Global Drive To Bring Back Tourists To Thailand

[ROMANOBA]

Expensive compared to which country? Compared with North America,Europe and Australia Thailand is bloody cheap.Maybe that some destinations in the region like Laos or Cambogia are cheaper, but have very little to offer compared to Thailand...Philippines?Horrible food and expensive hotels,Africa?Most countries there are much more expensive than Thailand.Rip offs?Yes, but we are talking about very isolated cases and concerning unimportant matters.People come to Thailand because it's still BLOODY CHEAP compared to their own country and because the safety here is amazingly high.Yesterday I went to the dentist for a complete check up and clanaing: 9 euro.

i ate a delicious fried rice on the street: 50 euro cent.i bought a nice jeans: 4 euro.And I am now lodging in a comfortable airco room with refrigerator and en suite bathroom for 12 euro.Yes, Thailand it's bloody expensive indeed...

Thailand is not the 'cheap' holiday destination that it used to be, it's more of a rip off destination now.

Agree 100%.

Thailand is now very expensive. Many people do not want an expensive holiday

Many people will not come to Thailand now because too expensive and too many rip offs

[rikkie]

you think Thailand is expensive think again even with the flood it is still 70% more cheap then Belgium

You get what you pay for in many cases. For example the beer in Belgium is exquisite, Thai beer is terrible in comparison.

Thais will still pay 6 to 12 times more for a German car than a Belgian would, even for one assembled in Thailand.

so means... economy is good, people have money, thai people like to show of, let them do it benefits the country

my friend bough a Lamborghini just to be extreme so he have money, all thai people have money, they just like to hide it.

[ginjag]

Thailand is not the 'cheap' holiday destination that it used to be, it's more of a rip off destination now.

because you stupid, most thai people are honest, you just have to be a good judge i live 5 year hear and never had a problem, and yes it is cheap here to live if you are not a cheap Charley

HaHaHa 555555555555Ha Ha Ha Ha..................you what ???????? you must have a white stick and been here 5 years and never had a problem Ha Ha --right you let me know what area you are and I'll move there it sounds a dream. By the way with you being bedridden who does your shopping ???

[Oberkommando]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

[digibum]

If this thread is about tourism then I don't think talking about how you can live out in Bang Na for cheap or find a hotel on the beach for 600 baht belongs as part of the discussion. Tourists don't know this. They look for hotels on the big travel websites. The backpacker types might be willing to be more adventurous but that isn't who TAT is courting. They're trying to court people who are going to stay in the 4 and 5 star hotels advertised on Expedia or Travelocity.

And in that sense, IMHO, TAT is cutting off its nose to spite its face. They keep comparing room rates to HK and Sing but Thailand doesn't have the same infrastructure and tourist attractions that they offer.

People who have been here too long or have been coming here too long forget what its like for your average person coming to Thailand for the first time on holiday.

When you book a top of the line hotel you expect world-class service and amenities. Thailand is just horrible in this regard and they don't even have a clue what they don't know about customer service.

I just had a family member in from the US on his first trip to Asia. He's an experienced traveler around Europe and the Americas (North, Central, and South) and he booked a 4-star hotel. When he went to check in they had botched his room reservation so after getting that sorted out they asked him to sign a guest card on which the only correct information was his name. The passport number, his address, his email address, his dates of stay were all wrong. He said, "That's my name but not my information." The clerk said, "It's okay, don't worry, it's not important." So he said, "Well, if it's not important, why do I have to sign it? What's the purpose of me signing it if all of the information is wrong?" Of course they had no answer so, in typical Thai style, every clerk had to come get involved, the manager of the hotel, phone calls were made, and so on until 45 minutes later they decided that he could just scratch out the information that was wrong and fill in the correct information.

And this is exactly the type of tourist TAT is trying to attract.

We're not even into the stuff like broken sidewalks, ripoff taxi drivers perched outside the front door, scams, and other stuff.

I love Thailand so don't tell me to piss off and go somewhere else. But there is a reality here. That reality is that Thailand is not on par with the people they think they compete against and try to raise their prices to be on equal footing with.

