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

[FruitPudding]

Why would you come to Thailand when you could drink quality beer and good sized spirit measures in Europe for less money? The beer is pish here and you can't even taste the gin in your tonic.

 

The food is better in Europe, too. 150 baht for fried rice in cheap oil with a spoonful of sugar, no thanks. I wouldn't fly across the globe for that. 

 

The beaches are littered and the water is so dirty you can't swim in it. The Mediterranean wins, easy. 

 

Everything is a scam or a rip off from the moment you leave the airport,  starting with the "no meter" taxi. People in tourist areas constantly bothering you for your money.

 

Culture? Please. Europe is closer.

 

The only thing Thailand had going for it was the cheap toot, and now it ain't cheap anymore.

 

 

[Expat68]

4 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

Why would you come to Thailand when you could drink quality beer and good sized spirit measures in Europe for less money?

 

The beer is pish here and you can't even taste the gin in your tonic.

 

The food is better in Europe, too. 150 baht for fried rice in cheap oil with a spoonful of sugar, no thanks. I wouldn't fly across the globe for that. 

 

The beaches are littered and the water is so dirty you can't swim in it.

 

Everything is a scam or a rip off from the moment you leave the airport,  starting with the "no meter" taxi.

 

People in tourist areas constantly bothering you for your money.

 

Culture? Please. Europe is closer.

 

The only thing Thailand had going for it was the cheap toot, and now it ain't cheap anymore.

 

 

The Guinness is just as good and cheaper. 150baht for fried rice!! They have seen you coming. If I want to be a cheap Charlie I can eat for 50 baht with  toppings. Western food if you know where to go 170-250 baht, every bit has good as you can get back in blighty 

[FruitPudding]

8 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

The Guinness is just as good and cheaper. 150baht for fried rice!! They have seen you coming. If I want to be a cheap Charlie I can eat for 50 baht with  toppings. Western food if you know where to go 170-250 baht, every bit has good as you can get back in blighty 

 

Where are you drinking your Guinness? It ain't cheaper than where I come from and I ain't seen them pouring a decent pint here either.

 

I eat like a local, too, but we are talking about tourists here. They are paying a lot more to eat Thai food in the tourist areas. 

 

Tourists ain't coming to Thailand for the fish n chips. We aren't talking expat life here.

[BritManToo]

26 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

Why would you come to Thailand when you could drink quality beer and good sized spirit measures in Europe for less money? The beer is pish here and you can't even taste the gin in your tonic.

 

The food is better in Europe, too. 150 baht for fried rice in cheap oil with a spoonful of sugar, no thanks. I wouldn't fly across the globe for that. 

 

The beaches are littered and the water is so dirty you can't swim in it. The Mediterranean wins, easy. 

 

Everything is a scam or a rip off from the moment you leave the airport,  starting with the "no meter" taxi. People in tourist areas constantly bothering you for your money.

 

Culture? Please. Europe is closer.

 

The only thing Thailand had going for it was the cheap toot, and now it ain't cheap anymore.

Completely accurate at every point!

[Expat68]

13 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

Where are you drinking your Guinness? It ain't cheaper than where I come from and I ain't seen them pouring a decent pint here either.

 

I eat like a local, too, but we are talking about tourists here. They are paying a lot more to eat Thai food in the tourist areas. 

 

Tourists ain't coming to Thailand for the fish n chips. We aren't talking expat life here.

Drinking my Guinness in Issaan, more fool you if you choose to live your life in Tourist cities/towns

[FruitPudding]

13 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

Drinking my Guinness in Issaan, more fool you if you choose to live your life in Tourist cities/towns

 

I lived in Isaan with the degenerates for many many years. Still have a house there. 

 

It's okay for holidays or if you are retired maybe, but you can't have a serious life there. 

 

The rice fields look nice but it's hard to avoid the pitfalls of living in a low socioeconomic area. The women are mostly gambling addicts and the men are mostly drunks. Huge number of yaba addicts, teen gangs, scoundrels, misfits, and delinquents.

 

I suppose you think it won't negatively affect you, until it does.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

I lived in Isaan with the degenerates for many many years. Still have a house there. 

 

It's okay for holidays or if you are retired maybe, but you can't have a serious life there. 

 

The rice fields look nice but it's hard to avoid the pitfalls of living in a low socioeconomic area. The women are mostly gambling addicts and the men are mostly drunks. Huge number of yaba addicts, teen gangs, scoundrels, misfits, and delinquents.

 

I suppose you think it won't negatively affect you, until it does.

Again completely accurate at every point. You're on a roll FP!

[Expat68]

4 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

I lived in Isaan with the degenerates for many many years. Still have a house there. 

 

It's okay for holidays or if you are retired maybe, but you can't have a serious life there. 

 

The rice fields look nice but it's hard to avoid the pitfalls of living in a low socioeconomic area. The women are mostly gambling addicts and the men are mostly drunks. Huge number of yaba addicts, teen gangs, scoundrels, misfits, and delinquents.

 

I suppose you think it won't negatively affect you, until it does.

