Thailand faces a decline in British tourists and expats: Causes and Consequences

[Yorkshire Tea]

3 minutes ago, transam said:

Yes, not a good place to reside if you're cracking on a bit.......🤔

Or visit for a holiday at this time of the year.   How many will read about the pollution & make a mental note to never visit, whatever the time of year?

[Scouse123]

The OP is very vague and fills the post with ambiguities that could apply to all Western expats and long-term stayers.

 

Add back the ridiculous silence on the tax implications for the retired expats, those buying condos etc and the tax of possibly 35% and we have all the makings of an exodus of expats and capital from the country.

[kwilco]

49 minutes ago, RobU said:

Which part of China (or perhaps Russia?) are you from?

  British imperialist?

Your language is giving you away. Nobody in the west speaks like that anymore, only pundits from the communist and former communist states

why is it the racists get so het up whenever racism is mentioned?

[transam]

1 minute ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Or visit for a holiday at this time of the year.   How many will read about the pollution & make a mental note to never visit, whatever the time of year?

I don't suppose holiday or hotel brochures will mention it....

 

Any Thai government doesn't seem to be able or want to do anything about it.

 

Many years ago I flew out of CM at night, I could see loads of fields on fire, done after dark when officialdom is in the pub or watching tele............

[kwilco]

52 minutes ago, RobU said:

Which part of China (or perhaps Russia?) are you from?

  British imperialist?

Your language is giving you away. Nobody in the west speaks like that anymore, only pundits from the communist and former communist states

what a stupid comment

[transam]

2 minutes ago, kwilco said:

why is it the racists get so het up whenever racism is mentioned?

Looks like you are...........🤔

[Hideout]

An interesting article that fails to understand the inherent issues undermining their home country nor why they may not be welcome elsewhere?

[edwinchester]

My daughter and her own family love Thailand and went back to the UK last weekend after their fortnight here. Her husband told me that the entire trip, for two adults and three youngsters, has cost nearly £11,000! £5500 was for 5 economy flights. They are quite well off but if prices keep going up they will be seriously considering destinations other than Thailand.

[mommysboy]

29 minutes ago, transam said:

Yes, not a good place to reside if you're cracking on a bit.......🤔

 

Not a good place to reside if you are human, really.

[mommysboy]

1 minute ago, edwinchester said:

My daughter and her own family love Thailand and went back to the UK last weekend after their fortnight here. Her husband told me that the entire trip, for two adults and three youngsters, has cost nearly £11,000! £5500 was for 5 economy flights. They are quite well off but if prices keep going up they will be seriously considering destinations other than Thailand.

 

That's the nub of it.

 

Prices gone up within Thailand too, particularly hotels.

[BangkokReady]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Simultaneously, other Southeast Asian destinations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia are becoming increasingly popular. These destinations offer similar cultural experiences and exotic allure, often at a lower price point. This increased competition puts pressure on Thailand to offer a uniquely compelling value proposition to attract cost-conscious tourists.

 

Neighbouring countries have been catching up in terms of desirability, while Thailand appears to have actively been making things worse for foreigners.  It seems inevitable.

[kwak250]

Well 25 years ago,

Thailand was very appealing 

Cheap flights

Chilling on the beach all day and beach huts were 100 baht a night or less

Movies playing in the restaurants while having a beer and some pad thai

Not a mobile phone in sight

Sat on the beach istening to bad guitar's until 5am or all night at the full moon party.

It's not just Thailand that's changed 

If I was in my twenties now I don't think Thailand you be as appealing as it once was and I would be looking at many other countries to visit.

My nephews in the UK said they heard Thailand was "Nice"

Now that's not what I heard before I first visited in 1997

 

[Mavrik25]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Funny. Guess you asked for it. Nearly every time I see someone complaining, or observing a shortfall within Thailand, some guy, who has not taken the time to think things through, nor to devote any focus or effort to a reasonable reply, says something like "Perhaps Thailand is not for you", or maybe you should leave, or I am concerned about you, or the top prize, "if you do not like it here, go back to your own country". Hard to even respond to such inane statements. Why? Because I have some issues with the place? The nature of a discerning mind, is to have issues. Though absolute contentment must be a beautiful state of mind, it is not something most of us are blessed with, in case you have not noticed. The fact that I complain, does not mean I do not love Thailand, nor most of it's people. I do. I love my life here. I have a very good life here. But, I do have some complaints, and there are some things I would love to see improved. I should leave because of that?

