Tourism Dept Uplifting Standards Of Thai Tourism Products And Services

[webfact]

Tourism Dept uplifting standards of tourism products and services

BANGKOK, 14 August 2012 (NNT) – The Department of Tourism is planning to revise Thai tourism products' and services’ standards. Travel entrepreneurs who pass the assessment will get promotional support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Department of Tourism Director-General Supol Sripan has revealed that the department is setting up new standard assessments for travel-related products and services to uplift the Thai tourism industry's standards. He said after the standard assessment procedure is finalized, the Thailand Council of Tourism will be responsible for inspection and evaluation. The TAT will then help promote tourism entrepreneurs who pass the assessment.

Mr Supol expected the new evaluation to be used within next year, hoping it will help improve the standards of Thai tourism-related products and services.

He anticipated that Thailand will earn 2 trillion baht from the tourism sector in 2015.

-- NNT 2012-08-14

[KireB]

Good initiative, a lot of facilities, infrastructure and attitude towards tourists are in dire need of an upgrade!

[jerrysteve]

We would hope that also means getting rid of the mafia assisted crimes committed by scam artists in the jet ski businesses, motorcycle rental businesses, etc, etc, more police protection.

.

More police that are not in cahoots or in collusion with the rest of the scams perpetrated on foreigners touring the country. T

I am all for the Tourism Dept Uplifting Standards Of Thai Tourism Products and Services, as long as they include far more safety

precautions of Foreign Tourists.

[Katipo]

I wonder how the above explosion of hot air will manifest itself in quantifiable change.

[OzMick]

We would hope that also means getting rid of the mafia assisted crimes committed by scam artists in the jet ski businesses, motorcycle rental businesses, etc, etc, more police protection.

.

More police that are not in cahoots or in collusion with the rest of the scams perpetrated on foreigners touring the country. T

I am all for the Tourism Dept Uplifting Standards Of Thai Tourism Products and Services, as long as they include far more safety

precautions of Foreign Tourists.

Isn't Chalerm taking care of this? Should be nearly finished by now, I'm sure he said 3 months.

[spidermike007]

We would hope that also means getting rid of the mafia assisted crimes committed by scam artists in the jet ski businesses, motorcycle rental businesses, etc, etc, more police protection.

.

More police that are not in cahoots or in collusion with the rest of the scams perpetrated on foreigners touring the country. T

I am all for the Tourism Dept Uplifting Standards Of Thai Tourism Products and Services, as long as they include far more safety

precautions of Foreign Tourists.

Never gonna happen. The mafia scammers are richer, and more powerful than the "toy police", and the impotent government officials that are supposed to be keeping them in line, but instead more or less condone their behavior. A friend was visiting Samui recently, arguably one of Thailand's major tourist spots. He could not find information anywhere about places to see, best beaches, impartial restaurant guides, etc. Slovenia, Mail, Gautemala, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and many other areas, with alot of tourism, have tourism offices, open to the public, in prominent locations in tourist spots. Do you think any Thai official has ever even considered such an idea? And they are supposedly approaching 20,000,000 tourists a year. Where are all the revenues going? Stupid question, right?

[northernboy]

Sounds like another empty promise to do what they are already suppose to be doing. Same Old Same Old with a new white wash.

[drdoom6996]

I wonder how the above explosion of hot air will manifest itself in quantifiable change.

None Just another soundbite.

[jonclark]

Are you sure 'uplifting of standards of tourism products and services' isn't a mistranslation of 'uplifting of prices of tourism products and prices' given the final line in the OP

He anticipated that Thailand will earn 2 trillion baht from the tourism sector in 2015

I know which of the two (standards or prices) is easier to raise to meet an earnings target.

Edited August 14, 2012 by jonclark

[LuckyLew]

I wonder how the above explosion of hot air will manifest itself in quantifiable change.

It will not make a difference

There is no way to get all people working in tourism sector on board

It is too easy for them to scam and rip off tourists.

Why make in a month what they can make in a day

[tomross46]

Same wine different bottle. The first time I was this was in 1967, and I have seen it every year since. Get rid of the gangsters acting a BMA police and only stopping no asian for littering, when to whole area is covered with trash.

[Lannatyne]

I bet they NEVER actually ask the 'tourists' what they want, nor ask other foreign tourist authorities, what should be provided for visitors. That would be too much like 'research', I suppose.

[givenall]

Good initiative, a lot of facilities, infrastructure and attitude towards tourists are in dire need of an upgrade!

