Thai government promotes 18 measures to reach target of 39 million tourists

[howbri]

How about elimination of the stupid visa requirements expected of law-abiding, long stay Farang?

[Jimbo2014]

Plastic all over the beaches and behind any resort, air pollution so thick it will make kids cough.  Roads so dangerous they kill more each year than the Iraq war at its height.  Cant see these points tackled above?

[Deli]

What about the Tuk Tuk / Taxi rip off on Phuket ?

 

[RandolphGB]

Unfortunately it's a cultural thing. No amount of gimmicks will make up for the contempt, arrogance and exploitation that Thais show towards foreigners.  

 

Tourists are now beginning to realise that they can go elsewhere and be treated well with good customer service. 

[emptypockets]

If I was with Thai Immigration and read this thread I would be working on 18 ways to remove farang from Thailand as they seem to hate it so much.

Idea 1......compulsory insurance...check

2......double the retirement financials and ONLY money in the bank allowed, no more income letters

3 …..retirement age for visas now 65 to bring it into line with general global standards for actual retirement age

4....not needed.

 

Bye bye

[Krataiboy]

They forgot the most important: 19 Fix global recession.

 

And somebody with a grasp of English should have told them "Shocking Price on Weekdays" was likely to give tourists the opposite impression to that intended and "Amazing Price on Weekdays" (reflecting the Amazing Thailand meme) would be better.

[SteveK]

2 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

If I was with Thai Immigration and read this thread I would be working on 18 ways to remove farang from Thailand as they seem to hate it so much.

Idea 1......compulsory insurance...check

2......double the retirement financials and ONLY money in the bank allowed, no more income letters

3 …..retirement age for visas now 65 to bring it into line with general global standards for actual retirement age

4....not needed.

 

Bye bye

So everyone just relocates to Vietnam, it's Thailand that'll lose out.

[notrub]

3 hours ago, corkman said:

Oh, and there is another one. "No more archaic alcohol free days" to reduce domestic tourists going overseas on long weekends during the low season, and foreign tourists from staying away!

Personally I don't see a big problem limiting alcohol availability.  Gives a person an opportunity to sober up once in a while. 

[kevin612]

Lower the baht first then implement the  tourism plan.

[MUSICMAN16]

get the taxi drivers and insane soi dos under cotrol

tourists will come then

 

also stop harrassing people who hire mopeds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Miami007]

Many mention the baht as reason for the decline.  Sure, it contributes but I was in Bali recently and it is more expensive than Thailand and still full with western tourists.

 

One reason could be that nearly everyone I talked to spoke very good English (in hotels, taxis, clerks in grocery stores, servers in restaurants, security guards at malls etc etc). 

The beaches and water seemed cleaner and overall the tourist product is better than in Thailand.

[emptypockets]

3 minutes ago, SteveK said:

So everyone just relocates to Vietnam, it's Thailand that'll lose out.

And Vietnam - no country will welcome ageing economic refugees.

[timkeen08]

45 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

And there is a grand total of 2 deals to be had! 

 

What a raging success!

Yah, I just saw that.  Click on all other categories and it goes to a page for companies to sign up.  Hilarious.

[Garybaldy]

It would be interesting to know now western tourists are staying away and Chinese and Indians are king how much they spend whilst here as apposed to their western counterparts. From what I can see there are 4 Chinese sharing one portion of chicken rice and crammed into condos by the dozen.

[kevinmartyn]

I think that's a pipe dream when the cost of coming to Thailand has gone up to over 30%!

[madmitch]

We won't see the real changes required with this, or any other Government that includes the same dinosaurs that have been in power for years (it doeesn't matter which party!)

 

Thailand needs some forward thinkers, youth, people with some original ideas rather than the same old <deleted> regurgitated year after year.

 

On paper, Thai tourism is still a success but in reality it is broken and needs fixing.

