Would Thailand be a happier place with no international tourists?

[Promula]

Go back 30-40 years to a time when Thailand had very few international tourists, and I'm sure it was a happy place - possibly happier than it is now. 

 

So ok, international tourism brings in 12-15% or whatever it is of Thailand's GDP. So what? I've always thought of mass international tourism as like having a lodger. How many members would like part of their mortgage paid by having a lodger wondering around the place, using the kitchen etc? Most would choose to have the place to themself and forfeit the rental revenue.

[Surelynot]

I go back 30 years and the abject poverty was not pleasant........you could argue either way I guess. The biggest improvement (for any country) would be to ban large group tours that dominate and destroy as they tour around.....certain nations are very apt to holiday in this fashion. 

[cjinchiangrai]

7 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

I go back 30 years and the abject poverty was not pleasant........you could argue either way I guess. The biggest improvement (for any country) would be to ban large group tours that dominate and destroy as they tour around.....certain nations are very apt to holiday in this fashion. 

The tour groups may be annoying to you but they bring a lot of money and are relatively well controlled. They are not the ones trashing the beaches and damaging the reefs. The groups offer a way to travel and work around a severe language barrier.

 

This years group travelers become next years independent travelers and they come with their families not just their drinking buddies.

 

That you think you are somehow better and more deserving than those "certain nations" is disturbing. If you don't like Asians, stay home.

 

[Swiss1960]

41 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

The tour groups may be annoying to you but they bring a lot of money and are relatively well controlled. They are not the ones trashing the beaches and damaging the reefs. The groups offer a way to travel and work around a severe language barrier.

 

yes, these groups bring a lot of money, BUT they bring it for a very small select group of businesses - businesses that are owned by people of the same nation(s) that the groups come from. Those (mostly chinese) groups do not contribute to the general populace as individual tourists. 

 

As to the OPs question: Going back to a tourist level of 30y ago would be VERY difficult for lot of Thai families for a very long time, not only months, but probably years. I rather have a lodger in my house who will fill my stomach with food and my pockets with money. 

[Promula]

5 minutes ago, Swiss1960 said:

I rather have a lodger in my house who will fill my stomach with food and my pockets with money. 

That paints a picture that Thais were mostly starving 30-40 years ago and now aren't because of international tourism. I don't think that's reality. 

[Swiss1960]

2 minutes ago, Promula said:

That paints a picture that Thais were mostly starving 30-40 years ago and now aren't because of international tourism. I don't think that's reality. 

I didn't say they did then... but they certainly do today after the international tourism business came to an abrupt standstill... still today, tens of thousands of Thai line up daily for food... it just is not news anymore 

[Surelynot]

54 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

The tour groups may be annoying to you but they bring a lot of money and are relatively well controlled. They are not the ones trashing the beaches and damaging the reefs. The groups offer a way to travel and work around a severe language barrier.

 

This years group travelers become next years independent travelers and they come with their families not just their drinking buddies.

 

That you think you are somehow better and more deserving than those "certain nations" is disturbing. If you don't like Asians, stay home.

 

I see a lot of posts that strongly refute the idea they bring in a "lot of money" and many posts that describe them as "not being very well controlled"..........where do I state that I am "somehow better and more deserving"?

[Bender Rodriguez]

I can only go back 20 years ago ... much poverty & trashy tin roof sheds where I live now

 

thin poor people around  (I was overweight)

 

now: small shopping mall around with the usual <deleted> fast-food , even a makro recently

 

big out of shape people everywhere (I lost 30 kg of FAT, not eating junk)

 

happier people ? mhhhhh

 

I always felt strange why the poor people never revolted against the elite and just accepting their fate

 

but now I understand how this could be .... brainwashed since birth, for generations... 

 

I'm happy to see the younger uni / students getting up more for their rights

 

 

[Promula]

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

I go back 30 years and the abject poverty was not pleasant........

You can say that about anywhere at any time in history. That doesn't in itself make mass tourism a good idea. Perhaps 100 years from now your ancestors will look back at your life and think it was abject poverty.

[Promula]

20 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

 

I always felt strange why the poor people never revolted against the elite and just accepting their fate

 

but now I understand how this could be .... brainwashed since birth, for generations... 

 

It was probably the same in your native country centuries ago until a civil war or two came along.

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

I go back 30 years and the abject poverty was not pleasant........you could argue either way I guess. The biggest improvement (for any country) would be to ban large group tours that dominate and destroy as they tour around.....certain nations are very apt to holiday in this fashion. 

I was here 30 years ago (even earlier) and the amount of tourists was high for that time. The tourism in Thailand is made for international tourists, not domestic. About two thirds (personally I think the number is higher) of the revenue pre-covid 19 came from international tourists. In Pattaya about 80% of the economy relies on tourism, and out of those 80% the number of domestic tourists is very low over a year. Domestic tourism will not help places like Phuket,Pattaya or Koh Samui a bit. Only the very naive TAT boss seems to think so, and some posters here at TV. 

[Grumpy one]

With no international tourists there would be a lot of unhappy hotel owners, hotel staff and dont forget the bar girls without customers

[ChipButty]

Im beginning to think the Thai government think they can live without the mass tourism and are not interested in bringing back any time soon, get away from places like Phuket and the other tourist islands and pay a visit to Thai only cities, even in Phuket go to Phuket Town it's busy, full of Thai people,

A few weeks ago we spent 4 days in Nakorn Si Thammarat it was busy almost like normal not many tourist go that way.

 

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

With no international tourists there would be a lot of unhappy hotel owners, hotel staff and dont forget the bar girls without customers

Phuket was becoming like a concrete jungle there is no control was it reaching a saturation point before covid19? business was going down before the pandemic

[Promula]

23 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Im beginning to think the Thai government think they can live without the mass tourism and are not interested in bringing back any time soon.