It's even happening on the foreign investment side. Talk to any regional business analyst and they'll tell you that Thailand is becoming less and less attractive to set up factories and other businesses. Not because of the cost of labor but because other countries are jumping through hoops to get that business while Thailand still expects foreign investors to do the hoop jumping. Vietnam is landing a lot of business at Thailand's expense right now. You can tell it's starting to hurt because I've read three different government statements recently talking about Vietnam not being any threat to Thailand in terms of snatching foreign investment because the Vietnamese don't have good quality and the people there aren't educated well enough. When the government feels the need to make a preemptive statement you know businesses in Thailand are giving them heat.

[rikkie]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

i would never walk in the uk after dark, here i can so what uk are pussy in war and are afraid after dark.

how long you stayed here? 2 week? Buaa you not know this country

i am not thai but proud to live here

[rikkie]

If this thread is about tourism then I don't think talking about how you can live out in Bang Na for cheap or find a hotel on the beach for 600 baht belongs as part of the discussion. Tourists don't know this. They look for hotels on the big travel websites. The backpacker types might be willing to be more adventurous but that isn't who TAT is courting. They're trying to court people who are going to stay in the 4 and 5 star hotels advertised on Expedia or Travelocity.

And in that sense, IMHO, TAT is cutting off its nose to spite its face. They keep comparing room rates to HK and Sing but Thailand doesn't have the same infrastructure and tourist attractions that they offer.

People who have been here too long or have been coming here too long forget what its like for your average person coming to Thailand for the first time on holiday.

When you book a top of the line hotel you expect world-class service and amenities. Thailand is just horrible in this regard and they don't even have a clue what they don't know about customer service.

I just had a family member in from the US on his first trip to Asia. He's an experienced traveler around Europe and the Americas (North, Central, and South) and he booked a 4-star hotel. When he went to check in they had botched his room reservation so after getting that sorted out they asked him to sign a guest card on which the only correct information was his name. The passport number, his address, his email address, his dates of stay were all wrong. He said, "That's my name but not my information." The clerk said, "It's okay, don't worry, it's not important." So he said, "Well, if it's not important, why do I have to sign it? What's the purpose of me signing it if all of the information is wrong?" Of course they had no answer so, in typical Thai style, every clerk had to come get involved, the manager of the hotel, phone calls were made, and so on until 45 minutes later they decided that he could just scratch out the information that was wrong and fill in the correct information.

And this is exactly the type of tourist TAT is trying to attract.

We're not even into the stuff like broken sidewalks, ripoff taxi drivers perched outside the front door, scams, and other stuff.

I love Thailand so don't tell me to piss off and go somewhere else. But there is a reality here. That reality is that Thailand is not on par with the people they think they compete against and try to raise their prices to be on equal footing with.

It's even happening on the foreign investment side. Talk to any regional business analyst and they'll tell you that Thailand is becoming less and less attractive to set up factories and other businesses. Not because of the cost of labor but because other countries are jumping through hoops to get that business while Thailand still expects foreign investors to do the hoop jumping. Vietnam is landing a lot of business at Thailand's expense right now. You can tell it's starting to hurt because I've read three different government statements recently talking about Vietnam not being any threat to Thailand in terms of snatching foreign investment because the Vietnamese don't have good quality and the people there aren't educated well enough. When the government feels the need to make a preemptive statement you know businesses in Thailand are giving them heat.

i am from europe and live her long time, if you are smart nobody can rip you off, and talk about stupid invester's scare others away. so who is killing a country'?

[rikkie]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

only if you are drunk and jump from a balcony

[Mosha]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

i would never walk in the uk after dark, here i can so what uk are pussy in war and are afraid after dark.

how long you stayed here? 2 week? Buaa you not know this country

i am not thai but proud to live here

UK is that bad we pulled you lot out of the proverbial 2x last century.

[cowslip]

my parents were going to visit us in thailand this xmas until i told them the

exchange rate, they are now going to malaysia and we are hoping to go visit them

there , .....i spend most of my time here in rayong, the average price of a beer

on entertainment street is 120B !!,...... for a small one , thats nearly £5 per

pint !!......... its becoming like the UK now , i buy from the supermarket and

drink at ึhome or on the beach , the average thai on 275B per day , they have a

choice,.eat OR drink !!!

The exchange rate with the Rigitt vs £€$¥ has gone tits up as well so they're not any cheaper than Thailand, last time I was down there KL was the same price as BKK for most things you can still get ฿9 to RM1 down from ฿10.

