Thailand again signals move away from mass-market foreign tourism with falling numbers

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Travis179 said:

And they have a lengthy quarantine when they return. 

A few years with the Uighurs for daring to go overseas.

[meechai]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

It is clear that the government is aiming to take advantage of the pandemic disaster to end Thailand’s reputation as a sex tourist haven

Well good luck with that

Prostitution = The World's Oldest Profession

The earliest known record of prostitution dates back to 2400 BC in ancient Babylonia

 

For Thailand the only change will be the govt will not get a satang of tax when it goes all online to dating apps instead of gogo bars ????

[raccos21]

Where are the millionaire and the billionaire tourists?
Are they coming to save this place?
It's simple -- if they don’t want to change their complicated requirements and policies there will be no tourists coming here.
Many people have other places to travel that offer better deals.
 

[khunPer]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Problem with aiming for high class tourists and the dismantling of the sex industry is that that is probably 6-8 million jobs out the window and no new industry to employ them on the horizon.

 

The aim for high class tourists and no more sex industry is a fine aim, but they should not even attempt anything like that until tourism is back to 32-40 million a year and they have something in place to support their goals and start the transferring the sex industry workers and soon to be 'poor' tourism support workers to better jobs 

Half of the tourism sector jobs could well be migrant workers, the unemployment rate does not mirror any figure in that number of lost employment among Thais. Actually numerous business complain about difficulty in getting labor.

 

Aiming at more wealthy quality tourists might however be a problem for numerous small vendors, as hi-so tourists often stays inside the walls of their 5-star resort, so small vendors as affordable guest houses and boutique hotels, together with smaller restaurants, might suffer from lost turnover.

 

Another challenge targeting wealthy quality tourists is in my view - apart from Chinese quality tourists, whom I have no idea of how behave - that the competition from the rest of the World is high. Even that Thailand has some really nice 5-star resorts, numerous other destinations also have that, and they might even offer better infrastructure, in case the quality tourist should move outside the safe walls for an arranged excursion, which they probably will do sometimes.

 

The average tourists spending was around 5,000 baht per day ($159.32) in the last report that I saw, which was from 2017. Highest consumers were Asians, with Chinese as number one ($192.84) - they are said to shop a lot - while Westerners were the lowest consumers per day ($125.47 for Europeans). However, Asians stays in average for a shorter period in the Kingdom than Westerners, who often travels long distance, and therefor stay typically a couple of weeks, and per tradition Westerners also includes a number of long-staying snow birds.

 

So if wealthy quality tourists spends more, how long time do they stay; i.e. there's a huge difference between the older time's 10-15 million mainly Western tourists that in average stayed at least for two weeks, and additional of another 25-30 million Asian tourists that stays a week only or less, meaning that 40 million tourists might not be the same as four times 10 million tourists of those that came previous time, if the average new tourists don't spend for example double as much, or more, per day. A Chinese spend $68 more per day, but stays typically around five days instead of two weeks; i.e. one Chinese high spending tourist is only worth about half of the turnover from a low-spending Western tourist...????

 

If I was wealthy I'm not sure that I would be returning to Thailand every holiday, or every year - I might wish to try a lot of the other amazing offers - I might even find something more attractive, and if wealthy I can afford whatever I like...????

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, tonray said:

Seriously, you don't think the current advice for every family to raise two chickens is a positive step in that direction ? (????????????)

 

wife was saying this morning the Or Bor Tor will be round in a few days to throw a couple of eggs over the wall ????

 

[heybuz]

5 hours ago, sirineou said:

Many other countries have a strong tourism industry without the sex aspect., why cant  Thailand? 

This is a perfect opportunity IMO for Thailand to make the change. but to do so it would require that they also change their insane policies, how they are implemented, and some of the practices in the public sector. 

To attract an upscale customer they need to provide an upscale product.   

What are the tourists going to see ,a rubbish dump with temples, second rate beaches and poorly maintained national parks enlighten me to the world class attractions that will attract these new tourists.

[tomacht8]

52 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You really think dismantling an estimated 10% sex industry of total tourist expenditure is “shooting themselves”. Especially when most of this shadow economy doesn’t contribute to the government revenues. 
.

