A Lousy Tourism Year

[Khun ?]

Cool Man!!!!

I feel the same, all disadvantaged Farangs, Burmesse,Loations and anyone else that feels they have a worth should be able to stay as long as they want. Of course

this is only if they have enough cash to make it to the boarder once a month or

every third month. No immigration law has the right to step all over our rights,

besides when we feel, we have had enough, we will leave, we do not need some

government to set rules for us trend setters. I am sure everyone needs food the way they had it back home to include a few billion people from India amoung other

places and why should it be provided only by those that can meet the immigration

laws. Of course thats not right to us disadvantaged farangs that could not meet

the immigration laws after all we made it here right. I am sorry SBK you are stuck in a mans world, there has been far more men that have been eaten alive

by a few savey bar girls and they did not get a free ticket in country. Preying on the farang is meant for the mom & pop trinket shop or place that does nothing

of any value that could be done by a local. You want to cry about the poor Isan family that has nothing but then it is ok for some farang to open up shop for his wife making a 1000 baht a day while he does the monthly boarder hop. Oh yes this is a great help to the community. If the shoe fits wear it is all I can tell you.

I am not going to make excuses why I could not make it back home it is just great to be here....... Wah Wah Wah all the way to the bank.

[Georgie-Porgie]

If one wants to know why you couldn't make it at home, all they have to do is read your posts.

[sbk]

Well, since I am here on a legitimate marriage visa, our business is family owned and paid for (by my Thai husband's family), my husband's family is local and has been here for many generations and our employees are local, obviously Khun, you must be referring to someone else that you know nothing about!

And if you are so keen on big hotels and large corporations perhaps you should go in their kitchens and see where the chef comes from, interview all their staff and see where they come from, perhaps you should check out their menus and see how much local food is on it. I mean, lets face it, you don't get a real thailand experience at the Hyatt!

Georgie, I give up on this guy, what a waste of my typing energy when I could go and talk about diarrhea on another thread!

[Khun ?]

Georgie

I am still working as I have always done for the last 30 years. I have enough

money in Thailand already to meet the under 50 requirements and have enough

in savings outside of Thailand to meet the over 50 for at least 20 years.

I do not stay in the big hotels but do require the one I stay at to have a pool, still normally under a 1000 baht. I normally eat western food but have no problem with food on a stick.

I have done the backpacker thing and everything anyone else has done that goes to Co Phanga Island. I am just a hansum man or at least am told so by many in Thailand. Go figure, I had no silver spoon but then again I never ended up less than a fart in a foreign country... Happy Holidays

[Guest IT Manager]

Khun? generally you are fairly reasonable in your posts. In these couple you were not reasonable.

I will assume you have been out late and gotten a skinful, and leave it at that. Try in future to talk less shit. It goes down a treat with me, and from the responses to your trash of the night, with several others as well.

IT

[Khun ?]

It

I will tone it down, actuallyI am at work and have not had a drink since May of this year. I have to stay at work 24/7 until the guy that works for me returns from vacation in a few months then it is 12/7. I think I am fair with my post but know it hits a nerve with many. i do not mind when they cuss me out and it could be interesting and good for the ratings. I wish all the best.

[Guest IT Manager]

All that happens to the ratings is I get cussed for not moderating you. I hate working 24/7 but I don't beat me wife any more either. (joke Julia).

All I ask is that you be a little more thoughtful about what you say. Read before you post and look for problems being caused even inadvertently.

Thanks for you understanding.

[plachon]

Yes 80,000 baht a week but this includes sanuk for the friends and drinks and

food and normally not at cheap places plus golf for the group and hotels, trips to islands, whatever when ever. I know it is to much but when you work 7 days a week and no time for sanuk at all to include not even a beer once in a while it is easy to go overboard a little. The favor will be returned in the future as I am considering retiring soon and my friends are already building me a little place to live (when I am not traveling) on their property at no cost to me.

It is in a very high cost area around golf courses and just a bit outside of town.

What comes around goes around.

Looks like you're heading towards becoming one of those Chinese / farang live-like-the-locals away from the 7 days-a-week rat-race people you despise so much? Just hope your friends like you as much when you're not spending 80K a week on them, Khun Loadsamoney Spendalot Knowitall.