I will keep my location quiet but none of that where I live

[whiteman]

Went to the Hilton in Phattya yesterday for my 77 th birthday for lunch for 4 my shout.  The place was 20% full which made it a pleasant lunch hour for us not good for the hotel.

 

Bill came to 3200 Bhat = 3 bottles of water and a dry martin for me.  They gave me a nice small birthday cake free which we all eat while seated.

 

Maybe the price puts most off and as I looked out of the window to the distance only see 4 sea parachutes while in the old days they would have been even in low season 25 flying

[Misty]

13 hours ago, MicroB said:

The most recent data is to 2022:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/datasets/ukresidentsvisitsabroad

 

If you consider Britons traveling to APAC as a market (ie. the choice isn't between Thailand and Benidorm this year), then before the pandemic, about 8-9% of Britons going on holiday/visiting Asia were picking Thailand. In 2021, that dipped to 3%, and it looks like India benefited from that (though India travel will be a mix of holidays, a lot of family visits and business reconnections) and in 2022, it went back up to 8%. If I strip out India and Pakistan, then in 2022, Thailand attracted 18% of British visitors to APAC, compared to 13-15% prepandemic. Non-HK China has collapsed; 16% before pandemic and 3% in 2022; 14% in 2021. Other Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam etc) went from 34% to 48-51%, and that seems to be at the expense of China, and, to a lesser degree, Japan and Hong Kong.

 

Countries in this selection are

 

Hong Kong (China)

Other China

India

Japan

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Other Asia

Australia

New Zealand

 

 

But if I consider a wider range of destinations, then a slight different story. Comparing % share in 2022 to 2019, only the following countries have increased their share. The dominating feature, except for Brazil, is the Package Holiday. Destinations more associated with more independant travel, which is basically Asia, have lost out. I suspect there is a combination of cost; the destinations closer to the UK will be cheaper, but also, post COVID, security, ie having the support of a Tui, Virgin etc to not strand you at an airport etc.. Its more complex that that, because you also have to get into spend, nights stayed etc, which is all in that data source.

 

One take away is that Thailand has to work hard to get the Tour Operators to fill up flights, charters. Something that might be distorting is hotel vacancies; has Thailand become a place where there are more people living out of a Hotel room?

 

The biggest losers, in terms of the holiday share, are USA, Cyprus, France, Ireland, China, Japan, and Other Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia etc) Thailand is down 0.2%, but Sri Lanka, which has more package tours, is down 0.1%. Interestingly, USA is down 0.8%, Canada is down 0.12%. I put that down to Florida (Disney) being too expensive. The £:$ during that period wasn't too bad.

 

Greece

Portugal

Spain

Turkey

Egypt

Morocco

Barbados

Jamaica

Other Caribbean

Brazil

Mexico

Fly/cruise (stay onboard)

 

Interesting to see the differences between the 2022 data of actual travel, and a 2024 poll that @BurmaBill posted in this thread previously. Florida could be too expensive, but at least in the poll NYC made it into the top 10 travel planned destinations:  https://business.yougov.com/content/48404-what-are-britons-top-travel-destinations-for-2024

 

 

 

[Goat]

On 4/23/2024 at 4:34 PM, spidermike007 said:

Are multiple dinners, cash gifts, and prizes really any different than an agreed to price?

You go out with normal girls and give them cash gifts? 

Are you insane?

For what?

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Goat said:

You go out with normal girls and give them cash gifts? 

Are you insane?

For what?

Oh, we learn from an Aussie hi-so bloke............😂

[Scouse123]

6 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

 

I lived in Isaan with the degenerates for many many years. Still have a house there. 

 

It's okay for holidays or if you are retired maybe, but you can't have a serious life there. 

 

The rice fields look nice but it's hard to avoid the pitfalls of living in a low socioeconomic area. The women are mostly gambling addicts and the men are mostly drunks. Huge number of yaba addicts, teen gangs, scoundrels, misfits, and delinquents.

 

I suppose you think it won't negatively affect you, until it does.

 

 

Nothing to add but my agreement.

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, transam said:

Oh, we learn from an Aussie hi-so bloke............😂

 

 

That's why I won't go to Aussieland, people like him.

[Scouse123]

6 hours ago, Expat68 said:

I will keep my location quiet but none of that where I live

 

 

Middle of a field with a tinfoil hat on?

[n00dle]

On 4/20/2024 at 10:07 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I pointed out that at least in Bangkok it is not as bad as it used to be.

So how bad was it,  and when?

30 years ago Bangkok was bad, but it showed significant improvement over the years only in the last decade has air quality started to deteriorate again.

To my recollection air quality has never been this poor.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

That's why I won't go to Aussieland, people like him.

Well, he's not a good add for the place, though thankfully I have met a few Aussies here, that are nothing like the bloke, I bet a few Aussies on here cringe at his cr@p.

 

What with him and the many guises of bignok, I right strange duo....

[scottiejohn]

48 minutes ago, transam said:

Oh, we learn from an Aussie hi-so bloke............😂

I warned you about waking it up!😆

[scottiejohn]

49 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

That's why I won't go to Aussieland, people like him.

Do you mean that many people actually like him or is it the case of "I won't go to Aussieland, because of  people like him?

