Thailand's 2011 Annual Tourism Income Rises 30%

[gand]

I've asked a number of times but haven't got an answer as best I can see ... What would be the reason for launching a decade+ long mass conspiracy. that numerous agencies and global governments would be aware and keep silent, all to boost International tourist numbers?

I can think of many reasons why such a conspiracy wouldn't make sense but no logical ones why it would and would seriously be interest in hearing logical reasons for such a conspiracy.

They want to keep their job.

Anything to back up this up such as people being let go in the years tourism was down? Ignoring the fact that the people who could fire anybody would know the numbers are bogus, I just don't find it plausible that people will lose their job because International tourism didn't increase dramatically during a year that saw a severe natural disaster and tourists from some major countries reducing travel to anywhere else. However, there are certainly many well publicized actual blunders & corruption by government agencies and employees where nobody is fired.

Wanting to 'save face'.

[Thai at Heart]

Why would one of these people not be a tourist and the other be? I think you are wanting to simply distinguish if somebody is here on holiday or not. Regardless if a sex tourist or medical tourist or day shopping tourist, they are all tourists.

There are hundreds of small traders every day coming across the border to buy and trade goods either side of the border. They come in and leave often on the same day. My boss alone represents 24 visits from a British citizen every year coming in from Singapore twice a month, myself I contribute between 18 to 20, leaving and returning.

I am not sure about other border crossing but folks coming in from say Cambodia for work during the day are not counted and simply get passes for the day and not passport stamps, 15-day entry permits or passport stamps or ID checks.

If somebody is coming in on a 30 or 15 day entry or tourist visa than I can see no reason why they shouldn't be counted as a tourist regardless of the time they spend which as we know averages about 9 or 10 days.

Well there are thousands of categories that you can "split" tourists into to get real data that would reflect the truth about the "tourism" industry far better for example than counting growth in people entering for business overland and people entering the country for holiday making. I would imagine rubber tappers entering the country on tourist visa are enough to skew the entry of Malaysians as tourists into the country.

When overland Malaysian make up 10% of your "tourism" business, at 2mn, and Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia combined make up 3.5mn out of 17mn,from 2.5mn out of 14mn in 2010 I think it is extremely worthwhile to work out what these people are ACTUALLY contributing to the tourism industry.

http://tourism.go.th/2010/th/statistic/tourism.php

Growth in numbers is all good, but what value is the growth?

[Nisa]

http://tourism.go.th...tic/tourism.php

Thanks, I forgot they posted this information. One thing I noticed is it looks like the myth of all Chinese traveling in group tours is a myth as it only accounts for 40% of them ... at least in the periods I looked.

[Thai at Heart]

http://tourism.go.th...tic/tourism.php

Thanks, I forgot they posted this information. One thing I noticed is it looks like the myth of all Chinese traveling in group tours is a myth as it only accounts for 40% of them ... at least in the periods I looked.

Well, Pattaya claims 1.3mn Chinese visitors, and total for the whole year, nationwide was 1.5mn, so once again, the numbers may or may not reflect package tours.

[Nisa]

http://tourism.go.th...tic/tourism.php

Thanks, I forgot they posted this information. One thing I noticed is it looks like the myth of all Chinese traveling in group tours is a myth as it only accounts for 40% of them ... at least in the periods I looked.

Well, Pattaya claims 1.3mn Chinese visitors, and total for the whole year, nationwide was 1.5mn, so once again, the numbers may or may not reflect package tours.

I'm missing how visiting Pattaya while in Thailand relates to package tours. Also curious where the 1.3 number comes from, was that from another source?

[Thai at Heart]

I'm missing how visiting Pattaya while in Thailand relates to package tours. Also curious where the 1.3 number comes from, was that from another source?

http://www.pattaya-f...n.com/news.html

Of the 19.1 million foreign tourists which Thailand managed to attract last year, a record number of seven million reportedly visited Pattaya, pouring 70 billion Baht into the city's local economy. The number of Russian tourists stayed on top in Pattaya, followed by Chinese (1.23 million), Europeans, and Indians.