New Tourism Hub, will not believe it till i see it

[Lingba]

Ya gotta give these guys credit...every so often you have to print a "Pep talk article" like this to keep the naive masses hopefull as well as confident that things are going to get better...But lets face it...the rest of us know too dam_n well that nothing is going to change I don't care how much B.S. they give to the media

[Woodcaulk]

The TAT will then help promote tourism entrepreneurs who pass the assessment.

Passing the "assessment" will be just a matter of the appropriate "contribution" to the TAT official responsible for certifying the assessments.

[takatukaland]

bla,bla and next yr 100quadrillion,if they really mean to do anything,half of police in pattaya and phuket would sit in monkey house now

[Unkomoncents]

Upgrading tourism services in Thailand would require that a completely new police force be set up (as interests in the current Royal Thai Police are way too entrenched and the simple act of firing officials, sack that, firing Thais in general seems nigh impossible in the Kingdom) that is somehow professionally trained, dedicated to law enforcement and impervious to influence peddling. Even when the current police sweep into an area to clean things up (as they did in Silom a couple of years ago), they are met with gun-shots, threats of violence, and complete hostility from members of the public involved illegal transactions of all varieties. Interests and attitudes are so entrenched and Thailand so corrupt (Transparency International ranks Thailand as MORE corrupt than China), that it is utterly impossible to imagine that change of any type is possible. Even if some Ghandi-like figure arrived on the scene to save the Kingdom, it's impossible to envision any positive direction for Thailand. The only conceivable solution to Thailand's woes (and it's important to remember that Thailand doesn't see itself as having any woes, as tourist numbers keep going up, and for Thais, that's proof of the Kingdom's greatness) is to either experience a Biblical flood and then start fresh, or have a benevolent dictator (are there any of these; perhaps there was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who was widely criticized for jailing journalists and caning violators of even basic Singaporean laws) force the law on Thais.

Thaksin (of whom I am not an admirer) is probably the closest to a Lee Kuan Yew that Thailand has ever had. I am sure he anticipated uproar when he began his policy of the extra-judicial executions of drug dealers but I'm equally sure he hoped people would accept that this was his only option, as the Royal Thai Police are so vulnerable to bribery that powerful drug dealers are, in many cases, police officers. They didn't and international community (especially groups like Amnesty International) were all over him about his violations of human rights. Ultimately, Thaksin was forcibly removed by power, quite possibly by elites who understood his approach to "fixing" Thailand would undermine the very means by which they had acquired their wealth and power (even if it is clear that he was enriching his family via his power, what Thai politician hasn't done that?). One of the families I know quite well is descended from an immigrant Chinese opium trader. Their wealth feeds directly from a history of dealing opium. Now they own one of Thailand's biggest banks. What lessons should the descendants of that opium trader heed? The only lesson I can see them learning is that to become wealthy in Thailand, one must do whatever is necessary. Thailand needs some hard medicine to fix what are serious social and cultural problems (as opposed to legal problems, as the Kingdom's ability to pass laws that are completely ignored is legendary). Most good Thai lawyers seek employment abroad after they are educated (usually abroad) because the situation Thailand faces is truly impossible to overcome without generations of conscientious attitude readjustment. Meanwhile, though the future is bleak, the tourists keep coming.

Ultimately, most of the expatriates and foreigners that reside in Thailand love the lawlessness of the country. Where else can you drive your car at whatever speed you desire or shop for men, women, even children to your heart's content. Where else can you get off of a minor traffic violation for a mere two-hundred baht. If you've your head about you, then you can live for years, even a lifetime, in Thailand without experiencing the downside of lawlessness and general chaos. The same conditions exist in other countries without the general friendliness and peacefulness of Thai people, so there will always be worse off countries than Thailand. However, even the smartest, most well-meaning people can eventually have a run in with a situation that reminds us all of the beauty and benefits of law and order. For those, it's back to wherever they came from with a mind to appreciate the country from which they came and forget about the one they called home for so many years.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[nottocus]

^

What he said.

[davejones]

Let's hope they do away with farang pricing.

[Notstupid30]

Yawn

[Chupup]

me to, Yawn one thing about TAT, always somthing to say, trouble is its usualy B S same as this is....................

[waza]

I guess "the Miracle year of Amazing Thailand", just isnt upmarket enough.

Edited August 15, 2012 by waza

[bendejo]

If anyone believes anything will come of this announcement I have only one thing to say to them:

Welcome to Thailand!

