Opposition leader argues Thailand should court other visitor groups other than retirees

[webfact]

 

By Natcha Patanasophon

 

An opposition parliamentarian on Tuesday said that Thailand should focus on other potential visitors after the country was named as one of the best places to retire.

 

Thailand was ranked the 11th best place to retire by International Living in its Annual Global Retirement Index for 2022, making it Asia’s top place to retire.

 

Pichai Naripthaphan, the Deputy Leader of Pheu Thai Party, told Thai Enquirer that temporary retirement visitors is a good step but not the main target visitors that the country should target.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/36406/opposition-argues-thailand-should-court-other-visitor-groups-other-than-retirees/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-01-11

 

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[John Drake]

Get ready. Get set. Go!!

[Thailand]

I think the oppostion person is probably referring to courting those from Uranus.

[ThailandRyan]

Very few folks can drop everything at a moments notice, buy a ticket and head to Thailand.  Retiree's, Digital Nomads, Youtubers to name a few can and do come.  I think the opposition leader is in a panic over what is deemed to be a retiree.  I retired at 50.......others I know retired earlier than that thanks to investments....They travel the world and enjoy life.  If they get bored, or If I get bored I will find a short term contract and when done continue in life enjoying myself.....

[JonnyF]

They should target any group that is prepared to come here.

 

They need all the help they can get. Pretending to have such high standards that you court only specific groups is hubris in the extreme. They should also drop the 50 year minimum age limit for retirees. Plenty of people retire before that. If you can afford to live here and contribute to the economy why have an age limit?

[itsari]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Very few folks can drop everything at a moments notice, buy a ticket and head to Thailand.  Retiree's, Digital Nomads, Youtubers to name a few can and do come.  I think the opposition leader is in a panic over what is deemed to be a retiree.  I retired at 50.......others I know retired earlier than that thanks to investments....They travel the world and enjoy life.  If they get bored, or If I get bored I will find a short term contract and when done continue in life enjoying myself.....

Hopefully you become bored soon.

Thailand needs expertise in many avenues to assist  the manufacturing industry that is a way forward to increase the standard of living for a majority of Thai people  .

Retirees and digital nomads are a  help but not a way forward for Thailand.

[jacko45k]

And they aren't?

Not high value tourists.

Or Russians, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Pakistanis, etc etc...?

[Jingthing]

Temporary retirement visitors?

OK, everyone is temporary but that should be another realness alert to retirees that view themselves as having higher more permanent status than that.

Thailand doesn't offer that to retirees.

[Mentors65]

They lost touch with reality some years ago. 

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Mentors65

[poskat]

they love the short term tourists because they just come here, spend their money and go home, and dont really talk to any thais.

 

In contrast, those pesky long term people, such as retirees, get to know thai people and have families and spread all sorts of bad ideas to them, including the concept of honesty, that corruption is bad, asking "why", that a person 1 centimeter "above" you doesn't need to be unquestioningly obeyed in all things.

 

[zzaa09]

Opposition?

What's that? 

[Gold Star]

Do they honestly believe they are doing things to promote and targeting retirees to come here at present?

 

With all the idiotic visa requirements and paperwork to jump through, rules about keeping funds in the bank or proof of foreign income transfers, useless 90 day reporting, health care insurance requirements even for those uninsurable, forbidding land/property ownership, and double standards, I thought they were trying to drive us all away.

 

I would hate to find out what additional difficulties we would encounter if they wanted to get rid of us.

[trainman34014]

I've heard Eskimo's like the warm !

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand should focus on other potential visitors after the country was named as one of the best places to retire.

Absolutely.  Step 1: change the country significantly to make it attractive to other potential visitors.

[The Hammer2021]

5 hours ago, Thailand said:

I think the oppostion person is probably referring to courting those from Uranus.

My what?

[The Hammer2021]

Backpackers,  sex pats, honeymooners, wellness, Indians,  Chinese, pot smokers..

[Albert Zweistein]

27 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

My what?

Not your, our.

[kimamey]

6 hours ago, Thailand said:

I think the oppostion person is probably referring to courting those from Uranus.

They can court Uranus if they like but I'm keeping my back to the wall

[kimamey]

4 hours ago, poskat said:

they love the short term tourists because they just come here, spend their money and go home, and dont really talk to any thais.

 

In contrast, those pesky long term people, such as retirees, get to know thai people and have families and spread all sorts of bad ideas to them, including the concept of honesty, that corruption is bad, asking "why", that a person 1 centimeter "above" you doesn't need to be unquestioningly obeyed in all things.

 

My wife and her family were honest and against corruption before I came along and I know other Thais who are the same but more generally you've probably got a point.

