Chiang Mai Pleads For Help As Tourist 'High Season' Seem Very Slow

[Ricardo]

Good, let the tourists stay away.I can now get a tuk tuk trip for 40 baht instead of them trying to rip me off or scam me for 80 to 100 baht for a trip that a thai is only charged 50 baht.There is a saying,that what goes around comes around.Now maybe chiang mai is paying the price for all these scamming tuk tuk driver's and local bussinesses doubling if not trippleing their price's to gain from the tourist's.I say give a fair price and people will maybe return.Rip people off and word gets around.

Good advice which the country/tourist-industry as-a-whole might wish to follow.

[asiawatcher]

Some fee advice for CM. Get rid of all association with reds and watch tourism improve. Why would anyone travel to the heart of red territory? Duh....

[LomSak27]

Some fee advice for CM. Get rid of all association with reds and watch tourism improve. Why would anyone travel to the heart of red territory? Duh....

I'm used to seeing gibberish on Thaivisa asiawatcher but your post stands high on the brainless and painless scale - Best stay in Pattaya, keep the Leo close while you wait for your pension checks. However please do change the singlet though, its rather rank.

[robert00]

I love CM. Then again I'm not Russian, Chinese or Indian. Many Europeans are moving on to other pastures. Not sure the hotel business in CM is going to be expanding anytime soon.

Bring anybody to Chiang Mai, but we definitely dont want Russians here, let them stay in Pataya, that's bad enough

[robert00]

Some fee advice for CM. Get rid of all association with reds and watch tourism improve. Why would anyone travel to the heart of red territory? Duh....

I'm used to seeing gibberish on Thaivisa asiawatcher but your post stands high on the brainless and painless scale - Best stay in Pattaya, keep the Leo close while you wait for your pension checks. However please do change the singlet though, its rather rank.

Why would anybody come to Chiang Mai, because it is the best place in Thailand. Nothing to do with the red Shirts, what they did was fight for the poor and democracy.

[rubl]

Why would anybody come to Chiang Mai, because it is the best place in Thailand. Nothing to do with the red Shirts, what they did was fight for the poor and democracy.

Poor k. Thaksin who said he needs to work to feed his children; and the Thaksin style of democracy we saw emerging in 2005/2006.

I can only assume you are being sarcastic here

Edited October 8, 2010 by rubl

[yesterday]

I love CM. Then again I'm not Russian, Chinese or Indian. Many Europeans are moving on to other pastures. Not sure the hotel business in CM is going to be expanding anytime soon.

i love Cm too but when i tell friends with money over seas about CM they always say Hum.... what is there to do there? i have to hesitate then," play golf!" they look at me and say hel_l we can do that anywhere and most likely better just about anywhere else..

Many people world wide think beaches ,the coast when thinking about vacations . Regardless i love CM . Certainly there are much better places in Thailand for over all fun than CM .

Edited October 8, 2010 by yesterday

[evanson]

And what is in Chiang Mai for tourists if they visit there?

Limited and restrictive nightlife, for whoremongers duel pricing at many tourist destinations, more waterfalls few decent restaurants for farang food and hardly any tour price concessions.

The TAT and police will need to collaborate and rethink their nightlife and adult entertainment restriction policies see whoremongers, better deals for tourists, outlaw duel pricing everywhere, not just CM and more positive promotions of tourist areas and places of interest.

It doesn't require a genius to assess why the tourists are not coming to Chiang Mai. But you're one, right? Think Pattaya more in line with your 'requirements'.

[evanson]

When most people arrive at the airport they are hit by the many scams going on there and in the city and feel they are better off leaving and spending their money in Vietnam, ..., Cambodia etc...Much cheaper there, people are more friendly and they won't get taken at every corner.

Have you even been to these countries? More scams, more cheats and just as expensive.

And not quite so monger friendly.

[mommysboy]

When most people arrive at the airport they are hit by the many scams going on there and in the city and feel they are better off leaving and spending their money in Vietnam, ..., Cambodia etc...Much cheaper there, people are more friendly and they won't get taken at every corner.

Have you even been to these countries? More scams, more cheats and just as expensive.

I've never been to Cambodia, but know a few people who live, have lived, or have just visited there, and to a man they say it's much cheapier, for what they do anyway!

Rents and foreign food are quite a bit more expensive in Cambodia, but I guess that the low end brothels are cheaper.