[SpoliaOpima]

Upgrading tourism services in Thailand would require that a completely new police force be set up (as interests in the current Royal Thai Police are way too entrenched and the simple act of firing officials, sack that, firing Thais in general seems nigh impossible in the Kingdom) that is somehow professionally trained, dedicated to law enforcement and impervious to influence peddling. Even when the current police sweep into an area to clean things up (as they did in Silom a couple of years ago), they are met with gun-shots, threats of violence, and complete hostility from members of the public involved illegal transactions of all varieties. Interests and attitudes are so entrenched and Thailand so corrupt (Transparency International ranks Thailand as MORE corrupt than China), that it is utterly impossible to imagine that change of any type is possible. Even if some Ghandi-like figure arrived on the scene to save the Kingdom, it's impossible to envision any positive direction for Thailand. The only conceivable solution to Thailand's woes (and it's important to remember that Thailand doesn't see itself as having any woes, as tourist numbers keep going up, and for Thais, that's proof of the Kingdom's greatness) is to either experience a Biblical flood and then start fresh, or have a benevolent dictator (are there any of these; perhaps there was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who was widely criticized for jailing journalists and caning violators of even basic Singaporean laws) force the law on Thais.

Thaksin (of whom I am not an admirer) is probably the closest to a Lee Kuan Yew that Thailand has ever had. I am sure he anticipated uproar when he began his policy of the extra-judicial executions of drug dealers but I'm equally sure he hoped people would accept that this was his only option, as the Royal Thai Police are so vulnerable to bribery that powerful drug dealers are, in many cases, police officers. They didn't and international community (especially groups like Amnesty International) were all over him about his violations of human rights. Ultimately, Thaksin was forcibly removed by power, quite possibly by elites who understood his approach to "fixing" Thailand would undermine the very means by which they had acquired their wealth and power (even if it is clear that he was enriching his family via his power, what Thai politician hasn't done that?). One of the families I know quite well is descended from an immigrant Chinese opium trader. Their wealth feeds directly from a history of dealing opium. Now they own one of Thailand's biggest banks. What lessons should the descendants of that opium trader heed? The only lesson I can see them learning is that to become wealthy in Thailand, one must do whatever is necessary. Thailand needs some hard medicine to fix what are serious social and cultural problems (as opposed to legal problems, as the Kingdom's ability to pass laws that are completely ignored is legendary). Most good Thai lawyers seek employment abroad after they are educated (usually abroad) because the situation Thailand faces is truly impossible to overcome without generations of conscientious attitude readjustment. Meanwhile, though the future is bleak, the tourists keep coming.

Ultimately, most of the expatriates and foreigners that reside in Thailand love the lawlessness of the country. Where else can you drive your car at whatever speed you desire or shop for men, women, even children to your heart's content. Where else can you get off of a minor traffic violation for a mere two-hundred baht. If you've your head about you, then you can live for years, even a lifetime, in Thailand without experiencing the downside of lawlessness and general chaos. The same conditions exist in other countries without the general friendliness and peacefulness of Thai people, so there will always be worse off countries than Thailand. However, even the smartest, most well-meaning people can eventually have a run in with a situation that reminds us all of the beauty and benefits of law and order. For those, it's back to wherever they came from with a mind to appreciate the country from which they came and forget about the one they called home for so many years.

Thaksin himself comes from a family whose wealth was once tied to the opium trade in Chiang Mai. Furthermore the extajudicial killings during his so-called 'drug war' did not sidestep the police, but were in fact carried out by police. Most of the victims of these killings were drug users or petty drug dealers; none of the big fish were inconvenienced in any noticeable way except that the street price of ya ba increased, thereby making the trade even more profitable.

Thaksin did not offer an answer to corruption, he only exacerbated it, leading by example when he railroaded a law abolishing capital gains taxes on stock market transactions through the national assembly, then selling ShinCorp four days afterwards, thus avoiding 80 million in taxes.

