The Land Of Only Bad News

[Microwave]

Today (Friday) my Uncle & Aunt in New Zealand cancelled their planned Songkran visit as did an American friend due to the ongoing bad political news Thailand is receiving from the global news media. I repeatedly assured them that I'd keep them away from the protests by going to Chiang Mai and other places outside of Bangkok, but they all wanted to stay far away from Thailand.

Remember the days when international news outlets carried only light-hearted news about Thailand? The monkeys of Lopburi, the elephant round-up in Surin, etc. I certainly hope that light-hearted news stories about Thailand return, but until the political turmoil is sorted out (whenever that may be, if ever), Thailand's reputation as a travel haven is long ago gone. RIP Land of Smiles...

[MAJIC]

Dont suppose the Reds would give the losses a second thought.

[getgoin]

Silly because all the new protests have been peaceful. I'm wondering if the world press reports that? Well almost all peaceful but this is Thailand.

[IMA_FARANG]

It makes no difference that most or all of the demonstrations are peaceful or not.

The reality of the situation is that GOOD NEWS doesn't sell news programs around the world. BAD NEWS, either fear or a percieved fear, does sell news programs.

Most of the walking dolts that watch news programs in the U.S., the U.K. , New Zealand, etc. don't even really know where Thailand is or care that much. All they are watching for is the rush they get from the perception of BAD NEWS that the news shows foster. Headlines like, "More political protests rock Thailand today" are instant winners for Joe Six Pack who can set in a semi-stupor watching the news and feel superior to those poor deluded fools in Thailand (or wherever).

The news programs know that their news is distorted, but they get viewers by broadcasting such nonsense, and they quite happy with the number of viewers they get. Because a high number of viewers means a high number of viewers watching the commercials in the breaks between news segments...and the whole system is driven by those commercials....because they mean MONEY for the television stations. The MONEY earned drives everything.

To the network programming bigshots that pick the news shows fear and the possibility of fear means viewers, viewers mean MONEY, and MONEY is success in their eyes.

That's why the reality of peaceful demonstrations is ignored...and the possible problems are played up by the news stations.

[ukrules]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

[newcomer01]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

Why shouldn't they be concerned if they pay good money for a trip and find it stuffed up whether the protesters wear Red or Yellow shirts? Especially if the Governments are giving travel warnings about Thailand.

[ukrules]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

Why shouldn't they be concerned if they pay good money for a trip and find it stuffed up whether the protesters wear Red or Yellow shirts? Especially if the Governments are giving travel warnings about Thailand.

What's been stuffed up over this protest ? I saw a few red shirts walking down my Soi a couple of weeks ago, big deal. Apart from that I've been in Bangkok most of the time since it started and I have seen or heard nothing of them. It's a non event as far as I'm concerned if it stopped tomorrow I would not notice they had gone away. Unless I read about it in the media I would not know it was going on in the first place. It might as well be in a different city as far as I'm concerned.

[thedivezone]

Dont suppose the Reds would give the losses a second thought.

Or anybody else for that matter !

[needforspeed]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

Agree, and most don't cancel there trip, Thailand is also for 2010 in allmost all top 5 travel destinations.

There is a fall down on travelers but that has a lot to do with the global finacial/economical situation and much less with a few peacefull people wearing red shirts in one city in Thailand.

Thailand still has a lot to offer for foreign travelers, and i hope they keep visiting to "the land of smiles".

[manarak]

pictures of the blood spilling were published/shown all round the world, as well as the grenade attacks.

nothing about weeks of peaceful prostests of 100.000 people in Bangkok, nor about the kitten that was rescued yesterday from a hole in a wall in Pattaya.

in France, as soon as there are 3000 in the street, there are black-clad masked scum from the suburbs destroying everything they can on their passage, including police cars and personnel...

[endure]

pictures of the blood spilling were published/shown all round the world, as well as the grenade attacks.