 

I was speaking with a middle aged car rental company owner in Phuket a few days ago. His father set up the business as one of the first several decades ago. He said those days were far happier and the island was relatively quiet and unspoiled. He said there's now about 70 car rental busineses on the island that started up since his father's, and it's now very cut throat and not a pleasant industry, while much of the island has been spoilt by development and tour buses everywhere. He said the last few months of much quieter roads have been a joy, and despite the lack of customers, he's really enjoying the trip down memory lane. He's planning to sell his entire stock of cars up country and diversify into something new.

[86Tiger]

43 minutes ago, Promula said:

It was probably the same in your native country centuries ago until a civil war or two came along.

We do tend to forget we are all just few generations from no education, living hand to mouth and Sh!tt!ng in a hole out back.

[Promula]

52 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Phuket was becoming like a concrete jungle there is no control was it reaching a saturation point before covid19? business was going down before the pandemic

I don't agree. It's the same size as Singapore and 1/10th as built on.

[Colabamumbai]

Going back to the 70s, I like things the way they are. 

[Don Chance]

 No tourists = no money.

[Yinn]

19 hours ago, Grumpy one said:

With no international tourists there would be a lot of unhappy hotel owners, hotel staff and dont forget the bar girls without customers

Old, fat pervert lonely guys who must pay. No social skill. 

 

They make bar girls “happy”? You beleive that? Will kissing this guy make you happy? You like it? Yuk.

 

OP. I think it no effect on Thai people happiness. Other thing more important. Family healthy, environment, food, pets, business, neighbor, freinds, durian etc.

 

Most Thai people not meet, see, care about foreigner tourist. 

[KhunFred]

Thailand would be a POORER place, and that would make the elites very happy.

[kingstonkid]

19 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Im beginning to think the Thai government think they can live without the mass tourism and are not interested in bringing back any time soon, get away from places like Phuket and the other tourist islands and pay a visit to Thai only cities, even in Phuket go to Phuket Town it's busy, full of Thai people,

A few weeks ago we spent 4 days in Nakorn Si Thammarat it was busy almost like normal not many tourist go that way.

 

I am  not sure that they think they can do without tourism or is it that they want people to start to actually work in businesses that are not dependent on tourism.   For Thailand this is the perfect time to re invent the country and the cities.  To turn not so much away from the single guy looking for cheap beer and nightly entertainment but to a different world where the country actually produces things and tourism is  not dependent on the single cheap charlie.

 

 

[BritManToo]

20 hours ago, Promula said:

You can say that about anywhere at any time in history. That doesn't in itself make mass tourism a good idea. Perhaps 100 years from now your ancestors will look back at your life and think it was abject poverty.

I'm expecting the Zombie Apocalypse any moment now (caused by COVID vaccine), in 100 years the few survivors will be back to living in mud huts. 

[Peterw42]

For your average Thai, tourism represents nothing more than a 300-400 baht a day job. No different to their cousin who has a 300-400 baht a day job in a ball bearing factory.

Other than a job, Its not like they benefit from overall tourism, they dont own the airlines, the large hotels, the tourist attractions.

 

This perception that Thais are somehow tapped into the huge influx off foreign tourism dollars is rubbish for 90% of Thais.

 

Yes, a percentage of Thais have lost their tourism related job. These tourism related jobs were often seasonal and casual.

 

 

 

[Pravda]

21 hours ago, Swiss1960 said:

yes, these groups bring a lot of money, BUT they bring it for a very small select group of businesses

The same can be said for your average retired farang sexpat. They bring money to a very small select group of people, bargirl, brother, son and Buffalo. 

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

For your average Thai, tourism represents nothing more than a 300-400 baht a day job. No different to their cousin who has a 300-400 baht a day job in a ball bearing factory.

Other than a job, Its not like they benefit from overall tourism, they dont own the airlines, the large hotels, the tourist attractions.

 

This perception that Thais are somehow tapped into the huge influx off foreign tourism dollars is rubbish for 90% of Thais.

 

Yes, a percentage of Thais have lost their tourism related job. These tourism related jobs were often seasonal and casual.

 

 

 

I have known of Thai people not getting paid in low season or only half their salary

[Ventenio]

Why get culture from other people?  Why learn from strangers?  Why allow others to come to your country, which will make all other countries ban you from going to their country.

 

Yes, you are born in one country.  Never allowed to leave.  never.   

 

Everyone will be N. Korea.

 

Nobody will share medical advances, vaccines, information, education, nothing.

 

IQ under 60 to anyone thinking this is a good idea.  

[Peterw42]

6 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I have known of Thai people not getting paid in low season or only half their salary

Yes thats right, I used to see the same.

If you also consider the virus has coincided with what would usually be low season, April-October, for many Thais there is not much different.

 

 

[ChipButty]

6 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Yes thats right, I used to see the same.

If you also consider the virus has coincided with what would usually be low season, April-October, for many Thais there is not much different.

 

 

I was speaking to my builders and they are doing ok got loads of work, the cleaners they dont have much work obviously we dont have any work for them 

[Swiss1960]

27 minutes ago, Pravda said:

The same can be said for your average retired farang sexpat. They bring money to a very small select group of people, bargirl, brother, son and Buffalo. 

They bring money to these groups, yes, and the difference is that these groups are individuals that profit from individual tourism. But that is not all.. they also spend money in Thai markets, in local restaurants, in Supermarkets, in hotels and guesthouses, for Bahtbus and motorbike-taxis, for Thai massages and so on.

 

You will never see Chinese tour groups outside the Chinese-owned hotels and Chinese-owned massage places for bulk-handling. The money from these groups never reach the locals.