The revenues from the shadow economy and prostitution do make an indirect contribution to government revenues. Every new car, motorcycle, refrigerator, tractor, handbag, house, smartphone, water buffalo that is bought with this proceeds provides VAT and profit-related taxes from the selling companies.

[CiderFizz]

The question government and TAT seem to ignore is; what are the up market tourists and long term visitors going to do when they get here? What does Thailand have that is attractive to wealthy visitors?

 

One can visit Thai temples and watch Thai dance and look at Thailand's modest waterfalls only so often before the novelty wears off. It's national parks are either simple trips to waterfalls or impenetrable forest and full of biting and poisonous animals so only of interest to a small number of naturalists. Foreigners are charged many multiple times what Thais are charged to visit many places. Other than in the Andaman Sea the quality of its scuba diving is second rate. For most of the year Thailands climate is too hot for outdoor activities activities such was walking, cycling etc. The Sun makes the beaches so hot that visitors stay in the shade, cramped together under umbrellas, and off shore, there are innumerable jet skis, whose owners are renowned for scamming customers, making seaside trips unpleasant. There is little in the way of upmarket attractions such as museums, art galleries, concerts other than pop music, ballet, opera etc.etc. People who are rich and successful tend to be both intelligent and old. Thailand is badly in need of a face lift. Every village, town and city is marred by hideous advertising signs and electrical and telephone wires obscuring buildings; town planning is an unheard of skill and it shows with so many poorly maintained buildings thrown up only as the builder pleases with no thought for aesthetics. The roads are dangerous because of corrupt officials selling driving licenses, child drivers of motorcycles and virtually no attempt is made to police any rules other than vehicle insurance. 

 

The government need to postpone killing the goose that laid the golden egg until the above shortcoming are remedied. Something that is clearly impossible in the short term.  

[kingstonkid]

7 hours ago, Gold Star said:

TAT is like a headless chicken, flailing around and bleeding to death in different directions:

 

- Let's get rid of the Chinese (Zero dollar tours)

- Let's bring in Pokemon Go' to save us

- Let's bring back the Chinese

- Let's make visas unnecessarily difficult

- Let's bring in the Indians to save us

- Let's close our Island parks

- Let's bring in high dollar tourists

- Let's charge tourists 10x more in parks

- Let's shut down Pattaya and make it all a family resort

- Let's have New Years entertainment

- Let's shut down any entertainment

- Let's make it nearly impossible to buy alcohol

- Let's create a tough list of restrictions and conditions for entry, insurance, and testing, make people pay for it all in advance, then change it every week

 

Enough!  Just quit squirming around with all the useless hype, remove the hurdles, and truly open the country.

 

Tourists will come, but it has to be easy. 

I think no matter what they do unless they shut down and demolish the bars on the beach side of walking street side there will always be the people coming for adult entertainment.  

 

That being said ending walking street in it's present location would not be a bad thing either.  We all know that the skin trade business is relocating to different areas.  Remember Patpong used to be the main area for Bangkok now it has moved to NANA and Patpong is barely hanging on.

 

There really is no reason that Pattaya can not be both a family and a single male female location. 

 

Many cities strive with dual tourism.

 

The Chinese and Indians will come here especially if there is a casino.

As stated the big issue is to get the bars open let them either survive or fold.  If the tourists do not come and the people are losing money then the market will decide what is going to happen.

 

Personally I think the biggest problem is that there is no property tax on these buildings. Therefore owners once they have built them really have no expenses other than a low mortgage if that.

[The Hammer2021]

6 hours ago, ChC1 said:

I think some older times are too used to what it used to be. But from a neutral point of view, the change of direction is needed for Thailand.

 

First, it is the change of landscape. There are many factors will change post Covid. Thailand is already an expensive place due to strong Thai Baht. You guys kept saying that so it must be true. Now the crown of cheaper destinations are moving to Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia alike. Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and even Sri Lanka have built many international hotels in past decade, and are still building as we speak. These will add pressure to Thailand to maintain competitive edge. Not to mention the ambitious Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman plans, are all building tourism industry. When Thailand was top destination, nobody thought about Vietnam or Middle East. Now look at it. All the shining and new hotels along the coastline, and casinos, which Thailand is short of. Thailand can not maintain to be a cheap destination in next decade. There are too many alternatives, Thailand knows it.

