Thai Tourism Severly Hit By Grenade Attacks At Bangkok's Silom Rd

[thelinguist]

What do you mean tourist not coming. All my chum's are, they will be arriving BKK in the next week or two. Just one small problem they'll be in transit on there way to Bali.

It is plan for Mr. T to destroy Thailand bit at a time. First truism, they export industry. Don't be full to think they are safe, unless this madness is stooped little by little other industry will be effected. I saw the stock market going down and every one that that was safe. The ones that will be mostly effected are the poor, the Issan and for sure the Red shirt folks.

WOW,

You really need to read your stuff before posting. Your spelling, grammar and word-choices are attrocious. I wonder what the annual income is for the truism industry ? Or, am I just being a full ?

Before launching into criticism, have you considered that perhaps Givenall's first language is not English, in which case you are indeed a "full".

WOW

How stupid is this guy. Even a complete tool should have realized by the end of the first sentence that this posters first language isn't English. But great job on encouraging him for future posts. Job well done. Round of applause please guys.

[danc]

The Brits will still come as they love a good fight and think it will be cheap.

The Germans will still come to make sure the Brits don't have it all to themselves.

The Swedes will still come because Sweden is shut in the winter for the Thai holidays.

The Ruskies and the Ukranians and the Moldovans and the other ones from around there will still come as TAT signed them all up on package deals until 2020.

The Aussies will still come because they will think they are in Bali.

The Yanks will still come because they have never left since the spat in the late 60's.

And nobody cares whether the French come anyway.

Apologies to all other nationalities that have been forgotten but you come in such small numbers, you don't count.

Asian tourists meanwhile heard a firecracker go off sometime in 2007 and have not been seen since, so again don't count.

On a more serious note, I should add a recent study actually concluded that goldfish have very good memories..google it! The 3 second memory span like political stability in LOS is but an urban myth.

[elcent]

Maybe just change the marketing ploys. There used to be a very popular Chinese restaurant in San Francisco with just OK food but they packed them in because of a famous waiter who would insult the customers. Masochism and delicious Asian food, it's a winner!

You mean change the jingle from the 'land of smiles' to 'the land of M79s'?

maybe with shows scheduled? like the banana shooting shows? OMG!!!

[fleming]

<<Thai Tourism Severly Hit>>

Similar to goldfish, tourists are animals with extremely short memory...

being a bit hard on goldfish, are you?

yes... indeed... may be tourists beat them by couple of micro sec!

all this sounds so ridiculous... and antarai at the same time. Just hoping that Mr T just forget about "his own(ed)" money and leave the scene asap.

[tmwke]

Yes were all in trouble,as the situation gets worse more hedge fund money comes in,and the Baht gets stronger the prices of everything goes up and the pound and the doller go down. If there was a nuclear in Bangkok the pound would be about 19 to the Baht. Only in (Thailand) !

[xilef]

<<Thai Tourism Severly Hit>>

Similar to goldfish, tourists are animals with extremely short memory...

being a bit hard on goldfish, are you?

Call me a tourfish, I'll be there in two weeks.

[jefro]

Yes were all in trouble,as the situation gets worse more hedge fund money comes in,and the Baht gets stronger the prices of everything goes up and the pound and the doller go down. If there was a nuclear in Bangkok the pound would be about 19 to the Baht. Only in (Thailand) !

I don't understand why hedge fund money would come into Thailand now. Where would it go ? SET ? Buying THB ?

Please help me understand.

[ppmacready]

Having read through all the posts so far, I think, to one extent or another, I can agree with all of them .

I honestly think that Thailand has really stuffed it this time. My prediction it will be at least a year before anything like a smile appears on those whose income comes mainly from tourists. But, your right, people do have short memories. They will return, but to what proportion?

And yes Korn/Finance clearly thinks when he is talking to the average savvy westener, they don't know he's lieing and full of sh*t.

And yes Retdson, I agree. What marketing strategy will they come up with to try and get them back? I'm sure they're banking on "there's one born everyday" in tourist market and they will be easily sucked in with "The Thai smile or Amazing Thailand" and so forth.

In their figures I'm sure they don't count all the millions that don't go through the books (not declared) especially from the massive sex industry. I mean it could be 10,12 or 15%. But, it's pretty hard to admit while your strutting around on the world stage that 10 or 15% of your GDP comes from prostitution.

Only 3% of prostitutes are used by tourists!