Usual blind prejudice!! Must get cold out there in outer space.

Certainly these other places aren't as inviting as Thailand in my view, but the problem is that Thailand seems to get more and more expensive, and new rules more and more tiresome.

[mca]

Why would anyone travel to the heart of red territory? Duh....

Somebody not as paranoid as you perhaps?

[sageisreal]

Air quality is one definite reason tourists are and will be staying away from Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is a fine place with plenty to do. The mountains of the North are a true gem of natural beauty, but no one wants to visit a place where they can not breathe half of the year. It used to be only the hot season that was really bad. But the air now seems heavily smoke degraded whenever it is not actively raining. This is a very real, major problem in all of the North that has a direct affect on Chiang Mai.

I am a small business person born in the North. I started out with very little and have worked very hard to try to accomplish something and better my lot in life. I have put everything I have into trying to develop a small tourist resort in the mountains of Thoeng. I only have four bungalows and a small restaurant. I have made it as nice as possible and I am trying to make it a very green project. We grow our own organic vegetables and raise our own eggs. We support the local farmers and markets as well as make jobs for local people. We are trying to cater to educated international travelers who would like to see the real, rural Thailand.

I am writing for help in an effort to make a change. We have a very serious problem here in Northern Thailand. UNCONTROLLED BURNING. The worst smoggy day in Bangkok is like the mountain air at the top of Doi Inthanon compared to the air in Chiang Rai Province in the hot season. This is also a problem in all the other Northern Provinces.

This burning problem used to be only the rice fields for two to three months in the hot season. This was certainly bad enough and I would just close my business for that period. But now people burn the King's trees in the mountains to grow mushrooms and are making huge smoldering fires of corn waste. These smoky fires burn day after day into weeks and months and cause unbearable pollution, ruining our otherwise beautiful environment. The burning seems to go on most of the time when it is not pouring rain. I don't exaggerate when I say the air quality is very unhealthful for at least half of the year and not really clean most of the rest of the time. When it is clear and not smelly and smoky there isn't a more beautiful place on Earth.

The people want to gain from tourism all over Northern Thailand, but as long as this pollution continues foreigners will only laugh at Thailand professing green tourism and natural beauty. Amazing Thailand type advertising may bring them once. But don't you want them to return to explore further and also tell their friends what a beautiful country we have?

The Government is the only recourse for solving this problem. Strong laws must be passed, but they have to have teeth and be enforced. After a few heavy fines and threats of jail time the fires will stop. We as a people must stop this loss of our forest and quality of life. Every human being should have the right to breathe clean air. The waste can be buried and composted. It will become fine new soil in a few years. A strong effort toward this end can only improve tourism, the economy and the health of the people here in the North.

I know there are many political problems facing the country at this time. But this is an urgent matter for the health and well being of the entire country. This pollution will keep away more people than any Red Shirt bomb or demonstration ever could.

For these reasons, all those in the tourist industry should get behind pushing the government to stop this uncontrolled burning and educate the farmers to a better way of dealing with agricultural waste. I know clearing the skies of the Northern half of the country can be accomplished. It has been done in other countries quite quickly and successfully. It is simple, you stop the burning and the smoke goes away. If Thailand wants to promote itself as green and as a world class tourist destination this problem has to be addressed.

I hope all of you in the tourist industry will give this situation the attention it so sorely deserves. Each and everyone of you can make a difference. Make yourselves heard by the people in charge of the environment and the heads of tourism related departments.

In all hope for a bright future for Thailand, Doublearrow

Air quality is much better in CM than in BKK mate

[JimShortz]

And what is in Chiang Mai for tourists if they visit there?

Limited and restrictive nightlife, duel pricing at many tourist destinations, few decent restaurants and hardly any tour price concessions.

The TAT and police will need to collaborate and rethink their nightlife and adult entertainment restriction policies, better deals for tourists, outlaw duel pricing and more positive promotions of tourist areas and places of interest.

It doesn't require a genius to assess why the tourists are not coming to Chiang Mai.

I am really not in any way in favour of DUEL PRICING - that sounds really dangerous to me. I don't like guns and don't see why I should have to fight to get a fair price...

[Ulysses G.]

Usual blind prejudice!! Must get cold out there in outer space.

Not so blind, I've actually been to Cambodia a number of times and rents and foreign food are more expensive. They have to import most things from Thailand and Vietnam, so things are more dear.

