10 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

That said, once the government buys out 10 billion baht in bad debits (assuming they do), what's to prevent the same or similar people from going out and wracking up new debts again buying extravagances and things not essential to their lives and well-being?

 

 

Bad debts are too big to fail. 2008 anyone?

31 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

The visa free for Indians was a disgrace. 

 

You have the best anti-Indian record on this forum. India itself is a global disgrace and one of the least desirable countries that anyone would want to visit let alone live in so why are they are given any preference in desirable countries like Thailand?

Vaccines and this on rotation daily.

 

Feels like a descent to hell.

Hotels have become far too expensive in Thailand for what they are offering.

i usually use 4 stars ( real 4 * not pretend ones ) . The hotels are aging, the staff are hopeless, the service is lacking, and the breakfasts use the cheapest choice they can find ! ( sliced white bread is not good ). Cheap teas, cheap coffee. That’s my day spoilt, all for 4 to 500 baht a breakfast ! 
So, when I move around, stay less time and get a 5*  .

Otherwise for long stays rent a super condo . Plenty choice .A quarter of the price.

3 hours ago, geisha said:

Hotels have become far too expensive in Thailand for what they are offering.

 

Back in 2020 before covid I went to Kuala Lumpur for a long week end. Looking at the hotels online I couldn't believe how cheap they were. I thought I was looking at some flea pit. But no the hotels are much cheaper than Bangkok. OK I was slightly mislead as the prices were before tax but still way cheaper than Bangkok. I can't see much difference in hotel prices in Thailand and the UK and Thai costs must be way way cheaper.

Arrival numbers may go up, may go down, may go in, may go out....but the fact is that since the past 2 to 3 years foreigners are spending far less in Thailand. Not surprising with all the overcharging and scams and absurd price tags in malls or restaurants. Tourists are taking to fast food joints or cooking back in rented homes. The age of the golden foreigner goose that definately gone. And with a Bhat that's far to over rated, no chance consumption will go up. Plus of course all the immigration fuss on visa and their absurd rules and forms....in fact why even come to Thailand ultimately ?

23 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

The BoT doing arrival forecasts..., don't they believe the TAT anymore? 

 

How do we spell CLUELESS in Thai ??       BOTTAT    

1 hour ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Arrival numbers may go up, may go down, may go in, may go out....but the fact is that since the past 2 to 3 years foreigners are spending far less in Thailand. Not surprising with all the overcharging and scams and absurd price tags in malls or restaurants. Tourists are taking to fast food joints or cooking back in rented homes. The age of the golden foreigner goose that definately gone. And with a Bhat that's far to over rated, no chance consumption will go up. Plus of course all the immigration fuss on visa and their absurd rules and forms....in fact why even come to Thailand ultimately ?

 

 

Numbers are still high, even with a drop in visitors - the problem is they are letting in cheap visitors. 

 

Go around Siam Paragon, Terminal 21, and other fancy malls - you don't see Indians in these places. 

 

By a thick policy of opening up to the world you have turned away the few quality tourists that were still visiting.

 

It would be like the Caribbean islands like Aruba or Barbados having an open visa policy to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, because they wanted numbers up etc - the rich would stop visiting. 

11 hours ago, newnative said:

So, I'll ask my question that I have asked on other threads.  Would you rather have 3 million Malaysians give you 21,450 baht each or 3 million Chinese give you 42,428 baht each? 

Personally I prefer Malaysians.

14 hours ago, greeneking said:

Agreed. Please examine the visa status and work permits of the many, many business people of Indian appearance.

It sometimes seems the quiet, polite Thais are being squeezed out by pushy competition.

