Thailand strives to elevate tourism industry striken hard by pandemic

[tomacht8]

The article from the China PR department is meaningless and useless if the message (Quality Tourist) is not even defined. Contentless "news".

Edited August 23, 2021 by tomacht8

[Xonax]

Thailand is not in a position, where they can select, who they would like to spend their holiday here. In my universe all tourists should be treated as quality tourists. If the tourists are being are treated good and fairly, they may even consider to return again one day, or spread heartwarming words to their friends about Thailand.

Thailand do have quite a few quality resorts and hotels which could attract rich tourists, but as soon as they leave the gated premises, the real Thailand hits them right in the face. Taxi- and TukTuk scams, double pricing, pollution, garbage  and dirt everywhere, unfriendly agressive locals and harassing sellers and touts everywhere. Off course not all Thais see tourists as cash cows only tolerated because of their money, but in general there will have to be an attitude adjustment to take place, before the tourists all can leave happy and satisfied. What happened to the Thailand we used to know as "The Land of Smiles"? A true smile has to be from the heart!

Edited August 23, 2021 by Xonax

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, Benmart said:

This rag is from Xinhua News Agency headquartered out of Beijing. 

you mean it's from MAIN land speaking about one of their provinces....  555 ROFL

[Mavideol]

good way to start a week....., almost choked with a good laugh when reading their delusional comments  555

[Anant72]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

there were for sure hidden gems in Thailand most of which have been ruined through poor planning, greed and corruption, many places need serious infrastructure improvements - a lot of them are long past recovery and need flattening and starting over.

 

walk (or try to without breaking a leg) around Pattaya and take a long hard look at the place, run down buildings - no footpaths and any that exist are a health risk, rubbish everywhere, the place is an eye sore, yes some lovely hotels inside but step outside and you are in the 3rd world country that Thailand is, earning huge tourist money for decades quickly stuffed into greedy pockets instead of spending on improving the place - what a waste. 

Agree with you 100%. They have done that unto themselves. Greed, corruption, irresponsibility make up the trinity of disaster. Covid is the last nail in the coffin. Is that the Thainess someone has been harping on about all these years? 

[Dialemco]

Do utmost to procure sufficient vaccines is the only answer and then prepare plans to attract tourists with promotions and minimal restrictions.

[actonion]

What kind of tourists to attract, or not attract, they just have'nt got a clue ...how to attract 

[retsdon]

Thailand is tacky. And really, that's why most tourists come. There's nothing of real quality here. 

[dallen52]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

I've been reading this same rubbish for years, it NEVER works, ever.

 

What makes them think it will be any different now?

 

Who wants to come on holiday to a country which can (and will) lock you up in a covid prison in a heartbeat.

 

Or it's quite possible you may get shot on the street by over zealous BIBs with rubber bullets.

[BobinBKK]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

walk (or try to without breaking a leg) around Pattaya and take a long hard look at the place, run down buildings - no footpaths and any that exist are a health risk, rubbish everywhere, the place is an eye sore, yes some lovely hotels inside but step outside and you are in the 3rd world country

Agree 100% this country is a toilet!!!

[kwaussie]

There is a lot of rainfall in Thailand and we cant even get decent tap water drinking water let alone quality tourists.

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, Scrotobike said:

From this I read - this mythical unicorn does not drink or like sex and is very rich, which they will spend in Thailand instead of other higher quality places where the fellow rich people go to. Not many of those - if any. Ah I know one - the Pope!

they love sex in many other places and the girls are a lot more fun as well.  like California for instance.  and in France they kiss on main street. try doing that with a Thai

Edited August 23, 2021 by malibukid

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Damn this is the most spot on answer i've heard in a while . 

i have been to Monte Carlo and Thailand is not

[madmen]

Number of new cases going down. This is fantastic good news!! 

[nobodysfriend]

Quality tourists means big spending , rich tourists, who stay a short time only and spend a lot of money .

For what ?

Ok , Hotels and service can cost a lot ...

They come with their kids and wife to spend a relaxing luxury holiday in Thailand .

They normally leave before boredom sets in .

Next year , they will probably go elsewhere to just check it out ...

Who really helps the Thai economy and this for a long time , are the foreigners who reside here .

They import their money to spend it in Thailand . What could be better for the economy ?

 

Thailand wants to have a clean , whitewashed reputation as a beautiful holiday country .