Pictures of the blood spilling were published in a very small photo on page 36 of the Times of London two days after it happened. The piece was only read by Chicken Little and his mates.

Edited April 2, 2010 by endure

[1plumber]

Seems most here aren't actually seeing the world news. When you have headlines of RPG and grenade +HIV tainted blood attacks it sorts of makes one ask "do we really need to go to Sonkran?"

[khunjamespittman]

It makes no difference that most or all of the demonstrations are peaceful or not.

The reality of the situation is that GOOD NEWS doesn't sell news programs around the world. BAD NEWS, either fear or a percieved fear, does sell news programs.

Most of the walking dolts that watch news programs in the U.S., the U.K. , New Zealand, etc. don't even really know where Thailand is or care that much. All they are watching for is the rush they get from the perception of BAD NEWS that the news shows foster. Headlines like, "More political protests rock Thailand today" are instant winners for Joe Six Pack who can set in a semi-stupor watching the news and feel superior to those poor deluded fools in Thailand (or wherever).

The news programs know that their news is distorted, but they get viewers by broadcasting such nonsense, and they quite happy with the number of viewers they get. Because a high number of viewers means a high number of viewers watching the commercials in the breaks between news segments...and the whole system is driven by those commercials....because they mean MONEY for the television stations. The MONEY earned drives everything.

To the network programming bigshots that pick the news shows fear and the possibility of fear means viewers, viewers mean MONEY, and MONEY is success in their eyes.

That's why the reality of peaceful demonstrations is ignored...and the possible problems are played up by the news stations.

In the US the major networks have largely ignored the demonstrations. Most of the cable networks are usually broadcasting one piece every day (10-20 Seconds). Same with print media. Some may have a little coverage but its buried deep in the paper. Local media outlets are not covering it all.

I am thankful that all the reputable international media are not reading TV or at least are ignoring it. With all the radical rants, accusations, and name calling here the world would be scared to death.

[Ulysses G.]

Some of the hate-filled psychos posting on Thai Visa are much scarier than any redshirts.

[Naam]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

the cancellation might have another reason. perhaps uncle found out that there are not too many sheep in Thailand

[thedivezone]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

the cancellation might have another reason. perhaps uncle found out that there are not too many sheep in Thailand

Or Auntie found out that there are girls of the horizontal persuasion in Thailand !

[aussimike]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

some people seem to have the shortest memories - old times disease i think its called -- your brain does not even go back one year to the peaceful demonstration during songkran last year -- i sure as hel_l do -- and i also know lots of people who were wanting to visit during this time but cancel as they don t want to see a prepeat of this and it could happen - peaceful so far but early days yet - so who is the pathetic one -

for me even living here is enough and i was forced to stay home as with most other farang resids here --- but then in some small village in isean maybe you would not have experienced this --

[John1012]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

the cancellation might have another reason. perhaps uncle found out that there are not too many sheep in Thailand

There are millions of sheep in Thailand, and will be for many years to come, until the education system improves and teaches the lambs to think independantly.

[Kered]

I do not think that the bomb and grenade attacks are regarded as peaceful by the International community.

Silly because all the new protests have been peaceful. I'm wondering if the world press reports that? Well almost all peaceful but this is Thailand.

[tartempion]

pictures of the blood spilling were published/shown all round the world, as well as the grenade attacks.

Pictures of the blood spilling were published in a very small photo on page 36 of the Times of London two days after it happened. The piece was only read by Chicken Little and his mates.

It was shown on Belgian TV news the next day, I have satellite connection and watch BVN news.

Nevertheless I traveled to Bangkok in the week of March 15th, I don't give a hoot for the demonstrations and was not affected in any way.

[johna]

Demonstrations are relatively peaceful now but, with hand grenades being thrown and, the hard line stance taken by the red shirts, it has the potential to escalate into real violence easily.

Tour operators have a duty to inform their clients of the situation here and the added financial cost civil disturbances can incur, that alone may account for many cancellations.