[transam]

2 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Do you mean that many people actually like him or is it the case of "I won't go to Aussieland, because of  people like him?

Perhaps the anti-British stance a certain Aussie on here has, was maybe the same in Aus, but one tool on here does not make the Aussie populace anti-British.............🤗

[Scouse123]

40 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Do you mean that many people actually like him or is it the case of "I won't go to Aussieland, because of  people like him?

 

The latter.

 

35 minutes ago, transam said:

Perhaps the anti-British stance a certain Aussie on here has, was maybe the same in Aus, but one tool on here does not make the Aussie populace anti-British.............🤗

 

Yep, Agree with that, I have met loads of decent fun loving Aussies and a few idiots, it's the same with my people and countrymen.

[Goat]

19 hours ago, transam said:

Oh, we learn from an Aussie hi-so bloke............😂

If you gave an Aussie woman cash after servicing her she would take it as you thought she was a prostitute.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Goat said:

If you gave an Aussie woman cash after servicing her she would take it as you thought she was a prostitute.

You would know, thanks for telling us.........

[spidermike007]

20 hours ago, Goat said:

You go out with normal girls and give them cash gifts? 

Are you insane?

For what?

When I was back in the US and I was dating, I preferred young and pretty women. Unfortunately I was living in Southern California where the demand for young and pretty women was very high, and they could therefore demand gifts, prizes, and all kinds of support, and the local men were more than willing to put out in order to get them to put out.

 

Granted, there are probably places in the US where that's not the case, but there are many places where it is, and I think the same applies to many areas in the West, if you're going for young and hot. 

[Goat]

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

When I was back in the US and I was dating, I preferred young and pretty women. Unfortunately I was living in Southern California where the demand for young and pretty women was very high, and they could therefore demand gifts, prizes, and all kinds of support, and the local men were more than willing to put out in order to get them to put out.

 

Granted, there are probably places in the US where that's not the case, but there are many places where it is, and I think the same applies to many areas in the West, if you're going for young and hot. 

weak men. reap what you sow.

Not like us Aussies. If we buy them a beer it is their shout next round.

[BarraMarra]

Reminds me of that top chat-up line from an Aussie " Brace yourself, Sheila " 

[BigStar]

20 hours ago, transam said:

Perhaps the anti-British stance a certain Aussie on here has, was maybe the same in Aus, but one tool on here does not make the Aussie populace anti-British.............🤗

 

True, most Aussies tend to suck up to the Brits. Fellow Commonwealth members rallying around His Majesty King Charles III, hating Starbucks and McDonald's together. So it's refreshing to find an independent thinker in the mob.

 

[rabang]

I am not British but I made a visit to Thailand again after a long pandemic break. Issues that come to my mind, many that have been mentioned several times in the previous posts:

 

- Stifling hot weather, getting hotter each year. I argued some time ago that the climate simply is prohibitively hot for many activities and was told there is nothing wrong about it. I would like to have same stuff as those people.

- Massive pollution, (plastic) trash, grime everywhere, lack of appealing architecture, grey, ugly concrete behind every corner. Most of Bangkok is simply a dump, there is no way escaping that. Some cities slightly better than others but not by a wide margin.

- Dangerous and stressful, clogged traffic both intercity and urban. Deficient or missing walk paths. Extremely bad for children and disabled. Claiming Bangkok is a world class city or has wordclass infrastructure is laughable.

- Too many Chinese, apparently also too many Russians in certain cities that I wouldn't visit.

- Nature is ok but has nothing particularly impressive and is overdeveloped compared to rest of the world.

- Not cheap anymore. If it was dirt cheap some of the faults could be overlooked but there are more affordable countries even in Europe nowadays with more things to see and do. Thailand might be cheap compared to Californias, New Yorks, Tokyos and Londons of this world but overall still offers poor value for money.

- Personally it bothers me to see armies of people working some menial jobs that pay next to nothing as it shows how little the nation is progressing, instead preferring to maintain a population of servants.

 

The only two saving graces of Thailand that I can think of are that it has its best weather during the coldest months of Northern Hemisphere and the availability of women.

 

I don't think I will be in a hurry to return soon.

[Andrew65]

On 4/23/2024 at 4:30 PM, Scouse123 said:

 

I don't smoke but I thought cigs were cheap enough in Thailand, not the 12/13 GBP I hear about in the UK.

 

Booze, well Red wine is a better deal in Cambodia.

 

But for accommodation, Thailand wins for variety and value for money, electricity Thailand wins price-wise, Healthcare is Thailand and so are fresh fruits and vegetables.

Healthcare in Thailand isn't as cheap as it's made out to be, maybe only if you're American. I have 2 old friends who are back in the UK now, one in Liverpool, for cancer treatment. An old Irish friend had cancer treatment in Bumrungrad that cost £38,000, how many expats have that much spare cash? Another (very wealthy) friend made around 5 million Baht on a property, he ended up giving all of that to B'grad, according to a mutual friend.

Ciggies in Cambodia are way cheaper than in Thailand. Half a draft lager 50 cents in PP (is that about 18 Baht?), where will you get that in Thailand? Many expats are counting every penny.

 

Visas are also way easier in Cambodia,