Many trips in China are booked as groups because of the requirements to get visas and paperwork which the agents take care of. Often a tourist in China has to use a licensed agent to buy tickets. They often use a "licensed" agent tour because they have to, and it simplifies the process of them getting the right to leave. Pattaya is very popular as a destination advertised in Korea, and China, with very good prices far lower than booking individual tickets and accommodation. It is a package.

So, if the figures for the whole country for Chinese visitors shows such a close figure to those claimed in Pattaya, it would either indicate that the figures are screwy, or that a very high percentage of total Chinese tourist visitors went to Pattaya.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/TAT-in-bid-to-tackle-problems-faced-by-Chinese-tou-30182346.html

n 2011, 1.23 million Chinese visited Pattaya, an increase from 785,553 in 2010. The total number of foreign tourists coming to the resort city reached 7 million last year, pouring Bt70 billion into its local economy. The number of Russians stayed on top, followed by Chinese, Europeans, and Indians.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[Nisa]

I'm missing how visiting Pattaya while in Thailand relates to package tours. Also curious where the 1.3 number comes from, was that from another source?

http://www.pattaya-f...n.com/news.html

Of the 19.1 million foreign tourists which Thailand managed to attract last year, a record number of seven million reportedly visited Pattaya, pouring 70 billion Baht into the city's local economy. The number of Russian tourists stayed on top in Pattaya, followed by Chinese (1.23 million), Europeans, and Indians.

Many trips in China are booked as groups because of the requirements to get visas and paperwork which the agents take care of. Often a tourist in China has to use a licensed agent to buy tickets. They often use a "licensed" agent tour because they have to, and it simplifies the process of them getting the right to leave. Pattaya is very popular as a destination advertised in Korea, and China, with very good prices far lower than booking individual tickets and accommodation. It is a package.

So, if the figures for the whole country for Chinese visitors shows such a close figure to those claimed in Pattaya, it would either indicate that the figures are screwy, or that a very high percentage of total Chinese tourist visitors went to Pattaya.

http://www.nationmul...u-30182346.html

n 2011, 1.23 million Chinese visited Pattaya, an increase from 785,553 in 2010. The total number of foreign tourists coming to the resort city reached 7 million last year, pouring Bt70 billion into its local economy. The number of Russians stayed on top, followed by Chinese, Europeans, and Indians.

Again, and it must be me, but I am missing the correlation between how number of Chinese who visited Pattaya at all relates to the number who come here in a group, which is reported at about 40% (http://tourism.go.th...tic/tourism.php ). The reported fact that 70% of Chinese tourists visited Pattaya during there stay is interesting but it doesn't sound all that surprising given its location to Bangkok, the average stay of a Chinese tourist and it being the way to Koh Larn.

[ginjag]

Enjoy your tourist hotels that cater for Chinese Nisa, They are so friendly, they always integrate with Thai, tip with thousands of bht. I love my time chatting to them on the beach and in supermarkets. Thai girls flock to marry Chinese men, and the boys cannot get enough of them, Without stats Nisa you would be completely lost, Trying to find middle ground to discuss anything is near out of the question, as I hate talking through Google. By the way my Chinese car is fantastic, love it.

Dude, you really are going off on the rant about the Chinese which doesn't have anything to do with anything (except an obsession you seem to have) and is really short sited and incorrect thinking. I really don't want to go down this road but it is getting a bit played out your constant need to put entire groups, you feel threatened by, into single categories but also this notion that money poured into the country by the Chinese doesn't directly help Thais is far off the mark. There are so many reasons why this is incorrect but take the simple fact that be it spending a few hundred baht at the 711 or a nice Hotel, both of those companies employee Thais who in turn spend their wages. The more profitable a company, the more they will hire and expand. The tax revenue they bring in also DOES goes to the Thai people via government services. It is just ridiculous to think that a a person averaging a daily spending spree of 5000 baht is less valuable to Thailand than a budget sensitive traveler spending a lot less per day because they spend it at places like street food stalls.

