This is not a surprise and one of the big reason behind it is below. We know very well to whom they have sold their rears...

China becomes Thailand’s top source of foreign investment for first time
For more than five decades, Japan was the largest investor in the southeast Asian nation, but a number of factors conspired to knock it off the top spot
Analysts have warned of future risks, however, in an economy already buffeted by currency appreciation, a fall in tourism and severe drought
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3047489/china-becomes-thailands-top-source-foreign-investment-first

19 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Just kill off the population with smog. It will also kill off the super rich and those in government. Maybe just maybe they might do something. Like raising the fines to 20,000 baht and enforcing the laws. I have a guy not far from me loves burning plastic almost every day.

I think the super rich are safe. They don't spend much time in Thailand like the certain Red Bull person.

20 hours ago, Beggar said:

"It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

 

"If that's true"

 

Is it so hard to find this out?

For the average Thai the simplest of mental tasks can be a challenge. 

21 hours ago, Hayduke said:

 

Fewer tourists? No problem...just raise the rates for hotels, goods, and services to make up the difference.

 

 

Sounds like a sound financial model that the bar girls use. Works for them.

20 hours ago, dcnx said:

Easy solution Junta style: Ban face masks. Imprison locals for wearing them.

 

 

Yes, let everybody die early, as long as the revenue stream from tourism is not affected!!!

1 hour ago, neeray said:

How do fillipinos (Filipinos) screw you in Thailand?

I found plenty of Filipinos that screwed me in the Philippines.

But none in Thailand (so far).

Where are the locals wearing facemasks?

"Supawan said hotels have to be more accepting of online bookings and perhaps even decline reservations made through agents"

What? You mean people actually book on computerrrrr and not by fax any more?

I am an expat here in Thailand. The other day I came to talk with a man (tourist) from Australia. He told me that it was his first trip to Thailand, so I ask him what he thought about it, was he to come back? No, never he said. It is to filthy, on land and in water, the people and escpecially the police are very unpleasant and everything costs more than at home. I am very happy that it is only two days left of my visit.

Hahaha so strange.

 

High air pollution in Bangkok, and people are still allowed to burn paper and use fire cracker for CHINESE New Year.

 

Question: Are you Chinese or Thai??????

 

Quote

Supawan said hotels have to be more accepting of online bookings and perhaps even decline reservations made through agents.

Would someone please explain how declining reservations made through agents helps this situation? I don't get it.

20 hours ago, CeeGee said:

same same every year,ever thought of actually trying to solve the problem???? I know it is a radical idea because you have had many years of this "problem" to find a solution.

And remember this is from the President of the Thai Travel Agents association

If the same problems have been occurring for many years then why ............?  Oh forget it!

3 hours ago, Brer said:

Tourists will stop coming, the ones who come first time will not be coming back.

Massive queues in immigration 

Rip off taxi drivers

Hotels that won’t take your credit card

Hotels and businesses that charge you 3% more if they do accept credit cards

Garbage strewn streets

Stink from sewers everywhere

Smoke no the air all the time

Not as cheap as your friends told you

Polluted beaches

This is from a friend first time visitor who won’t be coming back

And I wonder how many other people have friends who feel the same way?

 

And don't forget the "long time tourists" - the expats who are leaving due to the lack of help from their Embassies, and the moving of the goal posts by Immigration!!!

 

Or the "double pricing" in some restaurants! Or the more than double pricing in run down "tourist attractions"! Or the officially approved double pricing (at least) for hospital/medical treatment! Or..... I think I/we've made the point - all it needs is someone to do something about it! 

 

Edited January 24, 20206 yr by sambum

Everyone knew that 6 mths ago,they were told.did they listen or take action.no.now they protest because hotels rooms down tourist numbers down. 

16 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

Everyone knew that 6 mths ago,they were told.did they listen or take action.no.now they protest because hotels rooms down tourist numbers down. 

No, I disagree! 6 months ago (and every month as long as I can remember) TAT were insisting that the tourist figures were 4, 6, 8, 10, 12% UP from the previous month/year, until finally the leaders of hoteliers associations got fed up of their constant manipulation of the figures to make themselves look good, and began posting their own figures, which in many cases (if not ALL!) are a complete contradiction to TAT's!

 

For example, from the TAT Website Sept 4 2019:-

 

"Bangkok  – Thailand’s provincial regions are reporting steady increases in tourism revenue as a result of the domestic and international marketing push by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote the 55 emerging destinations.

Total revenue from tourism in 2019 is estimated at 3.20 trillion Baht, +4.3% over 2018."

