Chiang Mai Tourism Hit Hard

[Mapguy]

Hmmmm! See your problem, but frankly I think stores such as yours are making a reasonable request under the circumstances. I'd be suspicious if someone called me a fascist for making such a request when it is so routine to park bags at so many stores. Take Surawong or DK, for example.

A further question, do you bother to mark books? Nothing so elaborate as what a library might do, but perhaps something simple?

A further, further question. If you do catch someone "red-handed," what are you able to do in Thailand? And how much support might you get from the BIB?

[Ulysses G.]

I sent Mapguy a PM as he PMed me more info.

[dageshi]

Gents, filthy stealing backpacker here, not actually ever stolen anything but you know I want to fit in with the stereotype Was here a year ago for Songkran back here for a few weeks at the mo. Was a bit amazed by the sheer number of what I suspect were new businesses open in that time. With the dollar strengthening all those euro/gbp lot who've been used to cheap prices around asia are going to feel alot poorer and Thailand is busy kicking the last leg away with the political problems in bkk. Doesn't bother me, kinda hope it forces prices lower but I genuinely and really can't see how the current level of tourism based businesses can be sustained in Chiang Mai, simply too many. That being said looks like CM has alot of retirees setting up shop here, a good fifty percent of those I see out and about seem to fall into that category maybe if the trend continues it will make up the difference but who knows?

[Ulysses G.]

Gents, filthy stealing backpacker here, not actually ever stolen anything but you know I want to fit in with the stereotype

Many backpackers are intelligent, clean, nice people and as honest as the day is long, but a rather large minority give the rest a bad name. I met a guy who owned a great, big used bookshop in Brisbane who told me that he never had a problem with stealing until his shop was listed in Lonely Planet. After that, he had to keep a lot of the Backpacker favorites (On the Road by Jack Kerouac) in locked cabinets. A few rotten apples...

[wedders]

Gents, filthy stealing backpacker here, not actually ever stolen anything but you know I want to fit in with the stereotype

Many backpackers are intelligent, clean, nice people and as honest as the day is long, but a rather large minority give the rest a bad name. I met a guy who owned a great, big used bookshop in Brisbane who told me that he never had a problem with stealing until his shop was listed in Lonely Planet. After that, he had to keep a lot of the Backpacker favorites (On the Road by Jack Kerouac) in locked cabinets. A few rotten apples...

What's a large minority? Any nationalities more suspect than others? Just curious!

In my backpacking days (decades ago), I wouldn't have dreamt of stealing anything, and neither would any of my fellow travellers. We lived on a shoestring, and got jobs where we could. If we ran out of cash, couldn't get work, we went hungry, slept on the beach or wherever. It was part of the 'fun'.

Have mentalities changed that much?

[Ulysses G.]

Gents, filthy stealing backpacker here, not actually ever stolen anything but you know I want to fit in with the stereotype

Many backpackers are intelligent, clean, nice people and as honest as the day is long, but a rather large minority give the rest a bad name.

What's a large minority? Any nationalities more suspect than others? Just curious!

White folks are the main culprits and females are just as bad as men.

[harrry]

Gents, filthy stealing backpacker here, not actually ever stolen anything but you know I want to fit in with the stereotype

Many backpackers are intelligent, clean, nice people and as honest as the day is long, but a rather large minority give the rest a bad name.

What's a large minority? Any nationalities more suspect than others? Just curious!

White folks are the main culprits and females are just as bad as men.

I would have thought it would be readers, so can we assume that only white males and females read?

[Ulysses G.]

Most backpackers in this part of the world are white folks, but, I'm happy to say there are readers of every race and nationality.

[jackyseymour]

I know several who have canceled their trips here.

Was just checking out the pictures on Time magazine site. Lots of people beating each other with sticks, blood on the streets. Definitely going to scale back visitors...

Look at the bright side. Visa's will be easier to get, prices should go down a bit with a more pronounced recession and a better exchange rate. The US$ is flirting with 35 baht now and might gain some more steam despite lots of BOT intervention.

That's well worth people dying for.

Don't ask me. Ask PAD etc why they are waging war in the streets.

The PAD are not 'waging war' in the streets!!! Some friends arrived here in Phuket via Bangkok and saw and heard absolutely nothing of the half hour skirmish outside Government House, an area not more than half a kilometer, on the day the ridiculous sensationalist world press reported 'Armagedon In Bangkok' Anyone remember Phuket being 'under water'? Oh and then of course we were all going to perish from being infected by bloody poultry. Idiot. What are you, a bloody Sun Reader? Some of you really need to gain some perspective and think for yourselves rather than continually touting, sheeplike, what the money grabbing press tells you is the truth. Baaaaa!

Edited October 14, 2008 by jackyseymour

[cmsally]

I know several who have canceled their trips here.

Was just checking out the pictures on Time magazine site. Lots of people beating each other with sticks, blood on the streets. Definitely going to scale back visitors...

Look at the bright side. Visa's will be easier to get, prices should go down a bit with a more pronounced recession and a better exchange rate. The US$ is flirting with 35 baht now and might gain some more steam despite lots of BOT intervention.

That's well worth people dying for.

Don't ask me. Ask PAD etc why they are waging war in the streets.

The PAD are not 'waging war' in the streets!!! Some friends arrived here in Phuket via Bangkok and saw and heard absolutely nothing of the half hour skirmish outside Government House, an area not more than half a kilometer, on the day the ridiculous sensationalist world press reported 'Armagedon In Bangkok' Anyone remember Phuket being 'under water'? Oh and then of course we were all going to perish from being infected by bloody poultry. Idiot. What are you, a bloody Sun Reader? Some of you really need to gain some perspective and think for yourselves rather than continually touting, sheeplike, what the money grabbing press tells you is the truth. Baaaaa!

Unfortunately what is happening on part of the BKK streets is pretty extreme and therefore is newsworthy. Your average tourist has a vast choice of destinations at their fingertips and will probably choose something without the street protests. For example one of my friends will be giving Thailand a miss this year and is off to Belize next week.

[OlRedEyes]

People trying to do business in an unstable country really should not make fools of themselves with hysterical performances when the international media reports on incidents. If you cannot accept that Thailand is not the best country to grow a stable and dynamic business, then surely you are no businessman.

The ridiculous statements that the press are always 'sensationalizing' incidents shows the speaker's blinkers. Statements like 'we never saw anything here, therefore it's not serious' are laughable.

I grew up in South Africa, and never saw a black man shot or tortured by the police. Should the press therefore have ignored it?

'Sensationalizing the Tsunami'

Edited October 15, 2008 by OlRedEyes

[MiG16]

posts have been deleted.

if you cant be respectful, I suggest dont post. warning has been issued as well. if any of you cant decide what constitute respectful posts or not, dont worry, I will be happy to oblige and give you a suspension from posting so that you have more time to think about what constitute respectful.

you can disagree with people without having to be nasty.