฿120 for a beer, that's the sort of price a 5 star hotel charges from the mini bar, I'd find a differnt bar, I won't pay more than ฿75-฿90

i buy a beer for 48 66 cl for bath so what you complaining how much in your country

you go to Belgium to drink more cheap then in your aw so good UK

my gf she make 45,000 a month.

and a sing is still 70 bath here, but you don't get entertainment if you know what i mean

so we eat and drink, you just make a country look bad, what there is in the UK just poverty

Ah the alco-view!

funny how for some everything just boils down to the price of their beer......

Edited November 30, 2011 by cowslip

[osiboy]

my parents were going to visit us in thailand this xmas until i told them the

exchange rate, they are now going to malaysia and we are hoping to go visit them

there , .....i spend most of my time here in rayong, the average price of a beer

on entertainment street is 120B !!,...... for a small one , thats nearly £5 per

pint !!......... its becoming like the UK now , i buy from the supermarket and

drink at home or on the beach , the average thai on 275B per day , they have a

choice,.eat OR drink !!!

Don't know how you think Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur is less expensive than Thailand, Bangkok, Malaysia is three times more expensive than Thailand, the taxi don't have metters they quote whatever they like, don't think you can compare Malaysia people to Thais, Thais leave them for dead, the only thing Malaysia has going for it is they all speak english, been there four time, Melaka once, it is borring not as expensive as KL or Panang, Panang is a wast of time and money, the worst beach I have ever been to, and it is the beach in front of all the good hotels, dirty, it washes up mud with every wave, has lot of debris from the pasing ships and it stinks, the restaurant there are really expensive, stayed in KL twice, it is expensive. I think your post is just another sour grape one against Thais again because you sure as hell don't know about Malaysia.

who said malaysia is cheaper ?? i did'nt, but it is comparable and i think its alot cleaner, and im sure my parents will go where they choose not to where your talking about , but thanks for trying your best to put anyone off going to what is certainly a cleaner and more hygenic place to go if nothing else, i found the hotels in langkawi to be comparible to any in phuket or bkk and most seem to have b/f included, and ive never seen a worse beach than pattaya for rubbish and though my dad played rugby he cant sidestep 100 ladyboys every evening, i guess you know more than my dad who served in the forces in malaysia too ??? , but your right , i dont know much about malaysia, but probably more about thailand than you do , i've lived 10 out of 15 yrs here, had businesses , kids and wives, 3 yrs in phuket, 3 yrs in isaan and now rayong/ pattaya, but if you say thailand is cheap, who am i to argue ?, i think they are about the same,i can say that the only taxis i ever took in malaysia were meter taxis tho , and although it was my 1st visit, they took me where i wanted to go,.......not to look at gem stones !!. your not far off the mark saying" thais leave them for dead " too , most tourists being scammed by thais are from malaysia or singapore

[cowslip]

I think the floods will be the least of their problems - as the world finds out about the appalling lack of customer service in Thailand, the degradation of the beaches and natural resources etc., more and more people will look elsewhere for a holiday destination. They will be replaced by less critical "low-end" budget package holidaymakers who don't know or care about service or the environment.

NB - Also when they find out that the "2 for 1" price they are paying is in fact exactly the same as the old price for 2 rooms they will also feel less inclined to come again.

you think Thailand is expensive think again even with the flood it is still 70% more cheap then Belgium

what is wrong with you people you like to go to a paradise but have no money, you just same thai.

You can have a ticket for 500 euro and have a room for 350 bath, so what you tell, if you want to stay Hilton you pay not complain

Belgium , yeah right...we are now into the factious section of the posts!

Edited November 30, 2011 by cowslip

[cowslip]

I think the floods will be the least of their problems - as the world finds out about the appalling lack of customer service in Thailand, the degradation of the beaches and natural resources etc., more and more people will look elsewhere for a holiday destination. They will be replaced by less critical "low-end" budget package holidaymakers who don't know or care about service or the environment.

NB - Also when they find out that the "2 for 1" price they are paying is in fact exactly the same as the old price for 2 rooms they will also feel less inclined to come again.

if i see comments here i think why.... you still live here, if you not happy go please

go to uk or germany or australia or even usa it is so much better there

There's always one on every thread!

...and now why is it that some people think that "why don't you go home?" is actually a valid argument?

It just shows how shallow thee arguments of some people can be - do you not know how laughable that is????

Edited November 30, 2011 by cowslip

[Scott]

Several nasty, inflammatory posts have been deleted. This thread is about trying to bring back tourists--not about how to get rid of some posters.

