Khao San: After the hype comes the reality - once "billion baht" street" deserted in the daytime

[AlfHuy]

5 hours ago, tonray said:

I would think it wouldn't be that hard to switch from selling fake University Degrees to fake Insurance and Covid certificates...ha ha ha ha....only a matter of time

Or make it (in a couple of months) the hub of fake vaccines.

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Weekday evenings and nights are very devoid also of people.  The restaurant's are struggling.  Friday evenings, Saturday Evenings and even Sundays see an influx of people.  We try to hit the Area on Saturday nights around 9 pm, and stay until 12am.  All of the entertainment venues in Bangkok are hurting for business.  Amazing how the tourism sector has taken such a massive hit and yet the Government is not even trying to help out.  The Lumpini Aetas and it's sister hotels are still closed.  All of those people have been out of work for the past 9 months.  The Khao San road vendors have also come and gone. 

 

There really isnothing that the government can do to help them.  It is not as if the government can send planes to countries that usually suport Thaialnd with tourism.  U.S.  and the UK are a covid economic mess

people do not have the money to travel.  The same thing is happening all over toe world.  Businesses that had a plan will survive those that do not will fail.  That is life unfortunately 

 

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

 

There really isnothing that the government can do to help them.  It is not as if the government can send planes to countries that usually suport Thaialnd with tourism.  U.S.  and the UK are a covid economic mess

people do not have the money to travel.  The same thing is happening all over toe world.  Businesses that had a plan will survive those that do not will fail.  That is life unfortunately 

 

I think you missed the point that the government has barely given any type of stimulus to the people, and what they have is a pittance compared to what the Government workers are still earning.  Cutting people off and limiting them in what they can spend on some of these schemes they have put in place is just pathetic.  Then to top it off you have the businesses that are providing the service, where the Government pays them to be a supplier, are raising there prices in order to make more money and yet the people using the scheme are getting less.  Boggles the mind actually.  

[ukrules]

Lol, I'm sure many of the would be tourists are having sleepless nights knowing that the people who rip them off every day with overpriced drinks and crappy food while they're on holiday are now 'struggling'.

 

It's over.

[Saltire]

Good riddance, I for one won't miss it, horrible place.

 

Went once with a stag weekend group from Cambodia about 6 years ago.

 

Got pickpocketed by 2 large African ladies towards the end of the night.

 

Never been back, never will.

 

 

[jaiyen]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It always amuses me when a farang claims that Thailand is doomed without them. Every farang could vanish tomorrow and IMO only the bar girls, families and the tourist companies would miss them. Thailand survived just fine prior to 1970 and will do so again if it comes to it.

You must still be living in the 70's if you believe such <deleted> ! The world has evolved even if you haven't and if you do some research on the computer ( you probably don't own one) then you will see as each year progresses Thailands economy becomes more reliant on the tourists and their money. Last year it was close to 20% of GDP.  It is not surviving just fine, People are starving cos they have no jobs to support their families. Thailand is not Doomed as you claim to hear but it is in the $HIT !  

[outsider]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Obviously the area needed to rebrand itself for the Thai only market as its previous main customer base - foreign tourists - were all gone.

 

Correction: ... as its previous main customer base - foreign tourists - were all gone chased away.

[Card]

6 hours ago, mr mr said:

 

for what ? 

 

does the headline not state that the place is deserted at night. that's a clear signal to open longer. 

 

sawatdee kap.

No it does not state that

[Destiny1990]

Wow another successful makeover ????..

[ourmanflint]

Stopped staying there in about 2003, but have often had to go back to visit friends who visit who always want to stay there for some reason. KSR itself was never good even back then, but some of the surrounding roads were OK for a night watching the crowds.

For all it's bad points and there are lots, it created a sense of welcoming to many first time visitors and I am sure a few Thai's became multi millionaires milking the backpackers for every satang they had. 

 

Never forget the braids and never forgive

[bbbbooboo]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It always amuses me when a farang claims that Thailand is doomed without them. Every farang could vanish tomorrow and IMO only the bar girls, families and the tourist companies would miss them. Thailand survived just fine prior to 1970 and will do so again if it comes to it.

You might to read about the influence of farang in Udon Thani and Pattaya prior to 1970

[seancbk]

We've had a shop in Khao San for more than 10 years and we are about to close it down (most sales are now online now).

