Gloomy Outlook For Phuket Tourism

[carvets]

but if you are single or a loser or like a drink thailand will always be on the map .

dam_n, as i dont drink,.....i guess that makes me,...... "a single loser ",......oh the shame,....the shame . Will i look obvious as i go through Immigration ???? Will they stamp my passport with a " Single Loser " Visa ?

[Maestro]

An off-topic post about “no thief” and the replies to it have been deleted.

--

Maestro

[garyh]

Interesting that they think Australians will come in numbers.

No way, not after all the negativity this week and I bet more to come this weekend.

Bali is back in vogue for Aussies, Thailand has been knock down and is now on the mat and will struggle to recover in the eyes of Australian couples and family tourists

Perhaps you have forgotten about things like the Bali bombing and Shapel Corby I think she has been in jail quite a bit longer than this woman.

I'll take Thailand over Bali any day.

[barney42bb]

Am so glad Phuket is hurting...despite my love of the place having been a frequent visitor for the past 10 years.

Bar prices across the board rediculous.... as with the club night spots.???

Why is street food 300 - 400% more expensive than Issan... where many of the folk come from to work.???

Why do the Thais adopt to policy of increase prices when a recession is on...rather than "do a deal" and compete.???

Why are Thai Airways cancelling flights to lucrative long haul destnations like London???

Why stupid 200 baht prices for beach chairs ???

Why overpriced and numerous noisy jetski polluting beaches and irritating folk???

Over pricing on beachside restaurants with the obligatory mistake on the Bill BY THE STAFF

Why are folk choosing other far east destinations to enjoy similar food climate and fun???

Why is building going on in Spanish type proportions in holiday spots.???

PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE THE DAFT THAI'S ARE CONSUMED WITH GREED LIKE UK MP's

Enough said....Phuket R.I.P....UNLESS YOU GO BACK TO YOUR CORE VALUES

[mrukman]

Well what a load of crap do the tourist ministers think we will swallow that nonsense flu bug my arse it annoys me that they keep pumping out excuse after excuse the thais might be fooled into believing this kind of tripe but here in the uk we know why its in a s t state its got nothing to do with recession flu credit crunch why can't thai visa contact someone from the tourism ministry and tell them we the tourist's do not want to be murdered mugged have our hard earned cash milked from us by tuk tuks jet ski tailours t-shirt sellers massage girls who abuse us when we dont want a massage. then theres the double pricing for falangs and the rip off artists that con us. Yes we fly for over 14 hours to get to your island and we deserve to be treated as a guest not someone they can do with as above. Put these points to the minister for tourism see if he acts.

[mrukman]

from reading the previouse posts from the like's of phuketian who by all accounts spreads a tale like the tourist minister on phuket will he tell us why there are so many complaints about the tuk tuk mafia the jet ski rip offs the crime rate that has increased in the last 6 monthe's the price's for copied goods and the overall condition of the new beach pedestrian area where your like'ly to be run over by the locals who use it on there bike's and the state of the Soi's and the raw sewage pumped into patong bay at the end of the beach rd. On a reason thailand is known as a currupt country A female thai police officer has done a runner with 50 million baht collected mostly from her friends in the force over the last ten years as one senior officer admitted yes we knew it was a scam but we let it go because it was run by one of our own. at least in the uk ok our ministers have been rumbled but unlike thai corruption there booty will all be paid back and they are and will never be allowed into goverment again while im on a high has not your ex prime minister been found to be corrupt or did he just steal from the local thai. Im afraid your problems start at the top where from the start they are untouchable.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Interesting that they think Australians will come in numbers.

No way, not after all the negativity this week and I bet more to come this weekend.

Bali is back in vogue for Aussies, Thailand has been knock down and is now on the mat and will struggle to recover in the eyes of Australian couples and family tourists

Well this Australian will be coming back in number. And as for Bali, i have planned a 17 day trip before i get to LoS . Have been looking on the net for a room similar to what i get in LoS and it cant be done. Not by me anyway. I wished i had never booked the Bali leg . I would much prefer to go straight to Phuket. Good hotel , free, wifi, etc. All the people that i meet there at this time of year will be there again. I think it may only be 1st timers in particular who may be holding back on a holiday to LoS.