97% are used by Thais.

[jackdawson]

from an estimated 15 million visitors down to 10 million

a 33% drop

now that's the best news i've heard all day

those of us living here, provided we keep our heads down, r gonna' own bangkok

now if they could just get paragon reopened...dam_n i miss that "scenery"

[anotheruser]

This is shocking news.... tourists not willing to go to a state where war is breaking out? I have a guesthouse and will triple my prices now. That's how we roll. I realize it is a bit fuktarded.

[barky]

Having read through all the posts so far, I think, to one extent or another, I can agree with all of them .

I honestly think that Thailand has really stuffed it this time. My prediction it will be at least a year before anything like a smile appears on those whose income comes mainly from tourists. But, your right, people do have short memories. They will return, but to what proportion?

And yes Korn/Finance clearly thinks when he is talking to the average savvy westener, they don't know he's lieing and full of sh*t.

And yes Retdson, I agree. What marketing strategy will they come up with to try and get them back? I'm sure they're banking on "there's one born everyday" in tourist market and they will be easily sucked in with "The Thai smile or Amazing Thailand" and so forth.

In their figures I'm sure they don't count all the millions that don't go through the books (not declared) especially from the massive sex industry. I mean it could be 10,12 or 15%. But, it's pretty hard to admit while your strutting around on the world stage that 10 or 15% of your GDP comes from prostitution.

Only 3% of prostitutes are used by tourists!

97% are used by Thais.

Your figures could well be correct. That'a the point. Nobody really knows what the figure is, but everyone believes it to be massive.

But, importantly you must remember the 97% (I think a little less, but lets stick with your number) that you mentioned only pay half (or less) the price, AND none of it is foreign currency.

Also, mixed into the foreign income figures should be that generated by the enormous numbers of Japs, Koreans, Chinese and other Asians who cum here.

[ThailandTommy]

Thailand is getting what it deserves!

Other than Thais or falang with businesses linked to the tourist industry who really gives a flying fuc_k about the tourist industry here?

I care as much as a Thai cares about tourism in Iceland!!!

[SiangDeeMahk]

It looks like the country is hel_l bent on trying to get rid of the high end tourists now too, by serial political instability and pitched street battles. One has to wonder what class of tourist there is left who would want to come here?

The answer:

Clearly, the one class of (or classless) tourist that is "primaly" (hormonally?) driven to come to places like Thailand; the ubiquitous sex tourist.

Perhaps understandable; it IS pretty difficult to deter primal instincts. And maybe riots in the big streets wont bother them much; they don't much bother with sightseeing in public places, just agogobars, and the like. Single-minded ones won't even need to ride a grenade-prone Skytrain; they'll room in a crappy little hotel in line-of-sight of the neon-festooned bars, and just traipse between the two, on foot.

However, even the hardened (no pun intended) sextourist might start being more ginger about travel to the S.E. Asian sex capital, especially after the typical Thai reaction to "reduction of consumption due to an increasingly lower supply of customers" starts taking effect (yes, highly predictable Thai price doubling, or tripling) once the bottom COMPLETELY drops out of the normal tourism sector.

After all, similar product is already available in surrounding countries, (soon to be) for less, and with generally less chance of a massive civil war (read: powerplay plot) being prodded to fruition, right on a Skytrain platform.

If the LOS doesn't start paying attention to globally applied laws of supply and demand, and more importantly, prices based on what the market will bear (and MUCH more importantly of course, stabilize this ridiculous corrupt cash-driven play-for-lost-power nonsense that's now wrecked {yes, already wrecked} the desperately needed tourism sector), I don't think a recovery will happen for a very long time. Tourism might not be the only aspect to a country's income, (even though Thailand is adamantly insistent that Tourism is a minimal part of it's income; a patent lie) but it's a signpost.. a "health indicator" to viability for other (larger) business, and income. Ya don't see anyone rushing to put their factories up in Afghanistan or Somalia, do ya? You're probably not gonna see an increase of objects in the world with "Made in Pakistan", or "Product of North Korea" stamped on the back anytime soon either, for the same reasons you're not gonna see an increase in tourism there. (please consider http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p..._5-3-2009_pg5_3, and http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...ticle667040.ece)

Not a coincidence, folks.

And if tourists forget about things as goldfish do (debatable, when YouTube clips of innocent foreigners being strechered from bombed train stations will remain in circulation forever), I suggest that International Investors have better memories.