[ChipButty]

20 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

You might to read about the influence of farang in Udon Thani and Pattaya prior to 1970

I've been to Udon 20 odd years ago hardly saw any farang, I think farang did play a big part in putting Udon on the map

[thhMan]

At least they have the Chinese tourist market to fall back on...

Trying to squeeze out a billion baht out of the dozen or so that will visit maybe harder than usual ????

[ChaiyaTH]

7 hours ago, Pottinger said:

Well, cry me a river; many traders made huge profits in such tourist spots around Thailand during the good times, which extended for years. If they did not have the foresight to save and plan for the future then my sympathy only extends to those at the bottom of the food chain, who never had the chance to establish themselves.

Most of the traders do not cry around, they all live in fancy moo baans in Nonthaburi. I guess it is different for all the migrant Myanmar workers like tailors and stuff. As well other small vendors. The rents they paid are insane high, one spot in soi rambuttri was like 9sqm and costed 40K a month + have to be paid a full year in advance each year. Amsterdam is cheaper than that lol.

[samsensam]

it doesn't state what time the photo was taken, sure it's deserted but back in the day it was never particularly busy until late afternoon/early evening, a night time photo would have been more relevant for comparison purposes.

 

 

[stigar]

5 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I've lived here 25 years I've been twice

Been there 1 time..many years ago because my trip to bangkok included a stay in hotel in KSR..been in thailand since 2003..but only maximum 6 months a year

[herfiehandbag]

There you are, an object lesson in what happens when government agencies step in to manage, promote, market and above all regulate a commercially based  tourist venue.

 

I seem to recall a declared intent to change the nature of the venue: worked well didn't it?

 

Still, plenty of space for the well healed quality tourists (and their minders) to take a leisurely stroll, just remember to book your time slot and pay for your guide and driver 2 months in advance...

[Andrew65]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It always amuses me when a farang claims that Thailand is doomed without them. Every farang could vanish tomorrow and IMO only the bar girls, families and the tourist companies would miss them. Thailand survived just fine prior to 1970 and will do so again if it comes to it.

It isn't farang per se, farang are either expats or tourists.

Whilst tourism is obviously very important to the economy, some expats have convinced themselves that without expats (residents) Thailand's economy would be finished, which I don't think is true.

[EricTh]

7 hours ago, Pottinger said:

Well, cry me a river; many traders made huge profits in such tourist spots around Thailand during the good times, which extended for years. If they did not have the foresight to save and plan for the future then my sympathy only extends to those at the bottom of the food chain, who never had the chance to establish themselves.

 

Thai don't save much money. If they earn 2000 baht today, they party and spend that money tomorrow.

 

 

[apetryxx]

Well, if the government and gullible folks hadn’t treated the WuFlu like the Bubonic Plague none of economic devastation would have taken place. The cure is definitely much worse than the disease.

[PEE TEE]

Its the same everywhere the bars are open well some are but the only people in them are the ones who work there .. China has done a good job on the world .yet Thailand are begging them to come into the kiddom. Samui is like a ghost town and many other places not just the Khao San Rd  . 

[Benmart]

Greed, corruption, nepotism, rip-offs, scams, drugs, crime. All have a part in the ruination of KSR and other places.

[sanuk711]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It always amuses me when a farang claims that Thailand is doomed without them. Every farang could vanish tomorrow and IMO only the bar girls, families and the tourist companies would miss them. Thailand survived just fine prior to 1970 and will do so again if it comes to it.

WHAT !! --------- You mean the ex SAS guys that sit around the concrete tables of the Mum & Pop stores are not the financial engine of one of the best economies of south east Asia.

[clarky cat]

this was forecast to happen even before covid hit due to restrictions imposed and a general decline of tourism

 

can't see it ever recovering due to it's location

[tandor]

..no magic wand here to wave..get used to it, even after the vaccinations next year..so sorry for the traders.

[LivinLOS]

8 hours ago, mr mr said:

 

for what ? 

 

does the headline not state that the place is deserted at night. that's a clear signal to open longer. 

 

sawatdee kap.

No it says its deserted in the daytime.. 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, mr mr said:

 

for what ? 

 

does the headline not state that the place is deserted at night. that's a clear signal to open longer. 

 

sawatdee kap.

It states it's deserted during the day when most Thais are working and tourists are absent, only coming to life after 5pm when Thais go out in the evening.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I've lived here 25 years I've been twice

That's twice more than me... did I miss anything?

[phantomfiddler]

Obviously the people at the helm are completely out of touch with reality, very sad when one thinks back to the good old days when the Farang was made to feel welcome ????