Edited January 24, 20206 yr by sambum

5 minutes ago, sambum said:

And I wonder how many other people have friends who feel the same way?

 

And don't forget the "long time tourists" - the expats who are leaving due to the lack of help from their Embassies, and the moving of the goal posts by Immigration!!!

 

 

Obviously 30+ million tourists think differently to one Australian !!!

those silly face  masks are no use at all. all they do is stop the wearers bad breath getting out other than that they are useless.

Edited January 24, 20206 yr by Thongkorn

On 1/23/2020 at 3:02 PM, webfact said:

 

“The PM2.5 dust in the air is another concern for many tourists. They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

So tourists can’t read about or see pollution????some people actually try to be informed about where they are going 

1 minute ago, pdtokyo said:

I'm heading off from Sydney to Bangkok at end of month and i'm quite looking forward to a breath of fresher air ...

 

Sydney now 81 straight days of nasty air ...

 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/new-situation-record-81-days-of-bad-air-quality-in-sydney-20200123-p53u1e.html

 

... and from the normally pristine country town Parkes, a few hundred kilometres west of Sydney, this interesting drone footage ...

 

 

 

Mr. Frying Pan, meet Mr. Fire.

23 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

"If the government and private sector don’t work together, they’ll lose out to competition."

 

The problem is that the government sets the tone for price gouging by over charging tourists at parks and tourist attractions...

 

The government needs a new attitude...give perks to tourists...not abuse.

..

it needs a new and competent government.

1 hour ago, Melbun said:

 

Obviously 30+ million tourists think differently to one Australian !!!

are experts counted too? as they all have no residence permit just a one year visa, wouldn't surprise me if they are in the blabla million new arrivals, even multiple times.

19 minutes ago, pdtokyo said:

I'm heading off from Sydney to Bangkok at end of month and i'm quite looking forward to a breath of fresher air ...

 

Sydney now 81 straight days of nasty air ...

Won't be much better. I was in Sydney end of November when the air was starting to get brown. That was still ok in comparison to the current smog here.

Make life more attractive for long staying people

 Why is there still no real retirement visa and residence permit for those who have given up their lives in their home countries to settle down in Thailand. It is almost unbelievable that Thais let these people stay only on one-year-to-one-year permits while rules are all the time changing. Settle down in Thailand is risky and no possibility to plan the rest of your life. Do you wang to have to leave your new home with 75 just because a moron has changed the immigration rules over night ??

 

They don't get that expats need security to be able to plan. And they don't get that expats bring money into Thailand and advertise for this country for free if they are treated well. 

 

 

Edited January 24, 20206 yr by P100

11 minutes ago, P100 said:

They don't get that expats need security to be able to plan. And they don't get that expats bring money into Thailand and advertise for this country for free if they are treated well. 

Oh, they get it, sure enough.

Why not just waive fees for all tourist visas? Unfortunately that would decrease the extortinate visa income!!!

5 hours ago, tomauasia said:

Whats that abbo song Yopo yimdi.... Dream yeah dream yeah. They should play that in parliament with the toad on a podium.

Abbo ????

Derogatory terms that haven’t been used for decades except for classless, uneducated bogan racist gronks.
 

And the bands name is Yothu Yindi.

39 minutes ago, P100 said:

Make life more attractive for long staying people

 Why is there still no real retirement visa and residence permit for those who have given up their lives in their home countries to settle down in Thailand. It is almost unbelievable that Thais let these people stay only on one-year-to-one-year permits while rules are all the time changing. Settle down in Thailand is risky and no possibility to plan the rest of your life. Do you wang to have to leave your new home with 75 just because a moron has changed the immigration rules over night ??

 

They don't get that expats need security to be able to plan. And they don't get that expats bring money into Thailand and advertise for this country for free if they are treated well. 

 

 

OH Gawd - don't try to resurrect that old hoary chestnut mate.

On 1/23/2020 at 3:02 PM, webfact said:

“The PM2.5 dust in the air is another concern for many tourists. They’re not going to feel safe if the locals are wearing facemasks.”

Problem solved!  Outlaw facemasks!

On 1/23/2020 at 2:22 AM, Beggar said:

"It’s been report that the Malaysian government has already waived visas for Chinese and Indian tourists. If that’s true, Thailand will lose an enormous amount of income because the Chinese are our main customers.”

Yes, Malayasia now allows visa free entry to Chinese and Indian fo 15-day. 

These numbers change daily. I have the impression that no one knows what the reality is.