[Chicken George]

23 minutes ago, SteveK said:

So everyone just relocates to Vietnam, it's Thailand that'll lose out.

No way to Vietnam.. Have you seen how polluted the air is there. Its do bad all the AQI stations are switched off.. Yes its bad here as well but as bad if not worse there.

[kevinmartyn]

Holiday makers are avoiding Thailand and going to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia. Most book holidays one year ahead

[marqus12]

26 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

And Vietnam - no country will welcome ageing economic refugees.

Vietnam will stick to the USA And EU for the longest time

of all SEA countries.
And that means farang refugees welcome 555

[raccos21]

[kiwikeith]

4 hours ago, mok199 said:

18 old gimmicks to lure in dollars....the question should be ''how can we in Thailand make your holiday experience more enjoyable''....the answer is ''start treating them with respect and dignity and not like cattle''...

The old TM 30 gimmick, the health insurance for the bad expats over 50 causing mayhem in the hospital system, the treating of long term expats as criminal, ect.

 

The shocking price gimmicks will affect the Chinese who will be led around by the tour guides to get special prices which will only benefit the Chinese Thai operators and the hotels owned by these people will benefit. 

Close down the street vendors so Mc Donalds can sell more heart failure food and make more money.

Creating unemployment for these vendors a big mistake

[Jaxxper]

3 hours ago, corkman said:

Oh, and there is another one. "No more archaic alcohol free days" to reduce domestic tourists going overseas on long weekends during the low season, and foreign tourists from staying away!

So the “archaic” alcohol free days are actually religious holidays. Do you suggest that now Saudi Arabia which is going to start issuing tourist visas and is also alcohol free (100%) on religious grounds should start allowing alcohol sales? Just interested.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

2 hours ago, SteveK said:

Visit "Amazing Suvarnabhumi", with 750 baht a night accommodation which includes free cold rice and tap water.

And cockroach infested

[Thaifriends]

Jack is finally out of the box!

 

New warning signs placed at entrance of Condos clearly mention ABNB and not only landlords but short term tenants may also be prosecuted.

 

My goodness, it does not even happen in East Africa.

[Surasak]

This is supposed to be Thailand, not some Reincarnation of London, New York, Paris or Sydney. Many people come on holiday to experience a change of culture. Street food and markets have been cleared from many areas because some bright spark decided they were an eyesore. A real off put, is to find double pricing in many places. Haggling a price with the seller, used to be all part of the experience, it still happens but not so much now. Treating foreigners as cash cows, doesn't help as you only get one chance to make a first impression. The world is a much smaller place than it used to be 20/30 years ago and as such, Thailand is exposed to the worlds press. Tidy up and improve things by all means, but keep it Thai. The biggest improvement that this country can and should make, are to the driving standards. In so many cases you put you life on the line travelling by bus, van or taxi, because the driver in high on booze or drugs. Why? Because he is on a time schedule to make as many runs as possible. Stupid is as stupid does and this is the only country I know that teaches stupid.   

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmmm.... And the beat goes on.... and on

[fraggleRock]

It just beggers belief, the stupidity of this - Its got so bad that the normal educated Thai person want to leave this absolute joke of a Country that spits lies out daily with desperation....

 

I just came back from a trip abroad (Singapore) and immigration, as usual gave me a very hard time for visiting too much....! Do they not want my money...... I was told to get a NON - IMM TYPE O, WHY i said, pointless as my business and Thai wife are in Singapore... and pointless wasting my money on this VISA and stupids of the people at CW immigration for days on end constantly asking for more stuff....

 

I know many people that have visited Thailand, and vow NEVER to return because of this <deleted>... 

 

And this weekend, a long weekend - holiday weekend - Monk rule 7/11 time - great way to destroy Tourism - Thank God for Jungle Pubs.

 

I'm in the process of packing up, had enough of this utter moronic Government lies and pandering..

