Thai PM Yingluck Affirms Govt's Policy To Support Tourism Industry

[arrowsdawdle]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

Have you seen the TV commercials? They feature single men. No families. No women even in the background, and not so subtle gay undertones.

As for the visa issues, it seems quite obvious that the regulations are skewed to build the appearance of tourism arrival numbers. Tourists are welcome to come for as long as desired but they must keep crossing in and out of the country to amp up the TAT numbers. Further, it is 33% cheaper to get a 60 day visa outside of Thailand than to get a 30 day extension inside Thailand. And there is a clear effort to boost Suvarnabhumi numbers with on arrival 30 day passes whereas border offices give 15 days.

Edited May 3, 2012 by arrowsdawdle

[bigbamboo]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

All sounds very lovely.... unless you're a policeman.

And then remember this is a country run by a man on the run who is a policeman, whose PM is the sister of a policeman, whose Foreign Minister is the cousin of a policeman, all of whom are related to the country's chief policeman. You could go down to the next rung of power, the deputy PM, who is also a policeman.....

See what I mean?

[pastitche]

Hmm ,posts 4,6 and ,7 short sweet and very much to the point, nice to see there is at least 3 TV posters who live in "the real world"

So those of us who disagree and are not embittered are not in your real world?

[Tanaka]

Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand

Good grief, where do they get these slogans? Ok, it probably started in Thai, sounded ok (in Thai), and then someone translated it. But geeze, do they not have anyone in TAT who is fluent enough in english to say that just does not sound right.

No, they do not.

And what policies exactly is she reaffirming? That the jet ski scams, the BiB scams, the tuk-tuk and taxi scams will continue unabated?

Yes, that is thainess.

[DowntownAl]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

All sounds very lovely.... unless you're a policeman.

And then remember this is a country run by a man on the run who is a policeman, whose PM is the sister of a policeman, whose Foreign Minister is the cousin of a policeman, all of whom are related to the country's chief policeman. You could go down to the next rung of power, the deputy PM, who is also a policeman.....

See what I mean?

You say many/most/all senior Thai politicians were policemen (I didn't know that because I don't pay that close attention to Thai politics),in Canada politicians are usually either lawyers, second rate failed economists or sock puppets put there by the big boys to fill a riding when needed. People who go into politics usually did something else (Canada has an ex-cop in federal cabinet who is a close to being a "Don" as we've ever seen before) before they saw how much easy cash was available. It's no different here than anywhere else on the planet.

[DowntownAl]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

Totally agree. The retirement requirements are unnecessarily high and far to complex here. A simple income test of: "Can you live at or higher than the "average" Thai citizen without working illegally?" If yes, put the retirement visa in the passport. I can retire to Mexico (staying away from border areas of course) by arriving at the airport, smile nicely, and stay for one year visa exempt. At the end of the year, leave the county and come back, one more year. No visa costs, no reporting, no BS of any sort. They like Canadian money, it's that simple. The Philippines have a 90 report but you can stretch your visa exempt to, if I remember it right, 14 months. Leave the country and same same for the rest of you life if you want. Keep it simple, lots of cash follows.

[Thaddeus]

Hmm ,posts 4,6 and ,7 short sweet and very much to the point, nice to see there is at least 3 TV posters who live in "the real world"

So those of us who disagree and are not embittered are not in your real world?

Gold-fish bowl or sheltered accommodation, its only a matter of outlook.

[TheGhostWithin]

She would make a nice ambassador for the walking street, or cowboy, or nana.

Really? Have you ever even walked through these places to dinner or on the way to meet friends through Sukhumvit etc?You do know she is not 20 anymore right? Girls in these places are generally young and fairly good looking. Each to his own I guess, but I think they would refuse her on age and weight, though she may get in on factual evidence (as confirmed by her, being previous experience in dealing with men in "private meetings" at 5 star hotels and refusing to disclose what was discussed. Perhaps because discussion did not take place..

Edited May 3, 2012 by TheGhostWithin

[TheGhostWithin]

I am a little confused here.. is the idea of a slogan not to be a short and sweet summation of what is offered, in order to entice customers into at least considering the offer on hand? "miracle in amazing Thailand 2012-2013" is a bit of a mouthful, extremely forgettable and grammatically incorrect as already pointed out.

Though, the statement indicates it is no longer Thailand that is the miracle (a-la Miracle Thailand), but Amazing Thailand which is now the miracle.

Where does this list of things that are proposed to be focused on come from? Carefully researched surveys such as those I regularly get when I am at KL airports, bus terminals and other tourist areas? I very much doubt it judging by the slogans communication of complete dysfunction and disconnection with the very tourist market it is established to serve.