Simply amazing how incalculably wrong Thailand seems to get it, time after time.

Amazing Thailand.

[TAWP]

But, importantly you must remember the 97% (I think a little less, but lets stick with your number) that you mentioned only pay half (or less) the price, AND none of it is foreign currency.

They are not paying half. In normal massage places around here, aiming for the middle class, the prices are slightly above those of the red light districts (and some would say the class of the merchandise is aswell) and the clear majority of the customers is Asians and Thai from what I see. See: Poseidon etc etc,.

[gemini81]

The Brits will still come as they love a good fight and think it will be cheap.

The Germans will still come to make sure the Brits don't have it all to themselves.

The Swedes will still come because Sweden is shut in the winter for the Thai holidays.

The Ruskies and the Ukranians and the Moldovans and the other ones from around there will still come as TAT signed them all up on package deals until 2020.

The Aussies will still come because they will think they are in Bali.

The Yanks will still come because they have never left since the spat in the late 60's.

And nobody cares whether the French come anyway.

Apologies to all other nationalities that have been forgotten but you come in such small numbers, you don't count.

Asian tourists meanwhile heard a firecracker go off sometime in 2007 and have not been seen since, so again don't count.

On a more serious note, I should add a recent study actually concluded that goldfish have very good memories..google it! The 3 second memory span like political stability in LOS is but an urban myth.

Hilarious..half joking, half true! I'm sure somebody'll be offended though!

[melbpete]

Only 3% of prostitutes are used by tourists!

97% are used by Thais.

But the 3% are bringing money into the country.

[rreddin]

One has to wonder what class of tourist there is left who would want to come here?

absolutely ! number of countries already warned 'due to the state of emergence and all the violence, insurance will not be covered in Thailand'

A very good point. It was only a few days ago that the head of TAT was complaining that by labelling certain anti-government protesters as "terrorists", the government had damaged the tourism industry simply because tourists would not be able to get travel insurance to come here. Those, like me, who are here may find they are no longer covered.

IMHO, the target of 15 million visitors was over-optimistic. The effects of the recession in many "Western" countries coupled with the strong baht has priced Thailand out of the pockets of a lot of potential visitors. Even without the current round of protests, the private sector's best guess of 12 milion tourists was at the top end of the scale. As it is, reaching 10 million might be tough.

[rreddin]

One has to wonder what class of tourist there is left who would want to come here?

Hmm, the truly adventurous, the thrill-seekers, the suicidal

See! 3 groups at least...

Simon

Very drole! Seriously though, the problem is that most 3 week tourists (as opposed to the wandering backpacker) book their holidays months and months in advance. So even if it quietens down now, what's to say the whole thing isn't going to kick off again sometime down the road? Coming to Thailand these days is probably analogous to taking a hill walking holiday on Katla in Iceland...

Economics my dear fellow! If they have booked through a travel company on a"package" type deal, the earlier a tourist cancels, the bigger their refund. That means many people intending to head to places like Phuket, Krabi and Samui later in the year may already hae cancelled their trip and are planning to go to another country. That is compounded by the fact that travel insurance might be hard to ge for Thailand.

[vespachiangmai]

Maybe just change the marketing ploys. There used to be a very popular Chinese restaurant in San Francisco with just OK food but they packed them in because of a famous waiter who would insult the customers. Masochism and delicious Asian food, it's a winner!

omg you mean Edsel fords right? upstairs place kitchen downstairs. ok noodles after a long night, but san francisco has tons of better chinese restaurants

[vespachiangmai]

Only 3% of prostitutes are used by tourists!

97% are used by Thais.

But the 3% are bringing money into the country.

100 % correct that and those that follow under the 3% can leave and go back to issan the 97% many are no more than slaves

[madi]

Thailand is getting what it deserves!

Other than Thais or falang with businesses linked to the tourist industry who really gives a flying fuc_k about the tourist industry here?

I care as much as a Thai cares about tourism in Iceland!!!

Well said and to the point.

BUT

When we get this angry or sick about the nonsense here, perhaps it is time to leave.

[tweezer]

Well, the Wookies aren't afraid to come to Bangkok.

Edited April 25, 2010 by tweezer

[Scepisle]

The Brits will still come as they love a good fight and think it will be cheap.

The Germans will still come to make sure the Brits don't have it all to themselves.

The Swedes will still come because Sweden is shut in the winter for the Thai holidays.

