Why do so many millions of travelers really think Thailand is so wonderful?

[newbee2022]

17 hours ago, Hummin said:

I'm surprised every time friends of mine have visited Ao Nang, Phuket or Hua Hin and are extremely excited when they talk to me about how fantastic their holiday was. And this is couples with or without kids. 

 

I just do not see the same anymore, since I remember back when it was less than 5 million tourists in Thailand, and how it used to be. Now most places do not differ much from any famous destination in Europe, except being a nod more exotic.

True. I entered Thailand on late 80s. I was almost alone (2) at Karon beach.

Same 20 years ago still on Kho Lipe or Kho Kood.

But that's history.😶

[ChaiyaTH]

18 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

I've been thinking a lot lately about why foreigners might think Thailand is so wonderful and, thus I'm trying to truly figure out why. What is it about the country that draws so many people in?

They don't and that isn't the reason, the reason it is is because people are sheeps and follow the masses. Same reason why many go to Spain while there is dozens of comparable countries in terms of almost anything there, yet Spain would be that highlighted one that everyone nods and agrees on to be famous.

In fact, for most young people, backpackers, they all go to Vietnam, they even fly there first (via China). They often now come to Thailand as a 2nd or 3rd destination within their holiday, this is also the reason they usually are in a shock if it comes to prices for beers, food in restaurants, which then on top causes them to go 7/11 etc instead.

 

Which explains why it is super boring on the streets, in most restaurants, in most bars. This while even it is empty there, for some mystical reason, most rooms are fully booked on places like southern islands. Yet you rarely see them. And no, it is not the hotels lying, places are fully booked most often.

 

Anyway to short answer your question: because Thailand had cheap flights, was the first most developed one, had a lot of nightlife and things to offer to travellers + was cheap as chips and had no visa restrictions and no taxes. With some fair brain you can conclude none of that applies today.

 

It's essentially what is waiting to happen to Dubai too, as soon another country there becomes more attractive / developed.

Edited July 3 by ChaiyaTH

[Ben Zioner]

17 hours ago, Hummin said:

For western food yes, and  a bottle of ok table wine 5 euro. 

Table wine which is going to cost 15 Euro in Thailand.

[In Full Agreement]

16 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

I came for the warm weather and the cheap sex with short supermodels.

 

 

Thank you for your candor.

 

 

[nana kid]

Been here since 2010.  Thailand, pre Covid and Post Covid are 2 different places.  Bangkok was a unique SE Asian city

different from most everywhere else.  Post Covid it's a lot of Malls and tall buildings same as any big city anywhere.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Thailand, having never been colonized by western powers, unlike its' neighbouring countries, possesses a culture which many visitors find intriguing.

One can argue the opposite. Because they were not colonized, they have less culture. Less fine arts, less ballet, opera, classical music, jazz, comedy, theater, etc.

 

But they do have puppet shows. 

[Bangkok Barry]

18 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Supermarket food in Spain costs me less than in Thailand. 

 

And four Spanish supermarket beers for the price of one in Thailand. As for wine, it's so cheap that they have a Songkran-style festival where they throw wine over each other instead of water.

[shackleton]

Its cheap plenty of girls and bars to visit 

Plus there is always the beach and Temples to see in the day time 🥳

[thecyclist]

21 hours ago, Hummin said:

I'm surprised every time friends of mine have visited Ao Nang, Phuket or Hua Hin and are extremely excited when they talk to me about how fantastic their holiday was. And this is couples with or without kids. 

 

I just do not see the same anymore, since I remember back when it was less than 5 million tourists in Thailand, and how it used to be. Now most places do not differ much from any famous destination in Europe, except being a nod more exotic.

Spot on. If you go back even further to when there were less than 400k tourists a year, coming to Thailand was like entering a different universe. 

There were just a couple of bungalows on Phuket. Compared to now,there was Virtually no traffic in Bangkok. 

Then again, the celebrated night owl ,our own Bernard Trink, even back then was  pronouncing Thailand spoiled , for the real Siam you had to go back to when he was the only Farang in the land. 

[Photoguy21]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Pattaya was the reason I visited Thailand for decades before moving there. Perhaps not Pattaya per se, but for what was there that isn't found anywhere else, except Philippines, and Thailand is apparently better than Philippines.

If that is what you want then fine. Obviously it doesn't appeal to everyone and what some may find uninteresting others with fully enjoy. It comes down to the individuals own requirements.

[newnative]

     I think you need to distinguish between tourists, who visit once for maybe a week or two, and others who visit frequently and/or live here for extended periods or year-round.  My four sisters visited Thailand in 2017 for 10 days and they had a wonderful time.  Everything was new, interesting, exotic, and so different from where they live in the US.  They still talk about their trip and the fun they had and the new experiences.  One of my sisters even had a little travel book made for everyone with lots of photos and descriptions from their trip.  That's a typical tourist.  If you think back to your first visit, it was probably something like that, too--as was my first visit in December 2009.  

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Being from the southern hemisphere it's a nice break from the cold that coincides with low season. Basically I like Koh Chang and Khao Lak's not bad and Jomtiem I now consider a fun place to stay and I like the Thai way so that's  why I like it. You can get amazing hotels in low season and I like the bigger waves and less sun in low season. If not for those things I might not bother. 

