Tourism plunges 22 per cent

[DMasut]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !!

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think you are 10 years off. Very few G.I.'s in 'Nam in 1960.

There were plenty of american military types in viet nam then.

U.S. military advisers arrived in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed starting in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.

YOU PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HINGE ON EVERY WORD AS IF EVERYONE'S AN EXPERT. BE KIND< LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Then there are some people that choose to remain alseep and turn a blind eye, while the next TET OFFENSIVE builds within Thailand, only to complain how they got scr&wed out of their life savings, imprisoned, shaken down by the BIB and everybody from the time they landed to the time they are sent back.

Thats right my friend, close your eyes and go back to sleep.... it will all be better when you wake up.

[Maestro]

Topic title changed to reflect the changed article title on the uptdated web page of Bangkok Post.

--

Maestro

[BAZZAT]

I totally agreee.......................mate

QUOTE (trvlbum @ 2009-07-23 17:42:56) *

Maybe the foreigners are starting to feel that deep lack of respect for foreigners that the thais can no longer hide behind smiles. It starts at the airport and ends in the airport and runs all down the track from the taxi driver to the wives boyfriends.

No COUNTRY in the Entire world allows a foreigner to stay for a year

on a tourist visa!

Yes, but that is done on purpose = longer stay = spending more money. But the rest of the rules is made this way, falang can do nothing but spend the money.

v

[BAZZAT]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !!

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think you are 10 years off. Very few G.I.'s in 'Nam in 1960.

There were plenty of american military types in viet nam then.

U.S. military advisers arrived in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed starting in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.

YOU PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HINGE ON EVERY WORD AS IF EVERYONE'S AN EXPERT. BE KIND< LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Then there are some people that choose to remain alseep and turn a blind eye, while the next TET OFFENSIVE builds within Thailand, only to complain how they got scr&wed out of their life savings, imprisoned, shaken down by the BIB and everybody from the time they landed to the time they are sent back.

Thats right my friend, close your eyes and go back to sleep.... it will all be better when you wake up.

yer,yer.yer.yawn blah blah blah wot ever pesimist don't you just LOVE THEM!!!

Edited July 23, 2009 by BAZZAT

[LPCustom69]

The same was true in '74. You could spend a weekend in Pattaya, and be lucky to see a dozen farang. Some other GIs, some German, Swiss and Scandinavian tourists. That was it.

I came to work in Thailand in 1962. 47 years ago there were hardly any tourists. So the figures just don't make sense

[LPCustom69]

Not really. Some do, some don't.

They are fixing this issue as we speak by becoming more lenient on long stay visas

No , the people in charge make it harder for "long term " tourists , and at the same time make free 60 day tourist visas,, Do they want us ?

[squashjunkie]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are.

Complaining of expensive hotels how about you try and travel around a developed country and pay less than $100 a night for a hotel with a pool and breakfast. To be honest I rarely have to pay $100 for this but obviously most of you don't know how to find a deal. Why are you paying so much when there is so much available for much less??

150 baht ATM charges. if this 150 baht is the difference on your three week vacation how did you ever afford the plane ticket.

15 day visas? What the hel_l are you talking about? On entry most visitors are given 30 day. Which can be extended by 7 days or you can simply go to any border crossing and get another 15 days. My assumption is that most people with jobs back home don't need more than 5 weeks for the visa. The rest of you are trying to stay here on a long term basis on a tourist visa. So deal with it.

Double pricing. Get real you make more and the double pricing is so easy to get around in most cases it is a non issue. Once agian bitching about a hundred baht here or there is ridiculous.

They don't treat you right. Fake smiles. Lived her for three years and still haven't had many problems such as the ones you describe. You must be one of those farangs that bitch about everything. No wonder you get fake smiles.

The exchange rate isn't as favorable as it should be for little old me. What kind of load of shit is this. Go back to the early 90's when the Baht traded for around 28 baht to the US$. It is now 35 and you still bitch. I know it once was near the mid 40s but this was after the 97 crisis and it isn't probably the best time period to gauge what it should be on a long term basis. Currencies fluctuate all the time for a multitude of reason. If the once strong pound is no longer so strong don't complain to the Thai government it isn't their problem that the economy in England it shit or for that matter Japan, Korea and many other places in the world.

Lastly, it is so dam_n unbearable go home. Nobody I mean nobody will miss you. But I can bet you will miss Thailand. So stop your bitching and deal with the small problems. Life isn't perfect.

[pick124]

I totally agreee.......................mate

QUOTE (trvlbum @ 2009-07-23 17:42:56) *

Maybe the foreigners are starting to feel that deep lack of respect for foreigners that the thais can no longer hide behind smiles. It starts at the airport and ends in the airport and runs all down the track from the taxi driver to the wives boyfriends.

