Chiang Mai: Chinese tourists in Loy Krathong rebellion - claim "disgraceful" rip off by Thai company

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Operators said that no wonder tourism in Chiang Mai had gone down from 5 million to half that number of visitors. These shocking operators ripping people off should be investigated, they said.

 

They termed the social media coverage from China as "very damaging"

Greed has killed the tourism industry.... and still they try to get the last baht out of another fiasco!

[andre47]

14 minutes ago, SteveK said:

Well that's another billion plus potential tourists who are going to see this on the news and possibly think about not visiting Thailand. Then next month the TAT will release a drive to capture the Indonesian tourist market. Or the Mexican tourist market. Soon there won't be any countries left.

There are so many Indians and Chinese more to come here. The number of tourists from these countries will increase enormous the next 10-15 years. What we see now is just the beginning. Europeans will loose their importance for the Thai tourism market.

[SteveK]

15 minutes ago, andre47 said:

Europeans will lose their importance for the Thai tourism market.

I think that has already happened!

Edited November 19, 2019 by SteveK

[RichardColeman]

Be fair , 5800 baht of that 6,000 baht was road 'survival' insurance

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Haha, I find this event especially hilarious, considering how I've been dragged to so many of these by the schools I've worked at.

 

The purpose of them is hardly for you to be entertained. For the locals, it's for them to be seen by the local big wigs and feel important. For the big wigs, it's for them to feel important seeing all their loyal constituents lovingly looking onward. And in my case, it was for my school director and head of department to look good, with their bright new farang teachers front and center.

 

The Chinese tour directors saw this event on a list of events somewhere, described as some cultural festival, and thus spun it as something they could sell. Oh, the cultural disconnect.

[digibum]

29 minutes ago, andre47 said:

There are so many Indians and Chinese more to come here. The number of tourists from these countries will increase enormous the next 10-15 years. What we see now is just the beginning. Europeans will loose their importance for the Thai tourism market.

In numbers, yes.  In yield per tourist, no.  
 

TAT is going after Chinese and Indians because they can send large numbers so TAT can claim tourism is going through the roof.  
 

But they simply don’t spend as much as farangs.  
 

Thailand always tries to compare itself to Singapore and Hong Kong in terms of room rates and amount spent per tourist per day but this strategy is either going to make them give up and become SEA’s low cost whore or they’re going to have to fix tourism and start attracting higher spending tourists.  
 

And by whore of SEA, I mean, a country willing to let foreigners treat it like a trash bin while the Thai people have to smile and take it.  
 

If it’s not obvious by now, neither the Chinese nor the Indians hold Thais in high regard.  
 

They could care less about Thai culture.  They don’t have the “white guilt” that allows farangs do.  They DEMAND service and have zero tolerance for the mai bpen rai attitude.  

[donnacha]

58 minutes ago, andre47 said:

Europeans will loose their importance for the Thai tourism market.

There was always one vital characteristic of Western tourism which actually made us very suited to the Thai way of doing things. Many (but not all) Western tourists would dabble in the nightlife, providing plentiful opportunity for scams and hustles. Conveniently, many of these incidents would never come to light, because the victims generally did not want to have to explain to their friends, families, and work colleagues why they happened to have ladyboy in their hotel room at 4am. In fact, if anything happened to you while in Thailand, the smart play would be to suck up the loss and never talk of it again.

So, while the existence of sex tourism was a terrible embarrassment to the Thais, it actually allowed enterprising locals to shake lots of money out of tourists with no real reputational downside for the country. What happened in Thailand stayed in Thailand.

Now that they are phasing out Western tourism, however, the natural impulse to scam or mistreat visitors is not being so conveniently swept under the rug. Chinese tourists, often traveling in large groups, tend to have more vanilla tastes and, so, when they get ripped off, have nothing to be ashamed of and are quick to share their story on social media. The multiplying effect of that means that even relatively small scams like this one (a few thousand baht from a few hundred people) get massive coverage and start to form a narrative that rapidly removes any remaining shine Thailand had for Chinese visitors. The prediction that ever-growing millions of Chinese would continue to flock to Thailand may turn out to have been a tad premature.

Thailand so badly wants to be a family destination but, sadly, the realities of Thai character mean that it may forever be better suited as a non-family destination.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by donnacha

[The Theory]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

tourism in Chiang Mai had gone down from 5 million to half that number of visitors.

Time to move back to CM, Chinese getting less. 