[john donson]

On 7/2/2024 at 3:44 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

id like to welcome our new members that seem to be installed by the new owners aka thaiger....

 

see the pattern yet?

 

yes, a lot of new serial posters , seems ai or recycled...

[susanlea]

4 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Being from the southern hemisphere it's a nice break from the cold that coincides with low season. Basically I like Koh Chang and Khao Lak's not bad and Jomtiem I now consider a fun place to stay and I like the Thai way so that's  why I like it. You can get amazing hotels in low season and I like the bigger waves and less sun in low season. If not for those things I might not bother. 

Too right. May to Oct some of the hotel deals are outstanding. There's a few that go from 2500 down to 1000 pn. One place goes from 1200 pn to 8,000 a month.

[NJHOUSE]

On 7/2/2024 at 4:21 PM, bob smith said:

Because most foreigners that visit Thailand as a tourist only interact with the Thai's on a very superficial level, hence they never get to know what they are really like deep down.

 

Many also take things at face value, especially when on holiday, and they think that every Thai that smiles at them is smiling because they are happy to see them.

 

bob.

Bob you are spot on with this comment. Could not agree more. The reality is so different from what tourists see, hear and experience that it really boggles the mind in many ways.

[susanlea]

19 minutes ago, NJHOUSE said:

Bob you are spot on with this comment. Could not agree more. The reality is so different from what tourists see, hear and experience that it really boggles the mind in many ways.

Bob got 1 thing right. Miracle.

[Yagoda]

Bangkok is an assault on the senses. So much more fun that the mundane sterile USA or Hicksville Cambodia.

 

 I live 7km from Angkor Wat. So I can wake and bake at sunrise over Angkor, look at some monkeys then catch the Air Asia shuttle to Bangkok to wallow in the steaming and moist fleshpots like the loathsome freak I am. Then, once my filthy appetites are sated, I ride back to the sticks where I cruise around in my Tuk Tuk smoking weed like a King to tarp roofed villages and backpacker bars.

 

Great weed $1-3 a gram. Cheap beer. Insanely good food everywhere, even in Cambodia outside of their ethnic watery bland peasant food. Beaches, monkeys, bar girls, rotting garbage, boats, flowers, smiling people, gorgeous art, strange spirits, weird people and customs, giant Ganeshas and shrines, go go girls and the great smashburgers at Nana Burger.

 

Where else would anyone want to go but here is SE Asia. No matter where you are, there is something cool

 

 

 

 

[frank83628]

although the tourist areas are more expensive and concreted since 2000, it's still a paradise for the masses. compare it to grey UK  full of fatties its a no brainer. 

 

 

[cowellandrew]

On 7/2/2024 at 10:12 AM, MalcolmB said:

I came for the warm weather and the cheap sex with short supermodels.

What with dwarfs?

That's just sick sexpat!

😂🐘🐒☻

[RSD1]

On 7/2/2024 at 4:21 PM, bob smith said:

they think that every Thai that smiles at them is smiling because they are happy to see them.

You mean they aren't? Land of smiles isn't it?

[ukrules]

On 7/2/2024 at 2:40 PM, Hummin said:

I'm surprised every time friends of mine have visited Ao Nang, Phuket or Hua Hin and are extremely excited when they talk to me about how fantastic their holiday was. And this is couples with or without kids.

 

I live in Hua Hin and know some people who come every year for decades

 

I have no idea why they like it so much, it's a complete mystery to me.

 

At best it's ok here and better than living in the real big city like Bangkok and definitely better than the UK which I left a long time ago.

 

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

I live in Hua Hin and know some people who come every year for decades

 

I have no idea why they like it so much, it's a complete mystery to me.

 

At best it's ok here and better than living in the real big city like Bangkok and definitely better than the UK which I left a long time ago.

 

Hua Hin is an ok place to live, but for holiday? 

 

🤔😁

[cobra]

On 7/2/2024 at 3:43 AM, steven100 said:

... Is this another stupid Bot AI member .... it certainly reads like it ...      

Chances are yes, I've read over 30% of all on-line interactions are AI generated, either to promote site traffic, sway opinion or to promote something.

What is needed is some sort of Turing filter, which would give you a probability percentage of whether you're interacting with a BOT or a human.

[susanlea]

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

Hua Hin is an ok place to live, but for holiday? 

 

🤔😁

Relax on beach 

[susanlea]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

I live in Hua Hin and know some people who come every year for decades

 

I have no idea why they like it so much, it's a complete mystery to me.

 

At best it's ok here and better than living in the real big city like Bangkok and definitely better than the UK which I left a long time ago.

 

The beaches are nice. Relaxing city. Cheap. Easy to get to. Ideal place to relax.

[bob smith]

6 hours ago, RSD1 said:

You mean they aren't? Land of smiles isn't it?

...Land of fake smiles, innit!

 

bob.

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...Land of fake smiles, innit!

 

bob.

Your smile real?

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Your smile real?

I never smile.

 

bob.

[susanlea]

Just now, bob smith said:

I never smile.

 

bob.

Is that why the Thais don't like you?

[FruitPudding]

Cos they haven't been before.