It’s expats, not tourists that are visiting Thailand: Business leader

[Flink]

7 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

He should get a job at TAT.

If he survives that long. He'll either never get to speak to the press again or will be dragged up on phoney corruption charges.

[WingFat]

How refreshing...a high profile official is telling the truth.

[robertson468]

The sad truth is you have a retired General as Prime Minister whose philosophy is I make the rules, you obey and don't question me, or you will be in very hot water.  This Government is sadly spoiling this lovely Country with their irrational and autocratic rules and even worse, creating poverty for their people.  Do they care?  Not a jot because they have a monthly, large salary coming in.

[Concerned observer]

At last someone with some common sense speaks the truth. TAT the PM are government ministers are totally deluded whilst they all run round having their pictures taken patting each other on the back. 50,000 tourists have arrived so far and millions to follow - dream on! Very few tourists are going to come to a country that has only inoculated 50% of its population and where you can't enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner or be out after dark for fear of the boys in brown heavy handedly rounding you all up and pretending that they are protecting their countryfolk. Thailand is currently not a viable tourist destination and the sooner that the PM and government realize that the better.

[Jumbo1968]

8 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

He should get a job at TAT.

He wouldn’t, he tells the way it is.

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

The majority of us knew this already. Many friends I have have returned after being gone for a long time in order to return to family with less restrictive measures put on them that create financial hurdles.

Yeah. I believe this is well understood by those who are really paying attention. The greater percentage of arrivals since the "lifting" of Nov 1 are residents or on needed business. 

 

During the standard COE/14-day quarantine period, one might be surprised as to the random numbers of returnees/expats/foreign residents/business types that were passing through Swampy and forced to participate in this process. The numbers weren't officially tallied nor was there newsworthy attention and exaggeration during this time - and I'm guessing the numbers were considerable nonetheless. Though, probably nothing compared to the count as of the last three weeks. 

 

As no one really knew the Thai authorities plans and strategies. 

[ukrules]

Only one question remains.....Why are they doing this?

 

There will be a reason, we just don't know what it is yet.

[it is what it is]

7 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

He is right, but these folks coming have/do spend money.

In fact, their investment in many cases is/will be much larger then the 2 week tourists.

They should be thankful any of them are returning at all.

sure expats arrive and spend money and that is great for thailand, but the government is supposed to be helping the tourist sector (well that's what they claim...) , these arrivals will do very little to achieve that.

[tomyami]

If thailand opened proper there would be supply problems and staff shortages in every business.

I am in canaries resturants and bars packed but its taken months to get workers to come back.

But you cant build by imposing closure orders on everything unless you have other reasons, or led by a dictator who has a leaning towards martial law

[soalbundy]

Brave but foolish, Thailand doesn't do truth, what with all the demonstrations now Thailand has enough martyrs, throwing himself into the fray for self interest wont benefit anybody least of all himself. These truths were already known by those in charge but nobody was foolish enough to speak them out loud just in case a miracle happened and tourists came. When you have been walking on Teflon for so long it is difficult to get used to any other surface.

[Nojohndoe]

No doubt that the initial "rush" of arrivals will be those who have historical familial connections or similar that no doubt will be numbered as "tourists".

Regardless of being long term expats or ardent regular  visitors they are at very least  contributors to both the economy as well as examples of positive desire to enter Thailand at a time when by comparison to other venues of international travel is restrictive in compliance to dubiously applied conditions.

[KhaoYai]

Has Thanet been reading Asean Now?

[Blumpie]

Even if Thailand opened those restriction there would be significant headwinds.  On the other end, when you return home, there are significant hurtles to go through too.  This has a tremendous drag on tourism too.  If you have to isolate, test, or potentially end up taking an extra 2 weeks "holidays" because you are asymptomatic it would be a disaster for many holiday goers.  

 

We have a very long ways to go before tourism can even attempt to get back to normal.  

[Nojohndoe]

6 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

Brave but foolish, Thailand doesn't do truth, what with all the demonstrations now Thailand has enough martyrs, throwing himself into the fray for self interest wont benefit anybody least of all himself. These truths were already known by those in charge but nobody was foolish enough to speak them out loud just in case a miracle happened and tourists came. When you have been walking on Teflon for so long it is difficult to get used to any other surface.

I would at least give  credit for spelling out the truth ! Maybe even to the point where there is recognition of the fact that martyrdom political or life threatening is deemed the only potentially  effective  means to enact desired change? IMO Thailand lacks a capacity for social consensus on desired political outcome because it has always been manipulated and  globally there seems to be no better  genuine  example to aspire to ! Demonstration  may express disatisfaction but rarely expose the overall or concise expectations of those that are  behind and/or support.

In the  gambit of existence who does not walk on teflon ?

[BE88]

5 hours ago, Will B Good said:

....and many on here, including me, think the above scenario is exactly what Prayut wants.........no tourists, or at least  not the ones that enjoy nights out, drinking, clubbing etc.

 

Early grey and cucumber sandwiches might be all that is on offer eventually.

I agree with you but for what reason? 