No COUNTRY in the Entire world allows a foreigner to stay for a year

on a tourist visa!

Yes, but that is done on purpose = longer stay = spending more money. But the rest of the rules is made this way, falang can do nothing but spend the money.

Sorry guys

ur so wrong.

There is indeed 1 country in the world that allows foreigners 2 stay 4 more than a year...BELGIUM!!

If u come 2 Belgium (illegaly) and u can prove(!?) after 2 years (illegal stay!) u been given the Belgium Nationality. They give u a place 2 stay (4 free), U receive wellfare (abt. 750 €/month), u get social security and(this is beautifull) after 1 or 2 years u be granted 2 "family reunion" wich means u can bring ur family 2 Belgium as well so they can profit...wellfare, social security etc.

Guys, what rr u doing in Thailand?

[pick124]

Sorry guys

ur so wrong.

There is indeed 1 country in the world that allows foreigners 2 stay 4 more than a year...BELGIUM!!

If u come 2 Belgium (illegaly) and u can prove(!?) after 2 years (illegal stay!) u been given the Belgium Nationality. They give u a place 2 stay (4 free), U receive wellfare (abt. 750 €/month), u get social security and(this is beautifull) after 1 or 2 years u be granted 2 "family reunion" wich means u can bring ur family 2 Belgium as well so they can profit...wellfare, social security etc.

Guys, what rr u doing in Thailand?

[pick124]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are.

Complaining of expensive hotels how about you try and travel around a developed country and pay less than $100 a night for a hotel with a pool and breakfast. To be honest I rarely have to pay $100 for this but obviously most of you don't know how to find a deal. Why are you paying so much when there is so much available for much less??

.

I agree!!

otherwise:

Come 2 BELGIUM!!

If u come 2 Belgium (illegaly) and u can prove(!?) after 2 years (illegal stay!) u been given the Belgium Nationality. They give u a place 2 stay (4 free), U receive wellfare (abt. 750 €/month), u get social security and(this is beautifull) after 1 or 2 years u be granted 2 "family reunion" wich means u can bring ur family 2 Belgium as well so they can profit...wellfare, social security etc.

Guys, what rr u doing in Thailand?

[craigstroud]

All I can say is, I'm trying as hard as I can to get back to Thailand ASAP! If you sweet people can just hold out till October, I'll be more than happy to generate some baht for your fabulous country!

On a side note, and a selfish one at that... the less tourists there are, the more fun I will have without jostling amongst a bunch of tacky, sweaty, rude farangs. 11 million still sounds like plenty to me!

[klikster]

Usual blah-blah nonsense comparisons !!

49 years ago > 1960

There where the very first GIs from Vietnam discovering Pattaya for R&R spending 80 Bucks in two days...

I think you are 10 years off. Very few G.I.'s in 'Nam in 1960.

There were plenty of american military types in viet nam then.

U.S. military advisers arrived in 1950. U.S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s and combat units were deployed starting in 1965. Involvement peaked in 1968 at the time of the Tet Offensive.

I guess some of it depends on your definition of "plenty".

First, I commented re 1960, not 1965.

Second, my team landed in 'Nam in late '64. We were told that there were approximately 20,000 U.S. military personnel in country.

Third, Pattaya was not offered to our unit as an R & R destination. It was either Vietnam, Hong Kong or Bangkok

Edited July 23, 2009 by klikster

[cyborg22]

What a bunch of whiners most of you are.

Complaining of expensive hotels how about you try and travel around a developed country and pay less than $100 a night for a hotel with a pool and breakfast. To be honest I rarely have to pay $100 for this but obviously most of you don't know how to find a deal. Why are you paying so much when there is so much available for much less??

150 baht ATM charges. if this 150 baht is the difference on your three week vacation how did you ever afford the plane ticket.

15 day visas? What the hel_l are you talking about? On entry most visitors are given 30 day. Which can be extended by 7 days or you can simply go to any border crossing and get another 15 days. My assumption is that most people with jobs back home don't need more than 5 weeks for the visa. The rest of you are trying to stay here on a long term basis on a tourist visa. So deal with it.

Double pricing. Get real you make more and the double pricing is so easy to get around in most cases it is a non issue. Once agian bitching about a hundred baht here or there is ridiculous.

They don't treat you right. Fake smiles. Lived her for three years and still haven't had many problems such as the ones you describe. You must be one of those farangs that bitch about everything. No wonder you get fake smiles.

