Has Thailand had enough of Western tourists and their ‘entitlement’?

[Nyezhov]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Was in a hotel last year with around 50 Israeli backpackers who'd just finished their national service.

They were a really nice and friendly bunch, the girls had very small bikinis, the guys were really buff and had loads of weed, and they were happily including me (the only old guy in the place) in their pass the joint sessions.

The chicks look great in their bikinis too. I was in a hotel pool bar last night watching the lean young thongers slither around, probably the same hotel you are referring to.

 

They do pass the doobies too. They stick to themselves mostly and never bother me, although I personaly am not of fan of Israelis in general.

 

[Drax]

5 hours ago, J Town said:

In EVERY case where I've interacted with Thai's, if I am polite to them, they are polite in return. This isn't just a Thai thing, it's a human thing. Duh.

Not for me sadly ????. Some are polite some aren’t. Same as every country.

Edited March 4, 2020 by Drax

[Brigand]

46 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

You should try customer service in Australia, it's an imposition to interrupt whatever they are doing on their mobile phones.

Can try that in WHSmith and so on in the UK too ...terrible. Couldn't even buy a newspaper with small change as it was too much bother for the idle moron to come to the till.

Edited March 4, 2020 by Brigand

[Scot123]

Another self hater writing utter self Harting rubbish. First I've met quite a few very educated and well to do people sitting in the pub and as for this type of rubbish it is exactly why Western 1st World tourists are now switched off from Thailand and now holiday else where or retire/mo e to other more welcoming Asian countries. With my experience of 18 years of Thailand I would say anyone thinking of retiring in Thailand who has no Thai connections reconsider your sanity and do more research. 

[Don Mega]

5 hours ago, J Town said:

In EVERY case where I've interacted with Thai's, if I am polite to them, they are polite in return. This isn't just a Thai thing, it's a human thing. Duh.

Exactly the same here except the mini bus drivers, When I give them the bird they like to roll down a window and wave their gun.

[champers]

5 hours ago, zydeco said:

Looked at the original Pattaya blog, and his complaint, when you boil it down, is that people from the UK, US, and Australia seem to expect what they paid for. And they don't like getting cheated. This, he complains, makes them unpopular. He seems to think that visiting Western tourists should just suck it up and be happy with the double pricing, the overcharges, the taxi mafias, etc. We need to be more compliant and servile like the Indians and Chinese and just turn over our wallet and shut up.

Indians are compliant and servile? You jest.

[Mikeasq60]

5 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I first came here (and other countries in SE Asia) for 6 months back in 2005. We spent most of our time in Thailand while making short trips to other countries. Myself and two friends had saved up a load of money and decided to go backpacking. 

 

Back then there were loads of Western tourists doing the same thing. Lots of people spending, even if we weren't big spenders. We mostly just partied a lot and went island hoping meeting new people and having a really good time. We could come and go from Thailand without anyone at immigration asking questions. We were genuine tourists spending money and not bothering anyone. Nowadays, we couldn't have travelled like that. If my friends and I had gone backpacking now, we would most definitely have spent less time (and money) in Thailand. 

 

Now, whenever I travel to tourist areas, I see far fewer Westerners and far more Asians. The spending patterns are different for sure. Asian tourists seem to stay in the hotels more and keep themselves to themselves. Back when I was travelling, people used their rooms to sleep in only and wanted to go out and do things. Always spending money.

 

Thailand decided to go after the Chinese tourists and that's fair enough. But why did they give up on, seemingly try to dissuade Western tourists from coming? That makes no business sense and now it's coming back to bite them in the <deleted>. I guess that's what happens when a bunch of spoilt soldiers run a country.  You've made your bed now. Adapt or die. 

Because of this corona scare and people staying away. Thailand is going to have to revert back to those good ole days to stay afloat!

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, Mikeasq60 said:

Because of this corona scare and people staying away. Thailand is going to have to revert back to those good ole days to stay afloat!

Cheap gobbies from the ladies under the bridge in Pattaya !!

 

[Fex Bluse]

Very juvenile writing.

 

We get such horrible sources of information in Thailand.

 

My 11 year old nephew writes better.

[kensisaket]

Pretty much without exception western tourists aren't even in the same ballpark when it comes to issues of entitlement when compared to the "haves" in Thailand.  

[Thingamabob]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Are Western tourists tired all the Thai cr&p?

This doesn't make sense.

[spidermike007]

A picture of Thailand, and it's own sense of entitlement today at Swampy. Looks like the ghosts of racist ranting, a nasty administration and army, combined with Corona are coming back to haunt this place. 

 

 

 

[LomSak27]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Has Thailand had enough of Western tourists and their ‘entitlement’?

