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.

Yup. Everything has a price. How long has it been illegal to build oil refineries in Europe or the US? But its off topic unless you count oil workers going offshore and coming back as tourists. Maybe they do.

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.

Yup. Everything has a price. How long has it been illegal to build oil refineries in Europe or the US? But its off topic unless you count oil workers going offshore and coming back as tourists. Maybe they do.

I know many

This sums up Thailand very well Thai Airways sacks president, jeopardising revamp... i was also seeing the CNN interview early today seems he had his head screwed on and the interview was only done last week ..

Source : http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/thaiairways-idUSL4E8GL35G20120521

I wonder what the numbers will be like now after all this protesting started again ...

I wonder what the numbers will be like now after all this protesting started again ...

The numbers will be what ever they want them to be to save face.

I wonder what the numbers will be like now after all this protesting started again ...

The numbers will be what ever they want them to be to save face.

This is the year of miracles in Thailand remember.

Nisa, you were pushing the Chinese numbers, BUT they spend their money on a package all done and dusted at a travel agent. These are usually NOT individual tourists, they come in tours like ants. short trips only. example fly in, temple Bkk-tour to Pattaya hotel, 1 day to Koh Laan, 1 evening to tiffany's and Mike shopping, back to Bkk and airport.

This is money and good money for Thailand, clean money!!!!!

They do not go into 7-11---bigC---Tesco--have a bar girl or boy--eat at local food places--rent rooms--buy Thai partners houses and keep their families afloat--hire local people to do work--pay for gas bottles and electric bills, TIP rarely, Live here and spend their pensions, integrate with locals, help at temples and schools and town functions, throw water around at Song Khran, go with locals to the beach at Loy Khratung, use taxies, rent motor bikes, get on trains and city buses. and thousands of other things they do not do. They were not here 30 years ago putting money into resorts building up Thailand. All these things mentioned we as ex pats do. along with other westerners. now you tell me who keeps Thailand going locally, without US Thai would be poorer, Chinese money goes to government near direct and is creamed off to Big wig in corrupt practces and never reaches rural pockets (well in reality). My defence to your stats Nisa, Please do not tell me like earlier ex pats contribution is sort of small fry. Good luck Thailand--you can also survive without Chinese as you did in earlier years, that is not meant to be a racist comment.

without the U.S ?,............Says more come here from the UK !,..............AND i bet they spend more in the bars too.

Osiboy, The US was not meant as USA, it meant us from the west/Aussies/etc, so us was tourists and ex pats. Sorry if it misled, more a brit expression. Anyway I agree, Stats don't give half the real picture, ask the Thais who bangs most money into local families and pockets, most rural especially would say farangs-westerners.

Osiboy, The US was not meant as USA, it meant us from the west/Aussies/etc, so us was tourists and ex pats. Sorry if it misled, more a brit expression. Anyway I agree, Stats don't give half the real picture, ask the Thais who bangs most money into local families and pockets, most rural especially would say farangs-westerners.

Your post was perfectly clear.