Pattaya shamed into action on safety and scams after German TV show exposes Thailand

[mercman24]

as said before it happens in every major city, but what this lot like doing is reporting every small crime, which they do not realise paints a bad picture for any future tourists for example London is rife with pickpockets,  (yes immigrants) but does not get reported every day. because it is trivial news. (ok not for the victim) but trivial all the same. when you get robbed in the UK all you get is a crime number and that is probably all you will get. but this lot make a big fuss, in so doing shoot themsleves in the foot big time

[BestB]

Thais should stop over reacting . Pattaya is one of the safest places on earth considering number of people and alcohol .

 

russians were dumb enough to wear huge gold chains in the evening, they could not do that back in their home town village .

 

scams only work when one does not want to use brain. 
 

yeah sure there are occasional scams and robberies but hardly anything serious even in comparison to Germany 

[GalaxyMan]

I can't believe that Thailand hasn't issued arrest warrants yet for the German reporting team for defamation.

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

And why such issues as scams and safety for tourists can't be solved by local action without the need for foreign prompting. 

That one is simple! Because the best thing they know is to sit on their fat ar5e5 and collect their monthly paycheck.

[MarcB]

7 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

I can't believe that Thailand hasn't issued arrest warrants yet for the German reporting team for defamation.

Oh just wait for it

They did it with a BBC reporter a few years back who wrote about human trafficking 

[AussieBob18]

Doomed. Thai tourism and Expat 'retirements' from western countries is doomed.  Such is the price Thailand will pay for 'complying' with the Chinese 'overlords'.  Only a much lower Baht and a lot of change will bring them back in numbers.  Vietnam and China are moving ahead with a lot more than 'advertising' - they are investing - and they are winning.  

 

An old contact of mine recently went on an 'old boys only' golf tour of China for 2 weeks (8 of them all together). There was no wives so it cost them a lot (later).  Many of them were reluctant at first about China, but a few had previously been to Vietnam and Thailand, so they all gave it a try.  I heard that they had a great time and they will definitely be going back again. Compared to Thailand, which 2 of them had previously been to before (Hua Hin and Bangkok/Pattaya in seperate years), they said it much less expensive, better and easier courses, not as hot, easier to get around/travel, not as busy on the course, caddys and carts far less expensive (both costs and tips), much much cleaner, and the hotel they stayed in was newer and better (food not as good though).  I heard the guys that had been to Vietnam said it was even cheaper than China and just as good/new.

 

In the early 2010s Thailand was 'the' place for a golfing holiday in Asia, and all the main mens and ladies golf tours played events in Thailand - now only the LPGA still has a tournament (because Ariya Juntanagarn is one of world's best).  Both Vietnam and China have seriously upped their game over the last 5-10 years - and Malaysia and Korea (and Singapore somewhat) have responded to this market.  But Thailand seems to have not changed - many of their golf courses and clubhouses and hotels are run down - and their prices are still very high/higher.  A few months ago I spent 2 weeks in Hua Hin and I was shocked - other than Black Mountain and Banyan the courses were very run down - and there was not many people there - and much of the 'golf estates' houses were either locked up or run down - and no guards on the entrance gates at most of them anymore. 

 

I have not been to Pattay for a long time, but I was not surprised to read this article. I think it is the same across the board in Thailand - they have not changed and improved - and they have become too expensive - things are not going well for the people who rely on tourism spending (not the packagaed tours from China).  And in response the leaders and Government organisations are not doing anything concrete to change things - they are more worried about losing face than actually accepting the problems and doing soemthing about them.  Sad - for the real Thai people. 

[KhunBENQ]

The news referring to this German TV documentary was in the "other English" newspaper.

So I downloaded it (VPN needed).

Split in three parts of about half an hour.

 

It's a pity that this is discussed in the Pattaya forum.

The TV show does not cover Pattaya at all!

Not a single scene taken in Pattaya.

It's about Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai (Chiang Rai).

 

Most blatant scam: 3000 Baht for a boat tour for three people in Bangkok to the "floating market". A floating market that is neither the famous one (far out from Bangkok) nor was some small floating market in Bangkok(?) open on that day.

They were shipped for about an hour to some small canal.