 

Interesting timing for these articles to come out.  Western numbers have been stagnant/decreasing for a decade. This the result of Thailand s unsafe and unfriendly approach to western tourists. No one is surprised by any of this. Old news 

 

On the other hand the great savior; Chinese Tourism, has failed for the second year in a row. This year, not a horrific boat accident but by a virus that was spawned in the wet market, wild food trade of China itself. This the second time post millennium that a viral pandemic, spawned in the same animal markets, has emerged from China to economically hamstring the world (SARS in 2003). Thanks China!

 

As Thaivisa is a member of the Nation Multimedia Group, obviously they would prefer talking about problems with "western tourism", than this China created world health pandemic and the resulting Thai tourism disaster. Deflect, deflect, deflect. 

If it works for Health Minister Anutin, it must be a winner.  

[Chrysaora]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Has Thailand had enough of Western tourists and their ‘entitlement’?

Perhaps someone could explain to me exactly what the "entitlement" is.

[DrTuner]

7 minutes ago, Chrysaora said:

Perhaps someone could explain to me exactly what the "entitlement" is.

It's Thai-speak for when somebody demands something and you don't want to give it. Like somebody demanding actual quality of service in exchange for payment.

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The snappily titled opinion piece (“Ten reasons why Western foreign tourists are not wanted as badly by the Thai Tourism Ministry versus Indians, Chinese, Russians, Koreans, etc.”) 

Snappily titled?  It sounds like the author himself got bored with trying to come up with a name for the piece, hence it quickly fizzled into a list and ended with a lacklustre "etc"! He should have quit after the word "wanted". 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Compiled by an American living in Pattaya, those reasons were gleaned from talks with people from "many different backgrounds and cultures [...] not just the view from a barstool”.

It was practically written from the barstool. The original piece has a banner at the top of the page saying "We love soi 6"... 

[ravip]

51 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Exactly the same here except the mini bus drivers, When I give them the bird they like to roll down a window and wave their gun.

So keep the 'bird' to your self and enjoy life

[baansgr]

5 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Was in Ninja (Mu Khrata) the other day in Pattaya. Some East Asians arrived, with their rentals in tow...

First was the noise. Then it was the throwing of the shellfish remains on the floor around them and then stepping in them therefore spreading them further. Then actual hawking and spitting on the floor.

That was the cue for me to leave. Happily we had enjoyed our meal before they arrived, so were on our ice cream course and soon to leave anyway. Truly disgusting people.

I must be out the loop...who are East Asians and what are their rentals???

[Don Mega]

8 minutes ago, ravip said:

So keep the 'bird' to your self and enjoy life

Nah they are fun to stir up, nowt wrong with a bit of road rage.

[shy coconut]

6 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I first came here (and other countries in SE Asia) for 6 months back in 2005. We spent most of our time in Thailand while making short trips to other countries. Myself and two friends had saved up a load of money and decided to go backpacking. 

 

Back then there were loads of Western tourists doing the same thing. Lots of people spending, even if we weren't big spenders. We mostly just partied a lot and went island hoping meeting new people and having a really good time. We could come and go from Thailand without anyone at immigration asking questions. We were genuine tourists spending money and not bothering anyone. Nowadays, we couldn't have travelled like that. If my friends and I had gone backpacking now, we would most definitely have spent less time (and money) in Thailand. 

 

Now, whenever I travel to tourist areas, I see far fewer Westerners and far more Asians. The spending patterns are different for sure. Asian tourists seem to stay in the hotels more and keep themselves to themselves. Back when I was travelling, people used their rooms to sleep in only and wanted to go out and do things. Always spending money.

 

Thailand decided to go after the Chinese tourists and that's fair enough. But why did they give up on, seemingly try to dissuade Western tourists from coming? That makes no business sense and now it's coming back to bite them in the <deleted>. I guess that's what happens when a bunch of spoilt soldiers run a country.  You've made your bed now. Adapt or die. 

Not sure why you say you can't do the backpacking thing anymore. My daughter 

was doing something similar last year. She wasin Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma

And Thailand. She was in and out of Thailand 3 times in 6 months, 1st time flying in

to start her trip and 2 land crossings. Not a single problem with immigration, no demands

for proof of  money or anything like that.

 

It did cost her a bit extra for the airticket as she had 2 singles to and from the UK

but she is pretty savvy and dug around on the internet for deals including multiple

lay offs. She bought a cheap onward ticket to HCM which she used after her initial

30 days were up.

 

She is far from the business traveller in appearance, waist long dreadlocks and 

comfortable clown pants are her choice. Like you she didn't spend much, but to

say it isn't possible due to the junta, or anti falang sentiment etc, is incorrect.

[Nakmuay887]

46 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

A picture of Thailand, and it's own sense of entitlement today at Swampy. Looks like the ghosts of racist ranting, a nasty administration and army, combined with Corona are coming back to haunt this place. 