Please stay on the topic of the OP.

[Jessi]

Thailand is not the 'cheap' holiday destination that it used to be, it's more of a rip off destination now.

Agree 100%

[pisico]

And just the other day some bigwig from Starwood was saying that Thai hotels in the high-end sector should raise their rates by 20% to be on a par with HK and Singapore. Ridiculous comment given the overheads of those two destinations vis a vis Thailand. Will the staff on the floor see a % of that? Doubtful. And Thailand isn't cheap anymore as others have said. If Thailand starts to get serious about the mafia taxi, tour guides, jet-ski and tuk-tuk scams, then maybe it can call itself a quality destination but I might as well p**s into the wind.

plus a big one

It is wishful tinkering with the truth. Can he really compare Singapore with a backward country like this one? Soi dogs all over (symptom of urban decay), motorcycles roaming freely on the sidewalks endangering the lives of pedestrians. Add to that the perennially scummy buses that only get washed when it rains and before Songkran, and few of them with signs in English. Not only in Bangkok but in many cities where trash is either jogged over a fence or placed in plastic bags on the sidewalk only to have the soi dogs rummage through them and spread the rubbish all over. A country that gives little importance to the safety and protection of tourists: Poisoning, electrocutions, victims of scams, etc. Is this a country at a par with Singapore and Hong Kong? There are many more examples about this country that has an overinflated ego and pretends to be today what decades ago could have been: another Singapore. Not today. Thailand is a superficially modern country with the head in the year 1,000.

Edited November 30, 2011 by pisico

[osiboy]

my parents were going to visit us in thailand this xmas until i told them the

exchange rate, they are now going to malaysia and we are hoping to go visit them

there , .....i spend most of my time here in rayong, the average price of a beer

on entertainment street is 120B !!,...... for a small one , thats nearly £5 per

pint !!......... its becoming like the UK now , i buy from the supermarket and

drink at ึhome or on the beach , the average thai on 275B per day , they have a

choice,.eat OR drink !!!

The exchange rate with the Rigitt vs £€$¥ has gone tits up as well so they're not any cheaper than Thailand, last time I was down there KL was the same price as BKK for most things you can still get ฿9 to RM1 down from ฿10.

฿120 for a beer, that's the sort of price a 5 star hotel charges from the mini bar, I'd find a differnt bar, I won't pay more than ฿75-฿90

i buy a beer for 48 66 cl for bath so what you complaining how much in your country

you go to Belgium to drink more cheap then in your aw so good UK

my gf she make 45,000 a month.

and a sing is still 70 bath here, but you don't get entertainment if you know what i mean

so we eat and drink, you just make a country look bad, what there is in the UK just poverty

i dont need to go to belgium, i can but a 500ml stella artois for 50B im my local shop, and we earn treble+ what thais earn , if your happy to get 4 beers for your daily minimum wage here in thailand ,...........ok,....fine by me, i just cant think of another country that would be content with that ! , this is not meant to be a slur on thailand, im just stating what seems to be wrong in my eyes .

[Scott]

An off-topic post and reply have been deleted.

[DocN]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

only if you are drunk and jump from a balcony

Are you from Norway? I heard they have trolls there!

[cowslip]

Expensive compared to which country? Compared with North America,Europe and Australia Thailand is bloody cheap.Maybe that some destinations in the region like Laos or Cambogia are cheaper, but have very little to offer compared to Thailand...Philippines?Horrible food and expensive hotels,Africa?Most countries there are much more expensive than Thailand.Rip offs?Yes, but we are talking about very isolated cases and concerning unimportant matters.People come to Thailand because it's still BLOODY CHEAP compared to their own country and because the safety here is amazingly high.Yesterday I went to the dentist for a complete check up and clanaing: 9 euro.

i ate a delicious fried rice on the street: 50 euro cent.i bought a nice jeans: 4 euro.And I am now lodging in a comfortable airco room with refrigerator and en suite bathroom for 12 euro.Yes, Thailand it's bloody expensive indeed...5555555 '' I bought a nice jeans for 4 euro '' 555555555555

Thailand is not the 'cheap' holiday destination that it used to be, it's more of a rip off destination now.

Agree 100%.

Thailand is now very expensive. Many people do not want an expensive holiday

Many people will not come to Thailand now because too expensive and too many rip offs

Scorpio - are you typing with invisible ink???

