Reasons Why Los Tourism Is Way Down

[Mobi]

I will leave it for others to educate you, as you are so way off base I can't be bothered.

Come to think of it, anyone who also says:

"Oh wait, most you guys probably aren't interested in any of this because you're too busy crying in your beers at the lame bar your sitting at in Bangkok. <deleted>, get a life."

isn't really worth debating with.

Why bother arguing with a guy who calls himself, "MEGATHICK"?

[Dakhar]

For THB 120,000 - 150,000/m I would turning the job down as well..... ...chicken feed

I was thinking the same thing, using an English teachers pay as the bench mark of a salary is pretty sad

[Dakhar]

Yes well, we can argue to the cows come home as to why tourism is down, and for sure there is not one single reason .

But we all get the general idea. A combination of the world recession, higher prices in Thailand, and a lot of unsavoury publicity over the past year or two - both political, and allegedly bad things happening to tourists. (murders, rapes, farangs jailed for minor offences etc).

When I first came here in the early 70's, you'd be amazed at the number of people back home in the UK had never heard of Thailand, and certainly didn't know where it was. Then if you mentioned Siam, a smile of recognition would spread across their faces, thanks to "The King and I". In those days, tourism in Thailand was in its infancy, especially from Europe, and in any event, the Americans were still bombing the hel_l out of Cambodia from their air bases in Thailand.

Then the tourist explosion started, and for the next 2 decades, Thailand was the destination that almost every Brit wanted to go to. I'm not talking about sex tourists, I talking couples and families and many elderly tourists. I lived in the UK with my Thai wife for many years, and it was a surprising how many people I met had either been to Thailand and loved it, or were planning to go. They all had the more or less the same comments: "The Thais are such lovely people; we had a really wonderful time there"

Well the wheel has turned. Thailand is not quite the same magical land in the eyes of Europeans that it once was. There has been a lot of adverse publicity, the prices are much higher (especially in terms of exchange rates), and there has been a lot of competition from rival destinations such as the Seychelles, Malaysia, Caribbean etc.

But in spite of all this, the tourists still keep coming and will continue to do so. Some may not repeat their holidays here due to bad experiences, but there are plenty more to take their place. Thailand has enough going for it to maintain a large tourist industry for many years to come, and I am sure it will weather the current storm.

More to the point is what are the powers that be doing about it? One of their first moves was to offer free visas for a while. What a pointless and stupid thing to do! I wonder what genius thought that one up. Do they really think that having a free visa is going to persuade someone to come to Thailand? From what I observed, those receiving free visas, were surprised and puzzled as to why it was being offered, and they certainly didn't expect it.

Now the government has earmarked billions to pump into the tourist industry. I wonder what they are going to do with it. Does it really require billions? It would seem that they are going to prop up many tourist sectors that are having hard time – like giving them money to stay afloat. Is this going to help expand then industry and get more visitors over here? I doubt it. It seems to be just an attempt to placate angry and unemployed Thais who work inn this sector.

The key to tourism is the overseas travel agencies, and the package holiday companies. If Thai holidays are not in their brochures, then the tourists will go elsewhere. Any attempt to boost tourism must center on heavy promotion to overseas agencies and package holiday companies, in conjunction with the major hotels who can come up with special offers, and make presentations on the delights of a Thai holiday. If this is done properly, it will take money – but billions? I think not.

Has anyone in the government really thought this through properly – or is it just another, endless list of corruption exercises to fill the pockets of politician's and their cohorts.

The Thais have been found out in my view, and people are sick of their free loading and duplicity. Now they have to be proactive as befits a wealthier nation, and of course they don't have a clue.

Yep CLUELESS

[cognos]

Some of the rich Thais like the karma aspect of Buddhism..it keeps the poor... "down on the farm", and they never rebel..peaceful protests in BKK not withstanding..the poor are quite happy in LOS ( and don't strive to change much) because they accept that their last life dictated this one...I don't have the answer..because poor people in the west are WAY more miserable than poor people in LOS...so tourism or NOT..they will remail poor unfortunately.. I'm not talking black and white..I mean red and yellow here folks..just talking about the millions of poor Thai people who don't even VOTE

[phuketrichard]

"1. Ecomomic slump worldwide - people just dont have the money to go on holiday

2. Perceived and real political problems in Thailand, sensationlised in international media

3. Protests and demostrations ie Airport closures/ASEAN summit in Pattaya sensationalised in the world media

4. Ineffective marketing by Thailand on the international stage - ie just look at the adds on CNN/BBC for Malaysia and Cambodia - Thailand seems to sit on its laruels on this one...its Thailand, the tourists will come is its perception..

5. Violence/crime possibly on the rise...again in the international media

6. Thailand is not a cheap as its was "

6. check out how expensive Vietnam and Cambodia are compared to Thailand. I can still eat a meal for less than a $1 and that includes a coke

5. this has not changed in 20 years, low season violance /crime goes up

4.They dont have a clue how to Market, example is the free tourist visas that ran for 2 months when i would imagine 95% of tourists spend less than 2 weeks here so can come for free anyway

2,3. I agree with this one for the high end tourists (which is where Thailand has been hit the hardest) they can go anywhere they want at a drop on the hat. The 2-3 star places are doing good business as tourists that have been here before understand the unrest is not aimed at them

1. THIS is the ONLY reason. When you are looking at saving $$ to pay the kids school fees, the Mortgage, BILLS Vactions far away are the 1st thing that goes.