Bali - beutiful country, nice people, great food but I would not swap Thailand for Bali we just returned from a family vacation last month and I found the place expensive especially the day trips for the children. Bali does not offer anything more than what can be found in Thailand (I know before we get on the subject Volcano, layed rice fields etc) As a family vacation I would take Thailand over Bali every time.

This should not put anyone off going to Bali we had a great vacation and I was pleased we visited.

Edited May 21, 2009 by ChangMaiSausage

[khunjamespittman]

Could not agree with you more, the sort of behaviour this group has demonstrated can be seen in any major Australian city any weekend of the year. The only difference here is that the Thai Police had the backbone to arrest and charge her with the offence that had taken place (however minor it is).

The problem for this woman and her group was that they started mouthing of to the Thai police, so in my mind she got what she deserved.

All the shit that was being talked in the media in regard to them being singled out because they were women on their own and if they had a man with them to bribe the police she would have been ok, was certainly not the way to endear herself to the Thai Authorities.

If I run a business and people nick stuff all the time (does not matter what the dollar value is), there would come a point when enough is enough and I to would instruct staff to call the police and have them charged. If these mats are sold souveniers in his premises, then in my mind the bar owner is well within his rights to prosecute.

All the talk about why should an Aussie charge and Aussie with something so trivial should not even be discussed, if the women Aussie had not entered the Aussie bar owners bar, stolen one of the bars bar mats, tried to do a runner and then opened her big gob to the police, we would not be having this discussion.

There is nothing more Un Australian than going to another Aussie's bar and thieving from it. In my mind that is very Un Australian.

All I can hope is that the type of traveller that is bleeting "I am not going to Thailand" because of what happened here decide to go back to Bali or any other country and carry on like complete idiots their instead of Thailand.

I can assure you now, that knowing the Aussie mentality and with all the coverage that has been over here, this will not be the only person who gets charged with the bar mat nicking charge. The hottest game in Phuket will be how many towels can you nick without being caught. so bar owners beware.

I have drunk in the Aussie Bar a few times when I have been over and have no complaints whatsoever about the bar or the staff there and the fact that this has happened will not stop me drinking there. Why should it bother anyone if there is police working as security in the bar, to me it makes it a safer place to drink.

Steve, as you have a well run bar, I really do not think it will affect your business. It may even do you a favour by stopping the idiots & yobs coming into your bar that want to carry on like this.

In my mind, the weak person in all of this is the Thai Official who paid her fine, in my mind that is a big loss of face by doing that (Not Normal Thai Behaviour), and a stab in the back for the police who bought the charges.

Hopefully she has been deported with a black mark on her passport, not just allowed to leave.

This praising report paid for by ripped off tourists.

[easyride]

I bet Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia are just sitting back and laughing while their tourism is booming thanks to a few stupid incidents in Thailand. They should put that officer in jail for a year for trying to get 60 thousand baht for a mat from the lady after they caught her. I mean come on, It's like Thailand doesn't want to succeed. Anyway enjoy beautiful Malaysia, where a bar towel is not worth a year in jail or 60 thousand baht. That officer should be fined for all the problems he caused 60% drop in last year over a bar towel. Was it worth it?

Why fine the officer for doing what they probably have a training course for? IF they are trained? Its been said before that the lady got out her pram and started shaking her rattle. You just don't do that to a Thai without repercussions. Part of the Thai mentality.

[jmw]

What a shocker! Do you think overblown charges of mat-theft from Aussie bars will help or hurt those numbers?

[StrandedBusinessPerson]

I don't think Indians will be coming either, if my wife's travel alert is widespread. She works for a major INGO and the travel department there sent a warning to all employees worldwide about an incident where an Indian gentleman was jailed for "stealing" at a duty free shop in the BKK airport. What had happened was that the clerk stuck something extra in his bag. He either did not notice nor care, and was arrested asap. Apparently this happens a lot. Ever hear of that one!?!

[ratio]

In Australia a German couple for " A PRANK"wrote "A BOMB "on a bag then went to take it through customs but got scared and left it under a bench this was picked up by the cctv cameras.