Floating market was a granny selling cheap souvenir stuff from her boat.

All in all it was no news for me.

All covered from experience and news over the years.

Palace closed, sightseeing tour for 5 Baht, fake tourist police cop, connect four, ping pong for only 300 Baht ending with some xxxx Baht. Tailors, gem shops etc. etc.

It doesn't need a TV doc to know about this.

Edited December 9, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

Funny how they react to a doc about other places in Thailand.

Just a proof how well they know what's going on at their place (Pattaya) too.

[henry2109]

30 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

Doomed. Thai tourism and Expat 'retirements' from western countries is doomed.  Such is the price Thailand will pay for 'complying' with the Chinese 'overlords'.  Only a much lower Baht and a lot of change will bring them back in numbers.  Vietnam and China are moving ahead with a lot more than 'advertising' - they are investing - and they are winning.  

 

An old contact of mine recently went on an 'old boys only' golf tour of China for 2 weeks (8 of them all together). There was no wives so it cost them a lot (later).  Many of them were reluctant at first about China, but a few had previously been to Vietnam and Thailand, so they all gave it a try.  I heard that they had a great time and they will definitely be going back again. Compared to Thailand, which 2 of them had previously been to before (Hua Hin and Bangkok/Pattaya in seperate years), they said it much less expensive, better and easier courses, not as hot, easier to get around/travel, not as busy on the course, caddys and carts far less expensive (both costs and tips), much much cleaner, and the hotel they stayed in was newer and better (food not as good though).  I heard the guys that had been to Vietnam said it was even cheaper than China and just as good/new. 

Thailand may have its share of problems, and not everthing is rosy. But your post concerning golfing and hotels in Thailand vs. China/Vietnam is not comprehensibly. 

 

The choice for golf and hotels in Thailand is huge. The No. 1 spot for golf, Pattaya, offers more than 20 courses. The quality varies, but there are top notch courses available. My average price for a golf round is 1500 Baht (1'000 green fee + 350 caddy fee + seldom a cart, 600 Baht), so around 50 USD. What I have seen from courses in China and Vietnam, they charge USD 100 - 250.

 

A similar pattern applies to the hotels, I generally cannot imagine finding cheaper hotels to a better quality in China and Vietnam. In Bangkok you will get a 5 Star hotel for USD 120 - 200. There is really nothing to complain about that.

[ExpatOilWorker]

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Not at all, except that I was freezing cold in bed last night, I just don't see that immigration issues are such a big problem in my live, irritating sometimes, but not so big a problem.  To be honest, I would rather see a programme on how to avoid green algae in my pool.  ????

Why are green algae a problem? Just redo your plumbing and re-name it the cesspool, it is too cold to use anyway.

[Chazar]

concentrate  now on immigration issues pls Germany

[ExpatOilWorker]

45 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The news referring to this German TV documentary was in the "other English" newspaper.

So I downloaded it (VPN needed).

Split in three parts of about half an hour.

 

It's a pity that this is discussed in the Pattaya forum.

The TV show does not cover Pattaya at all!

Not a single scene taken in Pattaya.

It's about Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai (Chiang Rai).

 

Most blatant scam: 3000 Baht for a boat tour for three people in Bangkok to the "floating market". A floating market that is neither the famous one (far out from Bangkok) nor was some small floating market in Bangkok(?) open on that day.

They were shipped for about an hour to some small canal.

Floating market was a granny selling cheap souvenir stuff from her boat.

All in all it was no news for me.

All covered from experience and news over the years.

Palace closed, sightseeing tour for 5 Baht, fake tourist police cop, connect four, ping pong for only 300 Baht ending with some xxxx Baht. Tailors, gem shops etc. etc.

It doesn't need a TV doc to know about this.

True, it is all old scams and old news:

 

https://travelscams.org/asia/thailand

[AussieBob18]

22 minutes ago, henry2109 said:

Thailand may have its share of problems, and not everthing is rosy. But your post concerning golfing and hotels in Thailand vs. China/Vietnam is not comprehensibly. 