 

Second, it is the change of clientele. For sure you old timers likes the bars, like the scene. But you older timers as a breed, is ... dying off slowly. No offense but look around yourself you would notice. How many under 35s customers you see in the place you are going for sex?...one, two, three...Yes you see the same old same old year after year. All the younger ones are dating through app, or stay at home to use P0rl2 hul3. Sure there is always new blood discovering gogo bars and soapy massages. But next time when you are back home in USA or UK, have a look around. One thing you will notice any sizeable city in USA or UK, all have multiple Thai Massage shops. Remember the New England Patriot boss who got caught in a Florida Thai Massage place? You do not need to come to Thailand to get Thai sex. The novelty of an authentic Thai gogo bar, or soapy massages is not attractive any more in today's globalised world. 

 

There will always be changes in the world. Thailand has changed. It may need more changes ahead. For good or for bad. Will Thailand get rid of the image of land of sex? I don't know. But for the planners, or anyone who has a sense of market, it is dangerous to stay where you were while ignore the competition next door. A winning formula can only last you so long until there are copy cats everywhere.

 

However, that being said, I still doubt TAT's ability to repositioning Thailand's tourism industry. They might be able to identify the problem, and its obvious solution. But they are shXt in draw up a strategy and even worse at implement such grand strategy. So, yes, nothing will change in the end. Except soon all the gogo bars will have frail older guys with walking frames complaining the music is too loud. 

Plenty of statements and affirmations but no reality. Possibly envy

[cape]

8 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

Just pissing into the wind is TAT.

Oh

 

[cape]

Sometimes new inspiration or a change of leadership lead to new policies.

Instead of closing down a successful sector of the economy, try first to create a new and promising sector.

For example, in 1979, Deng Xiaoping visited America to meet Pres. Clinton. He was the People's Republic of China chairman from December 1978 to November 1989. He had seen Japan, S Korea and Taiwan becoming immensely rich and wanted to know more. China was at that time following the Russian USSR ideology.

What he observed was that those three countries were making very high quality goods, at competitive prices, and the huge and wealthy American Middle class was buying them.

So he got China to start doing the same thing - he completely reoriented the economy from agriculture to production for export.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Now, of course, there is an even bigger and wealthier middle class. And it is not in America.

It's in China.

What does the Chinese middle class want? Well, Thailand could find out and get manufacturing. Or it could stick with mass tourism.

Up to the PM.

[khunPer]

8 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Guys if you had a business that was a ROARING success for the last 50 years solid......What would you want to change about your business?

 

My guess is about 99.9% of you would want to change absolutely nothing...

 

So why this fanatical focus on changing tourism?

 

Really why? 

 

It seems since 2014 the goal has been to kill success stories,where ever they are found in Thailand...

There was a story circulation in advertisement business about the CEO from Wrigley's, whom a journalist asked why they kept on advertising, when they already were number one on the market. The CEO answered with this question: »If you drive 100 miles per hour on an express train, will you then disconnect the locomotive?«

 

However, if you don't develop you business plan when things are changing, your business might slowly die, it's a historical fact.

 

Where I live in Thailand the visitors have changed over the past 20 years, mainly during the last 10 years, becoming a much more family destination with numerous families with children - even small children and babies - and a higher number of couples, while the number of single middle aged, or so, gentlemen has declined. The well known beer bars with girls began to suffer, and a number of those that did not upgrade their business in more family-style direction began to complain, and a number slowly died, likely about half of them so far.

 

Furthermore, the young backpackers, who originally invented tourism in the area where I live, ued to look for cheap fan-only bamboo bungalows with palm leaf roofs, and fried rice chicken dishes for 30 bath in a street kitchen. The modern era backpackers are demanding aircon rooms of a nice quality, good restaurants and trendy cafés. Allmost all the former very cheap backpacker-style bungalows disappeared, and many of the today affordable accommodation suffers from lack of business, as the quality is slightly below what family tourists and the new era backpackers expects.

 

So it's really a balance, a roaming success for 50 years might sometimes need an upgrade to survive - the tourists have changed since the 1970s - however Wrigley's seems to still be the number one chewing gum in the World with a market share of 25 percent, and it might be disaster for Coca Cola if they change the original recipe...????

[sherwood]

"For example, in 1979, Deng Xiaoping visited America to meet Pres. Clinton. He was the People's Republic of China chairman from December 1978 to November 1989."