Walk down areas like Sukimvit or Silom and you can find many street vendors specifically catering to tourists. Like any other country, there are business that cater to tourists and profit considerably more from them. An expat is not a tourist and some retiree with a 60k a month (2k a week) is still not going to be as valuable to the economy as somebody pumping in 5000 a day no matter how you slice it. A good economy and a strong GDP is good for all Thais ... not just the guy selling noodles on the Soi.

Nisa don't push the Chinese thing back to me, You were the one initially pushing the beloved Chinese down posters throats. I spoke about their numbers and what a good thing for Thailand they came to Thais rescue. I will always doubt and dissagree with most others about the TOURIST numbers . On some of your posts you have had second thoughts about them, especially at border crossings. You and I and near all others know there are a vast number of grey areas in the stats given-TAT is a good example, they contradict themselves so often. My knowledge of a Chinese package includes, typical itinery. Day 1 travel to Swampy-on to Bkk hotel, afternoon G.Palace tour. Day 2 Tour approx 50 persons to Pattaya hotel, evening shopping example Mike shopping . and evening at Tiffany's Katoy show. Day 3, Fast speed boat accross to Kho Lhan, and set chinese lunch at the beach, leisure on glass bottom boat, jet ski, or swim. all back on the speed boat by 2pm. to Pattaya. on to Bkk hotel. Day4 Bkk-Swampy-China flight.

No obsession, no rant,--I feel threatened here after 31 years haha, you think strange things to try to win brownie points Nisa.

5000 a day for 5 days--2 times a year, more than a ex pat contributes, get real. The last time I went to Vientienne to the consulate, 2 days job-to get your tourist -0 visa etc, 1 day example 400 wanting 60 or 90 day visa's, back ti Thai for your stamp, Think how much revenue is got in a day -on average 2,000 baht for a visa. multiply this by all the other border posts. add up the revenue then the silly amount you seem to think that an ex pat spends every day-via cars food wives children houses hotels and rents-motor bikes. as you say this is chicken feed ????? fine have your view, but to me it is not from the street all over Thailand, most as I have said is from stats and polls and you tend to believe them. I say they are a guide until you break them down a bit.

[rubl]

Just some more stats

"Thailand : Tourist Arrivals from 1998 till 2011. Quarterly Data 2007-2011"

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

Many links to Thai government & authorities sites.

[Nisa]

Just some more stats

"Thailand : Tourist Arrivals from 1998 till 2011. Quarterly Data 2007-2011"

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

Many links to Thai government & authorities sites.

Yes, great page and very cool of these guys to compile and put all this info in one place along with the charts and relating the info to negative events. Not sure if they just updated this I hadn't noticed this data before ...

Numbers show number of tourist arrivals (in millions).

Dates of political unrest and untoward events :

2009 : most negative events 11-12 April

2010 : most negative events : around 19 May

2011 : flooding of Central Thailand and part of Bangkok Oct-Dec

Kind of scary to see just how much of a slow down there is in the May low season and how busy (and expensive) I found out the hotels were in Pattaya and Koh Samed this weekend. I don't think it will be too long before Thailand is not such a $ bargain ... if it hasn't already reached that point.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Nisa

[Thaddeus]

I have a little bit of experience of the average Chinese group tourist, and as Nisa has already proved that most of them go to Pattaya.

This is what happens, and it can be observed quite easily by anyone with average eyesight.

A group of them are herded down a street containing go-go bars, they stop at one, the door opens, all the cameras go 'crick' and then the shepherd slips the doorman a hundred Baht and they move along.

Quality tourism at its best.

Now, I'm not saying this is all of them, but.

[Nisa]

A group of them are herded down a street containing go-go bars, they stop at one, the door opens, all the cameras go 'crick' and then the shepherd slips the doorman a hundred Baht and they move along.

Not sure why but this painted quite a visual in my mind ... it is like a scene from a movie.

[jerrysteve]

Wow! I didn't know that the prostitutes there had to report their income: Its. about time

[Nisa]

Enjoy your tourist hotels that cater for Chinese Nisa <snip>

Dude, you really are going off on the rant about the Chinese <snip>

Nisa don't push the Chinese thing back to me, You were the one initially pushing the beloved Chinese down posters throats. <snip>

And where did I do this?

