I was wrong... the tourists ARE gone!

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

So, what happened?

"nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded..." Yogi Berra... 

[LukKrueng]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

So, what is your point OP?

You hit a day when it was not crowded so I guess this is the end of tourism in CM?

Even the major tourist spots in the world have down times.

Was there a few weeks ago it was packed.

 

Let us know how things are in the coming weeks with the holiday season kicking in.

Side by side.  How sweet...

Was there Thursday around 9PM and it was packed. Yesterday was around thapae gate and was packed with tourists as well

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, cmsally said:

On the weekends the Night Bazaar area is doubly dead because of the weekend markets and the Chinese who tend to migrate towards Nimman area.

Most of the Night Bazaar area seems to have been bought or leased out by the Beer Chang Group. Not quite sure what the plan is behind that. Maybe there is actually no plan at all!

They seem quite happy to sit around while the "original Night Bazaar building " sits at least 80 % vacant. I was told that particular building is on a long lease to Chang. Why lease a building that is mostly empty??

Then of course there is the fact that tourism is way down. It is not just up and down , it is totally down. If next year turns out to to be worse or the same as this year, it is really going to be a problem!

Yes, there are ALWAYS many Chinese tourists at MAYA, Nimman One, and the area around the Eastin hotel. They spend money like crazy at that intersection.

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, hobz said:

Why would somebody go to night bazaar on a Saturday when the Saturday market is open? 

I bet Saturday market was filled with people as usual.

 

 

We passed by there as well. It was slower than I have seen it in years. Parking was not a problem at all.

[poka513]

While we have not been there to eat for about a month, we go to Kad Manee Market in Chiang Mai (open every evening). If the weather is nice, it is an enjoyable place to have something inexpensive to eat and drink while sitting beside the central lake. Sometimes there is live music as well. Last year, there would always be a revolving 6-8 tour buses parked dropping off folks to eat. This year, the tour bus count has increased to 15-20 coming and going. Located across Road 108 from XYM Cafe/Hotel, near to the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center.

Edited December 15, 2019 by poka513

[Jaxxper]

Must have been a slow night. Thousands of them there last week.

[Kurtf]

One reason you may not have had crowds is that the US embassy sent out a notice stating there were going to be a huge demonstration against the dictatorship and outlawing the Future Forward political party.

[CH1961]

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

Tourists will tolerate a lot. But once you start killing them in bus, van and hired car crashes; drown them in a ferry boat accident, or chop them up in speed boat propellers, it's hard for that to be ignored. The country has so many obstacles to overcome, and public safety here is in a sorry state indeed. "Come to the Land of Smiles, and you'll never(want to) leave.

No accidents in your country ????

Where are you from? 

[Chicken George]

Let's face it who wants to go to one if the most polluted cities in the world. Up to 9 months of the year the air quality is above WHO levels. THose are  thought to be too high too. Put on top of that the expense to travel to Thailand the scams beatings and general bad press its better to go somewhere else. 

[1FinickyOne]

did anyone else notice and figure in that it is freezing? How many tourists at the north pole this time of year?

[Captain 776]

I love it.

easy to drive around

[ChasingTheSun]

Tourists probably finally figured out that there is no significant reason to ever visit CM.

 

Phuket offers everything that CM has, plus lots more.

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

6 hours ago, Ventenio said:

wait until the end of January and then check.

 

last year it wasn't that busy before Xmas

 

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Just now, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

 

Don't forget you mask burning be starting earlier. No mask a plastic bag will do.

????❤????????

[LomSak27]

44 minutes ago, Kurtf said:

One reason you may not have had crowds is that the US embassy sent out a notice stating there were going to be a huge demonstration against the dictatorship and outlawing the Future Forward political party.

 

Sorry that you have lost the plot, but This Original Post is about Chiang Mai and the night market on ChangKlan Road. Why tourism is way down there and Chiang Mai in general. As always our hopes and prayers are with you.  