[Ulysses G.]

Air quality is one definite reason tourists are and will be staying away from Northern Thailand.

Air quality is much better in CM than in BKK mate

You can't argue with that.

[hammered]

Some fee advice for CM. Get rid of all association with reds and watch tourism improve. Why would anyone travel to the heart of red territory? Duh....

In terms of CM attracting back monied up Thai tourism that would be a good move. Songkhran was bad for CM but good for many other Songkhran party places as CM was avoided by a lot of Thai indigenous tourism for exactly the reasons you say. Other areas will continue to do better as CM suffers until the link with exreme elements of the reds (51 are basically a neo-facist violent movement) is broken or reconcilliation actually occurs.

[hammered]

I love CM. Then again I'm not Russian, Chinese or Indian. Many Europeans are moving on to other pastures. Not sure the hotel business in CM is going to be expanding anytime soon.

Bring anybody to Chiang Mai, but we definitely dont want Russians here, let them stay in Pataya, that's bad enough

Xenophobia at its best

[canuckamuck]

What is this dribble about the reds being a reason to stay away from Chiang Mai?

While Bangkok was held captive for a month and then set on fire over the bodies of the 90+ victims. Chiang Mai had about two hours of boisterous activity that culminated in the burning of a single ancient fire truck.

If anything, I would head to Chiang Mai if the red shirt trouble got bad, I would certainly avoid Bangkok though.

[davehowden]

Air quality is one definite reason tourists are and will be staying away from Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is a fine place with plenty to do. The mountains of the North are a true gem of natural beauty, but no one wants to visit a place where they can not breathe half of the year. It used to be only the hot season that was really bad. But the air now seems heavily smoke degraded whenever it is not actively raining. This is a very real, major problem in all of the North that has a direct affect on Chiang Mai.

I am a small business person born in the North. I started out with very little and have worked very hard to try to accomplish something and better my lot in life. I have put everything I have into trying to develop a small tourist resort in the mountains of Thoeng. I only have four bungalows and a small restaurant. I have made it as nice as possible and I am trying to make it a very green project. We grow our own organic vegetables and raise our own eggs. We support the local farmers and markets as well as make jobs for local people. We are trying to cater to educated international travelers who would like to see the real, rural Thailand.

I am writing for help in an effort to make a change. We have a very serious problem here in Northern Thailand. UNCONTROLLED BURNING. The worst smoggy day in Bangkok is like the mountain air at the top of Doi Inthanon compared to the air in Chiang Rai Province in the hot season. This is also a problem in all the other Northern Provinces.

This burning problem used to be only the rice fields for two to three months in the hot season. This was certainly bad enough and I would just close my business for that period. But now people burn the King's trees in the mountains to grow mushrooms and are making huge smoldering fires of corn waste. These smoky fires burn day after day into weeks and months and cause unbearable pollution, ruining our otherwise beautiful environment. The burning seems to go on most of the time when it is not pouring rain. I don't exaggerate when I say the air quality is very unhealthful for at least half of the year and not really clean most of the rest of the time. When it is clear and not smelly and smoky there isn't a more beautiful place on Earth.

The people want to gain from tourism all over Northern Thailand, but as long as this pollution continues foreigners will only laugh at Thailand professing green tourism and natural beauty. Amazing Thailand type advertising may bring them once. But don't you want them to return to explore further and also tell their friends what a beautiful country we have?

The Government is the only recourse for solving this problem. Strong laws must be passed, but they have to have teeth and be enforced. After a few heavy fines and threats of jail time the fires will stop. We as a people must stop this loss of our forest and quality of life. Every human being should have the right to breathe clean air. The waste can be buried and composted. It will become fine new soil in a few years. A strong effort toward this end can only improve tourism, the economy and the health of the people here in the North.

I know there are many political problems facing the country at this time. But this is an urgent matter for the health and well being of the entire country. This pollution will keep away more people than any Red Shirt bomb or demonstration ever could.

For these reasons, all those in the tourist industry should get behind pushing the government to stop this uncontrolled burning and educate the farmers to a better way of dealing with agricultural waste. I know clearing the skies of the Northern half of the country can be accomplished. It has been done in other countries quite quickly and successfully. It is simple, you stop the burning and the smoke goes away. If Thailand wants to promote itself as green and as a world class tourist destination this problem has to be addressed.

