Tourist Confusion Rampant, Say Thai Hoteliers

[SABloke]

"Tourism Image" is not really being affected, it is more "Short term Tourism Prospects". The "Tourism Image" of this country has been declining for a while now. very few people return for 2nd or 3rd holidays as most are put off by the treatment they receive. The "Tourism Image" needs to be addressed from a young age - students need to be taught respect for other nations and instructed on how to treat foreigners in general. I remember that we used to receive "culture classes" at school that taught us how to respect other nations. God help me if I ever said, "Hello Chinky" or "Look there's a Chinaman" to a Thai tourist that visited - my mother would have slapped me.

Edited November 3, 2011 by SABloke

[sirchai]

Mr Bailey said that that if people search for "Thailand flooding" online, they will see mostly negative news in international media.

So what is positive about the flooding I wonder. What does he expect?

Isn't that quite understandable? Even people from Europe are always asking me if my area would be affected by the flood, 600 km away from Bangkok.

[cbc]

Most farangs I know head out to Phuket, Krabi, Chiangmai , or Pattaya when landing at the airport. Bangkok is not on their first stop...so it does need to be stressed that the other tourist areas are fine and not under water

Ya, but those that come to chiang mai only stay for 3 or four day's.What's there to do in chiang mai if one stay's any longer.One can only visit so many temples and then you get all templed out.But, most go to and stay in bangkok for more time where there is lot's more to do.

[thaibeachlovers]

The chairman of Central Plaza Hotel Plc should not be surprised that his hotel bookings are down. Rich people will not wish to be inconvenienced an iota, and the slightest bad news will have them changing to another location. Normally they can overlook the unpleasant reality of Thailand's decrepit infrastructure, but bit hard to miss a meter of filthy water.

Conversly, the lower end tourists will still come, despite that being the demographic that the authorities are actively discriminating against. If the authorities aren't careful, they will drive both high and low end tourists away, then we'll see just how big a percentage of the economy tourism actually is.

[SABloke]

Most farangs I know head out to Phuket, Krabi, Chiangmai , or Pattaya when landing at the airport. Bangkok is not on their first stop...so it does need to be stressed that the other tourist areas are fine and not under water

In my opinion it does not need to be stressed - The Internet is World-Wide remember - If you don't know any details about the country you're traveling to, maybe you shouldn't go on holiday. It's not hard to know that Phuket is 800+ k's away if you do a google search.

[galoubet]

I am flying in on the 20th, (at the moment if swampy still has it`s head above water) IF the hotels have some good deals on I will hang around for a few days maybe, otherwise just the 1 night and gone like a dog shot in the ring

My sister-in-law is also flying in on 20 November. She's naturally concerned about the flooding. She emailed her hotel (across the river from Wat Arun) to ask how things were and they replied there was water in the lobby! Sounds good, eh?

[Rinrada]

Staying a couple of days in my old hangout in S19 and the only nam that i have seen in the last few days was composed of the ice - keng in my beer.

Had a quick shufty in the canal opposite and the level is at least 2 meters below rd level so ..??

Also That new T 21 up the soi is really taking off but where do all of those young Thai females get the dosh from.....doing a bomb......and I recon bit "Peng"

Maybe if Blighty was underwater the pound might get stronger....MKO Jai.

[thanuhak]

With so many tourists cancelling, it's actually a good time to fly into Suvarnabhumi Airport, then transfer on to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, or any number of destinations.

Good deals can now be found in many places, and there will be less tourists around.

Ideal in many ways...for those in the know.

[rogerdee123]

Why should the tourists be better of than the citizens?

We all have no clue, what is really going on, so....

Hehehe, exactly what I was going to say. Everyone is confused - in no small part because the "official" news channels constantly produce conflicting reports. Why should tourists know more than the locals?