[Oxpilot]

Never heard of a Khom Loi causing a major problem. But the lack of them is destroying Loi Krathong

[elektrified]

8 hours ago, cmsally said:

Interesting , so the rumours I have been hearing are turning out to be true ! Was there by any chance more than one of this type of event.

Yes there was. About 4 such organized events on Loy Krathong.

[bwpage3]

Shocking to believe Thai people would rip someone off! LOL!

[mduras01]

That’s some serious tourist flocking!

[car720]

15 hours ago, andre47 said:

It gets more and more stupid on this planet....

are you only just noticing that?  

[BritManToo]

6 hours ago, elektrified said:

Yes there was. About 4 such organized events on Loy Krathong.

Found this one, but the venue was changed from Cowboy Riding Club at Mae Rim (north) to Chiang Mai Air Sport (south) at the last minute ........ really dodgy, prices 4,500-6,300.

 

http://www.yipengchiangmailanternfestival.com/event/2019-by-cad

Edited November 19, 2019 by BritManToo

[Isaan sailor]

17 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

6000 baht is a lot of Yuan these days. The Yuan Baht rate follows the same nosediving line as all the other currencies.

Not quite.  As the Baht rises—so does the Yuan.  And, of course—the USD goes down.

[TheAppletons]

59 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Not quite.  As the Baht rises—so does the Yuan.  And, of course—the USD goes down.

 

  Newsflash:  the Chinese yuan is at a fixed exchange rate to the US dollar.  The yuan does not "rise" in concert with the Thai baht vis-a-vis the US dollar.  Quite the opposite.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/14/yuan-pboc-sets-rmb-midpoint-at-7point0312-per-dollar-aug-14.html

 

 

[ubon farang]

It is in the Thai blood to rip off tourists and farang who live here. I know this might soound petty but it starts from the bottom and works its way to the top. Take for instance the lady who I buy beer off in my villiage Nice lady friendly and always chatty when I go there But wait for it? Drum roll when I buy beer its 70 baht for tall bottle of Leo.When a thai buys beer there its 55 Baht. So I had to find new lady to buy beer off Its petty I know Only 15 baht but its wrong way of thinking for me. One price for me  other price for Thai 

[Ventenio]

OMG.  yea, never pay more than a few hundred baht.  and you still probably won't get your monies worth.  6000?  VIP?  LOL  funny to see people finally realize that got taken.  ok, who wants to ride elephants and pick strawberries for 11,000 baht with free lunch and transportation??  and then they leave saying, 'but everyone told me it was soo cheap'

[Eindhoven]

1 hour ago, ubon farang said:

It is in the Thai blood to rip off tourists and farang who live here. I know this might soound petty but it starts from the bottom and works its way to the top. Take for instance the lady who I buy beer off in my villiage Nice lady friendly and always chatty when I go there But wait for it? Drum roll when I buy beer its 70 baht for tall bottle of Leo.When a thai buys beer there its 55 Baht. So I had to find new lady to buy beer off Its petty I know Only 15 baht but its wrong way of thinking for me. One price for me  other price for Thai 

 

I think you have that the wrong way around...

[SupermarineS6B]

Ha ha, you couldn't make it up if you tried, mind you it's nice to know that Thai's are not racist and will happily rob anyone, including their latest pipe dream the quality tourists from China....... Nevermind Somchai, all is not lost, the Indians are on their way....... 

[Traubert]

I'm afraid something is reported wrongly here. The TVF gurus tell us daily that the Chinese dont spend any money in Thailand so it must be a mistake.

 

Spend Thb6000 including a slap up meal? But they only eat mama noodles from 7/11. One portion between four we're told.

 

Yup, very fishy.

[ubon farang]

22 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

I think you have that the wrong way around...

Ok what ever but it is built in Thai sociaty Farang pay more than Thai easy picking. Top bottom dont matter is still called being ripped off

[ubon farang]

23 hours ago, Ventenio said:

OMG.  yea, never pay more than a few hundred baht.  and you still probably won't get your monies worth.  6000?  VIP?  LOL  funny to see people finally realize that got taken.  ok, who wants to ride elephants and pick strawberries for 11,000 baht with free lunch and transportation??  and then they leave saying, 'but everyone told me it was soo cheap'

Had a ride on the back of a motorbike in Bangkok You know the ones with Red jackets on offering lifts around the city. I ask this guy to take me to hotel i was saying mainly becaus i was lost He said 100 baht I said ok  when we got there he says 150 baht haha I said here mate 100 baht keep the change lol

[impulse]

23 hours ago, ubon farang said:

when I buy beer its 70 baht for tall bottle of Leo.When a thai buys beer there its 55 Baht. So I had to find new lady to buy beer off Its petty I know Only 15 baht but its wrong way of thinking for me. One price for me  other price for Thai 

 

Nope.  One price for people who know how to negotiate, another price for those who grew up in a nanny state where "every price is clearly marked and everyone pays the clearly marked price".  Our governments didn't prepare us for life in the rest of the world where negotiating is part of every day transactions and the locals learn to negotiate before they learn to walk. 