[Mig15]

The backpacker of today, the gap year student, is the “high end tourist” of tomorrow.

Sex tourists come here because there is a sex industry. The industry did not start when the tourists arrived. Tourist break the law because the laws are not enforced consistently if at all. They offend Thai cultural sensibilities because those sensibilities are not easily defined – sex industry against Thai culture but Thailand has a big sex industry.

If the government wants to clean up the image they need to go to the root of the problem – poverty, attitudes, respect, fair play and human rights.

[Khun ?]

Mig15

Pretty well said. To bad so many of them get lost on the way to "the high end" and

end up being destitute Isan providers. My Gap year was when I was 15 I took a few months off to play sports.

[Indo-Siam]

In case anyone is interested in the real numbers, take a look at Thai Tourist Statistics

Until about a month ago, they had an excellent comparison graph at the bottom of this page, showing monthly tourist arrivals, as well as year-to-date cumulative figures, by end of each month.

It was very useful in identifying the impact of SARS, March- July. If I recall correctly, I think May and June were down about 90% from same months in 2002.

My read - international tourists for 2003 will be down about 11% overall, compared to 2002. For last six months of year, tourism will be about flat even with 2002. SARS hurt - badly. APEC helped - but only incrementally.

I will project that 2004 figures will be just about as projected - but a lot of the visitors (15%?) will be "business" tourists, as opposed to "leisure" tourists.

Cheers!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[email protected]

www.thaitradedata.com

[Khun ?]

plachon

Thailand is only one place in a world of many so I do not need for what I cannot provide on my own. I also will not stay around someone else country stinking up the place if I cannot afford to do it right and respectfuly be at my own means.

[Kan Win]

MIGHT terrorism and SARS have had some impact  for 2003 ?

SARS for Kan Win. Ochh

[plachon]

plachon

Thailand is only one place in a world of many so I do not need for what I cannot provide on my own. I also will not stay around someone else country stinking up the place if I cannot afford to do it right and respectfuly be at my own means.

Khun Spoutalot,

let me get this straight - the "little place" your drinking buddies are building for you out of the kindness of their hearts for their magnanimous provider is really just yours anyway then, the way you see it? As you're such an independent chappie who really could be swanning around any part of this little oyster at your leisure, why on earth did you choose Thailand to have a pied a terre, as opposed to Cannes, the Bahamas, Hawaii or some other sunny paradise? Carry on doing it "right", good sir, but please allow the rest of us to wallow in our own smells, which get nicely mixed up with the local pla rah odours, thank you v. much.

[Khun ?]

actually I could not tell you other than we have been friends for years and they are building on the land anyways. I am single and they are mostly family oriented

so it is a nice offer if I end up outside of town for a few days I am sure they would have other uses than just me also. I guess it would be easier for them to excuse themself from the family responsiblities and make the runs around the country

like I do rather than them calling me to find out if I need to go anywhere when in town. It is not unusual for us to decide one night that the next day we want to play golf a few hundred k's away for a couple days.

I do not stay in one place very long when in Thailand and there is many places

I would enjoy traveling to before I would ever spend all my time in Thailand,

but it does have the possiblity to be a nice winter place to stay for a few months.

Hawaii and Saipan would be nice for a visit and the Baltic areas was also beautiful and half the price of thailand as far as value for money is concerned. South America has maybe even better possiblities even if the nicer places cost a bit more. Even UAE is a nice place to spend part of a winter season. I really could not see putting myself in a situation where I need to live in cheap places and count each baht to the next pay day when retired, might as well keep working if this is the case. Anyways I may pick up a teaching job in thailand just for punisment

or maybe even a time share salesman.

[Dove]

It may be time to move on. There is still Laos, Vietnam and Camodia. I guess if Myanmar was open many of us would be running there too. Why sit and grumble, things are not going to change without an exodus of expats.

Thailand is rising to fast and will explode and be less competitive soon, it is time to be pioneers again and venture to the neighbours.

The sex tourist have moved because the availability and price for such services are cheaper next door.