11 hours ago, MarcusAurelius said:

 

Pushing up prices doesn't increase the quality of tourists lol.

 

Thailand should get luxury tourism out of its head outside offering it to the middle classes. It's failed for two decades. It's too random and dangerous for people with real money 

 

Thailand has been and always will be a cheap destination for working and middle classes. If people care about the quality of their warm holiday they'll go to Florida or Caribbean 

 

I have never seen any danger here in Thailand for tourists, of course you get the odd story but compared to the 30 to 40 million who visit here per year it is no real risk.

 

I have been coming here since 1987 for long holidays, sometimes for six months and I have lived here in Phuket for three years at the moment, I feel much safer here than I did in the USA.

 

Florida, is a real cheap place, I used to fly there once a month for the weekend when I worked in New Jersey  for a year, I did not feel particulary safe there with gun owning Cuban gangs on the loose.

 

Florida I saw was full of cheap tourists. 

 

I am not sure what terms you are using for class as the terms seem to be used in the USA still but in the UK is not defined in the same way anymore, it is down to education, job type and income nowadays, the words working, middle and the American term Upper Middle class do not apply anymore in the UK.

 

Thailand is interested in attracting well mannered , educated people with money.

 

It seems to be working as far as I can see from my trip around the Central Shopping centre in Phuket and for my trip to Kata, Karon, and other places today. 

 

There are never any reports on the tens of millions of tourists who come to Thailand every year, are well behaved, polite, spend well, we only every hear negative stories abut the relatively few tourists who cause a problem.

 

I spoke to a couple today from The Netherlands and they were very polite, just the type of tourist Thailand needs. 

 

On 11/24/2025 at 12:46 PM, spidermike007 said:

10%, maybe. The industry seems to be dying a slow death, it is not what it was before, and there is a relatively small percentage of tourists these days that engage. 

I reckon 90%,..... What else is there in pattaya, I'm sure that is why the authorities do very little about  the Sex for sale along the Beach Rd..because without it Pattaya would die 

7 minutes ago, actonion said:

I reckon 90%,..... What else is there in pattaya, I'm sure that is why the authorities do very little about  the Sex for sale along the Beach Rd..because without it Pattaya would die 

I completely disagree, Pattaya is a big city, there are many golf courses, quite a few go cart tracks, malls, countless restaurants, markets, and other retail businesses, manufacturing, and so many other activities besides the sex trade. I think that some guys get blinded and think that that's all there is to the place, but it's probably a relatively small part of the local economy. 

Just now, spidermike007 said:

I completely disagree, Pattaya is a big city, there are many golf courses, quite a few gomcart tracks, and countless other activities besides the sex trade. I think that some guys get blinded and think that that's all there is to the place, but it's probably a relatively small part of the local economy. 

Just now, actonion said:

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I completely disagree, Pattaya is a big city, there are many golf courses, quite a few gomcart tracks, and countless other activities besides the sex trade. I think that some guys get blinded and think that that's all there is to the place, but it's probably a relatively small part of the local economy. 

I think the Bar scene is the biggest part of Pattaya economy, certainly bigger than Water Parks, Floating markets, Go cart tracks, and the few that go  to Pattaya to play Golf, those places jumped on the band wagon of visiting  bar scene Tourists

9 minutes ago, actonion said:

I think the Bar scene is the biggest part of Pattaya economy, certainly bigger than Water Parks, Floating markets, Go cart tracks, and the few that go  to Pattaya to play Golf, those places jumped on the band wagon of visiting  bar scene Tourists

Patently false. And the bar scene is diminishing by the year, and a pale shadow of what it used to be. 

On 11/22/2025 at 10:58 AM, actonion said:

You hear  many many times how Thai's love their Country, so why do they destroy it with Litter, after Songkran after the recent Loy Kratong  public parks / beaches, covered with garbage 

The big traditional events aren't the issue - Thai workers (presumably earning a wage) were out cleaning up very early the following morning in my local area.

 

For me, the real problem is the lack of organisation in providing spaces and locations for people to dispose of rubbish: waste bins on pavements in shopping and entertainment areas, industrial disposal/recycling locations along with public education program and stiff fines for non-compliance.

On 11/22/2025 at 8:21 AM, webfact said:

Clayton sees the potential for Bangkok and other destinations to boost their appeal with new, vibrant attractions aimed at high-value tourists. Proposals include live entertainment and potentially gaming facilities, though the latter would need careful consideration. Emphasising tourism as a commercial venture, he advocates forming an independent board to assess new products and infrastructure improvements.

Here we go again - entrepreneur clearly sees the solution ..... high-value tourists! Self interest continues to repeat. Simple mathematics suggests that large numbers of middle and low value tourists are likely to be as rewarding to the Thai economy as high-value tourists - and the foreign income would be more equitably spread to all categories of the Thai population. Better to assess and plan for each category.

 

Serious consideration of legitimate reasons for tourists voting with their feet should include;

• the manipulation of the Thai Baht - inflates holiday costs
• the poor maintenance of attractions, accommodation and transport options
• unsightly rubbish abounds
• the air pollution fog that is produced by multiple SE Asian nations through most of the tourist season
• images/video of damaged hotels and buildings during the earthquake
• military tensions between Thailand Cambodia

Seems like there is much to consider, but planning which doesn't address at least some of these issues is unlikely to succeed.

Kevin Clayton thinks Casino's are part of the answer ? He's dead wrong.  How about eliminating Double pricing for foreigners as a start. How about having more police on the roads to bring down the high accident rates. How about NOT being sued so quickly  by a local when someone speaks the TRUTH about a hotel, restaurant or person ( see Big Joke defamation case ).  

On 11/26/2025 at 10:37 AM, spidermike007 said:

Patently false. And the bar scene is diminishing by the year, and a pale shadow of what it used to be. 

Bar scene maybe diminishing in South Pattaya. probably due to increasing rents,  but where i live in the Dark side of Pattaya, sadly (for me), its growing, albeit slowly, but its definately growing...

 

On 11/22/2025 at 10:23 AM, Dan747 said:

Get rid of TAT and welcome everyone that enters Thailand as a tourist without changing regulations (Visa's) to make matters "WORSE."

The majority of tourists who visit Thailand are visa exempt and the changes that have been made do not affect them, the majority do not stay beyond the 30 days granted.

I would suggest that the people who are complaining are those trying to stay here on a permanent basis under the guise of being a tourist.

On 11/24/2025 at 4:10 PM, Kat Hao said:

The quality of tourist in Thailand is terrible.  I was on Ko Chang two weeks ago.  Had planned to be there 4 nights with a friend visiting from the USA.  I left after the first night.  Only low-class eastern europeans that show no respect for Thailand or Thai culture.  Ko Chang is Just an extension of Pattaya -- which is already the bottom rung of any ladder.  

And how is Thailand going to absorb these crazy target numbers of 45 - 60 million visitors?  Phuket is already a disaster.  Many other destinations are already over-crowded with tourists.  The answer is not to just stuff more people into a limited space -- and answer to be selective.  The famous and well-respected Harvard Professor Theodore Levitt wrote an essay called Marketing Through Differentiation.  Thailand should read that paper, 100 times.  The market is saturated, and Thailand has lost the better quality tourist that wants to learn about Thai culture and the history of Thailand.  

More is NOT BETTER.  Better is Better. 

Koh Chang is WAY better in the low season.