 

 

Why destroy their economy voluntarily?

 

[PoorSucker]

8 hours ago, kevin612 said:

This is true, why tourists visit Thailand when entertainment is closed?

The Temples?

[Freddy42OZ]

I was walking down Sukhumvit around 9pm the other night between Soi 11 and Soi 15.   

There were a lot of street hookers hanging around and a surprising number of farang blokes.  

I doubt any of them were expats based on how they were dressed.  They all looked like tourists and most of them looked like sexpats.




 

[PoorSucker]

8 hours ago, smedly said:

only one or two countries that should now be red listed for producing fake test docs

Company in Sweden was caught in June issuing 100.000 fake documents.

[zzaa09]

9 minutes ago, Nojohndoe said:

I would at least give  credit for spelling out the truth ! Maybe even to the point where there is recognition of the fact that martyrdom political or life threatening is deemed the only potentially  effective  means to enact desired change? IMO Thailand lacks a capacity for social consensus on desired political outcome because it has always been manipulated and  globally there seems to be no better  genuine  example to aspire to ! Demonstration  may express disatisfaction but rarely expose the overall or concise expectations of those that are  behind and/or support.

In the  gambit of existence who does not walk on teflon ?

It's all part and parcel of the theatres of ruse, regardless of sentiments or where one comes from. 

The game plays on just for the sake of playing the game. 

[peter zwart]

6 hours ago, 248900_1469958220 said:

With the UK looking like mandating boosters and 100% fully vaccinated Gibraltar cancelling Christmas due to rising cases....... I'd say Thailand's porky pies will get even more amusing in the coming months. 

Yep, we now come to the point to find out that these "wonder" vaccins actually dont work that well. Back to the drawing board. Tourism..........0

[peter zwart]

Just now, peter zwart said:

find

point

[Nojohndoe]

2 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

It's all part and parcel of the theatres of ruse, regardless of sentiments or where one comes from. 

The game plays on just for the sake of playing the game. 

I would  concur !

[soalbundy]

Just now, Nojohndoe said:

I would at least give  credit for spelling out the truth ! Maybe even to the point where there is recognition of the fact that martyrdom political or life threatening is deemed the only potentially  effective  means to enact desired change? IMO Thailand lacks a capacity for social consensus on desired political outcome because it has always been manipulated and  globally there seems to be no better  genuine  example to aspire to ! Demonstration  may express disatisfaction but rarely expose the overall or concise expectations of those that are  behind and/or support.

In the  gambit of existence who does not walk on teflon ?

noble sentiments leads one to the block without ever knowing if your sacrifice will succeed or was in vain. There are many brave people in Thailand willing to sacrifice life and/or liberty for a just cause but it should be noted that no tyrant, political system or situation lasts forever, action through inaction generally works quite well, change will always happen all by itself although some gallant souls feel called upon to be a catalyst even though the chemical mixture was brewing quiet nicely alone, speed isn't a quality of nature. 

[connda]

Reality is neither wanted nor desired.  Just "blah blah blah!"

[D M G]

As any CFO will tell you, "The numbers are the numbers"

[thailand49]

This guy should seriously think about running for PM!  now that he has spoken truth the squeeze will be on the best of luck down the road?

 

The guy is a business man not a blood sucker free loader getting rich off the back of their own people!

[soalbundy]

8 minutes ago, Freddy42OZ said:

I was walking down Sukhumvit around 9pm the other night between Soi 11 and Soi 15.   

There were a lot of street hookers hanging around and a surprising number of farang blokes.  

I doubt any of them were expats based on how they were dressed.  They all looked like tourists and most of them looked like sexpats.




 

The erections seen through their trousers gave them away obviously.

[EricTh]

The biggest turnoff were the health insurance and the expensive one day quarantine.

 

If they could just remove the ridiculous health insurance and do a quick Covid test that we wait for just 15 minutes, then more genuine tourists will come.

 

I wonder what's the target tourists arrival for November?  

 

If the numbers fall short of the target, hopefully , the Thai govt would remove the two obstacles above.

[Nojohndoe]

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

noble sentiments leads one to the block without ever knowing if your sacrifice will succeed or was in vain. There are many brave people in Thailand willing to sacrifice life and/or liberty for a just cause but it should be noted that no tyrant, political system or situation lasts forever, action through inaction generally works quite well, change will always happen all by itself although some gallant souls feel called upon to be a catalyst even though the chemical mixture was brewing quiet nicely alone, speed isn't a quality of nature. 

Not at all sure of your reply as to interpretation.

A chemical mixture can be a random or it can be with a degree of  educated yet assumed expectation of result that does not necessarily achieve such desired expectations.

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, robertson468 said:

The sad truth is you have a retired General as Prime Minister whose philosophy is I make the rules, you obey and don't question me, or you will be in very hot water.  This Government is sadly spoiling this lovely Country with their irrational and autocratic rules and even worse, creating poverty for their people.  Do they care?  Not a jot because they have a monthly, large salary coming in.

That's what is happening in Myanmar now.

 

Their people are suffering due to the poor economy.