2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The authorities in Thailand have never cared one iota for tourist safety, traffic safety or public safety. That isn't going to change now that tourism is supposedly declining. 

 

There are at least a dozen other factors have never been addressed. Safety won't be either. 

The real question is how would "improving tourist safety" actually look? What ACTUALLY could be done ACTUALLY? 

It is a near impossible task. Where would they start? Increase police numbers and implement new laws in every tourist area? 

 

Can you imagine what something like that, alone, would take? Years of work and to what end? Would all the boys in brown in your various provinces and locals suddenly change? Would they give up their positions and allow significantly more personell into their region? What about all the brown envelope schemes they currently have going, especially in tourist areas, Pattaya, Phuket and the like etc etc.

 

This alone would be a daunting and near impossible task, not to mention any other measures they might come up with.

 

Tourist safety will be as it is. Decisions by the PM or Parilment need to be carried out, this is the real challenge. Let's be serious, they can barely decide what to do with immigration policy let alone implement "safety" for tourists.

18 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

I couldn't imagine the stress involved in deciding which brown envelope to take. 

 

The safety is simple or so it seems lately.  Raise the fines and jail time for all the tourists that get drunik and break the law.  Forget about worrying about their flights. 

Jail time of a week or a few days will make a difference, especially if these Yahoos miss their flights.  It only has to happen a couple of times, and then people will start to get the message  

 

As to ladyboys on the streets gettig into fights again lock them up for a few days.

Thailand wanting to improve safety standards just because they are losing out on tourists & money ... typical. 

Safety should be the priority anyway. 

I cannot think of a worse picture to showcase Thailands tourist sites!

 

Chinese numbers are down and revenue is up which means Chinese generally speaking spend very little.

If Indian numbers decline it will have a similar effect, numbers down but revenue per tourist up. 

 

So why dont they get wise and go after the tourists from the countries with the higher spend per tourist! 

But will they really do anything?

If they are serious the authorities need to address the tourist rip offs, scams, safety, etc etc to improve Thailands image which is sliding fast. 

18 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Direct flight to the USA would help

I doubt it.  Took direct from LAX on United (connecting both in Hong Kong and Narita) and took the Thai Airways nonstop from BKK to LAX many times I did not think it made much of a difference.  Took my last Thai Airways flight  from BKK to ICN to LAX back in 2013.  The portion from ICN to LAX was almost full but the part from BKK to ICN was about 50% empty.  If Thai resumes direct flight to US I think it will be a money loser. Currently too much compettion from SE Asia to US. But we will see what the leaders at Thai will do. I do not believe Thai Airways has an aircraft that can fly nonstop from BKK to any US city.  This would require Thai to have an A350-900 ULR or possibly a B787-9. 

18 hours ago, blaze master said:

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

That's on a quiet day, High season I was told 10,000 visitors a day, 

"Although these efforts have not been widely publicized, he reassured the public that security measures are being implemented thoroughly."

 

I can only hope and pray at temple for this to be true.  The headwinds could be from higher cost, less disposable income. Japan, Vietnam etc have been investing in growing tourists, only so many may be looking at Asia for their destination this year 

18 hours ago, blaze master said:

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

Yes, I was there in 2000, was just a couple of longtails and some divers. 

2 hours ago, markeewan said:

 

I thought I saw last week that this was approved recently.

I think that news is exclusive to Thai Airways.  They just announced a safety upgrade from the FAA.  Other airlines weren't barred.  Just economic factors there.

 

13 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Yes, I was there in 2000, was just a couple of longtails and some divers. 

 

I think that's when they took the photos that they show in the travel brochures.  Or maybe even when it was shut down.  Imagine the disappointment to show up and find the crowds in OP photo.  (Unless, of course, you're young, dumb and full of looking to score.)

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

I think that's when they took the photos that they show in the travel brochures.  Or maybe even when it was shut down.  Imagine the disappointment to show up and find the crowds in OP photo.  (Unless, of course, you're young, dumb and full of looking to score.)

