They say this because soon they will blame the protesters for not having any tourists in the country and it's not the covids fold . Mark my words , if there is going to be an outbrake after they are letting in some tourists , they will blame the protesters as well for this outbrake . They have a black sheep at this moment to blame everything on , lack of tourists , new outbrake , lockdown whatever is coming they will blame it on the protesters while most of this is their own fold . But everybody knows the Thai way , it's never their own fold . 

So if the protests stopped tomorrow, the tourist industry would immediately recover then?

Or is there something else affecting tourism currently? I think we should be told....

Is true democracy the best option for Thailand?

Most Asian countries don't have democratic governments. Is there a reason for this?

Most European countries are democracies.

Is there perhaps something in the culture/psyche of Ango-Saxons vs Asians that make one better suited to democracy, and the other function better under an iron fist?

So they will now blame the students for all their economic woes and the government will be squeeky clean, as always.

Oh no, the 400 tourists won't come.  This could cost the thai economy 155 billion trillion bhat.  

This has nothing to do with tourism.

If you are worried then take away quarantine restrictions and open the borders. You will see that many people will come and people start working again.

Stop using stupid tricks. Respect people and things will get better.

Dear Mr. Chairat Trairatanajarasporn, no, peacefully protesting students who clean up after themselves don't scare tourists away - that is, if tourists were able to come to Thailand in the first place.

4 hours ago, hansnl said:

So you think that democracy, Thaksin style for example, will repair the economy overnight, and that while the world is reeling under the Wuhan virus?

Dream on......

Democracy often is not bringing any good to the people.

Better you stay in the Netherlands, there they have very good democratic.

I think, the financial blow to tourism in the long run could be good for Thailand. Let nature get a chance to recover and the people in the sector learn to re-appreciate the easy money, when it comes back.

 

I doubt the protests will change much. This has happened so many times before and the outcome is always basically the same. Still corruption, bad education, money ruling etc.

 

I think Thailand’s problems are much deeper and harder to solve.

 

The “loss of face” concept will e.g. always be responsible for slow progress in everything here. As people are simply mentally wired to not personally learn from mistakes, but instead blame others.

Same goes for corruption, that is just as normal as going to the toilet every day. It will take generations and a complete mindset change to overcome that.

 

Just look at the mentality when it comes to “age”. From a very young age people are wired to believe age is important, when it comes to e.g. making decisions. It has nothing to do with a person actually being smarter or not. The old village guy with no education, will be viewed as smarter and more important  than the young university graduate etc.

 

Thats also why democracy as we know it, will not work here. Same as it did not work in many countries, where eg. USA tried to enforce it. 

 

I understand the youngster wanting “change”. But looking and history here, any change always results in pretty much the same outcome. Unfortunately.....

 

The protester have no idea of what “real”democracy even requires. All they are doing is a repeat of history. It is Groundhog Day.

Especially the Chinese government will see these protests with suspicion and might not want their people take inspiration or get funny ideas while holidaying in Thailand. Anything that keeps them away for a little longer is fine with me!

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Really? 

 

And those countries with "real democracy" are doing so fantastically well with their economies and social environments, law and order etc, are they?

WOW 

 

I guess the thing about "real" democracy is the fact that folk have a "real" chance to vote out a failing government. Then vote in a government that believe more suits their own ideology.  

I came here after the 2006 coup.  Yeah, they had protested downtown.  But if you weren't standing in the middle of Democracy Circle you wouldn't have know.  And the protests and protesters where no big deal.  Bangkok is a really big place.
The Thai tourism industry has wayyyy bigger problems than protests, although the factors contributing to the tourism problem are also probably an approximate cause for the protests.

A post using a disallowed reference to the PM has been removed.

 

A troll post has been removed. 

Luckily there are no tourists right now, so nobody seems to be scared away – those expats, retirees and snowbirds waiting to be allowed in, will come anyway – and there will likely not be much, or any, tourism in the near future, i.e. within the next half year, or even a bit more; this might not a question of opening borders, but might rather be a question about how many that wish to travel abroad.

A “further hammer blow” to a dead horse makes no difference...

There is no chance that the Chinese Communist Party will let its people travel to a country that is having pro-democracy protests. It doesn't want its people to get any ideas about overthrowing dictatorships. The travel bubble with China is a non-starter until Thailand can guarantee the CCP that there will be no more protests. In my opinion.

2 hours ago, Dialemco said:

Seem like Thailand has too many Chiefs and no Indians

The USA, with a population of 300 million, has its number of generals capped at 271. Thailand, with a population of 69 million, has 1700 generals and admirals.

It would be funny if it was not so tragic.

2 hours ago, Wizard of Oz said:

Is true democracy the best option for Thailand?

Most Asian countries don't have democratic governments. Is there a reason for this?

Most European countries are democracies.

Is there perhaps something in the culture/psyche of Ango-Saxons vs Asians that make one better suited to democracy, and the other function better under an iron fist?

It is culture based , yes . Europe had a large struggle towards democracy which in fact took 100's of years and many wars , and it still isn't easy .To have a democracy 1 side needs to pay respect to the other side and it's opinion ( see the struggle in many countries these days ...) , and learn to live with it till next election . Democracy can't be pushed on to people , it just doesn't work like that . Thailand is still 100's of years behind on that matter with its feudal system still in place .