Edit: Did, I read the other part of your post right ... you are still doing border runs after 31-years of being here?

Edited May 23, 2012 by Nisa

[Nisa]

Wow! I didn't know that the prostitutes there had to report their income: Its. about time

I am not for sure what you are referring but can't help but wonder if it is the PDFs stats on the Government Site titled "Sex Travel" If so, I was initially shocked to see this too until I realized they were simply breaking the numbers down by male/female travel. Which also shocked me in terms of percentage of female travelers to Thailand.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Nisa

[gand]

Wow! I didn't know that the prostitutes there had to report their income: Its. about time

I am not for sure what you are talking about but can't help but wonder if it is the PDFs stats on the Government Site titled "Sex Travel" If so, I was shocked to see this too until I realized they were simply breaking the numbers down by male/female travel. Which also shocked me in terms of number of female travelers to Thailand.

"Girls Just Want To Have Fun" too.

[Notstupid30]

This is all lies they think we are stupid but we are not we all have eyes we all talk with following expats who have business here on so many levels plus the tourist industry .. We also talk with Thai people who have business too they are all saying the same thing as us experts Thailand is died...

My wife has also been in the tourist industry for over ten years now she has been struggling for from when the yellow shit’s closed the Airport down 2008 even 2006 was bad when they had the coup .. My wife travel shop business is down around 75% she also uses to deal with a lot factories here in Thailand even them are on very limited budgets these days and also not going abroad often these day’s… Due global finance recession problems around the world and they go out to some fair out place around the world but that isn’t happening these day’s …

Tourism Authority of Thailand / AOT people need to get out of the offices and of course go out to night venues to see what’s happening here in Thailand instead of making all this rubbish up that’s a fact please go around and look at the half empty night venues and around some of the beach to see how empty it is plus shopping centre’s also Nisa you are talking a load of rubbish about can’t find a hotel room in Pattaya that’s where my wife has her office .. ? We are not stupid on here sorry to say some of us have been well educated in some of the top university around the world

By the way Tourism Authority of Thailand staff / management is only in the job for free holidays aboard for their bs marketing event’s even that they do a good job of promoting Thailand sorry to say these people only care about themselves this is why the come up with the bs numbers in the first place …

[ginjag]

Enjoy your tourist hotels that cater for Chinese Nisa <snip>

Dude, you really are going off on the rant about the Chinese <snip>

Nisa don't push the Chinese thing back to me, You were the one initially pushing the beloved Chinese down posters throats. <snip>

And where did I do this?

Edit: Did, I read the other part of your post right ... you are still doing border runs after 31-years of being here?

Not your business to comment-or be personal about ones movements, How many runs am I doing as you seem to assume I have been doing them 31 years, I mentioned a time in Vientienne, DO NOT post or assume --ask if I have for 31 years, not shout it about. Better you concentrate on the main content of my post instead of busy busy selecting silly bits.

[ginjag]

Nisa did you read any other items in my post ??? that were true, about the revenue earned,at crossing points, embassies?? And ALL the hidden comforts and monies generated (that are never shown in stats) your belief in manipulated figures is a joke, look into them more find out more about the BIG hidden missing stats-reality. I cannot or do not wish to change your blinkered view. You do not get around as much as you make out, or your observations would be nearer to Thai life, If you were running this country wouldn't you put out stats like this??? do what TAT do, They have to do here is a place where the honest truth is missing very much.

[Nisa]

Not your business to comment-or be personal about ones movements, How many runs am I doing as you seem to assume I have been doing them 31 years, I mentioned a time in Vientienne, DO NOT post or assume --ask if I have for 31 years, not shout it about. Better you concentrate on the main content of my post instead of busy busy selecting silly bits.

Gin, this conversation is really getting too strange and a bit scary to continue.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Nisa

[kerryk]

This is all lies they think we are stupid but we are not we all have eyes we all talk with following expats who have business here on so many levels plus the tourist industry .. We also talk with Thai people who have business too they are all saying the same thing as us experts Thailand is died...