I also doubt officially announcing "we need tourists because they make us money" is a good marketing ploy.. "we want tourists because we want to share our culture and grow together" may have worked a little better, perhaps? But her response was a classic response in "Thainess" of a select group of Thais who plunder from others, leaving them poor, homeless and starving with big words but little overall compassion.

Dont think for a second your tourism numbers are going to increase (even though it will be announced they are) when the SEC Chinese Stock Composite has dropped 16% this year, The Euro region (Spain, Italy, France etc) are in Crisis, and you have a bad reputation with Americans and Australians as a dangerous destination for which the government will not protect you from floods, tsunamis, scams, robberies, murders etc. Get with the program Yingluck Government, you are behind the ball.

[theblether]

Look in the mirror and repeat after me..........

I am irrelevant, I am irrelevant, I am irrelevant to Thailand.

China number one.

You don't seriously thing Thailand gives a toss about the farang market do you? They have us already, the numbers are going up every year, and the market is relatively mature.

They are aiming at the high rollers pouring in from China and other Asian countries, in vast numbers, and spending vast daily amounts compared to your average farang.

Okay lets start again with the mirror,

I am irrelevant, I am irrelevant, I am irrelevant to Thailand.

By the way in as much as I'm not a great believer in Thai statistical analysis, have a look at this link.

http://www.thaiwebsi...com/tourism.asp

That shows a dramatic increase in visitor numbers over the last 14 years, it has more than doubled, in fact it's getting on for trebling.

Now have a look at this, the Chinese market has virtually doubled between 2009 and 2011, and there is an even greater push on to get more Chinese into the country.

http://www.eturbonew...minated-chinese

Note, Thailand tourism will be dominated by the Chinese. I have seen a statistic where it is expected that 4 million Chinese will visit every year by the latter part of this decade. 57 million Chinese took holidays overseas last year, they will flow into Thailand in numbers like you cannot believe.

Much as I share the humour of many people posting on this topic, on this issue you are seriously, seriously, barking up the wrong tree.

Sorry to disrupt the party, carry on

Edited May 3, 2012 by theblether

[Skywalker69]

What drug is this administration on?

I don´t have a clue, but it must be eating their brains.

[Skywalker69]

She would make a nice ambassador for the walking street, or cowboy, or nana.

She is to old.

[waza]

She said her government has launched a new tourism promotion campaign, "Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand 2012-2013," and will further develop facilities to support the tourism business, particularly world standards of security to protect tourist lives and property

My guess is it will be like the zero deaths at songkran campaign, at the end they will declare it a great success even though record numbers of tourist have died and been ripped off.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

BAR girl=she said I love you, he said I love you too, she then said I love you 3, How long you stay-we can look family, (good for tourism as it gets the family out the Shizen) you lubly and if you boring we can go shopping. Tourism thrives on this, it pumps more into the Rural Thais pockets than any other formats. If you do NOT take care of the farrang sex tourist, you will die a slow death, as is seen at the minute. It is all well and good spending millions on promoting Miracle Thailand but without getting shut of the scams and the immigration penalties put on stayers here, you are going down a wrong road.

Absolute <deleted>. First all all, even if we sexpats poured a million times more money into the Isaan, TPTB here don't give a crap about that, in fact it works against their interests, even more so if the upcountry schools get improved. The Isaan to them is best kept as a pool of cheap labor, all we do is give them darkies uppity ideas about their place in the world.

Secondly, sure that money makes a difference to the poor individual families sending their daughters to Pattaya, maybe even to the tambons where that is their main OTOP, but really it is a drop in the bucket against the overall economy.

The kind of tourism TPTB want is people coming on holiday, spending money in their hotels and restaurants and leaving. Sure spending as much as possible per day is great, but if the Russians and Chinese and Indians make it up in sheer volume then they'll roll with that too.

The farang market is a very minor factor these days. . .

Totally agree. The retirement requirements are unnecessarily high and far to complex here. A simple income test of: "Can you live at or higher than the "average" Thai citizen without working illegally?" If yes, put the retirement visa in the passport. I can retire to Mexico (staying away from border areas of course) by arriving at the airport, smile nicely, and stay for one year visa exempt. At the end of the year, leave the county and come back, one more year. No visa costs, no reporting, no BS of any sort. They like Canadian money, it's that simple. The Philippines have a 90 report but you can stretch your visa exempt to, if I remember it right, 14 months. Leave the country and same same for the rest of you life if you want. Keep it simple, lots of cash follows.

I think the retirement requirements here are very low. They just want you to show a very low - for a farang - income or assets, they don't enforce that you spend a minimum amount per month - but of course they could.

Comparing their requirements to local income is completely irrelevant. Remember they don't actually like us being here, they get to set the price for having to put up with us and our often obnoxious behaviour.