 

Nail on the head - non-complaining polite Thais  let others walk all over them. Years ago when we lived in Chiang Mai there was many Chinese tourist groups walking around the malls and streets. They were loud and rude, and the Thais always moved aside for them. Not me - I walked straight ahead and made them walk around me. One day a bloke with that 'flag' was walking straight towards me yelling some khrapp to the ground behind him. I did not move and smashed him down on the ground (5 foot 40 kgs meets 6 foot 85 kgs head on). He looked up with an angry face, and then when he saw how big I was, he started scrambling aside to let me pass, and then he got up and took off - the group started running to catch up with him. Even the wife laughed - as did a few other Thais.  Unfortunately the Thais just do not 'push back' and their Mai Pen Rai attitude to things, makes them an easy target for the scumbags of the world - and there are a lot here now - more than there ever has been in the past.         

2 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

There is a reason I dont talk to Millennials and Soy Boys.

 

You do me credit. I reckon you don't often get mistaken for a younger man.

So if the 2025 tourist number turns out to be 33 million, that's a 7 million drop from the peak 40 million. That is likely to equate to the drop in Chinese tourists from 11.1 million down to 4 - 4.5 million. 

 

So amidst all the gloom and doom comments posted above, which  significant markets other than the Chinese are turning their back on Thailand ?

 

The simple answer is none 

58 minutes ago, kinyara said:

So if the 2025 tourist number turns out to be 33 million, that's a 7 million drop from the peak 40 million. That is likely to equate to the drop in Chinese tourists from 11.1 million down to 4 - 4.5 million. 

 

So amidst all the gloom and doom comments posted above, which  significant markets other than the Chinese are turning their back on Thailand ?

 

The simple answer is none 

Nailed it.  And some markets, such as the UK, will have higher numbers than the peak year of 2019. 

The chain hotels in Thailand are outrageously priced. It would seem they all have colluded to fix prices as obviously no regulatory or oversight exists!

On 10/30/2025 at 3:14 AM, transam said:

The vape ban was a good idea. Tools trying to look cool sending clouds of awful smelling smoke annoying folk was a pain......🤢

i dont vape  i  dont  smoke cannabis

 

but i hate all this stupid regulation

#

TODAY PEOPLE HAVE NO TOLERANCE AND ARE SELFFISH

 

and thats why all get  so  borring , one like this law one like this law,and so we get more and more stupid  laws not only in thaialnd ,,,its a stupid regulated law world and no fun world more

19 minutes ago, lapamita said:

i dont vape  i  dont  smoke cannabis

 

but i hate all this stupid regulation

#

TODAY PEOPLE HAVE NO TOLERANCE AND ARE SELFFISH

 

and thats why all get  so  borring , one like this law one like this law,and so we get more and more stupid  laws not only in thaialnd ,,,its a stupid regulated law world and no fun world more

Until something affects you, eh..........😉

On 10/31/2025 at 9:38 PM, transam said:

Until something affects you, eh..........😉

NO !!i live 40 years outside EU, dont worry ,any situation where stronger laws would help, but i never call for laws <deleted> them.

before thais driver very bad ,, i shout a lot...but i tell you even than,first i not much better  and second , better as all this <deleted> controls and fines in europe 

i  get other problem ie. consumer things , yes try help my self or just learning effekt

 

amnd they smoke cannabis and what ?? i dont like but up to them ..there are stil 1000 sd of places to go if i not like ,but far less places for smokers,where idiots want to tell about laws that cannot smoke

 

but its not only personal laws its all the s,.... basket of laws from financial , to          however

 

yes youre intolerant too, 100k posts in internet same your living out of the real world if have this time on net

2 hours ago, lapamita said:

NO !!i live 40 years outside EU, dont worry ,any situation where stronger laws would help, but i never call for laws f..ck them.

before thais driver very bad ,, i shout a lot...but i tell you even than,first i not much better  and second , better as all this f..g controls and fines in europe 

i  get other problem ie. consumer things , yes try help my self or just learning effekt

 

amnd they smoke cannabis and what ?? i dont like but up to them ..there are stil 1000 sd of places to go if i not like ,but far less places for smokers,where idiots want to tell about laws that cannot smoke

 

but its not only personal laws its all the s,.... basket of laws from financial , to          however

 

yes youre intolerant too, 100k posts in internet same your living out of the real world if have this time on net

Sorry, I haven't got a clue what you are talking about. Can you try again without the padding, thanks......🤗

 

P.S. Folk who mention others post count is really cornered, chap.............😏

On 10/30/2025 at 8:56 AM, hotchilli said:

Change what's on offer and people might come.