My wife has also been in the tourist industry for over ten years now she has been struggling for from when the yellow shit’s closed the Airport down 2008 even 2006 was bad when they had the coup .. My wife travel shop business is down around 75% she also uses to deal with a lot factories here in Thailand even them are on very limited budgets these days and also not going abroad often these day’s… Due global finance recession problems around the world and they go out to some fair out place around the world but that isn’t happening these day’s …

Tourism Authority of Thailand / AOT people need to get out of the offices and of course go out to night venues to see what’s happening here in Thailand instead of making all this rubbish up that’s a fact please go around and look at the half empty night venues and around some of the beach to see how empty it is plus shopping centre’s also Nisa you are talking a load of rubbish about can’t find a hotel room in Pattaya that’s where my wife has her office .. ? We are not stupid on here sorry to say some of us have been well educated in some of the top university around the world

By the way Tourism Authority of Thailand staff / management is only in the job for free holidays aboard for their bs marketing event’s even that they do a good job of promoting Thailand sorry to say these people only care about themselves this is why the come up with the bs numbers in the first place …

Great first post. You will fit right in with other posters. Don't to to Rayong though. Business booming. New factories. New employment. Everybody shopping at Lamtong every weekend.

[ginjag]

Not your business to comment-or be personal about ones movements, How many runs am I doing as you seem to assume I have been doing them 31 years, I mentioned a time in Vientienne, DO NOT post or assume --ask if I have for 31 years, not shout it about. Better you concentrate on the main content of my post instead of busy busy selecting silly bits.

Gin, this conversation is really getting too strange and a bit scary to continue.

Sorry if the truth is scary, don't go down the road, It seem it's o.k. for you to critisise others posts, and delve into their choices of visa, but you hate to be questioned yourself. I gave you my true experiences, my true feelings on benefits that you don't agree with re westerners monies spent here, and the times the figures are distorted by stats. Thats all, don't get bolshi about it.

[Nisa]

This is all lies they think we are stupid but we are not we all have eyes we all talk with following expats who have business here on so many levels plus the tourist industry .. We also talk with Thai people who have business too they are all saying the same thing as us experts Thailand is died...

My wife has also been in the tourist industry for over ten years now she has been struggling for from when the yellow shit’s closed the Airport down 2008 even 2006 was bad when they had the coup .. My wife travel shop business is down around 75% she also uses to deal with a lot factories here in Thailand even them are on very limited budgets these days and also not going abroad often these day’s… Due global finance recession problems around the world and they go out to some fair out place around the world but that isn’t happening these day’s …

Tourism Authority of Thailand / AOT people need to get out of the offices and of course go out to night venues to see what’s happening here in Thailand instead of making all this rubbish up that’s a fact please go around and look at the half empty night venues and around some of the beach to see how empty it is plus shopping centre’s also Nisa you are talking a load of rubbish about can’t find a hotel room in Pattaya that’s where my wife has her office .. ? We are not stupid on here sorry to say some of us have been well educated in some of the top university around the world

By the way Tourism Authority of Thailand staff / management is only in the job for free holidays aboard for their bs marketing event’s even that they do a good job of promoting Thailand sorry to say these people only care about themselves this is why the come up with the bs numbers in the first place …

Great first post. You will fit right in with other posters. Don't to to Rayong though. Business booming. New factories. New employment. Everybody shopping at Lamtong every weekend.

Ignore too the non-stop raising of luxury condos in Bangkok that sell out quickly or the building of upscale hotels and the 8+ floor malls that are booming and all built within kilometers of each other or the commonness of 4/4+ star hotels being sold out because surely gloom and doom posters on TV know more than these serious investors.

Like it or not, Thailand is moving in a direction to cater to more high-end tourists and this is why you are seeing many traditionally cheap tourist spots renovating or building new hotels for more upscale tourists. But again, this is all done out of stupidity because we know according to posters here that these more upscale travelers actually are a bad thing for Thailand when compared with those whose budgets only allow them to shop at 711 and eat at noodle stalls on the street.

