Update: Thai-Chinese high speed rail projects talks continue

[pegman]

11 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Thailand has enough trouble with Chinese who come in by air.  Numbers will rise greatly if these trains start.  This will benefit China, not Thailand.

How so? The Chinese are the highest spending tourists in the world. Thailand desperately needs them back. Pre-COVID they made up about 25% of total Thailand tourists.

[Neeranam]

Just now, pegman said:

How so? The Chinese are the highest spending tourists in the world. Thailand desperately needs them back. Pre-COVID they made up about 25% of total Thailand tourists.

Chinese are very rude and we don't like the way they are confrontational, communicate directly, and do things like kicking temple bells. The many businesses that want them are Chinese origin, not Thai. 

[Almer]

10 hours ago, pegman said:

Or a tunnel. 

China is not worried about a bridge the river will be empty, they are in control

[vandeventer]

This would be a great way to spread the virus around, instead of a few flights a day they could come every hour with many more people. Good thinking!

[Isaan sailor]

18 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Since crossing the Mekong river at Nong Khai is fairly central to the project, I am surprised that it is only now being proposed for discussion.

 

Personally I reckon they will have to build a bridge!

No need for planning that bridge.  At China’s increasing rate of Mekong water consumption, they’ll simply fill in the dry riverbed, and run the rails across.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, pegman said:

How so? The Chinese are the highest spending tourists in the world. Thailand desperately needs them back. Pre-COVID they made up about 25% of total Thailand tourists.

The ones parading through Pattaya hardly give that impression.........

[BusyB]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

The hospitality business sector in my town of Luang Prabang has been devastated by Covid-19 lockdowns and lack of tourists, (there have only been a couple of virus cases in this region since Covid-19 first appeared).

 

Hopefully, the opening of the railway from Yunnan province to Luang Prabang will bring back much-needed tourist income to the town.  It would be great if Luang Prabang became a tourist 'bubble' for Yunnan >> you can visit if you've been vaccinated, travel here and back by train, no travel outside this province.

 

Only been to Luang Prabang once - back in 2004 just as they began gearing up for tourism, so still mainly unspoiled.

The first hotels were just being completed on the outskirts of town.

It was beautiful back then. Went on a cycle trip out in the hills and canoed back down.

Lovely time (and those temples ... wow!).

Is it still something like that normally?

[lungbing]

5 hours ago, pegman said:

How so? The Chinese are the highest spending tourists in the world. Thailand desperately needs them back. Pre-COVID they made up about 25% of total Thailand tourists.

By numbers, maybe.  Certainly not by spending.

[greeneking]

'Personally I reckon they will have to build a bridge!'

Agreed. And I think it should be where the railway in Laos is already planned to arrive at the Mekong. And the Thais should build on the other side.

There, how much money and committee time have I saved them?

[pegman]

4 hours ago, lungbing said:

By numbers, maybe.  Certainly not by spending.

https://www.farandwide.com/s/worlds-biggest-spenders-on-tourism-e0393c6452ab40f9

[simon43]

13 hours ago, BusyB said:

 

Only been to Luang Prabang once - back in 2004 just as they began gearing up for tourism, so still mainly unspoiled.

The first hotels were just being completed on the outskirts of town.

It was beautiful back then. Went on a cycle trip out in the hills and canoed back down.

Lovely time (and those temples ... wow!).

Is it still something like that normally?

Yes, because the town is under Unesco protection, so all new buildings in the historic centre must be built to completely blend in with existing colonial buildings - I even see old construction dates carved into the gables of these new buildings!

 

No-one is allowed to smoke in public in the main street - prior to Covid 19, the visiting Chinese behaved fine.  I think they are a different class of tourist, when compared to those who visit Pattaya and Phuket ????

[Kenneth White]

High speed trains only make sense if you are late for work. Imagine this: you live away for the city where you work and your alarm did not go off so to avoid be fired for being late (you had been warned twice before) you skip breakfast and start to dress. You and your wife are running down the corridor at the train station, she is putting on her make up and you buckling your pant and fixing your tie, You get to work, and only thirty minutes late, enter your office space only to find your desk and file cabinet is gone as is your wife's. You ponder for a moment and ask yourself what good is a high speed train any way? ???? Stay safe Thailand.

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, lungbing said:

By numbers, maybe.  Certainly not by spending.

I tried to find some data on that, but most numbers stated them to be the biggest spenders by the virtue of sheer volume and numbers, not per capita. I would expect a fair old range... those individuals shopping in London's Knightsbridge likely spend a helluva lot more than the crowd in their elephant pajamas in Mike's Shopping Plaza.  

[DefaultName]

20 hours ago, pegman said:

How so? The Chinese are the highest spending tourists in the world. Thailand desperately needs them back. Pre-COVID they made up about 25% of total Thailand tourists.

China does nothing that doesn't benefit China.  In drips and drops, by loans and purchases, they're taking over countries.  They aren't an overt threat like a certain middle eastern cult is, but they will end up running the world unless other countries wake up.

[BusyB]

8 hours ago, simon43 said:

Yes, because the town is under Unesco protection, so all new buildings in the historic centre must be built to completely blend in with existing colonial buildings - I even see old construction dates carved into the gables of these new buildings!

 

No-one is allowed to smoke in public in the main street - prior to Covid 19, the visiting Chinese behaved fine.  I think they are a different class of tourist, when compared to those who visit Pattaya and Phuket ????

 

Sounds great ... I've got a trip with Stray Asia (or their current iteration) through Laos on my list of things to do when I finally get out there again.

[RubbaJohnny]

Thai-Chinese high speed virus project stalks continue