Boring !

There are many countries around who serve this clientele already .

 

Here is another idea :

 

Transform Pattaya into a thai Las Vegas . Bring in the Casinos . Chinese owned or thai owned , does not matter ... that will bring in the people who spend a lot .

Money and a steady income for a lot of Thais !

Thailands reputation might shift from the wanted clean one to being a place that has some fun and the attractions that come with that . A bonus point . Everybody can make money . The politicians , the police , the locals , Hotels , Restaurants etc ...

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by nobodysfriend

[bullseye66]

They are not going to get tourists of any sort. High end or low end tourists won't go in any numbers until they remove the ridiculous covid insurance and Quarentine rules for entry. It really is that simple.

[Cake Monster]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

there were for sure hidden gems in Thailand most of which have been ruined through poor planning, greed and corruption, many places need serious infrastructure improvements - a lot of them are long past recovery and need flattening and starting over.

 

walk (or try to without breaking a leg) around Pattaya and take a long hard look at the place, run down buildings - no footpaths and any that exist are a health risk, rubbish everywhere, the place is an eye sore, yes some lovely hotels inside but step outside and you are in the 3rd world country that Thailand is, earning huge tourist money for decades quickly stuffed into greedy pockets instead of spending on improving the place - what a waste. 

Central Mombasa would seem to be preferred choice over Pattaya at the moment as a Holiday destination.

At this moment in time , Pattaya looks like what it really is . An unloved Slum, that has seen almost Zero reinvestment from all the Tourist money that has been spent over the Years.

 

[Isaan sailor]

7 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Quality tourists means big spending , rich tourists, who stay a short time only and spend a lot of money .

For what ?

Ok , Hotels and service can cost a lot ...

They come with their kids and wife to spend a relaxing luxury holiday in Thailand .

They normally leave before boredom sets in .

Next year , they will probably go elsewhere to just check it out ...

Who really helps the Thai economy and this for a long time , are the foreigners who reside here .

They import their money to spend it in Thailand . What could be better for the economy ?

 

Thailand wants to have a clean , whitewashed reputation as a beautiful holiday country .

Boring !

There are many countries around who serve this clientele already .

 

Here is another idea :

 

Transform Pattaya into a thai Las Vegas . Bring in the Casinos . Chinese owned or thai owned , does not matter ... that will bring in the people who spend a lot .

Money and a steady income for a lot of Thais !

Thailands reputation might shift from the wanted clean one to being a place that has some fun and the attractions that come with that . A bonus point . Everybody can make money . The politicians , the police , the locals , Hotels , Restaurants etc ...

 

 

Damned right expats here spend big money. And we, in turn support our families and all the vendors around us.  And yes, we travel whenever, wherever we can.

Bring on the casinos—but use some zoning, too.  They can’t recreate Vegas, but Atlantic City would do for starters.

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

What Thailand offers is of little interest to wealthy people. The ruling class in their ivory towers will never be able to understand this simple truth.

Actually Thailand has what a lot of wealthy people want.  The problem is that they will not allow them to get it.

 

Imagine if the government took an Island like Samet or another island that has the beaches the access and not a huge crowd and said here. We will allow you to build a house for your personal living.  That we will allow you to own the land.  To set up a private island with your own security people and live with your own type of people.

 

That is the difference the wealthy people do not want to live in Bangkok or own a condo in Pattaya or Phuket.   They want to own a house/villa on the beach that has it's own private security people and that gives them the privacy.

 

Condo's are nice for normal people but the rich want privacy and to enjoy the life with something they OWN.

 

 

[Dont confuse me]

Wow what a good idea, 'quality tourist'  never heard that before!

They just don't seem to understand that the main reason for mass tourist were the girls, cheap beer and food.

Some of the sea-side resorts are quite good but there's better to be found in Europe and USA.

As for tourist attractions, a couple of tiger sanctuarys, some elephant villages,  snake farms, cock fighting and of course temples and golf what more could a high end tourist with a family want? 

Maybe a month in Florida, taking in Disney, sea world, Miami zoo and some diving down at the 'Keys' all with that little extra 'health and safety ' thrown in, and of course you would be paying the same price's as the locals!

If they are serious then that's what they have to compete with.

[madmitch]

I've been reading this quality tourism BS, along with the same disparaging forum posts, for the past 20 years or so.  It'll never happen but it's yet another example of how this government is totally unsupportive of small businesses.