 

In fact, they consider it a fun (but serious) sport.  And you clearly lost that round...

 

Edit:  And depending on where you're from, not going back for round 2 is kind of like taking your ball and going home (USA), or throwing all your toys out of the pram (UK).

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by impulse

[ubon farang]

11 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Nope.  One price for people who know how to negotiate, another price for those who grew up in a nanny state where "every price is clearly marked and everyone pays the clearly marked price".  Our governments didn't prepare us for life in the rest of the world where negotiating is part of every day transactions and the locals learn to negotiate before they learn to walk. 

 

In fact, they consider it a fun (but serious) sport.  And you clearly lost that round...

 

Edit:  And depending on where you're from, not going back for round 2 is kind of like taking your ball and going home (USA), or throwing all your toys out of the pram (UK).

 

Yeah right mate if u want to go negotiate to buy 3 bottles of beer go right ahead I did not not lose that round you lost the plot mate But go right ahead negotiate to buy 3 bottles of beer Its so

exciting 

[NCC1701A]

They are chanting "We make Thailand our military base! We make Thailand our military base!" 

[impulse]

2 hours ago, ubon farang said:

Yeah right mate if u want to go negotiate to buy 3 bottles of beer go right ahead I did not not lose that round you lost the plot mate But go right ahead negotiate to buy 3 bottles of beer Its so

exciting 

 

A Thai person making 300 baht a day would have gladly negotiated to save 45 baht on 3 beers.

 

If you don't want to play the game, don't bitch if you lose.  You didn't get scammed.  You got lazy.

 

Edit:  And I'd add, all you have to do is negotiate once or twice, then every time you walk in the door, you'll get the same low price.

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by impulse

[ubon farang]

9 hours ago, impulse said:

 

A Thai person making 300 baht a day would have gladly negotiated to save 45 baht on 3 beers.

 

If you don't want to play the game, don't bitch if you lose.  You didn't get scammed.  You got lazy.

 

Edit:  And I'd add, all you have to do is negotiate once or twice, then every time you walk in the door, you'll get the same low price.

 

Ha ha ok i am lazy. People like you would you would argue about 2 flies crawling up the wall I was stating a fact that this what happens in Thailand One price for Farang one price for Thai They are the facts Everybody in this forum would agree to that. Its got not nothing to do with this B/s you are talking about Thais being brought up to negoiate. Ok move onto to your next subject

 I am sure you can find another argument here I was making a point here but you made a mountain out of mole hill. We all know Thais try to rip Farang off how we deal with it is up to the person being ripped off. I did not state that in my original text I was stating that there is one price for farang another for thai

[sunnyboy2018]

CM is totally çŕâp. One of the worst municipalities in Thailand. Very bad at organising civic event and cultural festivals.  Terrible at clearing up. Awful regarding licensing nightlife. An over regulated city. So sad. My least favourite city in Thailand.

[sunnyboy2018]

14 minutes ago, ubon farang said:

Ha ha ok i am lazy. People like you would you would argue about 2 flies crawling up the wall I was stating a fact that this what happens in Thailand One price for Farang one price for Thai They are the facts Everybody in this forum would agree to that. Its got not nothing to do with this B/s you are talking about Thais being brought up to negoiate. Ok move onto to your next subject

 I am sure you can find another argument here I was making a point here but you made a mountain out of mole hill. We all know Thais try to rip Farang off how we deal with it is up to the person being ripped off. I did not state that in my original text I was stating that there is one price for farang another for thai

I have been around Thailand for about 30 years and never felt targetted for ripoffs. Such a perception is infantile and paranoid. Certainly what ever minor ripoffs I might have experienced are offset by the kindness, generosity and help I have received over the years. That you have not had such positive experiences is, no doubt, a reflection of your attitude and personality. You get what you deserve.