The other thing about the media is that they love to exaggerate - that sells. So if there is any way they can make the flood seem worse than the tsunami and the nuclear meltdown in Japan at the same time... guess what... they will! Drama sells! That's why I don't watch TV - it's all BS. Stories loosely based on reality, at best, passing themselves off as facts. In other words, lies. The only thing on TV that's not a lie is sports.

If TV news shows flooded towns for 20 hours and empty supermarket shelves for 4 you might get the idea that all of Thailand is under water and there are shortages. Whereas, in Chiang Mai, everything is dry, no floods in sight, sunny days, and the supermarkets are stocked.

I've had to tell a few people that were planning trips to Thailand that, yes, they can come, and no, there won't be any flooding where they're going to, nor any other problems. Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Chiang Mai - all dry.

"The only thing on TV that's not a lie is sports."

hmmmm ... maybe. Except perhaps for cricket in Pakistan.

[BinDhumm]

Learn to adapt

......Love it! It wont help of you hate it!

[BinDhumm]

Why should the tourists be better of than the citizens?

We all have no clue, what is really going on, so....

Hehehe, exactly what I was going to say. Everyone is confused - in no small part because the "official" news channels constantly produce conflicting reports. Why should tourists know more than the locals?

The other thing about the media is that they love to exaggerate - that sells. So if there is any way they can make the flood seem worse than the tsunami and the nuclear meltdown in Japan at the same time... guess what... they will! Drama sells! That's why I don't watch TV - it's all BS. Stories loosely based on reality, at best, passing themselves off as facts. In other words, lies. The only thing on TV that's not a lie is sports.

If TV news shows flooded towns for 20 hours and empty supermarket shelves for 4 you might get the idea that all of Thailand is under water and there are shortages. Whereas, in Chiang Mai, everything is dry, no floods in sight, sunny days, and the supermarkets are stocked.

I've had to tell a few people that were planning trips to Thailand that, yes, they can come, and no, there won't be any flooding where they're going to, nor any other problems. Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Chiang Mai - all dry.

"The only thing on TV that's not a lie is sports."

hmmmm ... maybe. Except perhaps for cricket in Pakistan.

Well, dont be so shure about Samui. We have flood and desaster warnings to come soon. Heavy rain period supposed to start soon. For now, everything ok. Little shortage n singa beer and some goods, but ok. Needed to change to LEO! No probs here yet.

[bridge2bridge]

They are absolutely right. The Australia Network was flashing across the bottom of their screen all day on Sunday, "Flood waters reach the centre of Bangkok". While the inner city may not be the geographical centre of Bangkok, most foreigners would think that it was indeed Silom and Sukumvit that were flooding. The BBC has regularly referred to Don Muang as being Bangkok's main airport. They don't even bother to use the name Don Muang to avoid any confusion.

Yes it is a pity that they don't get the facts right before they print them, Thailand has suffered enough.

[ludditeman]

If I didn't live here, I wouldn't be coming here.

That should be the advice given to all tourists.

At the moment, anything could happen, food shortages, civil unrest, transportation difficulties, serious outbreaks of disease.

[ratcatcher]

T.A.T. vs FOREIGN MEDIA

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"

[Payboy]

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"

No, no, not a failure, just a permanent lack of success.

[DocN]

T.A.T. vs FOREIGN MEDIA

"What we have here is a failure to communicate"

Don't rely on TAT. That organisation is a disaster area! If you think FROC is unorganised and acting like a headless chicken...here is a better one!

[hellodolly]

Most farangs I know head out to Phuket, Krabi, Chiangmai , or Pattaya when landing at the airport. Bangkok is not on their first stop...so it does need to be stressed that the other tourist areas are fine and not under water

Well what you say is true but they should add (this is first hand experience) that there may not be a flood here in Chiang Mai and I suspect other parts of Thailand that are not flooded there is a lack of supplies.

Went into a KFC the other day and there was four items on the menu that they said were out of stock. Down to the tops supermarket no soda pop or Toilet paper. Was in there today and water which usualy takes up about 25 feet of shelving took up about four feet.