 

The choice for golf and hotels in Thailand is huge. The No. 1 spot for golf, Pattaya, offers more than 20 courses. The quality varies, but there are top notch courses available. My average price for a golf round is 1500 Baht (1'000 green fee + 350 caddy fee + seldom a cart, 600 Baht), so around 50 USD. What I have seen from courses in China and Vietnam, they charge USD 100 - 250.

 

A similar pattern applies to the hotels, I generally cannot imagine finding cheaper hotels to a better quality in China and Vietnam. In Bangkok you will get a 5 Star hotel for USD 120 - 200. There is really nothing to complain about that.

So why did those 8 guys go to China? And not to Thailand?   A golfing holiday by 8 'mature' blokes is a lot of money spent in China - not like those packaged tourist groups from China/India that TAT claim are spending billions.

 

Mate - the issue is that China (and Vietnam) is getting better, and Thailand is getting worse - as a golfing holiday location - and that seems to be the case across all toursim types.  I should add that my contact said there was many other Westerners and Asians who were staying at the same hotel (attached to the golf course) - it was clearly popular - but it was not full.  

[marko kok prong]

The photo of the meeting was interesting i counted at least 4 of the attendees playing with their mobile phones.

[NCC1701A]

3 hours ago, fittobethaied said:

As in most red light districts there was a mafia that protected the area and they policed their own.

"Who said that?"

 

[alfalfa19]

4 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

Uh oh, the facade and window dressing got knocked off. Sound the alarm. Given how long Thailand was able to deflect; Teflon Thai Tourism. You wonder if they can make any substantive changes and how long to get back the tourists they have lost?

 

Maybe it's not possible ?

 

 

 

 

they will put on a nice show for a couple of weeks.   and the Minister of Asinine Pronouncements will then announce that now, everything is fine, and naive tourists can shop and drink and carouse in perfect safety. 

[car720]

4 hours ago, Pilotman said:

No doubt the " I have lived here for 20 years and I have had no problems at all, it's a lovely place" , brigade will be up in arms shortly.  ????

and not just about this subject either.  

[jacko45k]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Maybe also a series about the illegal foreign workers on tourist and ED visas.

Why would the Chinese and Russian tour guides in Thailand be of interest to Panorama?

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, mercman24 said:

US guy (name slips me) who shamed them into getting rid of the power lines

Bill Gates.

[Deli]

Take a Tuk Tuk on Phuket and you feel the real scam

[Tropposurfer]

Call in the big lawyers and sue all People involved in this outrageous slander!!

Pattaya as we all know, is a world class family resort!

My goodness!! Doesn’t anyone e remember and told these scurrilous people that only  recently top echelon investigators found no prostitution and only good and law abiding Thais there to serve the many decent non- monger people who frequent the world class resort???????????????????????????????????????????? 

[tifino]

shamed into action; in the same way when aussie now-politician Pauline Hanson - exposed the full deal on the fake passport creation in Thailand

 

So real, that she's seen running from the mafia, when they get a make on her having her quest secretly filmed...

 

[Rimmer]

A video in Dutch has been removed along with baiting, and troll posts

[30la]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya can expect more police on the streets between 10 pm and 4 am from today and through the tourist season. 

A senseless reaction if it is not kept alive forever!

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, BTB1977 said:

500 baht fine.  Move on. 

 Do some work on that, increase the fine for ladyboys caught stealing necklaces, wallets  and passports full 100% up to 1,000Baht each time (and released back onto the streets before dawn to get back to business) that should do the trick to really impress the Germans. 

[sammieuk1]

Pattaya shamed into action is the most unlikely headline you could possibly ever see or hear ????

[gwynt]

Wife just showed me Thai news clip 10 so,called Thai Men attacked a falang in wonderfull Pattaya

[Momofarang]

That's just great, let's get more of that.

[uffe123]

A fine tourist destination with garbage filled beaches, and water full of sewage. 

29 years ago it was a nice place to go, swim and have a good time. Those days are gone. 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This is a plan that aims to promote the eastern seaboard and Pattaya in particular as a fine tourist destination for both domestic and international tourism alike. 

Are they completely ignorant of the reality that is Pattaya? Fine and Pattaya do not belong in the same sentence. I loved Pattaya as it used to be, but they've been busily ruining it for the past decade.