17 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The USA, with a population of 300 million, has its number of generals capped at 271. Thailand, with a population of 69 million, has 1700 generals and admirals.

It would be funny if it was not so tragic.

Not really strange. Examples:

 

Every time I have purchased an insurance in Thailand, 3-4 Thais turn up at my home to do what 1 person could do in any other country.

 

At each HomePro there are nearly more employees than products.

 

I am sure in case of war, 5-6 generals would team up to make a small decision.

 

The more the better if things go wrong. Opens the possibility to blame each other and no one to lose face.

 

And the worst thing that can happen here, is for you to personally lose face. Horrible thing, if that happens.

10 hours ago, AlfHuy said:

Next weeks China's arrival could have a guided tour.

Beach, shopping malls, go-go bars, youth demonstrations.

 

They will feel at home.

They'd have to include firing squads 

21 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The USA, with a population of 300 million, has its number of generals capped at 271. Thailand, with a population of 69 million, has 1700 generals and admirals.

It would be funny if it was not so tragic.

Hummm, all the generals and admirals that money can buy, 'eh? 
Thai money does like titles, uniforms, and pomp.

9 minutes ago, khunpa said:

Not really strange. Examples:

 

Every time I have purchased an insurance in Thailand, 3-4 Thais turn up at my home to do what 1 person could do in any other country.

 

At each HomePro there are nearly more employees than products.

 

I am sure in case of war, 5-6 generals would team up to make a small decision.

 

The more the better if things go wrong. Opens the possibility to blame each other and no one to lose face.

 

And the worst thing that can happen here, is for you to personally lose face. Horrible thing, if that happens.

And maybe 1 or 2 at home pro know anything 

'Bad math': Airlines' COVID safety analysis challenged by expert

Laurence Frost

,

Reuters•19 October 2020

 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bad-math-airlines-covid-safety-091955923.html

Covid 19 is a ripe plum fallen into the lap of this military government, it has achieved the agenda of the government pre covid 19, now they can select who comes into Thailand, no more dirty falang.

Let me grab some popcorn and relax on my sofa.

 

25 minutes ago, Mike k said:

And maybe 1 or 2 at home pro know anything 

Spot on, and the same no doubt applies in the military.

Western thinking is based on the individual, whereas Asian thinking is based on consensus and not rocking the boat.

I have a good car mechanic, a good dentist, and a good urologist. If it were not for other expats recommending them, I probably never would have found them.

16 hours ago, sezze said:

It is culture based , yes . Europe had a large struggle towards democracy which in fact took 100's of years and many wars , and it still isn't easy .To have a democracy 1 side needs to pay respect to the other side and it's opinion ( see the struggle in many countries these days ...) , and learn to live with it till next election . Democracy can't be pushed on to people , it just doesn't work like that . Thailand is still 100's of years behind on that matter with its feudal system still in place .

The wonderful thing about the 'pandemic' is that so many of the so-called free, democratic Western countries have suddenly embraced authoritarian dictatorship as their new mode of governance for the foreseeable future.
The irony being that these same countries have the cheek to school Thailand on "democracy".  "Democracy" in the EU?  How many unelected technocrats rule the EU from Brussels? <laughs>
As I look around me where I live - nobody is "locked-down" and only about 10% of the population wear masks.  Right at the moment it's about like Sweden here in most of the country.  They even have protests like Sweden except the protests in Sweden are a little more fiery, less peaceful, and aren't comprised of native citizens asking for less corruption and more basic human rights.  And where the protests are is about the only place in Thailand with restrictions on freedom of assembly.

"But in a true democracies like the UK, Ireland, and Australia we have the God-given right to free assembly everywhere and all the time!!!"
Yeah - right! Of course you do.  Tell me all about it. 

Let's all look back at the planet Earth in say, two years, and see which countries are actually "free" and which actually still have "democratic" institutions that function.  That should be a hoot.  Freedom House will probably lose all legitimacy after they publish next year's "freedom map."
American 'democracy" may not survive the first quarter of 2021.  But everyone will be demanding Thai democracy "or else."

Ahhh, we live in interesting times. 

 

 

16 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Spot on, and the same no doubt applies in the military.

Western thinking is based on the individual, whereas Asian thinking is based on consensus and not rocking the boat.

I have a good car mechanic, a good dentist, and a good urologist. If it were not for other expats recommending them, I probably never would have found them.

The same holds true for virtually everything I've ever needed to know about visa requirements.

 

 

4 minutes ago, fusion58 said:

The same holds true for virtually everything I've ever needed to know about visa requirements.

 

 

On Thai Visa, IMO people such as ubonjoe, Sheryl and Crossy are valuable knowledge resources. They have my thanks.

 

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Just another stumbling block , and as he confirmed the longer the protesters keep going the more damage they continue to do to Thailand so only themselves to blame.

4 hours ago, Wizard of Oz said:

Is true democracy the best option for Thailand?

Most Asian countries don't have democratic governments. Is there a reason for this?

 

Look at the Asian countries with high GDP per capita.