[chokrai]

Sometimes I think they are not even interested in doing business. I went to loy Kroi a couple of days ago to look at some silver. First 3 stores I went into were completely uninterested in selling anything to me. I was of course the only person in there. The last store was run by a very nice older Thai women who showed me a few thing and I ended up spending a few thousand baht.  

[SteveK]

With the high baht, the immigration hassles, and the lack of any interesting in Chiang Mai, it's amazing that anyone even bothers to go there now. I gather the digital nomads have now moved on after speaking to some friends because of the problems with visas etc. so once people have gone there and seen Wat Doi Suthep and Chiang Mai zoo, they won't be going back.

[sanemax]

6 hours ago, cmsally said:

 

Most of the Night Bazaar area seems to have been bought or leased out by the Beer Chang Group. Not quite sure what the plan is behind that. Maybe there is actually no plan at all!

They seem quite happy to sit around while the "original Night Bazaar building " sits at least 80 % vacant. I was told that particular building is on a long lease to Chang. Why lease a building that is mostly empty??

 

Wasnt the idea to turn that complex into beer/night life/bar complex ?

All the Loi Kroh bars and the boxing ring were given orders to close about four years ago, due to them being in the proximity of schools and Temples and they were all due to move to that new complex, many bars did move there .

  The place wasnt suited for bars and all the bars closed down within six months and the LK bars still remain open

[sanemax]

5 hours ago, heybuz said:

Maybe they have gone to Chang rai was there on the weekend and walking st,and night bazaar were packed, I cannot say though it was packed with tourists maybe locals.

Yes, but that area is so small , it would take a just one bus load of people to pack the place out

[Sparkles]

6 hours ago, cmsally said:

On the weekends the Night Bazaar area is doubly dead because of the weekend markets and the Chinese who tend to migrate towards Nimman area.

Most of the Night Bazaar area seems to have been bought or leased out by the Beer Chang Group. Not quite sure what the plan is behind that. Maybe there is actually no plan at all!

They seem quite happy to sit around while the "original Night Bazaar building " sits at least 80 % vacant. I was told that particular building is on a long lease to Chang. Why lease a building that is mostly empty??

Then of course there is the fact that tourism is way down. It is not just up and down , it is totally down. If next year turns out to to be worse or the same as this year, it is really going to be a problem!

Agree,the Night Bazaar area has been dying a slow death in the last few years ,looks tired and passed its use by date.The Imperial Mae Ping Hotel one of the biggest in the area has been closed for a while for renovations and that probably provided some pedestrian traffic.

 

In contrast we dropped of some donated good to Free Bird in the Sirimankalajarn Rd area on Friday around mid morning, an area we never usually venture into because of the traffic, and were quite surprised not only by the number of trendy Cafes and Guest houses/hostels but by the large number of tourists wandering around.

 

Nimman, like it or not, has become the centre of attraction and no one staying there would bother to visit the Night Bazaar. If they wanted to go to a market they would go to Walking Street on Sundays.

 

Would be interesting to know the amount of Chinese investment in Nim and surrounds,probably substantial

 

 

[sanemax]

3 hours ago, Kurtf said:

One reason you may not have had crowds is that the US embassy sent out a notice stating there were going to be a huge demonstration against the dictatorship and outlawing the Future Forward political party.

Do you have evidence of that ?

 

[sanemax]

Going back few years , quite often , most nights , I would see groups of younger tourists wandering about at 1 AM , all wandering around asking where any bars/clubs which are still open.

. I had to tell them that everything was closed

[Samuel Smith]

Tourists aren't gone.  They are now Thai.  Westerners go elsewhere, but local tourists from Bangkok flock to CM province.  And probably spend more.

[cmsally]

I would say there is a big drop in Thai tourists this year.  Of course there are still some but nothing like about 10+ years ago. Even last year there were still reasonable amounts but this year substantial drop.

The peak of Thai tourism was when you had substantial investment by Thais in places like Pai. I would say their enthusiasm has waned considerably since then.