The exchange rate isn't as favorable as it should be for little old me. What kind of load of shit is this. Go back to the early 90's when the Baht traded for around 28 baht to the US$. It is now 35 and you still bitch. I know it once was near the mid 40s but this was after the 97 crisis and it isn't probably the best time period to gauge what it should be on a long term basis. Currencies fluctuate all the time for a multitude of reason. If the once strong pound is no longer so strong don't complain to the Thai government it isn't their problem that the economy in England it shit or for that matter Japan, Korea and many other places in the world.

Lastly, it is so dam_n unbearable go home. Nobody I mean nobody will miss you. But I can bet you will miss Thailand. So stop your bitching and deal with the small problems. Life isn't perfect.

Well said and applauded

[MUYTHAI]

I really don't think the tourism decrease can be attributed to the polical unrest and swine flu. Maybe to a small degree, but not to an all time low. I think this government needs to look at several items.

The exchange rate for the baht is horrible

The prices for lodging and services is becoming outrageous. $100 a night for hotels in Thailand. Please

Thai Air is probably one of the highest priced airlines going in th world right now.

ANd then there is the problem of gaining a visa, dual entry, just not conducive to the tourist.

As a farang married to a Thai lady, the fact that they are making it harder for us to buy property or transferring money just to support our wives and children has alot to do with why go to Thailand? They have made a very unappealing place to come to.

The Thai governement needs to wake up and smell the coffee, there are places such as Vietname to visit that are just as nice and far less expensive same with the Philippines. Thailand is pricing and governing themselves out of the tourism market.

I hope someone from the government is listening.

Husk, you are correct when you wrote the following. I also know that the crime, corruption, scammers, and financial ripoffs also keep people from traveling to Thailand.

I believe the airport protests and other protests are blamed too much. It is the corruption, ripoffs, climbing prices, and low exchange rate that are the real probelms. People will choose other countries where the problems are fewer and their money buys more.

The exchange rate for the baht is horrible.

The prices for lodging and services is becoming outrageous. $100 a night for hotels in Thailand. Please

Thai Air is probably one of the highest priced airlines going in th world right now.

ANd then there is the problem of gaining a visa, dual entry, just not conducive to the tourist.

[cyborg22]

The exchange rate for the baht is horrible.

The prices for lodging and services is becoming outrageous. $100 a night for hotels in Thailand. Please

Thai Air is probably one of the highest priced airlines going in th world right now.

ANd then there is the problem of gaining a visa, dual entry, just not conducive to the tourist.

The exchange rate is bad for farang admittedly, But isn't that the same the world over?

As for lodging as you put it, a friend of mine from uk stayed in a plaza hotel less than one month ago (not sure which one) in bkk for bht1500 a night double room and he was well pleased. Not only with the service but the hotel and staff.

May be you look with eyes closed.

[delmersomsri]

Making it hard to own property = YES

making it hard to transfer money = NO - NEver had any issues wiring decent amounts of cash into the country.

Ever try getting it back out?!

[Bucko]

The Thais aren't too worried about Western tourists because they've got the "CIA." CIA reference meaning "Chinese, Indians and Arabs." Just take a stroll down Walking Street, Pattaya if you don't believe me .

YES Lancelot I agree---They will fix the economy in no time---I just cant compete with the way they spend-spend -spend in the shops- bars- go-go's--etc etc

Bucko

[delmersomsri]

There should be a lot more Thai tourists, more than last year, as there are much more Thais out of work now. No pesky jobs to go , more time for travel. Wonder where they will find the 430 million baht?

Uncle Farang!

[delmersomsri]

If Thailand really wanted to have a great tourist income, then they'd quit screwing with the frangs here, with all the BS , Immigration changes, etc. etc., and get it right like when Thaksin was in office, he wanted to make Thailand a real destination for world tourism. This regime does not, so it seems.

They want it ALL to themselves.

[delmersomsri]

Tourism could easily be down to a 49 year low.

Of course the figure won't be based on a like-for-like comparison of numbers. That's absurd. It'll be a relative or percentage calculation, same as pretty much any other tourism statistic that covers a period of time greater than 5-or-so years for any other country in the world.

The Thai newspapers get very creative with numbers. They stretch the facts and obscure the truth in the favor of catchy headlines and articles. Take them with a grain of salt.