Thailand will bounce back as it always does. Still the best vaction spot for the $$ and one of the easiest palces to live in Asia.

Personally I love it here in Phuket during the low season and this year more so....

Edited June 22, 2009 by phuketrichard

[johnefallis]

..after reading the Thai visa news re : "Tourism way down.."..

Reasons 1-39...

I especially agree with #37: "SIX French Fries on a plate"

LOL

But think of it this way, having only a few french fries means you don't have to quit eating them because they make you fat!

[johnefallis]

... Oh wait, most you guys probably aren't interested in any of this because you're too busy crying in your beers at the lame bar your sitting at in Bangkok. <deleted>, get a life.

He's just mad he can't cry in his beer, because apparently somebody pissed in it!

Sure glad I have my computer with me at the bar I must be sitting at...

Truthfully, what is really messed up, is that just about everybody has a valid point. Kind of like Thai politics, nobody will ever be able to be 100%, or even mostly right, because everything here is just so screwed up. One can always hope for the best though and sometimes crying (or pissing) in ours or others beers helps us get by.

Even if just for a good laugh watching someone drink it!

[adammike]

The front page of the NYTs and the Volkskrant [Netherlands] both have pictures of monks waiting at railway stations, for trains that are not coming cos of a strike.

[adammike]

I have to disagree with the perception that the international press sensationalised the problems in Thailand, they just reported it and IT HAPPEND.

[cognos]

I have to disagree with the perception that the international press sensationalised the problems in Thailand, they just reported it and IT HAPPEND.

Hmmm.you have a point... do THAT many farang marry BG's after a "ONE WEEK relationship" ??? otherwise what is the problem?? ..besides corrupt government, closing the airport..etc etc..

[brownlegs]

Like it or not: Sex tourism is a major poitive factor. Without the girls working on their backs the Thai economy really would in dire straits. The repeating high spending sex tourist contribute far more more money and financial support than any other tourist group and the money goes directly to the thai people and theri families:not to multi global corporations. It is the sex trade which makes Thailand unique. It is cheaper than Japan and more open, more organised than cambodia, less vanilla then indo, safer than TP etc etc. It is a shame that the quality of the sex tourist has degenerated into the tattooed football hooligan type which infest pattya. The regular sex tourists are not the problem there. Like Phuket it seems full of gangs of drunken loud guys looking for a fight. The pussy hounds are Ok in my book.

[brownlegs]

Recently my friend booked into an expensive hotel in Sukhumvit, in the low season, and was told in advance that although his plane arrived a 7am and thus he would arrive at the hotel at about 9am he would have to wait in the lobby untill 12 pm to enter the room. Given the fact the hotel was not fully occupied there was no reason for this. I would have shouted at he top of my voice and really draw attention to this stupidity in front of the other guests and management and would have have asked for my money back and shouted about using the internet to complain to the world....my friend is not so brash as me and thus was treated like a piece of rubbish..........however at my more modest hotel I check in about 9am always............Lack of flexibility, doing things the Thai way, Thais being afraid of making decisions and using their initiative..........all these bode ill for the future of the Thai tourist economy. Foreigners should forget all the smiley patience stuff and demand better service and not be subjugated by the tyranny of the dumb smile............And they should not imitate this smiling compliance and humility in the face of Thai obduracy.

[AbelMagwitch]

Run by idiots that think we are as stupid as they are!

[Mobi]

Run by idiots that think we are as stupid as they are!

Wrong!

Run by idiots who think we are MORE stupid than they are!

Reason for edit: Freudian slip in spelling

Edited June 23, 2009 by Mobi

[Absingjul]

Like it or not: Sex tourism is a major poitive factor. Without the girls working on their backs the Thai economy really would in dire straits. The repeating high spending sex tourist contribute far more more money and financial support than any other tourist group and the money goes directly to the thai people and theri families:not to multi global corporations.

And all of this activity is unreported/untaxed. Just remember that any time you read the "official" nonsense about tourism only contributing 4% to the economy.

[Datsun240Z]

Would you be happy to put your oldest daughter to a place called pattaya, and let her be fuc_ked by thousands of foreigner men, just to feed the family? Then you are really a sick bastard. These people deserve the same rights as all other Thais. Offcourse, a men cannot think of the whole world. This attitude doesn't change anything at all! You can't blame the poor, they simple don't know better and are thaught this way. That we foreigner than have to feel the consequences, yes I feel sad for them. But they have to realize they are thaught and learned this way. They CAN switch of their emotion for money.

[dcfc2007]

i dont even think sex tourism comes into the debate as to why tourism in the los is down, i go to pattaya every year with my friends, and we go to walking street the odd time to go to the lobster pot, apart from that we are almost oblivious to the sex trade and im sure many other people are the same.

[MrHammer]

Tourism is down I think 90% of the economic situation.

Most package tourists dont care and dont see these things you are talking about. They go, Wai the waitress, dress inapropiatly and pay 300 baht for a 50 baht taxi ride. Then they go home and tell everyone how amazing it was. Yes, we were probably like that the first time.

Those who complain are semi-tourists and sextourists it would seem.

I don't think Thailand has that much to offer as a tourist attraction, but I realise thats because I've seen a lot already and have had enough fake smiles, suit for you sir and mediocre service, also the landscape is to uniform.

I would much go somewhere like the Philipines where things are not as organised.

But again, the main package demographic dont care about these things and Thailand cant really begin to market itself to sex tourists can it?