I hope all of you in the tourist industry will give this situation the attention it so sorely deserves. Each and everyone of you can make a difference. Make yourselves heard by the people in charge of the environment and the heads of tourism related departments.

In all hope for a bright future for Thailand, Doublearrow

[davehowden]

What a refreshingly intelligent comment from doublearrow.

Another thought for the tourist industry perhaps, if the CNX International Airport was truly intenational, tourists could come directly here without wasting their time and money in BKK.

Yes, double pricing does p...s people off, not because of the cost but the principle, and I have found Vietnam to be much cheaper and just as relaxing with a much better internal bus facility than here, it may be only a matter of time before CNX slips back to being a nice quite place where Thais live happily without a tourist industry to worry about.

[klikster]

Air quality is one definite reason tourists are and will be staying away from Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai is a fine place with plenty to do. The mountains of the North are a true gem of natural beauty, but no one wants to visit a place where they can not breathe half of the year. It used to be only the hot season that was really bad. But the air now seems heavily smoke degraded whenever it is not actively raining. This is a very real, major problem in all of the North that has a direct affect on Chiang Mai.

<snip>

@doublearrow - Well said and spot on. The air quality was the primary reason I moved away from Chiang Mai.

[animatic]

Between the exchange rate and the Red Shirts political actions Chaing mai has become something of a pariah region for many travelers. Thaksin has done an amazing job of screwing his own home region in fantastic and near term barely repairable ways, for his own aggrandizement. But we can't ignore the ongoing world wide financial crisis in this equation either. The combination has certainly taken Chaing Mai off the tourist map in a big way. Coupled to that, it is lovely but a week there has exhausted most things to do, and coupling that to very bad air and EXPENSIVE, is a losing proposition.

Edited October 10, 2010 by animatic

[MartinBKK]

What a refreshingly intelligent comment from doublearrow.

Another thought for the tourist industry perhaps, if the CNX International Airport was truly intenational, tourists could come directly here without wasting their time and money in BKK.

Yes, double pricing does p...s people off, not because of the cost but the principle, and I have found Vietnam to be much cheaper and just as relaxing with a much better internal bus facility than here, it may be only a matter of time before CNX slips back to being a nice quite place where Thais live happily without a tourist industry to worry about.

The lack of flights from here must be a concern for some.

Recently, i have watched some international and domestic flights get cancelled and there weren't that many to start with.

[LivinLOS]

Why would anybody want to go all the way up there?? Ive been living here for 11 years and never occurred to me to go to CM. I presume the police and tourist scams are just as bad as BKK. Thailand is now an expensive holiday destination.Even Kaosan road,bkk is no longer a genuine backpacker district. Its full of renovated and expensive looking boutique bars and guest houses 800 b a night..HUH!!! Bali ,Fiji, and tahiti are looking better everyday. TAT will bury their head in the sand. maipen rai

Because it is arguably the best city of Thailand if you don't care about beaches, at least for a short term visit. If it never occured to you to go there, you probably aren't interested much in travel.

You presume wrong. There are scams but then again what city doesn't have them, but certainly not as bad as Bangkok. Don't know about the police.

Chiang Mai is a cheap holiday destination. Cheaper than Bali, and certainly much cheaper than Fiji and Tahiti?

800 baht a night is "expensive"? Wow. Anyway there's plenty of decent 600 baht / night room in Bangkok, if you know where to look.

I was begining to think there must be two Chiang Mai's in Thailand.

I'll be back in CM on Christmas day, but not in the shitty boring town that some posters atre portraying.

It's a great laid back place, maybe a place you'd want to live more than holiday in, but my wife and I are very happy visiting three times a each year, until about three years time when we intewnd spending about half the year there a la Ian Forbes.

Mind you I have to tell you it's a bit dearer than Bali,(spent a week in CM and a week in Bali in May), but certainly miles cheaper than Fiji & Thahiti.

I spent 6000 baht for one month for a clean, centrally located studio with relatively fast internet, cable tv and aircon in CM. You would have to spend at least twice, if not triple, to find the equivalent in Bali.

My brothers last 2 bed house on a secure gated compound directly above a world famous surf spot was 2500 usd a year.. Hes now moved and is paying 1000 USD a year for a 2 bed but in a less nice development. 30k baht a year !!