Edited August 19, 2012 by SpoliaOpima

[Unkomoncents]

Upgrading tourism services in Thailand would require that a completely new police force be set up (as interests in the current Royal Thai Police are way too entrenched and the simple act of firing officials, sack that, firing Thais in general seems nigh impossible in the Kingdom) that is somehow professionally trained, dedicated to law enforcement and impervious to influence peddling. Even when the current police sweep into an area to clean things up (as they did in Silom a couple of years ago), they are met with gun-shots, threats of violence, and complete hostility from members of the public involved illegal transactions of all varieties. Interests and attitudes are so entrenched and Thailand so corrupt (Transparency International ranks Thailand as MORE corrupt than China), that it is utterly impossible to imagine that change of any type is possible. Even if some Ghandi-like figure arrived on the scene to save the Kingdom, it's impossible to envision any positive direction for Thailand. The only conceivable solution to Thailand's woes (and it's important to remember that Thailand doesn't see itself as having any woes, as tourist numbers keep going up, and for Thais, that's proof of the Kingdom's greatness) is to either experience a Biblical flood and then start fresh, or have a benevolent dictator (are there any of these; perhaps there was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who was widely criticized for jailing journalists and caning violators of even basic Singaporean laws) force the law on Thais.

Thaksin (of whom I am not an admirer) is probably the closest to a Lee Kuan Yew that Thailand has ever had. I am sure he anticipated uproar when he began his policy of the extra-judicial executions of drug dealers but I'm equally sure he hoped people would accept that this was his only option, as the Royal Thai Police are so vulnerable to bribery that powerful drug dealers are, in many cases, police officers. They didn't and international community (especially groups like Amnesty International) were all over him about his violations of human rights. Ultimately, Thaksin was forcibly removed by power, quite possibly by elites who understood his approach to "fixing" Thailand would undermine the very means by which they had acquired their wealth and power (even if it is clear that he was enriching his family via his power, what Thai politician hasn't done that?). One of the families I know quite well is descended from an immigrant Chinese opium trader. Their wealth feeds directly from a history of dealing opium. Now they own one of Thailand's biggest banks. What lessons should the descendants of that opium trader heed? The only lesson I can see them learning is that to become wealthy in Thailand, one must do whatever is necessary. Thailand needs some hard medicine to fix what are serious social and cultural problems (as opposed to legal problems, as the Kingdom's ability to pass laws that are completely ignored is legendary). Most good Thai lawyers seek employment abroad after they are educated (usually abroad) because the situation Thailand faces is truly impossible to overcome without generations of conscientious attitude readjustment. Meanwhile, though the future is bleak, the tourists keep coming.

Ultimately, most of the expatriates and foreigners that reside in Thailand love the lawlessness of the country. Where else can you drive your car at whatever speed you desire or shop for men, women, even children to your heart's content. Where else can you get off of a minor traffic violation for a mere two-hundred baht. If you've your head about you, then you can live for years, even a lifetime, in Thailand without experiencing the downside of lawlessness and general chaos. The same conditions exist in other countries without the general friendliness and peacefulness of Thai people, so there will always be worse off countries than Thailand. However, even the smartest, most well-meaning people can eventually have a run in with a situation that reminds us all of the beauty and benefits of law and order. For those, it's back to wherever they came from with a mind to appreciate the country from which they came and forget about the one they called home for so many years.

Thaksin himself comes from a family whose wealth was once tied to the opium trade in Chiang Mai. Furthermore the extajudicial killings during his so-called 'drug war' did not sidestep the police, but were in fact carried out by police. Most of the victims of these killings were drug users or petty drug dealers; none of the big fish were inconvenienced in any noticeable way except that the street price of ya ba increased, thereby making the trade even more profitable.

Thaksin did not offer an answer to corruption, he only exacerbated it, leading by example when he railroaded a law abolishing capital gains taxes on stock market transactions through the national assembly, then selling ShinCorp four days afterwards, thus avoiding 80 million in taxes.

Of course the killings were carried out by the police. Who else would be in a position to do that in an even remotely developed country?! And he enriched his family and himself, yes, yes. We know. How though? How do we know, since the finances of every major politician in Thailand are shrouded in inordinate mystery. In fact, the only reason we know anything about anyone is the partisan nature of Thai politics. Long-term policies (which require stability and not military interventions) take years to realize; hence, the "long-term" in the name. Activists will only see the short-term. You make a lot of good points; nevertheless, Thaksin had a number of successes too. In fact, among the biggest criticisms of him are those that suggest he enriched his family to engage in infrastructure projects. Yep. Yep, he did. And what about the officials (all of them) who have enriched their family members without engaging in infrastructure projects. The BTS and MRT, surprisingly enough, have been good to residents/citizens of Thailand. Everything is relative, obviously.

[hellodolly]

We would hope that also means getting rid of the mafia assisted crimes committed by scam artists in the jet ski businesses, motorcycle rental businesses, etc, etc, more police protection.

.

