Tourism , The New Frontier

[Gonzo the Face]

Remember Tourism

Before the past couple of years

SARS

COUP

CHICKEN FLU

FLOWER FESTIVAL SCREW UP

CIVIL STRIFE IN THE DEEP SOUTH

This years TAT Package: [Not all within the control of TAT ]

BANGKOK POLITICAL SITUATION

THAI/CAMBO BORDER SPAT

SKIRMISH ON THAI/BURMA BORDER TAK REGION

REMAINING PROBLEMS IN SOUTH

HIGHER TRANSPORTATION COSTS DUE TO HIGHER OIL PRICES

WORLD ECONOMICAL CONDITIONS

AND NOW

A NEW AVIAN FLU HAS BEEN FOUND IN THAILAND [but no problem to humans 5555555]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

Well onward and sideways

[tommyj4]

People still keep coming back though.....I remember working in Phuket at the time of the Tsunami....didnt take long befor it was back on its feet after a major shock like that...

[tom21]

Tourism will be well down in every place not just Thailand.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Tourism will be well down in every place not just Thailand.

Agreed. Absolutely.

[whiterussian]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

Well onward and sideways

I actually am about to open a noodle place, for less than 20 baht. rather you didnt compete thanks

when in rome...

have you considered usury?

Edited October 18, 2008 by UKWEBPRO

[Gonzo the Face]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

Well onward and sideways

I actually am about to open a noodle place, for less than 20 baht. rather you didnt compete thanks

when in rome...

have you considered usury?

I usury do, but not this time

[Greenside]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

20 baht? No need to undercut the locals - more than half the stalls are now 25 baht and up. "It's the price of gas 'guv...."

[adjan jb]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

Well onward and sideways

I actually am about to open a noodle place, for less than 20 baht.

Will you open the place for 20 baht or sell noodles for 20 baht ?

Edited October 18, 2008 by adjan jb

[Gonzo the Face]

I think my adjustment will now go another step . Time to go after local business , and sell and noodles for 20 baht

Well onward and sideways

I actually am about to open a noodle place, for less than 20 baht. rather you didnt compete thanks

when in rome...

have you considered usury?

So we shan't be competitors, tell me how thick, and how long and how many noodles will you be giving for 20 baht???

[benjamat]

I too have been asked "how thick " and "how long". It seems I gave the wrong answer

[Samuian]

C'ome on boys "talk it down"...add to it, as much as you can, yeah it's going to be bad, really, really bad, oh' so bad... well in the meantime while you are busy mourning, I make up some specials, add some extras and invite everyone coming along to a free Barbie!

Another day, another dollar, no matter what!

[phaethon]

20 baht? No need to undercut the locals - more than half the stalls are now 25 baht and up. "It's the price of gas 'guv...."

Like most commodity industires, the noodle mining sector has been hard hit recently - it's not like they grow on trees.

[Gonzo the Face]

Don't let it out, but it has been released by a highly disreputable local doctor that the new outbreak in Avian Flu can only be cured by eating noodles.

[whiterussian]

I usury do! LOL!

It just happens to be that an opportunity has arisen for me to open a fine 'gwiteol/kwiteol/quitiol?' establishment, having won the tender for a whopping 3,000 baht! Its a captive clientel. I will lower the price of quiteol, but jack the price of water to obsene heights. bwahahahaaa.

really though, am about to open in a few weeks. Its outside CM where the price of most things decrease with distance... ah what the hel_l. Its giving two middle aged sisters-in law a job! boy do they need them right now.... (got to keep the payments up on the Toyota Hilux's!)

Best of luck!

Opening a real gourmet qwiteol shop in CM aint such a bad idea, the good ones become really famous... . but first i must learn the secrets of the fish ball dunking trade.

Edited October 18, 2008 by UKWEBPRO

[Gonzo the Face]

I usury do! LOL!