 

I think Bill Clinton was Pres from 1993 to 2001 Must have been a typo???

[jacko45k]

10 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I think no matter what they do unless they shut down and demolish the bars on the beach side of walking street side there will always be the people coming for adult entertainment.  

Well one Simon Complex has been demolished already, and the other is looking likely to get similar treatment... but the bar area where the boxing ring  used to be actually got a facelift. Don't expect the seafood restaurants or the popular nightclubs will be going away.

[Mavideol]

Thailand again signals move away from mass-market foreign tourism

 

should we understand they don't want the Chinese..... it's quiet without them, no loud speaking/ yelling / screaming, no spitting, no lines at any park entry/ferry/speed boats and not to forget the lines at the buffet.....

[Flink]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

You may be right. And let's add in the fact that the more they develop, the higher the vacancy and rate of unsold units, now that the fools have devastated the economy. 

Yes, the high vacancy rate is something they've learned (albeit the wrong thing to learn) from Uncle Xi. Go to any middle tier city in China and you'll see mile after mile of high-rise apartment buildings sitting totally empty and not being maintained. They have entire cities that are ghost towns because no one wants to/can aford to live there. But they keep building because the politicians and the developers are getting rich. The same will happen here. It's all very well tearing down the "seedier" parts of the cities and towns but if what you replace them with is way out of the budget range of the locals you hit the issue of how you're going to afford the maintenance of those areas. 

Rather than building bigger, brighter, far more expensive hotels, condosand apartments turn the land over for landscaping. Introduce more nature and beauty to the areas. Instead of spending a fortune teampting in developers use that money to provide better infrastructure to support what is already in place. Get to work cleaning the place up, (what millionaire tourist is going to want to walk in a gutter filled with detritus because the grass has grown too thick on the pavement to be able to use it.) 

They want a "better, welathier class of tourist" to come here, then get to work sorting out the traffic, get the police actually enforcing traffic laws (rather than breaking them themselves), getimmigration to streamiline the process for people to come here, and do away with all the ridiculous controls in place once they're here. 

Their attitude seems to be that the wealthy tourists will come here because the Thai government wants them to. It doesn't work like that boys. You have to stop buying planes and submarines and usre the money to provide something those wealthy tourists will want, and overpriced hotels and casinos aren't the answer.

As for visitors, a retiree moving to live in Thailand will spend more here, and for longer, than somemega rich tourist somake the place more attractive as a retirement destination. It will keep money flowing in all year round and thereby supporting local services continuosly, not just for a couple of months of "high season" tourist traffic. Places in South America have the wonderful beaches, friendly locals, low cost of living, and to retire there you just need a pension of $700 a month, not a bank deposit of $25,000 that you can't touch. They also offer 2 year retirement visas with a route to permanent residency after 5 years and far fewer controls on what you CAN'T do on a retirement visa. 

The placeis being run by people who struggled to create an efficent and effective military force (except against their own people) so what hope is there that they could run an entire country any better? The Thai people deserve much better than what they are currently being offered but have no hope of getting it while the current regime (both political and economic) remains in place.

[Cake Monster]

When the well heeled look at Thailand as a vacation destination, one of the major factors that will govern their decision is Safety.

All the reports of scams, that seem to have Government backing in many cases, the pollution everywhere, along with other criteria that is required by these people, will prevent them even looking to possibly book a Vacation.

These kind of Tourists have one thing that many do not.

And thats pots of Money, and they will protect it with insane venom, and thats why Thailand will not see these people

 

[thisisrascal]

17 minutes ago, sherwood said:

"For example, in 1979, Deng Xiaoping visited America to meet Pres. Clinton. He was the People's Republic of China chairman from December 1978 to November 1989."

 

I think Bill Clinton was Pres from 1993 to 2001 Must have been a typo???

I’m guessing that it was also a typo when he mentioned that China was making high quality goods…..

[tomacht8]

To tranform Thailand's tourism Walmart supermarket into a tourism high end Christian Dior shop. LOL Totally utopian TAT fantasy. 

[Harveyboy]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Problem with aiming for high class tourists and the dismantling of the sex industry is that that is probably 6-8 million jobs out the window and no new industry to employ them on the horizon.