[Randee]

I think the floods will be the least of their problems - as the world finds out about the appalling lack of customer service in Thailand, the degradation of the beaches and natural resources etc., more and more people will look elsewhere for a holiday destination. They will be replaced by less critical "low-end" budget package holidaymakers who don't know or care about service or the environment.

NB - Also when they find out that the "2 for 1" price they are paying is in fact exactly the same as the old price for 2 rooms they will also feel less inclined to come again.

you think Thailand is expensive think again even with the flood it is still 70% more cheap then Belgium

what is wrong with you people you like to go to a paradise but have no money, you just same thai.

You can have a ticket for 500 euro and have a room for 350 bath, so what you tell, if you want to stay Hilton you pay not complain

are you thai? Or farang.? You speak same same Thai, ha ha ha, a fool in paradise

Belgium , yeah right...we are now into the factious section of the posts!

i think that cowslip has made it perfectly clear that he is the fool. insulting people to try to nurse his own ego is a desperately small minded and insecure personality

Edited November 30, 2011 by Randee

[Kilgore Trout]

Governor Suraphon, the most effective strategy to restore tourist confidence and build lasting momentum for the Thai tourism sector is to focus on valueadded services and warm Thai hospitality, not engage in price cutting.

:lol:

What a stupid thing to say

[pisico]

because the safety here is amazingly high.

Complete myth.

Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Brits and Aussies by quite some margin according to the UK FCO.

only if you are drunk and jump from a balcony

Are you from Norway? I heard they have trolls there!

Wickedly funny. Are you a Python?

[Randee]

Expensive compared to which country? Compared with North America,Europe and Australia Thailand is bloody cheap.Maybe that some destinations in the region like Laos or Cambogia are cheaper, but have very little to offer compared to Thailand...Philippines?Horrible food and expensive hotels,Africa?Most countries there are much more expensive than Thailand.Rip offs?Yes, but we are talking about very isolated cases and concerning unimportant matters.People come to Thailand because it's still BLOODY CHEAP compared to their own country and because the safety here is amazingly high.Yesterday I went to the dentist for a complete check up and clanaing: 9 euro.

i ate a delicious fried rice on the street: 50 euro cent.i bought a nice jeans: 4 euro.And I am now lodging in a comfortable airco room with refrigerator and en suite bathroom for 12 euro.Yes, Thailand it's bloody expensive indeed...

why must you live your life as a down and out pennyless pauper ?

eating rice on the streets !!

you poor sorry boy

Edited November 30, 2011 by Randee

[pisico]

Governor Suraphon, the most effective strategy to restore tourist confidence and build lasting momentum for the Thai tourism sector is to focus on valueadded services and warm Thai hospitality, not engage in price cutting.

:lol:

What a stupid thing to say

Those dudes in government live in their own bubble.

How many times do they go out for a stroll only to deal with the motorcycles roaming on the sidewalks endangering pedestrians?

They are self-absorbed in their perception of reality, thinking that it is the same reality in which the rest of the country lives. Including, Thais, tourists and expats in Thailand.

Value added? Why not first fix the many deficiencies this country has? Tourism is a big chunk of the national GDP. But they take it for granted.

[martin81]

Expensive compared to which country? Compared with North America,Europe and Australia Thailand is bloody cheap.Maybe that some destinations in the region like Laos or Cambogia are cheaper, but have very little to offer compared to Thailand...Philippines?Horrible food and expensive hotels,Africa?Most countries there are much more expensive than Thailand.Rip offs?Yes, but we are talking about very isolated cases and concerning unimportant matters.People come to Thailand because it's still BLOODY CHEAP compared to their own country and because the safety here is amazingly high.Yesterday I went to the dentist for a complete check up and clanaing: 9 euro.

i ate a delicious fried rice on the street: 50 euro cent.i bought a nice jeans: 4 euro.And I am now lodging in a comfortable airco room with refrigerator and en suite bathroom for 12 euro.Yes, Thailand it's bloody expensive indeed...

I agree that thailand is not expensive. I usually get a nice central hotel room for less than 20 EUR per night with aircon in several places in Thailand. And if you know where to look you can eat a full western or thai meal for less than 4 euro. I agree that beer is rather expensive in Thailand compared to PI, Vietnam and Cambodia. But I think Thailand is a nicer place to be.