They got a $1500 aus dollar fine. They thought it was funny.Man the Aussie goverment is sad,With the way the world is with issues of violence this was a slap on the hand.I'm glad the thai police are strict ,we are to soft here.

[frogz]

I live in Thailand too and have never been to Phuket. Perhaps the prices may come down to encourage tourism and I can actually afford to go...more Thai people may be able to go too, if the price is right. The TAT complain that Phuket is too expensive for Thai people. 'Get the whiskey love and load up the truck. We're off to the beach!'

[Leearcadia]

I agree fully. I've thought from the start anyway that she did actually steal it, not a "prank". Sorry Aussie or not some people get off on shit like that. Your right the Thai official who paid her fine is the idiot (though because of who he is I imagine he got it back 10 minutes later), but it's about time us farangs got a little something back from the Thais.

The bar happens to be a great place and bar mats or no this certainly won't stop me from drinking there when I pass through. Don't be deluded about the undercovers though, I'm quite positive they weren't working security. Looking for someone selling yaba is more like it.

[gerryBScot]

I had a drive around the south recently from Surat Thani to Krabi and spent a few days in Phi Phi and a few days at Khao Sok National Park....end of April time. I though it was absurdly expensive. 75 baht for noodle soup on Phi Phi which can be bought here in Ratchaburi for 25. I am happy to pay a little more but 200%, sorry no. I thought the price of a hotel room was obscene ... 1000 baht for a 400 baht room elsewhere, no aircon, no TV. The only saving grace was it included a reasonably good buffet breakfast. Overpricing and overcharging really were the norm. Service appalling. My wife is heavily pregnant, offered no assistance with bags at one of Khao Sok's premier destinations. . We went to stay at a hotel in Krabi that offered a stay for three nights and get the fourth free. An internet promotion on the hotel's own website, in fact the only promotion it was offering. When I enquired about the promotion I was asked "Which promotion?!" The assistant said she would need to check with her boss. After one night the girl said "no promotion, sorry, but you can stay for 800 bat per night" which was the advertised daily rate. We left, took our business elsewhere. This assistant lost her hotel two nights of paying customers. At Ao Nang we saw something amazing. A beach side massage place with a sign offering "50 % discount". Guess what? It was full of people while the adjoining competition was empty. I suspect the best bet right now is to pay for a package and come in as a genuine two week visitor. However if you are an independent traveller I think the south of Thailand and I include Phuket is likely to be an unpleasant and expensive experience regardless of the outstanding natural beauty of the area. I would say the locals are doing a good job of killing off the business that has not already been put off by other events referred to in other postings. Sad really.

[melbat]

I see now they are changing the name from 'LOW SEASON' to 'SUMMER SEASON' Can you imagine some poor sods of a family looking at the brochures and reading that it's now 'SUMMER SEASON' in Phuket so lets go there as it's bound to be sunny as its SUMMER SEASON there. Only to arrive and find out it'd p*****g down and likely to be every day they are here after spending thousands of pounds, euro's or dollars to get here. What a con! They will say and do anything just to get the room occupancy rate up. They don't give a dam about the poor tourists who have to shell out their hard earned savings to come here for holidays. I think it's a disgrace to con people like this.

[marsteele]

ha ha ha good one tourists from Australia. After last weeks stuff up by phuket you will be very lucky if you ever see another aussie. Come to phuket have a beer and we will stictch you up for 2 to 5 years make sure you never leave. Any tourist going to Thailand is running the risk of being locked up from the time they get of the plane.

[katasyd]

I see now they are changing the name from 'LOW SEASON' to 'SUMMER SEASON' Can you imagine some poor sods of a family looking at the brochures and reading that it's now 'SUMMER SEASON' in Phuket so lets go there as it's bound to be sunny as its SUMMER SEASON there. Only to arrive and find out it'd p*****g down and likely to be every day they are here after spending thousands of pounds, euro's or dollars to get here. What a con! They will say and do anything just to get the room occupancy rate up. They don't give a dam about the poor tourists who have to shell out their hard earned savings to come here for holidays. I think it's a disgrace to con people like this.