Please. Next time you make a post, try to devote at least two moments of thought to it.

Very well said, it’s like I’m not allowed to point out negative things AT ALL.  I’m supposed to be one track minded like them. Sometimes I complain because I’m still fairly new here and not used to these 3rd world way of how things work. And I certainly do not plan to lower myself and change my mind about what is right or wrong.  Then I’ll get the “oh you’re not gonna last here…”. 

[scorecard]

"“Despite our best efforts, the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths remains high. We urge everyone to observe traffic rules, avoid drink driving, and ensure their vehicles are in good condition before hitting the road."

 

'Best efforts", as per the last 50 years.

 

Is nobody in authority embarrassed by statements like this? Not really because if they did there would have been changes to road traffic monitoring etc. 

 

The "best efforts" clearly don't work, it's obvious and it's very very sad.

 

Will it be the same next year?

 

YES, because it's obvious there won't be any changes to how this is 'managed', mainly because nobody in authority has the capability (nor desire) to construct any different approach.

 

I'm just so happy my family (Thai son, his Thai wife and their 4 kids) stay home and we do water splashing only within our own large garden, outside on the road banned. 

 

[RobU]

58 minutes ago, kwilco said:

why is it the racists get so het up whenever racism is mentioned?

 

55 minutes ago, kwilco said:

what a stupid comment

Not het up, not racist just making a reasonable observation. You shouldn't post your Far Eastern racist anti British propaganda in a forum where at least one of the members (me) has a qualification in semantic logic. Your language is the product of an education using terminology only used by China, Russia and their totalitarian associates. 

[hunkidori]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

THere is a course the problem with British imperialist based racism. THis applies to US and EU as well but the British as in "brits" and "gammons" are the worst.

Their perception of Thailand is based on an innate feeling of superiority over Thai people or ALL S.East Asians.

Sweeping generalisations: - Expressions like "they". "thais" "third world" "they hate us" "Bad drivers" "Somchai" all come from a basic distain for Thai people their customs and their culture. The response is that many Thai people politely ignore Brit expats and avoid doing any form of business with them. THen the exoats suffer from confirmation bias and so the circle continues.

I bet secretly you whish you were born a Brit and this rambling nonsense is all down to your deep rooted jealousy of us.

[theblether]

A married friend went to Koh Samui in January. He said it was an atrocious experience. Roads were mental and dangerous, prices more expensive than London ( in his own words ). He hated the entire vibe in Chaweng, says that daytime it was a concrete jungle, night time a cattle market full of drunk, rude and obnoxious tourists of all nationalities. 

 

Phuket is boycotted by a large number of expat types, it's a rip-off hellhole. IMO Sukhumvit has lost the little bit of plot that it had, and that wasn't much. Pricing is laughable, the vibe poor and many a weird or dangerous thing happens after midnight down there. I know too many people who have either been robbed or ripped off by taxi drivers in Lower Suk. Walking the streets is like walking through the bar in Star Wars, literally full of creatures of all shapes and sizes, a surprising number either mentally ill or outright dangerous. 

 

I haven't been to Patts for a while, the received wisdom is that town is going backwards fast. I was shocked at the level of passive aggressive and outright aggressive farangs in HUA HIN of all places, I wasn't shocked to read of serious assaults. Hua Hin police that I know told me they were delighted that the Patts ferry stopped, but the damage is done, the headcase brigade is already polluting that town. 

 

Pai, high season, is laughable. CM, high season, is creaking under the weight of unsustainable tourist numbers. Crossing the road is a genuine heart stopping experience and when events take place the numbers are crushingly busy. 

 

Others can comment on other locations. My opinion is that residual bad behaviour from isolated people re Covid is causing a lot of problems, and the hotspots can't handle the traffic. 

 

I know no one of experience who thinks that Thailand is in any way, shape or form a better destination than ten years ago. Maybe we are jaded. My opinion is that we can see the evidence with our own eyes - the country has unleashed a dragon - and I don't know how they will slay it. Bringing in more tourists isn't going to be the answer, that's for sure. 

[theblether]

9 minutes ago, hunkidori said:

I bet secretly you whish you were born a Brit and this rambling nonsense is all down to your deep rooted jealousy of us.

 

If you enjoy some light reading, have a look at he anti-passport bro movement in Colombia. 