Where I live the weekly water order was three days late.

The immediate prospects for a positive change are not to good. Wont be long and no cigarettes no beer.

There is a lot more to tourism to be considered than just no flood. People can make allowances for floods but inconveniences in purchasing every day items will last a long time and it will not be looked back on as a experience where as a flood will be seen as a experience and nothing against the country where it is.

[fred110]

Mr Bailey said that that if people search for "Thailand flooding" online, they will see mostly negative news in international media.

So what is positive about the flooding I wonder. What does he expect?

The 'International Media' read mainstream propagandist a*holes 'report', read focus on/exaggerate only the bad bits in order to flog their crappy newspapers (remember the BBC's reports on the red/yellow debacle? They showed the Philippino electorate donned in THEIR red and yellow party shirts purporting them to be Thai! Dckheads). And who can forget the entire island of Phuket being under water during the tsunami?

Bad news sells. Get your info from Wikileaks, thepeoplesvoicedotorg, or any other news outlet from the plethora on the web to get the truth.

Oh you forgot Thaivisa forums for truth!

[fred110]

Most farangs I know head out to Phuket, Krabi, Chiangmai , or Pattaya when landing at the airport. Bangkok is not on their first stop...so it does need to be stressed that the other tourist areas are fine and not under water

Well what you say is true but they should add (this is first hand experience) that there may not be a flood here in Chiang Mai and I suspect other parts of Thailand that are not flooded there is a lack of supplies.

Went into a KFC the other day and there was four items on the menu that they said were out of stock. Down to the tops supermarket no soda pop or Toilet paper. Was in there today and water which usualy takes up about 25 feet of shelving took up about four feet.

Where I live the weekly water order was three days late.

The immediate prospects for a positive change are not to good. Wont be long and no cigarettes no beer.

There is a lot more to tourism to be considered than just no flood. People can make allowances for floods but inconveniences in purchasing every day items will last a long time and it will not be looked back on as a experience where as a flood will be seen as a experience and nothing against the country where it is.

The KFC chickens now have long thin tails. Be advised.

[BinDhumm]

If I didn't live here, I wouldn't be coming here.

That should be the advice given to all tourists.

At the moment, anything could happen, food shortages, civil unrest, transportation difficulties, serious outbreaks of disease.

Fully agree to your post. Feel excactly this way. Who knows what wiil happen. On Samui: Signha beer out, No fishcans, shortage of veggies rice not everywere. Not a real threat jet. But who knows. Samui is 600 km away from Bangkok!.

[RichardL]

"Tourism Image" is not really being affected, it is more "Short term Tourism Prospects". The "Tourism Image" of this country has been declining for a while now. very few people return for 2nd or 3rd holidays as most are put off by the treatment they receive. The "Tourism Image" needs to be addressed from a young age - students need to be taught respect for other nations and instructed on how to treat foreigners in general. I remember that we used to receive "culture classes" at school that taught us how to respect other nations. God help me if I ever said, "Hello Chinky" or "Look there's a Chinaman" to a Thai tourist that visited - my mother would have slapped me.

Strange. I've known quite a few people who've taken trips to Thailand, and none of them have come back complaining about the locals. Quite the opposite in fact. The friendliness and openness of the Thai people is typically regarded as one of the better points of the country. And no, it's not just "friendly" girls in certain kinds of bars either. People everywhere say hello and want to chat.

People might not come back 2 or 3 times because for most tourists Thailand is a long way away, and people don't typically visit any long-haul destination 2 or 3 times.

For me, this is will be my 3rd trip, but I'm also combining it with visits to Singapore and Cambodia (and anyone thinking flood info in Thailand is hard to find should try getting it for Cambodia).