[fredob43]

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

the cancellation might have another reason. perhaps uncle found out that there are not too many sheep in Thailand

There are millions of sheep in Thailand, and will be for many years to come, until the education system improves and teaches the lambs to think independantly.

Maybe this might give all some idea of the state of teaching in Thailand. A farang friend of mine was talking about the moon the other day to his Thai wife, as at the time it had a halo round it. That's what we call in England a harvest moon. Oh, was the reply, can you see the moon in England as well???

[lioness]

It's not only this current situation that has travellers concerned, some people remember the airport fiasco and are worried the same could happen again, my travel agent in Perth told me she had had 2 sets of cancellations because people were worried about being stuck here.

[noahvail]

OP, how old are your rellies? Seems to me you can break travelers down into three groups by age: the younger ones who say "demonstration? Let's go get pissed up and bash a few heads" (ah, sorry, that's the Aussies ;-) The middle-aged people concerned not so much with the demonstrations as they are with getting around LoS and back home without interruption. Then come the olds, who are fearful of any physical violence that might occur. But it's the middle-aged and the olds who have the disposable income to spendhere.

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

Pathetic? Pragmatic. People do read the warnings - not just advisories, they've been bumped up to warnings - about a country they plan to visit with no knowledge of the language, no knowledge of the customs, and no knowledge of the scams. So the idea of visiting someplace 'new and exotic' holds a smaller value than the fear of violence.

Just my 2 satang..

[aussimike]

OP, how old are your rellies? Seems to me you can break travelers down into three groups by age: the younger ones who say "demonstration? Let's go get pissed up and bash a few heads" (ah, sorry, that's the Aussies ;-) The middle-aged people concerned not so much with the demonstrations as they are with getting around LoS and back home without interruption. Then come the olds, who are fearful of any physical violence that might occur. But it's the middle-aged and the olds who have the disposable income to spendhere.

It's pathetic that someone would be so scared of some people having a demonstration that they cancel a trip like this.

Pathetic? Pragmatic. People do read the warnings - not just advisories, they've been bumped up to warnings - about a country they plan to visit with no knowledge of the language, no knowledge of the customs, and no knowledge of the scams. So the idea of visiting someplace 'new and exotic' holds a smaller value than the fear of violence.

Just my 2 satang..

AUSSI BASHING AGAIN -- where are the moderators = so my 3 satang worth - sure the english are the most polite well behaved soccer spectators the world has ever seen hahaa--

[LuckyLew]

I totally agree with OP's relatives and friends!!!

Why would anyone want to travel to Thailand

with the protest parades going on on the capital?

Was it not last year during Songkran that riots broke out? YUP

Even if you do not stay in Bangkok, Bangkok is still a city that

most visitors here would like to visit for a night or two while

passing thru to other destinations in Thailand.

Who would want to come to Thailand and not be able to

safely tour the capitals city? not I, said I

There are so many other destinations near by that offer

safer conditions, can visit Siam Reap and Phnom Phemp and

Shinoukville. Can visit KL and Penang, or even Bali.

To the OP's friends and family, I say good call!!!

Holidays are to enjoy, relax and take in the sites, not

to spend time avoiding political parades

[Trickcyclist]

Good news is no news!

[roiethome]

At least the queues at immigration at Swampy will be shorter for a few weeks !

[paulchiangmai]

AUSSI BASHING AGAIN -- where are the moderators = so my 3 satang worth - sure the english are the most polite well behaved soccer spectators the world has ever seen hahaa--

Couldn't just take a little joke when it was against Ozzies could you, had to swing it around against the English. Pathetic.

[Tanaka]

Silly because all the new protests have been peaceful. I'm wondering if the world press reports that? Well almost all peaceful but this is Thailand.

Blocking off parts of the capital, preventing people from being able to do their work, threatening the prime minister. You call this peaceful??