A little way to get your voice heard

[Dancali]

Today I walked past one of those ubiquitous people asking me to fill out their little tourist survey.  I have done this many times already because I understand they get 5 or so baht for each person who fills it out.  But I wasn't in the mood today so I just walked by.  

But then I got the idea that this was one little way I could express my displeasure about the immigration and business situation for foreingers.  So I wrote a paragraph and it went something like this:

I'm rich, educated, and young.  I would like to do business in Thailand but the business laws for foreigners are very strict.  Malaysia, the Phillipines, and even Vietnam are more welcoming to my business.  I will have to go elsewhere. I love Thailand, but Thailand does not love foreign small businessmen.

Surely those survey forms are read by somebody.  Maybe if this sort of sentiment starts showing up they might become more aware of the effect their laws are having.

[Jeff1]

I too have often wondered who actually read's those form's.

Does anyone have an idea? It just might help us.

But if you wrote that your smart, young and rich , at worst you might find a girlfriend  ::

Jeff

[lopburi3]

In most cases only your name and hotel are of interest.  These are used to pitch condo/timeshares and the like.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It'd be interesting to know who actually commissions surveys like this. That at least would help us to know whether they are actually read by anyone.

[plachon]

As a matter of interest Dancali, did you not ask them where they were from. They must have had some English to be able to answer this one. If they were from a Teacher's college doing it as a "special project", then probably only the tick boxes will matter and be read, as text is a problem for the 2 dimensional programme used, but if they are commissioned by TAT, they should be able to say that, and maybe, just maybe, your comments will pass to the higher ups. But don't count on it - negative things have a funny habit of being filtered out long before they're read by anyone of substance. Hence, the picture and outlook is perpetually rosy.

[Edward B]

The results of these surveys go directly to the law makers at the very top of governments. The people who adminster them are usually university PhD students collecting data for their research projects or are volunteers doing it on their behalf. The people who commision them are heads of departments, with approval from local governments.

In some cases local governments turn to universities to help them with the methodology (design and analysis) of conducting such surverys. These surveys assist the local governments in assessing the needs of various people in their community, thus enabling them to make informed decisions.

There will be a project in Phuket coming up soon to determine foreign tourists assessment of medical and dental services. Surveys and interviews will be conducted by students from my university.

Beleive me, the text fields do NOT get discounted. If there are enough similar comments then this will be brought to attention. In most cases the forms are anonymous. If you have to identify yourself then the survey is probably market research.

So if you are asked by someone in the street to fill out a survey, yes, ask them where they are from. If they say a college or university then I urge you to assist them!

[Marshalsea]

I know someone involved with the yellow-shirted teams that lay in wait along the Sukhumvit strip, around World Trade, and the Silom strip.

Their 'survey' goes back to a (Taiwanese?) hotel chain operating in the Asian region.  It's not a survey at all, just a personal information grab.  At the end you get a scratch card and win a prize, but have to go to the hotel to listen to longer, stronger pitch to collect your booty.  

Another similar group along Silom last year sold Condos/time shares or something of that nature.  I suppose the activity is okay, as long as they're up front about exactly what they're doing.

Although they probably exist, in nearly 3 years here I've yet to see a meaningful tourist survey done by the government - in fact, I question whether it's actually possible to get someone to properly do a scientifically valid survey here in the Kingdom.  Of the more credible international names in the research field was recently exposed with their Thai field staff cooking up the results and filling in the forms by themselves.  

Marshalsea