[crazykopite]

Another factor is expats at retirement age have there old age pension frozen if they live in Thailand as there is no reciprocal agreement between Thailand and the Uk. In my case if I chose to live in the Philippines my pension would be unfrozen meaning I would get 2,000 baht more each week 

[persimmon]

I`m sure TAT won`t be worried about the fall in numbers from Europe - India and China are going to be the new economic superpowers and will provide many more high spending tourists .

For us Brits , the attraction was always cheap sun . When flights were £ 400 and the xchange rate was 70 , rooms could be had for 6 k baht / month ....happy days , very different now .

[Bday Prang]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

THere is a course the problem with British imperialist based racism. THis applies to US and EU as well but the British as in "brits" and "gammons" are the worst.

Their perception of Thailand is based on an innate feeling of superiority over Thai people or ALL S.East Asians.

Sweeping generalisations: - Expressions like "they". "thais" "third world" "they hate us" "Bad drivers" "Somchai" all come from a basic distain for Thai people their customs and their culture. The response is that many Thai people politely ignore Brit expats and avoid doing any form of business with them. THen the expats suffer from confirmation bias and so the circle continues.

Rubbish the jealousy driven anti British sentiment that prevails on this forum is certainly not echoed in Thai society  Whilst the Thais are certainly a patriotic people and slightly wary of all foreigners. I'm sorry to have to pi$$ on your parade but the honorific term  "Poo dee Angkrit" is still alive and kicking and to my knowledge remains the only such respectful term bestowed on any foreign nationals So your envy is understandable I guess

          

[Bday Prang]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

just waiting for someone to say "I can't be racist, I married one!"

What a coincidence, I was just waiting for some "woke" hypocrite  to say "I'm not racist, I only hate the British" 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, RobU said:

 

Not het up, not racist just making a reasonable observation. You shouldn't post your Far Eastern racist anti British propaganda in a forum where at least one of the members (me) has a qualification in semantic logic. Your language is the product of an education using terminology only used by China, Russia and their totalitarian associates. 

I'm by no means as qualified as you, but I have noticed that the antiquated linguistic style that you have picked up on and rightly highlighted,  is also widely spoken by Left-wing  activists, Trade union officials, and of course woke hypocrites who spend most of their waking hours accusing just about everybody of either Racism, Discrimination, or any one of a multitude of "phobias" depending on which one is trending

 

[BarraMarra]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

THere is a course the problem with British imperialist based racism. THis applies to US and EU as well but the British as in "brits" and "gammons" are the worst.

Their perception of Thailand is based on an innate feeling of superiority over Thai people or ALL S.East Asians.

Sweeping generalisations: - Expressions like "they". "thais" "third world" "they hate us" "Bad drivers" "Somchai" all come from a basic distain for Thai people their customs and their culture. The response is that many Thai people politely ignore Brit expats and avoid doing any form of business with them. THen the exoats suffer from confirmation bias and so the circle continues.

Is that why elite in BKK call issan people Monkeys and uneducated kwilco. Why do you think most see Thais smiling at us are hiding behind that smile and its false.

[BarraMarra]

2 hours ago, kwilco said:

why is it the racists get so het up whenever racism is mentioned?

Why do you have use that word in every post you make Kwilco ? " Racist "

[Bday Prang]

6 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Is that why elite in BKK call issan people Monkeys and uneducated kwilco.

 you gotta be kidding    Have they started using his username as a derogatory descriptive?       well I never heard of that happening before.

I doubt he'll be happy     

[rexpotter]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Perhaps the greater number of Brits referred to in the article have absolutely no knowledge of or interest in Thai media as they're still bladdered from those buckets of Saeng Som on the beach last night.

You really hate foreigners don't you.

[Bday Prang]

2 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Why do you have use that word in every post you make Kwilco ? " Racist "

His sort always do , there are two reasons, the firstly is they expect you to react something like Dracula on exposure to sunlight, secondly  its a call to arms for all the other woke types to tear you apart. now that you have theoretically been mortally wounded.  

[cardinalblue]

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is not corract.

At least in Bangkok decades ago the air quality was worse and the traffic was worse.

Now it's far away from good, but a lot better than it used to be.

 

Remember those things?

 

Here is your problem with your thinking…so instead of 225, it is 150 AP…instead of 30 minutes vs 20 minutes sitting in traffic…

 

it has not improved to an acceptable level for an expat or tourist even if trends has improved…A person doesn’t say “oh it’s better now than 2 decades ago”…here and now bad is bad or bad vs real bad…bad is not tolerated anymore with more options than ever before 

[AreYouGerman]

Even the British face a decline and a replacement of the British, rapidly. So no wonder.