[Hooliganzone]

I have never read so much CRAP in all my life resolved in 4 months who are they trying to kid, 4 years more like and thats if they are lucky

[arco27]

49 years ago as a little boy I saw very few tourist in Thailand, mostly yanks and other farangs working at embassies around soi polo where we lived. Being a blond little boy, I used to be the star attraction when I played in Lumpini park, Thais came to touch my hair and smiled and hugged me. How times have changed, now days everytime I come to BKK I have to deal with scammers and rip off merchants, the smiles are now mercenary, friendliness is tied to extract money from farangs. I am lucky that I live in a quiet part of Phuket where I am accepted as a "crazy local farang" but over all I feel less and less welcome here and a seriously considering moving to a place where I am accepted as an equal. Maybe it is time to give LOS a miss.

Of course I won't, because at least for 6 month of the year this is home, the rest of the year in Australia I tank up with sanity, but dream of coming back to weird, wonderful, frustrating LOS

[cyborg22]

I have never read so much CRAP in all my life resolved in 4 months who are they trying to kid, 4 years more like and thats if they are lucky

Defeatist attitude brings forth defeatist results.

[delmersomsri]

THAILAND quit whining about the loss of tourism and do something positive to fix it!!!! What would make you want to visit another country? More censorship is not the answer as you can't keep the tourist from returning home to tell about their visit,which might be their first and only, to Thailand. Word of mouth is the BEST ADVERTISING(or WORST) any country could have and every baht spent for it would be in a positive direction. WAKE UP PEOPLE! YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! YOU CAN FIX IT!

Spent four years in Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict and LOVED every minute of it! Now that I've returned after a 35 year absence I am saddened. The pollution, political unrest, peoples attitudes toward someone of a different race, the cataclysmic gap between rich and poor, greed, etc., etc., etc. It will take years for corrective actions to be effective as your decline has taken years to form roots. Every aspect of Thai life needs to be adjusted. Thailand, make your steps forward,not backward. I hold hope for a better Thailand and all it's people. That includes the immigrants and visitors as well. Beware of becoming NATIONALISTIC. It's an ugly and frightening thing.

[marsteele]

Thailand does not want the western tourists and has worked very hard over the last 12 months or so to discourage these people from coming. Thier market is aimed at those from other asian countries such as Sth Korea, Hongkong, China and Japan. Book a package from these places and you will pay far less for accomadation than you would if you booked from say USA, Aust or england.

I have never heard stories of asian tourists being caught in airport scams either.

Edited July 23, 2009 by marsteele

[marsteele]

There should be a lot more Thai tourists, more than last year, as there are much more Thais out of work now. No pesky jobs to go , more time for travel. Wonder where they will find the 430 million baht?

Uncle Farang!

no he is not coming will have to start scamming other asian tourists and themselves the pot of gold is almost empty.

[ray23]

Are there positive things about Thailand if live in the real Thailand lots to be grateful for.

Has anyone else noticed that the negative comments are about the tourist areas. That's not the real Thailand that's the one created for tourist.

But in my part of Thailand you cam find entertainment just not on the scale you see there. Thailand in the end it' what you make. Getting harder to do now then was seven years ago when I first came here.

Thailand banks made money last year, as long as that continues you not going to see to changes. Think about who owns the banks, it's not the Issan rice farmer. They are the ones hurt by this mess. To the others this is just numbers.

Why do we get scammed because we pay it.

Life here is what you make it, you want nothing but the bar scene your going to have a lot different view then I do.

My hobby is motorcycles, I don't drink no big deal I did for years just don't want to. My wife and I tour a lot we see places that most foriegners ever get to. Those villages can be very boring. But, not the people. The bike may have something to do with it I don't know but even Monks ask me how much it costs.

Ok there is just a bit of some of the positive aspects.

But there are realities to at one point I lost 37% on usable income in Thailand based on exchange rates. When I see the dollar up everywhere in the world like the first of last week and the baht getting stronger at the same. Then I read the financial news articles where the BOT is manipulating that's doesn't make me happy.

Now who gains by that the rice farmer who can't sell his rice since neighboring countries are selling for less, some of which is simple the exchange rate. Does that hurt the money people not one bit. They are not the ones standing knee deep in mud back bent over planting rice one plant at a time. Why do they move to appease the farmers so much goodness of the heart, not hardly you got to drop a few crumbs off the table. Or they are going to be the ones bent over in that rice field planting that rice if they want to eat.

Hotel owners losing I don't think so I think if it really gets bad enough the owners will mortgage them to the hilt take the money and walk, just like they did in 97. But the guy working the front desk can't do that can he?

Watch what is going on around us, they don't believe the Western economies will recover so they have jumped ship. Direct trade with China in Yuan a non convertible currency. Considering buying Yuan. Chinese being allowed to buy bigger portions of Thai banks.

Time to except some facts the western foreigner isn't that valuable in their minds.