[canuckamuck]

4 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

Be fair - at least there are no active volcanoes for them to climb

But if there was 

[Number 6]

We also might consider that far too many of these vendors are underemployed. Or worse it's a second job just to stay afloat (sound familiar westerners?).

 

I see many young people that look intelligent, urban, middle class that are on the streets fobbing knick knacks and rubbish for pittances. It's not as bad as after 97 but it's not healthy.

 

Recently read BKK post article 100s thousands of grads from proper universities without jobs. This will only grow given the direction of technology and the economy. It really is a neo fuedal society.

 

There won't be any tourists from Tianjin. The province just went bankrupt. No joke. Chinese govt will not prop up SOEs.

 

The entire world is in quite a precarious state. Thailand would be well advised to grease all the wheels. When the shtf all and I mean all tourism will screech to a halt. Then again, all Thailand has left anyway are the Chinese.

 

Let them eat cake.

[Number 6]

29 minutes ago, cmsally said:

I would say there is a big drop in Thai tourists this year.  Of course there are still some but nothing like about 10+ years ago. Even last year there were still reasonable amounts but this year substantial drop.

The peak of Thai tourism was when you had substantial investment by Thais in places like Pai. I would say their enthusiasm has waned considerably since then.

The Thais love getting and camp6in the chill weather. If that experience is markedly off that is a great indicator of the economy. I'm headed out to an Andaman island over Xmas with the wife. We have noticed over past five years camping is down. I could perhaps day down you over the five years. I honestly expect oy the return Thai campers. Very few will come rent NP and private tents. It's expensive to get down and back for a few days in paradise.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Number 6

[cmsally]

9 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

We also might consider that far too many of these vendors are underemployed. Or worse it's a second job just to stay afloat (sound familiar westerners?).

 

I see many young people that look intelligent, urban, middle class that are on the streets fobbing knick knacks and rubbish for pittances. It's not as bad as after 97 but it's not healthy.

 

Recently read BKK post article 100s thousands of grads from proper universities without jobs. This will only grow given the direction of technology and the economy. It really is a neo fuedal society.

 

There won't be any tourists from Tianjin. The province just went bankrupt. No joke. Chinese govt will not prop up SOEs.

 

The entire world is in quite a precarious state. Thailand would be well advised to grease all the wheels. When the shtf all and I mean all tourism will screech to a halt. Then again, all Thailand has left anyway are the Chinese.

 

Let them eat cake.

Probably one of the reasons the govt is so keen to legalise GRAB taxis. It seems to be the last resort for many Thai graduates.

[FolkGuitar]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

Do you have evidence of that ?

 

We Americans who have registered with our consulate received an email warning to keep away from the Thapae Gate area Saturday evening because of a Student Political Rally, and that the police would be re-routing traffic away from there. Yet when we went past (and not re-routed,) there were very few people in the area.

EDIT: Here is a copy/paste of that email:

Demonstration Alert – U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai:  Student Protests at Tha Phae Gate on Saturday, December 14, 2019 (December 14, 2019)
 
Location: Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai, Thailand
 
Event: Protests – Planned Protest at 5:00pm at Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai, Thailand
 
University students are planning a demonstration on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 5:00pm at Tha Phae Gate to protest the recent Election Commission's decision to submit a request to the court to consider a case for possible dissolution of the Future Forward Party. 
 
Reports indicate the gathering could involve several hundred students and is expected to be peaceful.  The Royal Thai Police plan to deploy officers to assist with security.  Traffic delays and road closures should be expected in the vicinity of Tha Phae Gate.
 
Actions to Take:Avoid crowds and areas where there are protest events, demonstrations, large gatherings, or security operations.Follow any instructions and restrictions that local authorities issue.Monitor local media for updates.
 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by FolkGuitar

[heybuz]

14 hours ago, sanemax said:

Yes, but that area is so small , it would take a just one bus load of people to pack the place out

Not walking street,it's a fair size