Tourism minister: Accepts that expats have a big role to play in Thailand's domestic tourism recovery

 

Image: INN News

 

Thailand's minister for tourism and sports said that expats living and working in Thailand were an important target to help with stimulating the domestic tourism market, post Covid-19.

 

Pipat Ratchakitprakan said that there were about two and a half million foreigners with work permits in Thailand and of these there were 155,193 "skilled workers".

 

This appeared to be the group that he was particularly targeting along with 25,000 foreign students residing in Thailand.

 

 

He said that he had been working with organisations like the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Thai Hoteliers' Association (THA) and associations promoting such things as golf and spas. 

 

They would be offering what he called "Business to Consumer" packages directly to expats. 

 

Thaivisa notes this was the central feature of an event that runs until Sunday called the "Expat Travel Deal 2020".

 

Source: INN News

 

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so ....  he does love us after all   !!

The whiff of desperation

They throw the 2 1/2 million number around a lot.  This article gives that number little more clarity:  155k "skilled workers" meaning 2.3 million are laborers or low wage workers.

 

That makes more sense, hard to ignore 2.5 mill.  155k, not such a big deal.....

sure, treat us like <deleted> and now u want our help

Tourism ministry wanting our help is understandable, but the truth of the matter is a little different however, when it comes to immigration. I am aware of two people this week who have been refused extensions and have to leave essentially forthwith. Then another I know of is a long term resident spending 200K a month on house, plus wads more for 5 staff and private schools for 3 kids, who is pulling his family out, leaving 5 more unemployed because he can't get back in.

That's three big spenders this week who are gone permanently also.

My advice? You want us to add to the economy, show a little appreciation and stop treating us like dogs.

22 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

The whiff of desperation

The whiff of reality . 

  Wont last for very long .

Am I an untypical expat, I don't play golf, have no interest in golf and avoid any hotel that features it as an attraction. 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Pipat Ratchakitprakan said that there were about two and a half million foreigners with work permits in Thailand and of these there were 155,193 "skilled workers".

What about us lazy bums who don’t work?  I just spent 3 weeks at DusitD2.  Show me some love.

 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

This appeared to be the group that he was particularly targeting along with 25,000 foreign students residing in Thailand.

I’ve met a lot of those “students”.  Most of them fall into my “lazy bum” category but are too young to get a “retirement visa”.  

41 minutes ago, anterian said:

Am I an untypical expat, I don't play golf, have no interest in golf and avoid any hotel that features it as an attraction. 

Ditto

41 minutes ago, anterian said:

Am I an untypical expat, I don't play golf, have no interest in golf and avoid any hotel that features it as an attraction. 

No. There are quite a few of us around. You are not alone.

This proves how desperate the Thais are. Wow 

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Tourism ministry wanting our help is understandable, but the truth of the matter is a little different however, when it comes to immigration. I am aware of two people this week who have been refused extensions and have to leave essentially forthwith. Then another I know of is a long term resident spending 200K a month on house, plus wads more for 5 staff and private schools for 3 kids, who is pulling his family out, leaving 5 more unemployed because he can't get back in.

That's three big spenders this week who are gone permanently also.

My advice? You want us to add to the economy, show a little appreciation and stop treating us like dogs.

Yep total non sense to say that again and to want farangs out of the country in 2 weeks.

And it looks like he is only talking about workers and students, not really tourists and retired...

i think its safe to say the labor referred to are cambodians

& burmese, making up 2.35, million, and the 150k are

westerners/japan working, not a whole lot.

what might the percentage be between westerners working here vs retirees ?

13 hours ago, anterian said:

Am I an untypical expat, I don't play golf, have no interest in golf and avoid any hotel that features it as an attraction. 

Isn't Golf a VW motor?

Next week retirees will be getting paid to stay here......only joking you

13 hours ago, Airalee said:

What about us lazy bums who don’t work?  I just spent 3 weeks at DusitD2.  Show me some love.

Quite a few Dusit places on the list.  Don't know how attractive the rates are, but if you've been to one of them recently can you give us a comparison?

 

EXPAT_TRAVEL_DEAL_2020_(Thai_Hotels_Association).xls

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said that he had been working with organisations like the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Thai Hoteliers' Association (THA) and associations promoting such things as golf and spas. 

 

one price for me.. another for thee..