 

 

 

Immigration office in Mae Sot had nobody inside it yesterday. Zero people. I arrived and walked through my visa extension start to finish in less than 8 minutes. Normally it takes at least two hours. 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Nakmuay887

[shy coconut]

5 hours ago, Brigand said:

We have been shunned in the last 5 years because the military killjoys have decided to sell-out to the Chinese at many levels (not just tourists to attract) and the elite are doing China's bidding by getting rid of as many of us as possible as that is China's agenda for Southeast Asia. Also, xenophobic nationalism runs strong in the elite here (who are all Chinese anyhow) and they see our ways, presence and values corrupting their slaves with ideas and noncompliance ...but it's perfectly OK to send all the elite and their kids to the West for education at Harrow/Eton/Yale etc. or to pass through West Point or some FBI counter terrorism facility so that they can keep their unequal society chugging along.

 

Basically, all they   is the "come for 2 weeks crowd" and then get rid after stripping them of their money, good riddance and don't come too often. The keys of Thailand have been handed over to the Chinese. Where do you think all the nasty oppressive new immigration rules are coming from?

 

By the time your average Thai wakes up and realises they have all been sold-out down the river it'll be far too late. Trouble for Thailand is that jumping into bed with the Devil will come at a huge price and these young kids in their late teens have no idea what's coming.

Are you saying that it's easier for a Chinese citizen to stay in Thailand long term than

it is for a westerner? I understand that the Chinese now can get a VOA but that is only

valid for a short period, certainly not longer than the western visa exempt period.

 

The rules for long stay expats are certainly being more strictly enforced now, and a lot

of loopholes are being acted on, and you can't go to the USA or UK embassy now and 

ask for an official letter stating that you have a sufficient income to satisfy the requirements.

Whether that is true or not.

 

 

 

I suppose the fact that the baht is so strong is seen as an anti falang thing 

as well,  for those who see negativity everywhere they look.

[rkidlad]

30 minutes ago, shy coconut said:

Not sure why you say you can't do the backpacking thing anymore. My daughter 

was doing something similar last year. She wasin Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma

And Thailand. She was in and out of Thailand 3 times in 6 months, 1st time flying in

to start her trip and 2 land crossings. Not a single problem with immigration, no demands

for proof of  money or anything like that.

 

It did cost her a bit extra for the airticket as she had 2 singles to and from the UK

but she is pretty savvy and dug around on the internet for deals including multiple

lay offs. She bought a cheap onward ticket to HCM which she used after her initial

30 days were up.

 

She is far from the business traveller in appearance, waist long dreadlocks and 

comfortable clown pants are her choice. Like you she didn't spend much, but to

say it isn't possible due to the junta, or anti falang sentiment etc, is incorrect.

I didn't say you couldn't go backpacking anymore. I said had I tried to travel now the way I did back in 2005 - I wouldn't have been able to. Ergo, I would have spent less time and money here. 

[The Farang]

Not too business minded to pick and choose your customers. Westerners spend more money when we travel there and definitely help out the locals by patranizing their businesses.  You won't get that from the Chinese and their zero dollar tours.  Westerners yes, we complain when we are treated poorly and are not accepting to mistreatment.   But we spend more money.  Seems a little racist to be selective in the customers who are coming to your country and giving your country money.  It's that mindset that is destroying tourism in Thailand not the Coronavirus. 

[Buba Ho Tep]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Arrivals from the rest of Asia and the Middle East tend to spend more on a daily basis

Lol! ????

[Mac98]

Of course most of the Thais I know well are the ones I do business with. What impresses me is the lengths most will go to see that you got you got your money's worth (many taxis excluded, but not all), including transportation,  personal favors, errands, added repairs, even doing your laundry. and, in my case, free 30-day vacation lodging.

[EricTh]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand#Top_25_arrivals_by_nationality

 

The top 6 tourists by nationality to Thailand are

 

1. China

2. Malaysia

3. India

4. Korea

5. Laos

6. Japan

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by EricTh

[RICO86]

Well said...

Because they only want tourists with the same or less mental capacity as them. They want people that are accustomed to being easily herded. They are tired of having to deal with tourists with even a moderate level of intelligence and common sense. Common sense is not taught here and is aggressively discouraged. They seem to easily lose face when having a simple conversation so frustration and then anger ensues when dealing with western common sense thinkers. Just an observation over the 10 years I've been here.

 

[DannyCarlton]

4 hours ago, Brigand said:

Can try that in WHSmith and so on in the UK too ...terrible. Couldn't even buy a newspaper with small change as it was too much bother for the idle moron to come to the till.

Yep, same in WHS in my home town. Probably because it's staffed by Indians.

[DannyCarlton]

4 hours ago, Mikeasq60 said:

Because of this corona scare and people staying away. Thailand is going to have to revert back to those good ole days to stay afloat!

Due to the Western media still referring to Thailand as the highest risk area outside China, Western tourists are staying away too. Had a mate come over yesterday, I suggested that we have a side trip to Hua Hin, his immediate response was, "No way, isn't that where they had corona virus?".

 

Thailand is getting a very bad press in the West.