The one thing I have learned very well is Thailand is an Class structured Nation. This society is not only segregated by skin color, it gos so far as to have slightly different. How many of you know there is a different way to say thank you to someone of a lower class then you. There is Ka koon Krap the one we all know and then Kop Jai both mean exactly the same thing. J How it;'s used depends on the class yuo are dealing with.

I'm happy here but you do have to recognize what Thailand really is, to understand. When they call you farrang your being put into a class. Is it good or bad I don't know and don't care I don't think that way. Why to the reach by the numbers, you want people really thinking if your in the higher class might cause some problems for you later.

If you want to understand here don't apply western thought it doesn't fit, hard to do I know. Reality they are not attacking us, they believe have another cash cow. Simple as that the red shirts and yellow shirts that's really the motivation for all this. You apply western thought to it will never understand it. Look how long Pad held their ground that took one heck of a lot of money. Cripple an entire country name me one person who was there that is jail now? On the other hand several red shirts have been arrested. Not judging anything not my country to do that with. But I do try to understand am I wrong maybe But, I don't think so. This is and always has been a country of have and have nots. Not going to change much in the next few decades.

So ya the tourist industry is hurting as are the exporters, and farmers. The ones who are not hurting are the money folks. Don't look for any changes until that happens. Relax enjoy t yourself your not going to change a thing here. When the money people want a change they will change it. Your not being picked on your just not a priority anymore.

[rufanuf]

One of the biggest problems Thailand faces in the long term for its tourist trade are the basic policies of goverment taxation on Thai businesses/Business owners, and (non)planning regulations that allow you to virtually build what you like if you have the right connections

In Thailand it seems it is quite possible (as a Thai not as a foriegner god forbid) to own a large asset and run it on a shoe string. The kind if assets I mean are extremely high value areas of land in city/tourist centres, some of which have hotels sitting on them, that have had the same owners for decades and decades. The owners can quite happily sit on this asset and let it go into decay and have a competitor build a brand new hotel next door that offers rooms at the same rate (hel_l they may even build a new one next door themsleves 'cos they dont feel making like any renovations! A new project is more sanook.

It doesnt matter to the owner of the old hotel for a number of reasons. 1. He doesnt care about the competition becuase he has so much money anyway he doesnt know what to do with it. 2. The fixed overheads for running that hotel are so low if theres no customers that he doesnt have to compete in order to make ends meet, better just have another snooze. 3. He got bored of that building 20 years ago and has virtually forgotten all about it as he has built dozens since, everytime he gets bored or has too much money sloshing around he will just build something else for the hel_l of it! Like I say this doesnt apply to farang owned business, they dont enjoy the same privelages, and in our cutlure we have to compete to survive, in Thailand in fact we cannot compete at all in truth becuase we are not allowed to live by the same rules under Thai immigration laws, that keep us like mice on a treadmill.

For the long term tourist industry this is bad. More and more hotels with more and more price disparities that make no sense whatsoever to visitors, so they end up just feeling confused. In the end most tourist centres will just be like Bangkok, a metroplis of half empty high rise buildings and all you can see out of your hotel room are more of the same all the way to the horizon! Unless of course you are right on the beach!

[sezze]

Been going to Thaialand for past 10 years and 3 months a year so i know what i'm speaking about . Fake smiles , in tourist envirement , yes for sure . They do not like farangs a single bit . Outside the tourism towns , it get's way better with real friendly people and allthough maybe a little less smiles they are for real .

Dual pricing , way to get around it ... yeah right . How long have you been around ??? It is a multiple pricing system and if you can speak Thai they give you the halfway but never the Thai price . If you can read Thai you will see that many times the pricing for farangs is about 500% the 1 from farangs . I do not really mind a dual pricing system , not like it but it is ok if the prices are in a reasonable area . 500% official rise is ripoff and it doesnt matter if it is 1 baht or 1000 baht , it is the principle .

There are many countries willing to have the tourist fleeing from Thailand and have their money . They did f*** up themselves like i told b4 when they closed the airport , and it didn't get better .

Is Thailand a great county , no it isn't . It is ok , especially because of the freedom of living and the responsebilaty you have to take and not the government . If i f*** up , i have to pay . Nice and just the way i like it . The nightlife is also nice and if you look around , many people go to Thailand for it . But Thailand has to wake up if they do want to maintain the status they have , if you want tourists , you better be sure that they are taken care for otherwise they will go to another country .

For Pick124 : wake up man . I'm from Belgium also and it isn't like that . 2years illegal stay and getting a Belgium nationality , where did you get that BS from . . I not like the new law also but it is still a lot more strickt then that .

[harrry]

Guys, what rr u doing in Thailand?

Because I would much rather live in Thailand than Belgian