Nobody ripped me off in the last more than 20 years coming to Thailand. That only happened when I was very young and naive.

[techboy]

Photos of dirty towels hanging in dead trees on the beach should help!

Yup!

[digibum]

Governor Suraphon, the most effective strategy to restore tourist confidence and build lasting momentum for the Thai tourism sector is to focus on valueadded services and warm Thai hospitality, not engage in price cutting.

:lol:

What a stupid thing to say

Actually, it's not stupid at all *IF* Thailand were to begin investing in tourism beyond advertising campaigns and doling out cash to hotels, tour operators, and shopping malls because of this year's particular reason for people not coming to Thailand. There's no reason why the sidewalks in tourist parts of town should be unwalkable or there aren't any mega-resorts. Thailand, as a tourist destination, is like an old building beginning to show its age. But instead of in investing in repairing the building these TAT campaigns are like throwing on a new coat of paint while the building continues to deteriorate.

But given that any investment in the things that will turn things around is unlikely to happen, yeah, I agree with you.

[digibum]

Expensive compared to which country? Compared with North America,Europe and Australia Thailand is bloody cheap.Maybe that some destinations in the region like Laos or Cambogia are cheaper, but have very little to offer compared to Thailand...Philippines?Horrible food and expensive hotels,Africa?Most countries there are much more expensive than Thailand.Rip offs?Yes, but we are talking about very isolated cases and concerning unimportant matters.People come to Thailand because it's still BLOODY CHEAP compared to their own country and because the safety here is amazingly high.Yesterday I went to the dentist for a complete check up and clanaing: 9 euro.

i ate a delicious fried rice on the street: 50 euro cent.i bought a nice jeans: 4 euro.And I am now lodging in a comfortable airco room with refrigerator and en suite bathroom for 12 euro.Yes, Thailand it's bloody expensive indeed...

I agree that thailand is not expensive. I usually get a nice central hotel room for less than 20 EUR per night with aircon in several places in Thailand. And if you know where to look you can eat a full western or thai meal for less than 4 euro. I agree that beer is rather expensive in Thailand compared to PI, Vietnam and Cambodia. But I think Thailand is a nicer place to be.

Nobody ripped me off in the last more than 20 years coming to Thailand. That only happened when I was very young and naive.

Again, you are not a first time tourist. How do they know where to look for 20 EUR rooms? In fact, TAT is specifically marketing to people who want to pay 100 EUR a night or more. The problem is that they don't realize that that isn't a good value for tourists. Instead of trying to increase the value of their offering they simply want people to pay more. What they have a hard time with is that as the prices go up people either go where it's cheaper or they pay a little extra and get better value in places like HK and Singapore (which is why TAT always talks about hotel rates in terms of how they compare to HK and Singapore). Where's Thailand's Disney World (please don't mention Dream World - LOL)? How can you compare the hotel cost of HK which has invested heavily in tourism with Thailand that hasn't? They don't get it.

[thaibeachlovers]

Come on get real. The great advantage Thailand has is that it has accomondations for the backpacker and for the 5 star travelor. You can spend as little as 1000 baht a night and have a nice, basic clean hotel room or go to a five star hotel and spend around 5000-7000 baht a night which would be double in places like New York and Tokyo. You can eat at the local stalls (and not get sick) or go to an international chain and spend as much as you would back home. If one thinks Thailand is expensive, try Singapore, Beijing, or another big Asian city. True, Thailand is NOT as cheap as it use to be but maybe that has to do with the US dollar and Euro not being as strong as it use to be.

Back when the UK exchange rate was 70+ I could get a nice hotel room for around 800 baht. Now the exchange rate is 48+ and the same room costs 1400 baht. No, Thailand is not the great deal it used to be. If it was the same relative cost back in the 90s I wouldn't be coming here as much as I did, if at all. There's no point saying there will be added value in the hotels, when outside it's the same broken infrastructure and scams.

Even if Thailand was still the same great deal as in the 90s, lets not forget that the UK and Euro zone are in a down to doom spiral. Who in their right mind is going to be planning an overseas holiday in the current climate? Yes, Asian citizens are still coming, but few of them frequent the same hotels/ bars etc as the western tourist, so expect to see a big contraction in the farang oriented hotel and entertainment businesses.

There's no point comparing Thailand to Singapore etc, as few economy tourists that regularly visit Thailand would go there anyway, being too expensive.