if one changes one's mind about what to eat for dinner.

why are you spamming this nonsense winding people up - what is your purpose here, you seem to be one of those people that just wants to disagree and argue with everyone - on a forum it is called baiting and spamming 

 

why don't you make whatever point you have or contribute to the topic like everyone else, I have seen this trait from you many times before - have you considered taking up a hobby 

[smedly]

On 9/18/2019 at 3:46 PM, lust said:

Does anyone else secretly enjoy watching Thailand squirm? You mistreat your guests, what do you expect to happen? Som nam na, bitches.

yes agree, but some posters on here seem to think it's wonderful and we're all talking out our asses

[Isaanbiker]

They underestimated what an expat spends in one year. Do they even understand that many Thai are losing their jobs just because of many expats have left?

[transam]

5 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

They underestimated what an expat spends in one year. Do they even understand that many Thai are losing their jobs just because of many expats have left?

Probably because the gov doesn't see the money spent here....If you get my drift...

Plus, if foreign folk who are thinking of a visit actually read before coming what the gov have been up too, they may give this place a miss.

Well, that is the smokers, drinkers, bikini wearers, looking for "love" folk and those who do not like being harassed by soldiers on a night out...

[BritManToo]

44 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

They underestimated what an expat spends in one year.

let's assume retired expat.

65k x 12 = 800,000 bht.

Then they estimate there's around 1 million expats living here. = 800,000,000,000bht/year.

 

That's 800 Billion Baht/year.

or $25 Billion/year (or 30% of the entire tourist industry).

Edited September 23, 2019 by BritManToo

[Isaanbiker]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Probably because the gov doesn't see the money spent here....If you get my drift...

Plus, if foreign folk who are thinking of a visit actually read before coming what the gov have been up too, they may give this place a miss.

Well, that is the smokers, drinkers, bikini wearers, looking for "love" folk and those who do not like being harassed by soldiers on a night out...

We both bought a pick up, married a Thai, took and take care of the extended family. ( anyhow/somehow). I bought small motorbikes, a couple of big bikes, pay tax on my salary and for our vehicles. And of course on all goods we buy and have bought. 

 

I had a few million baht when I moved to Thailand, but I didn't buy a house as you did and I regret that I didn't. The prices have more than doubled here. -????

 

  I always spent the last baht of my salary, we buy goods that aren't often that cheap, so we are all helping the Thai economy.

 

Considering that I've been here for 17 years, I must have spent a fortune by now. It's a <deleted>load of cash, that's for sure. 

 

   We also keep the beer industry busy, the fag producers won't be jobless because of people like us. We don't buy two fags per day in a plastic bag, we buy cartons, or packets, right?

 

  And back in the old days, I spent a lot of cash on hookers who could then built houses, buy vehicles and so on. If people like us aren't wanted anymore, they're making a huge mistake.

 

Only the young ones in tiny bikinis are in danger getting raped, the ugly ones seem to be safe regarding Pinocchio. What a message! 

 

  Thailand without foreigners' money would be like Myanmar. Have a great week, hope you're doing well regarding the flood. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by Isaanbiker
Calling the little wife

[Isaanbiker]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I last visited H H over 10 years ago and it was so disgusting I never went back. Horrible place.

I was there about 15 years ago and hated it.