Thailand has been one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and for people year after year to believe things are slowing down makes little sense unless all these people they claim complaining simply need to make better business decisions.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Nisa

[ginjag]

This is all lies they think we are stupid but we are not we all have eyes we all talk with following expats who have business here on so many levels plus the tourist industry .. We also talk with Thai people who have business too they are all saying the same thing as us experts Thailand is died...

My wife has also been in the tourist industry for over ten years now she has been struggling for from when the yellow shit’s closed the Airport down 2008 even 2006 was bad when they had the coup .. My wife travel shop business is down around 75% she also uses to deal with a lot factories here in Thailand even them are on very limited budgets these days and also not going abroad often these day’s… Due global finance recession problems around the world and they go out to some fair out place around the world but that isn’t happening these day’s …

Tourism Authority of Thailand / AOT people need to get out of the offices and of course go out to night venues to see what’s happening here in Thailand instead of making all this rubbish up that’s a fact please go around and look at the half empty night venues and around some of the beach to see how empty it is plus shopping centre’s also Nisa you are talking a load of rubbish about can’t find a hotel room in Pattaya that’s where my wife has her office .. ? We are not stupid on here sorry to say some of us have been well educated in some of the top university around the world

By the way Tourism Authority of Thailand staff / management is only in the job for free holidays aboard for their bs marketing event’s even that they do a good job of promoting Thailand sorry to say these people only care about themselves this is why the come up with the bs numbers in the first place …

Great first post. You will fit right in with other posters. Don't to to Rayong though. Business booming. New factories. New employment. Everybody shopping at Lamtong every weekend.

Ignore too the non-stop raising of luxury condos in Bangkok that sell out quickly or the building of upscale hotels and the 8+ floor malls that are booming and all built within kilometers of each other or the commonness of 4/4+ star hotels being sold out because surely gloom and doom posters on TV know more than these serious investors.

Like it or not, Thailand is moving in a direction to cater to more high-end tourists and this is why you are seeing many traditionally cheap tourist spots renovating and less cheap places for tourists to stay. But again, this is all done out of stupidity because we know according to posters here that these more upscale travelers actually are a bad thing for Thailand when compared with those whose budgets only allow them to shop at 711 and eat at noodle stalls on the street.

Ha Ha--buy some new glasses and get more informed, rather than this obsession with 'High End"

[kerryk]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

[ginjag]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

I am aware of the fantastic trade and factories on the eastern seaboard-example Amata city, get caught in the work traffic on the Sattahip road and you have driving problems, Sometimes I think more of that could have been in Issan, all that labour, but the port is there, it makes good sense that industry is near. It's good also a my other home is appreciating in value due to the business there. Big powerful Hi So owns Amata city though.

[catmac]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

Which is why your glowing gloating has got nothing at all to do with the subject under discussion, namely TOURISM.

[Nisa]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

Although there are some upscale places to stay on the mainland, I agree Rayong mainland is definitely not generally an attraction for high-end travelers. However, it is a popular tourist stop for both local and international tourists especially given its location to Bangkok and Koh Samed (which is actually part of Rayong).

Edited May 24, 2012 by Nisa

[waza]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

At the cost of the natural enviroment.

[kerryk]

Rayong isn't high end. It is oil refineries and factories. Grunt labor. Lots of it. Union and highly paid hourly workers. Chevron, Ford and such. Steel fabrication. Good basic industry. It is big name industry, taxed and the backbone of the Thai government. The little industry follows for parts and products that support the big names. Thailand is doing great. Take a trip to the industrial Eastern Seaboard. Money, everywhere new home construction rampant. All Thai people. No tourists here.

Which is why your glowing gloating has got nothing at all to do with the subject under discussion, namely TOURISM.

Actually I got confused and thought I was in another thread. The only tourism I see is Korean golfers. There are three golf courses close by. No one lives here. Holidays the place empties out as everyone goes back to Issan. You are also right about the glowing gloating. I like Thailand. It is good to see the Thai people employed and the fellows acting crude in the go go bars are all Thai. There a lot of hookers here because there are a lot of single men working in the factories. I like the change from Pattaya.