That said, the news coverage here of the floods is not very good. I think in the UK we are really used to floods that overwhelm an area for a few days, then recede. The news channels don't have the patience to cover a two-month story, so they wait for what looks like key moments, then milk it. The coverage certainly has given the impression that almost the whole city is under water.

That said, even looking at various news sources every day, it is very hard to get any kind on consensus of what is happening, and what is likely to happen. I'm due in to Bangkok of the 30th of November, and I just don't know what to expect. I can read one report saying things will be getting better in a few days time, then read reports saying it's all going to get worse, all on the same day.

At the moment I'm about 70/30 in thinking it'll be OK.

[tlansford]

don't know what TAT is doing, but some hotels are out there promoting now, this link just came from Bangkok Air and Marriott...

hotel deals

[Jaivin2011]

From the comments of some of the posters, it seems that the only referral centres for all tourists are a)Patpong at Silom and Nana at Sukhumvit! I really wonder what trash TAT is attracting to this country and also the quality of certain expats here. I really hope that the whores and also the clients at these trashy areas all simply drown! Thailand really needs a good cleansing.

(PS: I am not a Christian!)

[siampolee]

Jaivin2011

Posted 2011-09-04 22:18:46

The lawyer will be able to get either the police to arrest them when the case is lodged and with a bit of money, bail can be denied esp if they are a foreigner. And while they are sufferring in prison, you can always pay the rpison guards a bit of moneyto make their lives miserable so that they rather pay up the money and the case dropped. I have done this at least 3 times involving unscruplous foreigners and it worked. Civil cases will lead you no where. Most lawayers will always calim that the case cannot be made criminal but a good lawyer can find the way. PM me if you need more details or help for free.Saty away from so called International Lawa Firms or those with British staff, etc......

(PS: I am not a Christian!)

That was indeed plainly obvious from one of your earlier posts.

A model of excellence or perfection of a kind; a peerless example: A veritable paragon of virtue

Edited November 3, 2011 by siampolee

[KeyserSoze01]

Who in their right mind would knowingly fly into a disaster zone for business or holiday? Doesn't matter that the north and south are dry, it's the images in the media and the keystone cops mentality of the powers that be that will keep tourists away. I just rescheduled a business trip to BKK until January due to the situation. Why risk it if you don't have to.

[KeyserSoze01]

Year after year there are issues in Thailand, it makes you think what will be next?

Locusts perhaps, followed by pestilence?

[KeyserSoze01]

double post

Edited November 3, 2011 by KeyserSoze01

[rvbello]

Hoteliers should also do their part to clarify the situation. With all the media resources and past profits at their disposal, they have done very little to mount any serious counter campaign to paint a true picture. They cannot expect foreign media and the government to do their job for them. I advise them to move quickly to stem the tide. Or are they so clueless too?

[Sydebolle]

What do you expect:

SEP 2006 - coup d'etat

NOV 2008 - blockade of airports

APR 2009 - dissolution of ASEAN summit and subsequent randsacking of PEACH at Royal Cliff Pattaya (the rest of the world celebrated Easter and hence could choose between the Pope and some action in Pattaya

APR 2010 - ten weeks of holding Bangkok's downtown hostage

OCT 2011 - manmade floods killing infrastructure, supply chains

In none of the cases the government did anything (like getting the army to restore peace/order or help cleaning up any mess).

All cases were domestic results; all manmade by Thais against Thais rooted in unmatched incompetence combined with corruption on all levels, faces always being higher than money.

Well, let me tell you one thing: the money comes from exports and tourism; get your act together and behave like grown up citizens of this planet.

But then I am fully aware, that this is Thailand and unlike all other formerly colonized neighbours had no external influence. Thailand is being screwed by its own people, the smiling Thais. How sick is that?

[DocN]

don't know what TAT is doing, but some hotels are out there promoting now, this link just came from Bangkok Air and Marriott...

hotel deals

I could exactly tell you what they are doing...or not doing!

But since I work in "the industry", I would rather not do that publicly...