More police that are not in cahoots or in collusion with the rest of the scams perpetrated on foreigners touring the country. T

I am all for the Tourism Dept Uplifting Standards Of Thai Tourism Products and Services, as long as they include far more safety

precautions of Foreign Tourists.

And just what makes a foreign tourist more valuable than a Thai tourist.

I am all for improving the standards a little bit but not to the point where unless you are high income you can not bring you family. One huge step towards protecting Westerners would be to not allow them to operate a vehicle.

And quite frankly you are in the wrong country if you want a nanny country.

Edited August 19, 2012 by hellodolly

[notmyself]

Upgrading tourism services in Thailand would require that a completely new police force be set up (as interests in the current Royal Thai Police are way too entrenched and the simple act of firing officials, sack that, firing Thais in general seems nigh impossible in the Kingdom) that is somehow professionally trained, dedicated to law enforcement and impervious to influence peddling. Even when the current police sweep into an area to clean things up (as they did in Silom a couple of years ago), they are met with gun-shots, threats of violence, and complete hostility from members of the public involved illegal transactions of all varieties. Interests and attitudes are so entrenched and Thailand so corrupt (Transparency International ranks Thailand as MORE corrupt than China), that it is utterly impossible to imagine that change of any type is possible. Even if some Ghandi-like figure arrived on the scene to save the Kingdom, it's impossible to envision any positive direction for Thailand. The only conceivable solution to Thailand's woes (and it's important to remember that Thailand doesn't see itself as having any woes, as tourist numbers keep going up, and for Thais, that's proof of the Kingdom's greatness) is to either experience a Biblical flood and then start fresh, or have a benevolent dictator (are there any of these; perhaps there was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who was widely criticized for jailing journalists and caning violators of even basic Singaporean laws) force the law on Thais.

Thaksin (of whom I am not an admirer) is probably the closest to a Lee Kuan Yew that Thailand has ever had. I am sure he anticipated uproar when he began his policy of the extra-judicial executions of drug dealers but I'm equally sure he hoped people would accept that this was his only option, as the Royal Thai Police are so vulnerable to bribery that powerful drug dealers are, in many cases, police officers. They didn't and international community (especially groups like Amnesty International) were all over him about his violations of human rights. Ultimately, Thaksin was forcibly removed by power, quite possibly by elites who understood his approach to "fixing" Thailand would undermine the very means by which they had acquired their wealth and power (even if it is clear that he was enriching his family via his power, what Thai politician hasn't done that?). One of the families I know quite well is descended from an immigrant Chinese opium trader. Their wealth feeds directly from a history of dealing opium. Now they own one of Thailand's biggest banks. What lessons should the descendants of that opium trader heed? The only lesson I can see them learning is that to become wealthy in Thailand, one must do whatever is necessary. Thailand needs some hard medicine to fix what are serious social and cultural problems (as opposed to legal problems, as the Kingdom's ability to pass laws that are completely ignored is legendary). Most good Thai lawyers seek employment abroad after they are educated (usually abroad) because the situation Thailand faces is truly impossible to overcome without generations of conscientious attitude readjustment. Meanwhile, though the future is bleak, the tourists keep coming.

Ultimately, most of the expatriates and foreigners that reside in Thailand love the lawlessness of the country. Where else can you drive your car at whatever speed you desire or shop for men, women, even children to your heart's content. Where else can you get off of a minor traffic violation for a mere two-hundred baht. If you've your head about you, then you can live for years, even a lifetime, in Thailand without experiencing the downside of lawlessness and general chaos. The same conditions exist in other countries without the general friendliness and peacefulness of Thai people, so there will always be worse off countries than Thailand. However, even the smartest, most well-meaning people can eventually have a run in with a situation that reminds us all of the beauty and benefits of law and order. For those, it's back to wherever they came from with a mind to appreciate the country from which they came and forget about the one they called home for so many years.

Spot on. The people of Thailand have been robbed blind for decades at least. Wiith so many semi-powerful hands in the pot, the chance of change is close to zero. When there are just a few hands in the pot they get ousted for not sharing the booty, back then to square one where again nothing gets done. Anytime soon I expect to hear the following announcement just before landing in BKK. The weather is slightly cloudy, light wind from the south and a very pleasant 30C. Local time is 9am, don't forget to wind your watch back 5 years, or 10 years, 15 etc...