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[josuede]

among serious competitors i'd tip PI to give thailand a very tough competition in the very near future. i was there few months ago and i've seen some of the most spectacular sceneries you won't find anywhere else in sea. infrastructure and tourism projects are going on extensively a local friend there told me that tourism industry has gained a lot in the fast few years and the government is pouring in millions of dollars right now in tourism. i've been in cebu and bohol and i see the potential of these areas as prime destinations for both tourists and expats. a lot has to be done though as poverty looks very widespread over there. i've met some expats and they seem to enjoy living there

[smurf384]

Mt Thai wife is involved with the Thai Association in Australia

So here are some facts from the horses mouth

in this week over 1000 phones calls from Australian's giving their negative thoughts about Thai Police

Right or wrong this is the perception

The Thai Embassy in Canberra is taking 30 days to complete a visa application

and over 3 months to do a replacement passport for Thai's citizens thats expire

( a recent case is where 47 passports where renewed in Bkk over 3 weeks ago and have not yet been received by the Canberra Embassy ) well so they say

Thai airways has so many seat unfilled they are offering return tickets from Bris to Bkk for $450 Australian

These are the cold hard facts

So do your really believe those i Power in Thailand really care ??????

I dont know about the other facts, but you should try the consulate in Melbourne they took a whole two days for my visa application last year

[marsteele]

Mt Thai wife is involved with the Thai Association in Australia

So here are some facts from the horses mouth

in this week over 1000 phones calls from Australian's giving their negative thoughts about Thai Police

Right or wrong this is the perception

The Thai Embassy in Canberra is taking 30 days to complete a visa application

and over 3 months to do a replacement passport for Thai's citizens thats expire

( a recent case is where 47 passports where renewed in Bkk over 3 weeks ago and have not yet been received by the Canberra Embassy ) well so they say

Thai airways has so many seat unfilled they are offering return tickets from Bris to Bkk for $450 Australian

These are the cold hard facts

So do your really believe those i Power in Thailand really care ??????

That's not true I can't get a seat in July fully booked out.

[peter48]

For Europe we are talking the worst economic recession since world war 2 and that means a loss of jobs and Fear of losing jobs and that all goes back to the banking collapse.

But for Thailand the "nail in the coffin" and the one which received big media coverage here in the UK was the coverage of the international airport long takeover last Christmas & the pictures of international politicians being airlifted out of Pataya and a day or so later the international pictures showing the Thailand Prime Minister' s car and his security team left isolated and under threat from the mob.

These images do not go away especially for security - minded Europeans & North Americans who think - if this can happen in Bangkok and to its leaders etc., what the hel_l would happen to ordinary folk and how vulnerable Thailand must be to external Terrorism etc.,

As social scientists and media students have long noted if you have little knowledge of something like a far away foreign country your only image and information is what is put on the TV screen and over the last year or so that's been sadly distorted.

[VegasVic]

Meh... Haven't you heard? She's been released from custody, free to go home after being fined 1000 Baht, which the Governor of Phuket payed on her behalf. The whole thing got blown out of proportion, and the Governor did the sensible thing by intervening, probably realizing how ridiculous the whole fiasco was, and the effect that it would have had on tourism, had it been allowed to continue.

Getting caught stealing a bar mat in Thailand is the least of my concerns, mainly because it is completely avoidable (i.e. don't steal bar mats, or anything, for that matter). There are plenty of other things I'd worry about in Thailand before that, and in spite of them all, I'll still go back. Call me crazy.

Oevna, Haven't you heard that she was jailed for 4 days, threatened with a 5 year prison term, had to retain thai lawyers, aussie lawyers and get the aussie diplomatic core involved Now that sure seems like a lot of trouble, not too mention wasted savings for someone slipping a bar towel into her purse as a prank, nice holiday in thailand eh Sadly this small incident is indicative of a much larger problem in thailand. I would imagine that Aussie tourisim numbers to the LOS will be dropping precipitously and that this particular aussie establishment in Phuket will notice a massive drop off in business.