[Pesche]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The other campaign called "Shocking Price on Weekdays" is offered to people who take a trip to a Thai destination between Mondays and Thursdays, beginning in November until the end of December.

 

I have a better suggestion. How about a campaign called Shocking lack of xenophobia and racism practiced by the Army and Immigration? How about shocking competence practiced by the tourism ministry?

 

Lower the surly and ignorant luxury taxes that discourage wealthy tourists from visiting. They like to shop and drink fine wine. And they refuse to pay some of the highest prices on the planet for that. 

 

Start treating tourists and ex-pats with respect and dignity, start taking traffic and public safety seriously, start doing everything in your power to devalue the grossly over inflated baht, start improving the educational system, so the youth learn to speak reasonably good English, stop harassing frequent visitors at immigration, stop harassing ex-pats, start hiring competent ministers, start doing what you can to clean up the air, land and water, eliminate dual pricing, and stop making ridiculous proclamations and declarations. Behave like real men. Show us some action, and stop the incessant and meaningless jabbering.

 

And lastly get rid of the ridiculously incompetent army. They are not needed, wanted or liked by anyone other than the elites. They are universally despised, and their incompetence and greed are mind boggling. 

In my very humble opinion, Spidermike007 Has the most appropriate comment to this post!

 

Indeed, the proposed measures from the so called "government" (which is still a Junta) prove the total lack of competence in the regards to bring back a "good" prosperity in the Tourism Industry!

Thailand had a boom in 1988 and now it is declining...

And,

They wonder...!

 

Well, obviously they missed all the opportunities! They missed to understand that it is vital to familiarize with the different cultures visiting their country!

To UNDERSTAND what the requests are to stay competitive!

To acquire more competence in this field and to readjust, evolve with the flow...

Instead: They still think that they are "unique" with their "Thai-ness" and culture and "cuisine" etc. etc. and etc.

 

They still continue to feed the young generation with "Ohh look, a FARANG!". This "funny species" who comes here to enjoy life, buy a house, retire, get drunk, roasting half-naked on the beach, talking loud, having fun and spending money!

They still continue with this arrogant attitude: "Oh the FARANG is stupid, he doesn't understand!"

They still ignore (since now more than 30 years) the necessity to learn proper English! So there is so little Thais who can speak proper English. Having a conversation is still a very complicated thing... After 30 years!

 

So, the quintessence of the decline of the Tourism is simply caused by the stubborn and arrogant attitude to NOT evolve, BUT to regress - without even thinking about the consequences!

 

THIS IS THE REASON WHY!

The why there is an exodus of Expats having enough of this constant mockery! 

The why their RIDICULOUS restrictions and inquisitive immigration regulations are not accepted anymore!

The why the Tourists (NOT only Farangs) say and feel: "Oh, we are NOT welcome here!"

The why they are recruiting Filipinos at the reception of the Hotels since no one else can properly speak English!

The why they still come with so called "incentives" to react to the problem.

incentives which WILL NOT change anything! INSTEAD of evolving and stay competitive with innovative strategies!

 

So,

It's is not only the Baht, air- & Land pollution, alcohol-free days BUT the total lack of competence of the leaders and the system causing the problem!

Other destinations are not sleeping and they will ridicule Thailand with their booming, welcoming Tourism Industry.

 

And I am, after 27 years living here, seriously considering to move to a better place! Vietnam? Philippines? I am pondering...

 

Thank you for reading

[essox essox]

5 hours ago, mok199 said:

18 old gimmicks to lure in dollars....the question should be ''how can we in Thailand make your holiday experience more enjoyable''....the answer is ''start treating them with respect and dignity and not like cattle''...

well said and put ...

[Mitkof Island]

Just cover the country in resorts and a 100 million foreigners. There are about twenty million too many here already. Mass tourism has destroyed what was unique about Thailand. If i did not have a Thai partner i would just hang out in Laos . Far fewer foreigners and it has not been ruined yet but they are working on it.