 

The aim for high class tourists and no more sex industry is a fine aim, but they should not even attempt anything like that until tourism is back to 32-40 million a year and they have something in place to support their goals and start the transferring the sex industry workers and soon to be 'poor' tourism support workers to better jobs 

problem here is there are far better countries offering more for high end rich tourists.. stick with what you have for now .us poor x pats and be grateful

[Confuscious]

Excerpt of an email of one of the "smarter" expats who used his brain and left Thailand for what it really is:

"Oviedo is a wonderful city, very nice and clean. The thing that sold us on Gijon was the long beachfront and boardwalk there. At my age it will motivate me to continue to do more walking - another thing that has been great about living here in España!"
 

[248900_1469958220]

You silly people...dont you see??? The falling tourist numbers were all part of their grand plan.....This was not unexpected at all. The plan is working perfectly. Soon there will be 13 billionaires visiting per year, staying 3 days a pop and spending a few hundred million in that time. The genius of it is in the simplicity. 

[LALes]

7 hours ago, ChC1 said:

I think some older times are too used to what it used to be. But from a neutral point of view, the change of direction is needed for Thailand.

 

First, it is the change of landscape. There are many factors will change post Covid. Thailand is already an expensive place due to strong Thai Baht. You guys kept saying that so it must be true. Now the crown of cheaper destinations are moving to Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia alike. Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and even Sri Lanka have built many international hotels in past decade, and are still building as we speak. These will add pressure to Thailand to maintain competitive edge. Not to mention the ambitious Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman plans, are all building tourism industry. When Thailand was top destination, nobody thought about Vietnam or Middle East. Now look at it. All the shining and new hotels along the coastline, and casinos, which Thailand is short of. Thailand can not maintain to be a cheap destination in next decade. There are too many alternatives, Thailand knows it.

 

Second, it is the change of clientele. For sure you old timers likes the bars, like the scene. But you older timers as a breed, is ... dying off slowly. No offense but look around yourself you would notice. How many under 35s customers you see in the place you are going for sex?...one, two, three...Yes you see the same old same old year after year. All the younger ones are dating through app, or stay at home to use P0rl2 hul3. Sure there is always new blood discovering gogo bars and soapy massages. But next time when you are back home in USA or UK, have a look around. One thing you will notice any sizeable city in USA or UK, all have multiple Thai Massage shops. Remember the New England Patriot boss who got caught in a Florida Thai Massage place? You do not need to come to Thailand to get Thai sex. The novelty of an authentic Thai gogo bar, or soapy massages is not attractive any more in today's globalised world. 

 

There will always be changes in the world. Thailand has changed. It may need more changes ahead. For good or for bad. Will Thailand get rid of the image of land of sex? I don't know. But for the planners, or anyone who has a sense of market, it is dangerous to stay where you were while ignore the competition next door. A winning formula can only last you so long until there are copy cats everywhere.

 

However, that being said, I still doubt TAT's ability to repositioning Thailand's tourism industry. They might be able to identify the problem, and its obvious solution. But they are shXt in draw up a strategy and even worse at implement such grand strategy. So, yes, nothing will change in the end. Except soon all the gogo bars will have frail older guys with walking frames complaining the music is too loud. 

The music's been too loud for 10 years already!

[spidermike007]

The common men and women who helped prop up our nation for so long are ignoring us now. So, we no longer want them. We want only the rich. 

 

Guess want? The rich have no interest in Thailand. For a dozen valid reasons. And those few wealthy ones who come, rarely ever return. See ya! 

[thaibook]

5 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

social media influencers ... Sure ... That is what is needed now . Together with the crystal ball from the TAT .

 

Because they realized that tourists won't come in numbers same before anymore .

Now , they say ' we did not want them anyway , we only want quality tourists now ' !

It is a bit like a shop owner who does not sell good and consequently rises the prices to the double amount ... desperate measures and

childish behavior ...

 

If they had some good brains , they would not try to kill all the fun that Thailand once was ...

With one shot , they shot themselves in the foot and killed the ' golden goose ' as well ... Bravo , but that was to be expected by a military government who wants a clean image for Thailand .

But Thailand is no ' clean ' country . If they want to be like the Cote d'Azur , They should try to look alike and behave themselves ...

Thailand could be fun again ... allow casinos , prostitution , legalize cannabis , just be open minded ... but no , they want to play the stupid game of being an important , serious , mighty , wealthy , "powerful ' country in the Asean , a leader ...