Received this from a friend, who like me has lived here for around 18 years and it does hit on a few "home truths", but doesn't really cover the fact that a lot doesn't get done here because of corruption......all the same, an interesting viewpoint.

 

Why Tourists Are AVOIDING Southeast Asia Now (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SSl99SKIhP4&si=E4aZ9fMcCVMGLkj3

 

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Received this from a friend, who like me has lived here for around 18 years and it does hit on a few "home truths", but doesn't really cover the fact that a lot doesn't get done here because of corruption......all the same, an interesting viewpoint.

 

Why Tourists Are AVOIDING Southeast Asia Now (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=SSl99SKIhP4&si=E4aZ9fMcCVMGLkj3

 

Brilliant video... I've lived in Thailand since 2008 and can see the truth..

On 10/30/2025 at 12:48 PM, jingjai9 said:

I just returned to Thailand after a one month vacation. I visited 5 airports on my trip and I returned to Suvarnbahumi with a bit of a fresh look at the country. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand and I write these comments because I do not think my home away from home looked good.

I was standing in line waiting to be processed when an immigration official told us to go to a new line. He directed us by pointing his finger up in the air at a 120 degree angle which no one understood. Then when it was my turn in the immigration line, the official was nothing short of nasty, blatantly impatient. I learned that if I have a return entry visa they will not even look at the the TDAC form (I had worked so diligently to complete). While I was at immigration, the lines were not long nor was it crowded.

Suvarnabhumi Airport did not look as fresh and modern as the ones in the States or Tapei which had more shops, longer corridors and more space to walk. The other airports had free airport Internet, but at Svarnabhumi, you get one free hour and then you have to pay. 

The airport personnel I spoke with did not approach the level of English needed to successfully communicate with a foreigner. This included the gate personnel for domestic flights. I asked two people at the gate for information, but they had to call a third person to talk to me.

I cannot understand how Svarnbhumi gets the raving reviews I read about here at ASEAN NOW. To the casual tourist arriving in Thailand, the country does not present the best of itself. I found the Taiwanese workers' English to be much better. 

Perhaps this is why Vietnam looks better and better to many travelers to Southeast Asia.

Why did not you stay in Taipei? Do you like to be tortured ?

On 10/31/2025 at 1:51 AM, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Numbers are still high, even with a drop in visitors - the problem is they are letting in cheap visitors. 

 

Go around Siam Paragon, Terminal 21, and other fancy malls - you don't see Indians in these places. 

 

By a thick policy of opening up to the world you have turned away the few quality tourists that were still visiting.

 

It would be like the Caribbean islands like Aruba or Barbados having an open visa policy to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, because they wanted numbers up etc - the rich would stop visiting. 

Not sure Indians are the reason why quality tourists are allegedly avoiding Thailand. As your example perfectly illustrates, they usually don't spend their time the same places, such as shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, beaches....

STOP VISA FREE FOR INDIA AND OTHER LOW SPEND NATIONS. 

 

STOP THE DTV - or make it harder to achieve. This will stop criminals and low rate animals working in Thailand and cheapos competing with thais for low rent property. It keeps the thai culture alive without mass immigration - see what is happening with RUssians, Isrealis, living and working here. 

 

Increase more surveilance on foreigners working.

 

No nonsense approach to crime. Safety is vital 

Inflammatory posts and replies have been removed:

• Be polite and respectful to other users.
• Do not post defamatory, offensive, or discriminatory content.
• Avoid flaming, trolling, or stalking other members.