[lcpossum]

Okay. I admit it, I don't have a dog in this fight. But, if folks are interested in visiting a backward SE Asian country, might I suggest Vietnam? We are as behind the times as Thailand and we have our own collection of cultural anomalies, scenic views, Buddhist temples, historic sites, etc. and so on. Plus, you don't hear horrible stories of foreign tourists being tortured by the local constabulary over some minor incident. Vietnam is interested in your tourist money and doesn't make an all-out grab for it in every which way possible. Our taxis tend to be metered and honest, our food is generally safe (don't eat the shrimp paste that comes with dog meat), Vietnamese nationals are friendly and engaging, females (and males, for that matter) are incredibly attractive as a general rule, and everything comes at a MUCH lower price than in the Land of Smiles. I'll respectfully pass on the subject of political stability. Add it all together, why would any sane person want to visit Thailand?

[timinchina]

but if you are single or a loser or like a drink thailand will always be on the map .

There's nowhere else on the planet to get a drink,become a loser or find a bar girl after all,is there?

Still,hope you're enjoying it!

[cobra]

It is the perception among people who would have come to Phuket which matters. If they think they are going to be arrested for doing nothing, then they won't come.

Yes indeed, perception is everything, few take time to read the back-story, after a rapid deluge of headlines reporting on over the top, blown out of proportion events, the damage is already done. Edited May 21, 2009 by cobra

[wotaplonker]

Interesting that they think Australians will come in numbers.

No way, not after all the negativity this week and I bet more to come this weekend.

Thailand has been knock down and is now on the mat and will struggle to recover in the eyes of Australian couples and family tourists

please leave my mat out of this (ooh its sorely missed) and what a load of codswallop about the flu, if the exchange rate was back to 70 or so tourists would return i believe in very good numbers, oh boy arrive Saturday in Phuket for a nice break from the rat race back here.

Cheers Wap

[wotaplonker]

Okay. I admit it, I don't have a dog in this fight. But, if folks are interested in visiting a backward SE Asian country, might I suggest Vietnam? We are as behind the times as Thailand and we have our own collection of cultural anomalies, scenic views, Buddhist temples, historic sites, etc. and so on. Plus, you don't hear horrible stories of foreign tourists being tortured by the local constabulary over some minor incident. Vietnam is interested in your tourist money and doesn't make an all-out grab for it in every which way possible. Our taxis tend to be metered and honest, our food is generally safe (don't eat the shrimp paste that comes with dog meat), Vietnamese nationals are friendly and engaging, females (and males, for that matter) are incredibly attractive as a general rule, and everything comes at a MUCH lower price than in the Land of Smiles. I'll respectfully pass on the subject of political stability. Add it all together, why would any sane person want to visit Thailand?

one suspects you have an interest in Vietnam, but your picture is certainly very attractive, and i have heard many other recommendations, and if it was not for visiting a wonderful lady in Phuket very soon i would be seriously considering Vtnam, certainly a good idea for future travels though (oh and the ladies are stunning, ooh what a giveaway you plonker!!)

[WillArzonia]

I see now they are changing the name from 'LOW SEASON' to 'SUMMER SEASON' Can you imagine some poor sods of a family looking at the brochures and reading that it's now 'SUMMER SEASON' in Phuket so lets go there as it's bound to be sunny as its SUMMER SEASON there. Only to arrive and find out it'd p*****g down and likely to be every day they are here after spending thousands of pounds, euro's or dollars to get here. What a con! They will say and do anything just to get the room occupancy rate up. They don't give a dam about the poor tourists who have to shell out their hard earned savings to come here for holidays. I think it's a disgrace to con people like this.

Anyone who makes a vacation decision based on whether it's called Low Season or Summer Season deserves whatever they get. Marketing a place is not "conning" people - it's what every holiday destination does! Maybe if they just leave it as Low Season, the poor tourists will know to expect rain!!!!

[Lusso]

Bird/Swine Flu? I can get that here in the Uk I don't need to travel anywhere to get it. I came to thailand regularly when Bird Flu was supposed to be rife. I have risked Dengui fever (spelling! sorry), being run over by Tuk Tuk, eaten bugs etc etc etc. I am not coming back because they had a coup, yellow shirt demonstrations and they are happy to shoot their own people who wear red shirts or anyone else that might be in the firing line. On top of that, standards have dropped and prices have risen and I am not happy about the general attitude toward Farangs on holiday in Thailand, especially the capitol city. Singapore and Malaysia here I come. Flu ??? Pah!

Edited May 21, 2009 by Lusso