[hellodolly]

Upgrading tourism services in Thailand would require that a completely new police force be set up (as interests in the current Royal Thai Police are way too entrenched and the simple act of firing officials, sack that, firing Thais in general seems nigh impossible in the Kingdom) that is somehow professionally trained, dedicated to law enforcement and impervious to influence peddling. Even when the current police sweep into an area to clean things up (as they did in Silom a couple of years ago), they are met with gun-shots, threats of violence, and complete hostility from members of the public involved illegal transactions of all varieties. Interests and attitudes are so entrenched and Thailand so corrupt (Transparency International ranks Thailand as MORE corrupt than China), that it is utterly impossible to imagine that change of any type is possible. Even if some Ghandi-like figure arrived on the scene to save the Kingdom, it's impossible to envision any positive direction for Thailand. The only conceivable solution to Thailand's woes (and it's important to remember that Thailand doesn't see itself as having any woes, as tourist numbers keep going up, and for Thais, that's proof of the Kingdom's greatness) is to either experience a Biblical flood and then start fresh, or have a benevolent dictator (are there any of these; perhaps there was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who was widely criticized for jailing journalists and caning violators of even basic Singaporean laws) force the law on Thais.

Thaksin (of whom I am not an admirer) is probably the closest to a Lee Kuan Yew that Thailand has ever had. I am sure he anticipated uproar when he began his policy of the extra-judicial executions of drug dealers but I'm equally sure he hoped people would accept that this was his only option, as the Royal Thai Police are so vulnerable to bribery that powerful drug dealers are, in many cases, police officers. They didn't and international community (especially groups like Amnesty International) were all over him about his violations of human rights. Ultimately, Thaksin was forcibly removed by power, quite possibly by elites who understood his approach to "fixing" Thailand would undermine the very means by which they had acquired their wealth and power (even if it is clear that he was enriching his family via his power, what Thai politician hasn't done that?). One of the families I know quite well is descended from an immigrant Chinese opium trader. Their wealth feeds directly from a history of dealing opium. Now they own one of Thailand's biggest banks. What lessons should the descendants of that opium trader heed? The only lesson I can see them learning is that to become wealthy in Thailand, one must do whatever is necessary. Thailand needs some hard medicine to fix what are serious social and cultural problems (as opposed to legal problems, as the Kingdom's ability to pass laws that are completely ignored is legendary). Most good Thai lawyers seek employment abroad after they are educated (usually abroad) because the situation Thailand faces is truly impossible to overcome without generations of conscientious attitude readjustment. Meanwhile, though the future is bleak, the tourists keep coming.

Ultimately, most of the expatriates and foreigners that reside in Thailand love the lawlessness of the country. Where else can you drive your car at whatever speed you desire or shop for men, women, even children to your heart's content. Where else can you get off of a minor traffic violation for a mere two-hundred baht. If you've your head about you, then you can live for years, even a lifetime, in Thailand without experiencing the downside of lawlessness and general chaos. The same conditions exist in other countries without the general friendliness and peacefulness of Thai people, so there will always be worse off countries than Thailand. However, even the smartest, most well-meaning people can eventually have a run in with a situation that reminds us all of the beauty and benefits of law and order. For those, it's back to wherever they came from with a mind to appreciate the country from which they came and forget about the one they called home for so many years.

Spot on. The people of Thailand have been robbed blind for decades at least. Wiith so many semi-powerful hands in the pot, the chance of change is close to zero. When there are just a few hands in the pot they get ousted for not sharing the booty, back then to square one where again nothing gets done. Anytime soon I expect to hear the following announcement just before landing in BKK. The weather is slightly cloudy, light wind from the south and a very pleasant 30C. Local time is 9am, don't forget to wind your watch back 5 years, or 10 years, 15 etc...

If you have a watch that will wind Chiang Mai back ten years could you please do it?

I for the life of me can not fathom the mind that comes to Thailand to have exactly what they had back home.If I did not like home or Thailand I would just move on to another country. Burma, Lao, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Malaysia are all close.

[rubl]

Regarding the topic of 'uplifting' may I suggest that the "Bubble Baba Challenge-2012" is moved to Bangkok as alternative tourist attraction?

http://en.rian.ru/ru.../175323990.html

This link has photos from last year's race

http://www.<deleted>.nl/ki...-fotoserie.html

[Reasonableman]

Regarding the topic of 'uplifting' may I suggest that the "Bubble Baba Challenge-2012" is moved to Bangkok as alternative tourist attraction?

http://en.rian.ru/ru.../175323990.html

This link has photos from last year's race

http://www.<deleted>.nl/ki...-fotoserie.html

Most uplifting... A new buoyancy device for tour boats, perhaps....