It just happens to be that an opportunity has arisen for me to open a fine 'gwiteol/kwiteol/quitiol?' establishment, having won the tender for a whopping 3,000 baht! Its a captive clientel. I will lower the price of quiteol, but jack the price of water to obsene heights. bwahahahaaa.

really though, am about to open in a few weeks. Its outside CM where the price of most things decrease with distance... ah what the hel_l. Its giving two middle aged sisters-in law a job! boy do they need them right now.... (got to keep the payments up on the Toyota Hilux's!)

Best of luck!

Opening a real gourmet qwiteol shop in CM aint such a bad idea, the good ones become really famous... . but first i must learn the secrets of the fish ball dunking trade.

How do you manage to only find boy fish ????

[Crow Boy]

I spent an interesting couple of hours learning from my neighbour the fine art of forming luk chin - the balls. Believe me when I tell you you don't want nor need to know what goes into making the mix. The actual forming of the balls can only be describe as like "milking a cow but in reverse". You form a ball by squeezing the mix through your fist from the smallest finger up to the index and thumb then use a metal spoon to pinch it off.

The lady who taught me told me my "balls were too big" but I just replied it is a farung thing

If it makes you feel any better down here in Pattaya it is very tough as well. Tourist numbers are way down and hotels are half empty but refusing to drop their prices to "off season" rates.

CB

[rishi]

... I know I'm an extreme minority repeating myself, but I still don't see any downturn watching the Bahts rolling over my counter - quite opposite.... There are more tourists in Chiang Mai than any other October if statistics were based only on patrons in my shop. However, they don't go shopping in the night bazaar nor the sunday market. The don't eat at restaurants were you'll feel starved if you didn't spring at least five hundred Baht, and they don't mind spending the extra effort it takes to figure that guesthouses at the outskirts of the "mine-field" can be even better at a lower costs than those listed in the outdated Lonely Planet Bible. --- And hey, some of them even bring along their own girlfriend and don't touch alcohol --- Quite understandably that a lot of business owners, frequenting this board, see a downturn.

[whiterussian]

My friend who has a night bazaar stall (tapestries) is going to Phuket to try and get the farangs there. The CIA ( chiangmai int' airport) workers also say its mainly asian tourism at the mo - korean etc, but hey, Nov is the month it all kicks off. My neighbour is the 'meet and greet' at CIA i will try and find out some real stats soon.

As for my Thai shop, tonight - it has just spawned its 6th copycat shop in as many months! my niche has been invaded! what a bore...

They said it would happen.

Just when you start to relax...

Edited October 18, 2008 by UKWEBPRO

[idrankwhat]

I guess we have less problems in my home country???

The economy and jobs

Terrorism and national security

Health care

Gas prices and energy policy

The war in Iraq

Illegal immigration

Ethics and government corruption

Taxes

Social Security and Medicare

Education

The environment

Foreign trade

Gun policy

Race relations

Policies toward gays and lesbians

[whiterussian]

I dont think you will find many who disagree with you there old boy.

[hanno]

Tourism will be well down in every place not just Thailand.

I think it is possible to talk the economy to death, too. Here in Vietnam it looks like it will be the best winter season ever, we (I am General Manager of a hotel) look like like we will finish way ahead of last year.

[dave2]

... I know I'm an extreme minority repeating myself, but I still don't see any downturn watching the Bahts rolling over my counter - quite opposite.... There are more tourists in Chiang Mai than any other October if statistics were based only on patrons in my shop. However, they don't go shopping in the night bazaar nor the sunday market. The don't eat at restaurants were you'll feel starved if you didn't spring at least five hundred Baht, and they don't mind spending the extra effort it takes to figure that guesthouses at the outskirts of the "mine-field" can be even better at a lower costs than those listed in the outdated Lonely Planet Bible. --- And hey, some of them even bring along their own girlfriend and don't touch alcohol --- Quite understandably that a lot of business owners, frequenting this board, see a downturn.

rishi ...... What tourists ? ...... where ? ........ ohhh there they are : ) i am very bored of seeing empty shops , malls ,coffee shops , bars , resturants , tuk tuks and songtows NOT full of people going somewhere for the day. all of the above people / places and the day trip / tour organisers of chiang mai must be crying in their boots for LACK of tourists dave2