In fact if they ever decided to try to improve the actual international reputation of the country, along with eliminating the whole sex-tourist scene, I'm sure the next thing to go will be all the low-rent farang that haven't got citizenship or permanent residency - and it would be very easy for them to do so. And most Thais - those we aren't directly sponsoring - would be more than happy to see the back of us.

So stop bitching and moaning, consider yourself lucky they're willing to put up with us so cheaply.

Or go on over to Mexico or the Philippines!

[chrisinth]

She would make a nice ambassador for the walking street, or cowboy, or nana.

She is to old.

Likely be a better mamasan. See if she can control her girls better than the crowd she is currently with.........

[chrisinth]

In order for Thailand to make their "Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand 2012-2013," a success they need to pave the way for tourism and accept certain facts.

1/ Address the airport situation to decrease the waiting time for immigration checks. This is the first look at Thailand that first-timers have; if this doesn’t come across as organized, you are playing catchup.

2/ Security needs to be addressed and re-organized. If the visitor feels unsafe, see point 1.

3/ Hotel and accommodation safety needs to be looked at and safety regulations strictly enforced.

4/ Visitors told the truth about the safety of travelling through or staying in certain areas of Thailand. But by the grace of whatever God you may follow, there hasn’t been a major incident involving a large number of tourists yet. If (or when) this happens, say goodbye to tourism.

5/ Change the dates on their drive from "Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand 2012-2013," to 2013-2014 and don’t rush into it. In fact, change the whole name of the promotion period!

6/ “She earlier said that her government has targeted generating tourism industry revenues of two trillion baht within the next five years.” If this is the figure speculated, borrow and use some of it to address the above issues!

Welcome to my little world of fantasy................

[ginjag]

bigjohonnybkk, If mine is Boll##ks yours is BULL###T,  OUR money started the stampede here, 30 years ago and more, nothing here near only Europeans Aussies and USA, with other minorities, Up country -hardly a nice house, most up country homes in rural areas, were paid for by farrangs, if it wasn't for the pioneers who rented and bought cars m/bikes bricks cement land, fed families you would not have the situ as it stands now.   Thailand is saying thanks for starting it all , but now shove off cause we have Asians coming and we do not need you any more. Hence the reason we are small fry and not worth the trouble to renew and overhaul the immigration laws regarding staying here.   So big johnny, live in the place for what it is now, and overlook what WAS.  Thailand is moving on in my mind the wrong direction, and as usual selfishly caring for what IT wants now.

[DowntownAl]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

BAR girl=she said I love you, he said I love you too, she then said I love you 3, How long you stay-we can look family, (good for tourism as it gets the family out the Shizen) you lubly and if you boring we can go shopping. Tourism thrives on this, it pumps more into the Rural Thais pockets than any other formats. If you do NOT take care of the farrang sex tourist, you will die a slow death, as is seen at the minute. It is all well and good spending millions on promoting Miracle Thailand but without getting shut of the scams and the immigration penalties put on stayers here, you are going down a wrong road.

Absolute <deleted>. First all all, even if we sexpats poured a million times more money into the Isaan, TPTB here don't give a crap about that, in fact it works against their interests, even more so if the upcountry schools get improved. The Isaan to them is best kept as a pool of cheap labor, all we do is give them darkies uppity ideas about their place in the world.

Secondly, sure that money makes a difference to the poor individual families sending their daughters to Pattaya, maybe even to the tambons where that is their main OTOP, but really it is a drop in the bucket against the overall economy.

The kind of tourism TPTB want is people coming on holiday, spending money in their hotels and restaurants and leaving. Sure spending as much as possible per day is great, but if the Russians and Chinese and Indians make it up in sheer volume then they'll roll with that too.

The farang market is a very minor factor these days. . .

Totally agree. The retirement requirements are unnecessarily high and far to complex here. A simple income test of: "Can you live at or higher than the "average" Thai citizen without working illegally?" If yes, put the retirement visa in the passport. I can retire to Mexico (staying away from border areas of course) by arriving at the airport, smile nicely, and stay for one year visa exempt. At the end of the year, leave the county and come back, one more year. No visa costs, no reporting, no BS of any sort. They like Canadian money, it's that simple. The Philippines have a 90 report but you can stretch your visa exempt to, if I remember it right, 14 months. Leave the country and same same for the rest of you life if you want. Keep it simple, lots of cash follows.

I think the retirement requirements here are very low. They just want you to show a very low - for a farang - income or assets, they don't enforce that you spend a minimum amount per month - but of course they could.

Comparing their requirements to local income is completely irrelevant. Remember they don't actually like us being here, they get to set the price for having to put up with us and our often obnoxious behaviour.