[kimamey]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Opposition?

What's that? 

The wife?

[Nojohndoe]

5 hours ago, itsari said:

Hopefully you become bored soon.

Thailand needs expertise in many avenues to assist  the manufacturing industry that is a way forward to increase the standard of living for a majority of Thai people  .

Retirees and digital nomads are a  help but not a way forward for Thailand.

So to a degree you identify  the problem Thailand has in that it "desires"  what it also "denies" by way of being non accepting of individual immigrants with skills. Even to the degree of  disallowing any voluntary  participation for zero remuniration blah blah ! 

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Backpackers,  sex pats, honeymooners, wellness, Indians,  Chinese, pot smokers..

An interesting list. But this isn't about your favourite people to hang out with. It's about who they should be encouraging to stay long term.

[phetphet]

I think once the Chinese start to travel again in a couple of years, he will get all the tourists he wants and more.

 

With a population of over a billion, and a lot of them wanting to get themselves, their families and their money out from under their government, he will get more than he can handle.

[moogradod]

4 hours ago, Gold Star said:

......With all the idiotic visa requirements and paperwork to jump through, rules about keeping funds in the bank or proof of foreign income transfers, useless 90 day reporting, health care insurance requirements even for those uninsurable, forbidding land/property ownership, and double standards, I thought they were trying to drive us all away........

They should focus to make it a (even more ?) desirable country for everybody to visit and extend a warm welcome to anybody who wants to stay instead of focusing on whatever new. And there is a lot to do as is summarized above.

[soi3eddie]

I know probably about 30-40 retirees living in Thailand. They support the economy by renting property, eating out, taking trips, enjoying entertainment and often supporting a loved one and their family. Take that away or make it more difficult and how does that help Thailand? Thailand and most countries need all possible revenue streams right now. Enough of this nonsense spouting and just make easier for anyone to come to Thailand. It's not like foreigners are a drain on the country's finances due to all the rules. All foreigners, from backpackers to the elite, spend money in the country and sustain jobs and livelihoods.

 

[RandiRona]

In order for them to do that , they have to make it a immigrant friendly country , Malaysia , Singapore and to an extent Philippine court technology/finance/manufacturing workers from around the world. Not only those workers help aid the economy but also make it a knowledge based economy vs hospitality based economy it is today. But in order of that to happen , they have to make lot of changes to how they operate which it seems isnt possible provided the given circumstances we are in. So <deleted> poor retirees is what they got and would continue to have vs knowledge workers.

[ChC1]

For one things, what I noticed here in this forum, that some (or to be precise, a very few) of the active posters (male, retired obviously) have very questionable attitude towards Thai women (whether she is bar girls or normal women in normal life). Their attitude and the way of describing his/their personal preference (like dating hundred different women and only for a while then getting bored) is very disturbing and disgusting. There are odd posters here (I shall not name) and odd posts that I can remember is the example of disgusting human being. They should not be allowed to be in Thailand based on their predatory behaviour and bigotry attitude toward Thai women. They are the bad images that Thai public feel revolt against. Majority of retirees coming to Thailand have a normal family life, help Thai local community and do not take anything granted. Some of the retirees coming to Thailand takes too much ownership and elitism attitude, often forget they are the guest in another culture. But it is some of the bad characters here really did not help the case. And often it is the very tiny few cause the revolt from the locals. Some of their posts like go to South America for Latin women (because Thailand requires so much for him to come here to get Thai women), or one particular posters bragging on easy sex with Thais and then bragging on how he could throw them away because she developed emotion needs towards him. Well, in any culture it is disgusting behaviour. Yet these people take pride in posting their attitude here in this forum openly and few raised eyebrows.

 

If I am Thai, I would also suggest get rid of retirees if I don't have an ordinary gentle well behaved western retirees married into my family or village to show me how a good example they can make. Based on some of the disgusting posts here alone I would support the opposition leader.

 

I know my post won't be popular in this forum. Because many of you either only see themselves as good character and are blind to see some of the disturbing attitudes posted here. And some of the you may fit in what I described and might feel offended. However, it goes back to the old saying , if you want to be welcomes, and feel respected, you have to welcome and respect others first. 

[Willy Wombat]

Thailand the fat ugly girl in her 40’s being picky about the men she will date.

In reality she should take anyone and everyone to be with her.

[RandiRona]

8 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Backpackers,  sex pats, honeymooners, wellness, Indians,  Chinese, pot smokers..

The total population of India and China is around 3 billion , even 10% of that is around 300 million , that is far bigger addressable market for tourism 

[Andrew65]

Too many cheap charlies already!