 

remove double pricing for EVERYONE and i might think about helping out

 

until then happy to treat my family at home.

 

How does this Expat deal thing work? I went to the Travel expo at EM Quartier on Friday thinking that I would register & be given some info etc... but it was just a bunch of hotels pushing not very attractive packages & Air Asia / Bangkok Air flogging multi-tickets.

 

One of the Bangkok Air deals looked quite good (IIRC 3,800 for 4 single domestic flights so 900 a flight) but this was sold out when I got there at 3PM & they only had the 4 flights to Samui for 4,800 (Which is a bargain if you're into going to Samui). 

 

 

Ministry needs to think like Thai ladies. Farang rich!
Even the poor farang is rich in Thailand. Sweet mouth can coax him to buy her a house and car with his meagre life savings. 

21 hours ago, anterian said:

Am I an untypical expat, I don't play golf, have no interest in golf and avoid any hotel that features it as an attraction. 

 

20 hours ago, Chris.B said:

Ditto

 

20 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

No. There are quite a few of us around. You are not alone.

I on the other hand like playing around .....

12 minutes ago, treetops said:

Quite a few Dusit places on the list.  Don't know how attractive the rates are, but if you've been to one of them recently can you give us a comparison?

 

EXPAT_TRAVEL_DEAL_2020_(Thai_Hotels_Association).xls 373.5 kB · 2 downloads

I was at DusitD2 in AoNang (Krabi).  Girlfriend booked directly through the website using the government app for 5 nights and the room was so nice that I booked an additional 17 nights.  Was cheaper than the 3 star Ibis hotels that I usually stay at and everything was much much nicer.  Well worth it at ฿999 per night for my additional days I didn’t take the breakfast option because I usually don’t eat breakfast, but the breakfast was indeed superb.  If you book there, request the King Deluxe room (still has a sea view) on the 4th floor or higher in building #6.

 

 

7 hours ago, Brickbat said:

Ministry needs to think like Thai ladies. Farang rich!
Even the poor farang is rich in Thailand. Sweet mouth can coax him to buy her a house and car with his substantial life savings.....

 

5 minutes ago, Airalee said:

Well worth it at ฿999 per night for my additional days I didn’t take the breakfast option because I usually don’t eat breakfast, but the breakfast was indeed superb.

This offer is giving a room with breakfast for 2,000 THB per night but with 600 baht credit in a restaurant.  I would say your deal was better.

1 minute ago, treetops said:

This offer is giving a room with breakfast for 2,000 THB per night but with 600 baht credit in a restaurant.  I would say your deal was better.

Mine was the Thai resident deal for the subsequent nights.  The first 5 days was the same as yours which is actually a better deal.  
 

Of that 2,000, the government pays 40% bringing it down to 1,200 (including breakfast).  

 

Then, you get the 600 baht credit in the restaurant (Doesn’t include drinks of course) and anything above that 600, the government then again pays 40% of the tab.  

 

It’s a steal.

      Unfortunetly, Thais seem to think all foreigners are wealthy, maybe better off than many Thais, but, not all of us have money to through around. I would like to have a break and get away to the beach maybe for a couple of weeks, but regret the Thai baht exchange rate has been so damaging to the Thai economy all round.

So what is it now...oh hum...another expat card to add to the previous one that they've probably forgotten about?

13 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

This proves how desperate the Thais are. Wow 

Yes can't wait till they waive the 1,900 baht extension renewal fee.....

15 hours ago, steven100 said:

so ....  he does love us after all   !!

Only our money !!!

15 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Tourism ministry wanting our help is understandable, but the truth of the matter is a little different however, when it comes to immigration. I am aware of two people this week who have been refused extensions and have to leave essentially forthwith. Then another I know of is a long term resident spending 200K a month on house, plus wads more for 5 staff and private schools for 3 kids, who is pulling his family out, leaving 5 more unemployed because he can't get back in.

That's three big spenders this week who are gone permanently also.

My advice? You want us to add to the economy, show a little appreciation and stop treating us like dogs.

When have you been treated like a dog? I have been here for 15 years and have never been treated like a dog

 

What appreciation do you want exactly? You are allowed to live in the country with very little requirements - just proof that you have the money to sustain your life here

 

What appreciation do you want?

 

Stop thinking you are special because you are not