In fact if they ever decided to try to improve the actual international reputation of the country, along with eliminating the whole sex-tourist scene, I'm sure the next thing to go will be all the low-rent farang that haven't got citizenship or permanent residency - and it would be very easy for them to do so. And most Thais - those we aren't directly sponsoring - would be more than happy to see the back of us.

So stop bitching and moaning, consider yourself lucky they're willing to put up with us so cheaply.

Or go on over to Mexico or the Philippines!

Absolutely amazing! I use a simple comparison of how several other counties deal with retirement and you decide to not only slag me, but you slag Thailand and everything else is sight. I don't know what got you so pi$$ed but I might suggest you stop bitching and moaning and get a life without having the necessity of slagging someone else. Grow up.

[phiphidon]

Hmm ,posts 4,6 and ,7 short sweet and very much to the point, nice to see there is at least 3 TV posters who live in "the real world"

So those of us who disagree and are not embittered are not in your real world?

Well let's hope so, I don't think the allegedly "non-real" world is such a bad place to be on the whole.................

[gemini81]

She would make a nice ambassador for the walking street, or cowboy, or nana.

Really? Have you ever even walked through these places to dinner or on the way to meet friends through Sukhumvit etc?You do know she is not 20 anymore right? Girls in these places are generally young and fairly good looking. Each to his own I guess, but I think they would refuse her on age and weight, though she may get in on factual evidence (as confirmed by her, being previous experience in dealing with men in "private meetings" at 5 star hotels and refusing to disclose what was discussed. Perhaps because discussion did not take place..

True and those girls can speak better english, don't need botox like "flat face" yet, and know a few things about economics, hard times, and real life!

[spidermike007]

Just another fabulous false, and poorly veiled attempt to save face, and look good to her constituents, after hearing 1,000 complaints about the flagging tourist industry. How about a few of these ideas?

1. Improve road safety standards, so less tourists die on vacation here in mini-van, bus, and motorbike accidents.

2. Go after jet ski, taxi, tuk-tuk, and other scammers.

3. Force thai airways to lower their prices, so the flagship thai airline is competitive.

4. Make the visa policy more user friendly, ease the visa extension process, and generally make the place more tourist friendly.

Shall I go on? I could fill a page with useful suggestions that it does not require a rocket scientist to figure out. The point is, do something, rather than blabber about nothing. The only thing another policy does is create profit for the one writing it.

[JayBangkok]

Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand

Good grief, where do they get these slogans? Ok, it probably started in Thai, sounded ok (in Thai), and then someone translated it. But geeze, do they not have anyone in TAT who is fluent enough in english to say that just does not sound right.

And what policies exactly is she reaffirming? That the jet ski scams, the BiB scams, the tuk-tuk and taxi scams will continue unabated?

Good point about where do they get these slogans. Wasn't there something about some people having birthdays this year and that is why they call it a Miracle Year?

The miracle is Thaksin walking on water to get back across the Mekhong

[waza]

Just another fabulous false, and poorly veiled attempt to save face, and look good to her constituents, after hearing 1,000 complaints about the flagging tourist industry. How about a few of these ideas?

1. Improve road safety standards, so less tourists die on vacation here in mini-van, bus, and motorbike accidents.

2. Go after jet ski, taxi, tuk-tuk, and other scammers.

3. Force thai airways to lower their prices, so the flagship thai airline is competitive.

4. Make the visa policy more user friendly, ease the visa extension process, and generally make the place more tourist friendly.

Shall I go on? I could fill a page with useful suggestions that it does not require a rocket scientist to figure out. The point is, do something, rather than blabber about nothing. The only thing another policy does is create profit for the one writing it.

Pick up litter, and cover open sewers. Plant trees and green things up. Stop discrimnation in pricing and train an effective tourist police, It would help to make the public areas neater and more pleasant EG: Powerlines and Klongs. But talk is cheaper.

Edited May 6, 2012 by waza

[osiboy]

Why doesn't anyone in the Government wake up to the fact that it is useless trying to attract tourists to Thailand. They stay two weeks; get scammed and gouged then leave, vowing to tell all their friends how opportunistic the police are.

Why not concentrate your efforts on getting tourists to stay for fifty weeks a year by becoming retirees? You could allow them to own their own home; make long stay visas easy; abolish ninety day reporting.

In return, we promise to take care of the millions of Thai ladies and Thai children abandoned every year by Thai men. We promise to improve schooling; revolutionise farming and attract thousands of new tourists annually by bringing over our farang families to visit their aging but happy papa.

because,..........thais cant see further than the end of their noses, and most thai noses are very small , they think only of today not the future , only of money at the cost of future business , ..........there are some lovely ,genuine thais too, but don't ever lend money to one or you will probably find out just how genuine they are , even the thai govt; dont pay their debts or keep their promises , ................dont do as i do,.............do as i say !!!