People come here for a holiday , they want to have fun .

Realize that and open up ...

 

 

Not sure how long you have lived onthe Cote d'Azur but cheating and corruption are rife.  Pracrtiacally every villa has rooms built without permits.  Illegal immigrants camp everywhere from the Italian border westwards.  Gypsies are so flagrant and assured they will not be prosecuted that they no longer pick your pocket cleanly but simply put their hand into your pocket as you watch.  Yes there are nice places, we recently had a lunch party for 24 at the Negresco for my mother's 100th birthday. They reserved the whole mezzanine for us, the food was very good and given the dearth of trained staff due to Covid service was commendable - all at a very reasonable price, cheaper than the Erawan buffet. 

[Almer]

10 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Problem with aiming for high class tourists and the dismantling of the sex industry is that that is probably 6-8 million jobs out the window and no new industry to employ them on the horizon.

 

The aim for high class tourists and no more sex industry is a fine aim, but they should not even attempt anything like that until tourism is back to 32-40 million a year and they have something in place to support their goals and start the transferring the sex industry workers and soon to be 'poor' tourism support workers to better jobs 

Do the high class tourists not come for a run and tug.

[thaibook]

5 hours ago, Negita43 said:

Has anyone calculated how many x how much "high end tourists" need to spend to replace the revenue lost by the change?

Does anyone know how many of the "millions" employed in low end tourism are Thai working voluntarily and making a reasonable living?  Or did so before Covid?

 

I am renovating a condo and all the skilled tradesmen are immigrants.  Why are Thais not willing to work?  Are the tourist pickings too easy?

 

[Mansell]

7 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

No wonder if the Government think that they know everything best. Years ago there were backpackers coming to THailand to stay here, sometimes, work/teach and spend ther money with travelling around. But the Government changed visa rules and ordered strict rules to get a workpermit and was not qualified was not welcome anymore. Than there were people with a wife and maybe some kids. The wife had a shop or a small restaurant, and they could earn a living. but the foreigners who could have the money for marriage visa or retirement visa came on tourists visa that they renewed with border runs. But the Government decicde it was illegal to do so many times and now they have left. Wife probably no shop or restaurant anymore. 

Than the people coming to live here. I was once at immigration offce and the officer was very unfriendly to an eldery couple. They had bought a house, furniture, a car, and invested so several millions of THB. But the officer  said that the needed to have a bank account with 800.000 each on it. The man almost cried and said look what we invested and bought and I don't have that money anymore. I don't know what the result was because I was finished and left the office, but it is just an example how you don't handle people who want to come to live here.  If the Government has a bit of brains they shojld know that retirees have kids, who will come to visit their parents, grandparents and that are tourists too. But by making the rules very strict, and change every year almost to more paperwork, it is not welcoming for foreigners to live here,  even if they have a lot of money. 90 days reports/renew the visa with every year the same or more paperwork and requirements, no it gives a feeling that you are a criminal/ an unwanted guest, and than there so many other issues as double pricing, and lately the court that ruled that foreigners can pay more for the same treatment because they have more money. You can destroy a reputation easily, but it is so difficult to rebuild it...That is why Thailand is not popular anymore with tourists. Treat them as guests, welcome them warmly instead of grumpy officers at the borders and long cues. Get rid of the 90 days report it is no use and double pricing, and try to attrack more tourists, by less hurdles for visa or entry the country. It will take years to recover but that is the Government to blame.   

Totally agree. The government doesn’t have a clue, Why? Because they are military officers and not trained for running a country. Basically clowns pretending to know what they are doing. They need to strip away all the immigration nonsense and start over with a good system based on other countries who know what they are doing. Not difficult, but it does take intelligence and the ability to admit the past doesn’t work very well, and it’s time to move forward with a completely new approach. Will it happen? Not unless the powers that be admit they are clueless and are open to getting outside help to restructure their complex and inefficient present system.

[NeoDinosaw]

7 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

All has to do with pricing.  When I was there in the age of dinosaurs, I could have a good time for 50 Baht or less up-country.  90 Baht at one place in Bangkok, but they provided the short time room and it was in a nice part of town. That was like $4.50 at the exchange rate at that time. 

Those were the days !!

Bring back the Jurassic !