I went back after the film was released, it was awful.

3 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

I went back after the film was released, it was awful.

 

Yup.  "The Beach" and "Lost in Thailand" both changed the landscape.  And not toward the scenic.

 

40 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

I did not think it made much of a difference

I did

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Despite a notable decline in arrivals from major markets like China since the start of 2025, tourism revenue has increased compared to the previous year, suggesting that tourists are spending more on their visits.

Do they not realise that the major player is the baht. Less baht to your buck means you have to spend more 

Devalue the baht back to couple years pre covid keep ot stable and your visitors will be back but as it is now ...no chance

Neighboring countries that Vietnam are more friendly to Tourist St., Food is less expensive as that’s expensive pretty much everything is less expensive they do speak better English TIT

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

 

 

Another flip to the flop... 

and yet the baht keeps appreciating, not good for travelers/tourists to have a strong baht.... but they know that 

4 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

As the tourists are decliinin you would have more time to safeguard the few tourists that are arriving?

Please don't bring logic into the equation

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

I doubt it.  Took direct from LAX on United (connecting both in Hong Kong and Narita) and took the Thai Airways nonstop from BKK to LAX many times I did not think it made much of a difference.  Took my last Thai Airways flight  from BKK to ICN to LAX back in 2013.  The portion from ICN to LAX was almost full but the part from BKK to ICN was about 50% empty.  If Thai resumes direct flight to US I think it will be a money loser. Currently too much compettion from SE Asia to US. But we will see what the leaders at Thai will do. I do not believe Thai Airways has an aircraft that can fly nonstop from BKK to any US city.  This would require Thai to have an A350-900 ULR or possibly a B787-9. 

 

Air Canada in December 2022 began a non-stop (using a B787-9) from Vancouver to BKK.  It was very successful and seems set to continue (December -April).

I nevertheless prefer being able to stop in Taipei or wherever and stretch the legs.

 

5 hours ago, technoronin said:

If they want more tourist dollars then why shorten the visa exempt time as well as create the useless TDAC system?

Spot on they are just uneducated clowns from top to bottom 

1 hour ago, blazes said:

 

Air Canada in December 2022 began a non-stop (using a B787-9) from Vancouver to BKK.  It was very successful and seems set to continue (December -April).

I nevertheless prefer being able to stop in Taipei or wherever and stretch the legs.

 

is that flight everyday?  

15 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

is that flight everyday?  

yes -it runs from December 1st to mid- to late-April.

Why are they expanding their airports if they can't handle the current volumes of tourists? They don't like the current numbers of tourists and how they behave. How do you think that will evolve if more of these will visit the country?

Last week announce 60 day tourist visa will be shortened to 30. This week....Where are the tourists? 

 We haven't tapped Greenland or North Korea yet.

7 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Anyone ever flew starlux?

I did to Taipei. Good company. 

On 5/2/2025 at 4:19 PM, blaze master said:

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

It's an old photo. Boats are no longer allowed near the beach in that bay. The chaos all ensues behind instead.

 

1 minute ago, alien365 said:

It's an old photo. Boats are no longer allowed near the beach in that bay. The chaos all ensure behind instead.

 

 

Ya crazy eh. Went last year and we were hearded in like cattle.

 

Can't go here. Don't touch that. Don't walk here. Ok you can look at the water. Now back in line to your boats and off to monkey island to look at the rocks.

Safety isn't the issue. The issue is that Thailand really doesn't have much to offer these days. All urban areas have become exactly alike - traffic, ugly concrete and messy wiring and the 'nature' part has been ruined by over-development and pollution. The air quality verges on hazardous half the time too. 

What's on offer to tourists is an ersatz caricature of what Thailand used to be, but in a polluted lower-midde-income industrialized environment.

It's no wonder they've stopped coming.