 

I'm in the UK for a while and it seems very few people are remotely interested in long haul travel, yet many are taking holidays in European resorts as they just need a break from after the restrictions of the past year and a half.

 

Life is almost back to normal here. Few people wear masks on the streets, though on public transport and shops they are more visible. Mass events are back; I went to a football match on Saturday and have a couple of concerts to go to and pubs are back to normal..

 

My 16 year old daughter just walked into a vaccination centre in a shopping mall  last week and got a Pfizer jab using her Thai ID card for ID. I'll go for my second AZ later this week having had the first dose in Phuket 

 

With this newly found freedom, why would anyone want to holiday in a place where major restrictions are still in place, you might be arrested for having fun in a group and you might have to quarantine at either end of your journey?

[Harveyboy]

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

It will never be a quality tourist destination it does not have that reputation worldwide.  Too many true quality holiday/beach resort places in the world no way to compete for that.

Most people want to come here for a semi above 3rd world inexpensive vacation with cheap accommodations, food, etc.  They should actually promote and enhance the experience for male entertainment seekers that is where the most money is spent in short periods of time.

yes a lot of short time here

[Harveyboy]

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

It will never be a quality tourist destination it does not have that reputation worldwide.  Too many true quality holiday/beach resort places in the world no way to compete for that.

Most people want to come here for a semi above 3rd world inexpensive vacation with cheap accommodations, food, etc.  They should actually promote and enhance the experience for male entertainment seekers that is where the most money is spent in short periods of time.

yes a lot of short time here

[SiamAndy]

5 hours ago, inThailand said:

Similar story. Went to get a medicine from a pharmacy I bought from before. Don't sell any more. Sold me another generic for 110% more. Went again yesterday, different pharmacist got the old medicine.

I am starting to buy more online to avoid this BS. 

 

This has happened to me several times in TL, and they wonder why we get tired of the BS.

[bronzedude]

Bangkok the next Singapore? It could be done. Change the cultural makeup, change the government, fire all the generals and high ranking policemen, actually give tourists a clean safe, uncorrupted place to enjoy. I guess we only dream.

[khunPer]

By changing to so-called "quality tourists" it will likely be mainly the small businesses in the market - both hotels, resorts, restaurants and some shops - which disappears; some of them have been there long time, and made the initial "amazing Thailand" a success; probably a pity to loose them, but the World is changing...????

[Thaivisa2006]

I wonder what they exactly mean by quality tourism and why they want it.
With trying to attract only a hand full of rich people they won't create jobs, and income for the most. Or has one seen the billionaires eating on the street and renting a long tail boat or taking a motorbike taxi...  Its the same game as always: the rich and influential thais want a bigger piece of the cake while the normal people shall be left out.

[WISteve]

    The "Quality Tourist" is another name for a foreigner with big bucks who shows up and spends a wad and leaves soon.  Those folks are almost unheard of in Thailand because they want good facilities, drinking water they can drink, streets that are not lumpy cobblestones littered with trash and imported human detritus and unpolluted seas and beaches.  Thailand needs to re-make herself and spend a whole lot of money to offer up the sort of experience they demand.

   Those vacationers are not looking for the flock of 3 star hotels opening up to dirty, dangerous streets which only offer cheap beer and second hand single mothers from the poorest section of Thailand.

 

[Chiang Mai Will]

We "Oldies" remember time after time over the past 20 years some Government spokesmen stating how Tourism is an insignificant part of the glorious and booming Thai economy.

 

Just shows how poor education in Government employees and Ministers is so dangerous to a countries' population and future.

 

Quality Tourists?  Clear up the rubbish dumped by roadsides in the resorts, clean the filth up off the streets, stop the dual-pricing and rip-offs, stop the illegal scams and corruption in the RTP, and educate all those in the tourist industry to acknowledge the benefit of tourism.

[BKKTRAVELER]

They should stop insulting people who actually have traveled to Thailand in the past by saying most of them were not "quality tourists" and instead thank them for their support and encourage them to come back.

 

Backpackers or group tours may not be big spenders but it was their visits that highly contributed to Thailand's tourism development over the last many decades.

 

Thailand is not Monaco, the Seychelles, Maldives or other luxurious destinations. If you want high spenders, you have to adapt to their higher standards first.