The Ruskies and the Ukranians and the Moldovans and the other ones from around there will still come as TAT signed them all up on package deals until 2020.

The Aussies will still come because they will think they are in Bali.

The Yanks will still come because they have never left since the spat in the late 60's.

And nobody cares whether the French come anyway.

Apologies to all other nationalities that have been forgotten but you come in such small numbers, you don't count.

Asian tourists meanwhile heard a firecracker go off sometime in 2007 and have not been seen since, so again don't count.

On a more serious note, I should add a recent study actually concluded that goldfish have very good memories..google it! The 3 second memory span like political stability in LOS is but an urban myth.

The french ?? My friend told me he saw a couple of Frenchies outside Bangkok airport the other day trying to surrender to a taxi driver....

[SiangDeeMahk]

Well, the Wookies aren't afraid to come to Bangkok.

But, even the Wookie is wondering what all the silly sharp sticks are for; Wookies use crossbows, and so, would actually be more advanced than Redshirts (cause that's what the Redshirts would like you to believe); they claim to only demonstrate peacfully with cleverly displayed low-tech sticks, but actually wield stolen highpowered weapons.

May the Farce not Be With You..

[djlest]

OMG hahaha

Fair play someone with a bold sense of humor....

Thats brilliant.... ahahahahaha

[TAWP]

Ahaha, epic photos in the making.

[tweezer]

When asked whether he was concerned with the security situation on Silom, Chewbacca explained, "Ahrgdlrdlrdlrdlrdlrdlrdlrrrr".

[ericthai]

One has to wonder what class of tourist there is left who would want to come here?

absolutely ! number of countries already warned 'due to the state of emergence and all the violence, insurance will not be covered in Thailand'

And in any case, if you were rich would you come to Thailand? A friend of mine stayed in a so called 5 star hotel, when the cable tv failed they still sent up the ubiquitous idiot with a screwdriver, and all else was as you'd expect, dodgy light switches, mega cold air con, and noise, noise, noise.

Hardly 'millionaires paradise'.

I've always doubted this GDP tourism figure of 6%, especially as globally it's 10% I think (not sure).

But Thai governments have stated time and again that tourism is not important to them. I think that's a big mistake, it's a service industry that keeps a few million employed and 'off the streets'.

Yes we can clearly see, big, big mistake. Typical greed failing to see more complex issues.

Guess your friend did not really stay at a 5 star hotel, I have stayed at several (Sheraton, Hilton, Dusit etc) and never a problem, everything is top notch.

Can you show me where and when the govt has stated "Tourism is not important to them"? I been living here for over 10 years and never read or heard the govt say anything like this. If what you are saying is true then why did the govt create TAT to promote Thailand as a tourist place and pay to place ads on TV worldwide, I mean if they dont really care about tourism as you say they have stated many times why would they spend money to do these things?

[traderjm]

And in any case, if you were rich would you come to Thailand? A friend of mine stayed in a so called 5 star hotel, when the cable tv failed they still sent up the ubiquitous idiot with a screwdriver, and all else was as you'd expect, dodgy light switches, mega cold air con, and noise, noise, noise.

Care to name the Property? Prior to living here I came at least a dozen or so times and always stayed at the Mandarin Oriental and not only never found fault with them but found it to be among the nicest properties I've stayed at worldwide.. perhaps your friend is pulling your leg or had trouble counting the number of stars.

[mommysboy]

And in any case, if you were rich would you come to Thailand? A friend of mine stayed in a so called 5 star hotel, when the cable tv failed they still sent up the ubiquitous idiot with a screwdriver, and all else was as you'd expect, dodgy light switches, mega cold air con, and noise, noise, noise.

Care to name the Property? Prior to living here I came at least a dozen or so times and always stayed at the Mandarin Oriental and not only never found fault with them but found it to be among the nicest properties I've stayed at worldwide.. perhaps your friend is pulling your leg or had trouble counting the number of stars.

Care to name? Nope as I wasn't there, but yes I beleve it to be a true account. I did have first hand experience of a restaurant at one of the Amari hotels and it was pretty sh*** in all honesty. And my perception of Thai service as a whole is that it is a joke.

As my friend is a bit of a computer whizz I imagine he probably can make it from 1-5!!

Regarding your experience, well I guess we all have different perceptions, ie, I dare say some others regard your sad sarcasm as dry wit!