OVER 13 MILLION OF TOURISTS ARE EXPECTED TO VISIT THAILAND THIS YEAR

President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Mr. Aphichart Sangha_Aree (อภิชาติ สังฆอารี) said that the tsunami disaster and its recovery period in 2005 has reduced the number of tourists visiting Andaman coast, only 5 to 10 percent of tourists have visited the site.

He added that after the installation of disaster warning system and the recovery of the tourist destination itself over 80 percent of tourists have flocked to the country's Southwestern coastal towns and that currently all the accommodations are nearly fully booked.

However, Mr. Aphichart has expected 12 to 13 million tourists to visit Thailand this year with the income estimated at 500 billion baht.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 January 2006

However, Mr. Aphichart has expected 12 to 13 million tourists to visit Thailand this year with the income estimated at 500 billion baht.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 January 2006

If you do the maths that is less than US$1000 per visitor (B38 461) , I think there will be a lot of folk coming from other parts of asia and the eastern block on tight budgets.

OVER 13 MILLION OF TOURISTS ARE EXPECTED TO VISIT THAILAND THIS YEAR

President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Mr. Aphichart Sangha_Aree (อภิชาติ สังฆอารี) said that the tsunami disaster and its recovery period in 2005 has reduced the number of tourists visiting Andaman coast, only 5 to 10 percent of tourists have visited the site.

He added that after the installation of disaster warning system and the recovery of the tourist destination itself over 80 percent of tourists have flocked to the country's Southwestern coastal towns and that currently all the accommodations are nearly fully booked.

However, Mr. Aphichart has expected 12 to 13 million tourists to visit Thailand this year with the income estimated at 500 billion baht.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 January 2006

I certainly hope that they will do something about the 'nasty'-faces and unfriendly behaviour, once you arrive at the passport-check

A high percentage of those tourists arrive after a longhaul flight in order to spend their money in "The Land of Smiles"... but the first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces which, sometimes, scare you to death.

Is it so difficult to 'warm' the tourists with a friendly smile? The famous Thai smile TAT uses to attrack its tourists?

Maybe it's an idea to send a message from TV to the touristorganization TAT, pointing them at these very unfriendly passport-check officers?

LaoPo

You can see those faces upon leaving as well.

The first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces.

I think my presence would be welcome.

The first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces.

I think my presence would be welcome.

SHOWTIME and Pictures, please

LaoPo

The first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces.

I think my presence would be welcome.

SHOWTIME and Pictures, please

LaoPo

Mistaken, I think.

I certainly hope that they will do something about the 'nasty'-faces and unfriendly behaviour, once you arrive at the passport-check

A high percentage of those tourists arrive after a longhaul flight in order to spend their money in "The Land of Smiles"... but the first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces which, sometimes, scare you to death.

Is it so difficult to 'warm' the tourists with a friendly smile? The famous Thai smile TAT uses to attrack its tourists?

Maybe it's an idea to send a message from TV to the touristorganization TAT, pointing them at these very unfriendly passport-check officers?

LaoPo

Those poor guys get to spend their working days smelling people who've just arrived from a 10-20 hour journey, most of it trapped in economy-class, and last showered 15+ hours ago, no wonder they're stony-eyed !

The first thing they see upon arrival are these 'stone' faces.

I think my presence would be welcome.

SHOWTIME and Pictures, please

LaoPo

Mistaken, I think.

thought we could see more details of your beautiful avatar ...but...I guess not

LaoPo

Those poor guys get to spend their working days smelling people who've just arrived from a 10-20 hour journey , most of it trapped in economy-class, and last showered 15+ hours ago, no wonder they're stony-eyed !

Poor guys/girls? They applied for the job, didn't they and maybe they like the smell of sweating farangs, who knows ?

But, unless someone has a different experience, I think that Thai Customs look the most unfriendly in the Far East, maybe apart from South Korea* (but haven't been there a while).

*I was waiting in line for the passport check at Seoul airport when an extremely grimm-looking 'uniformed-kind-of-human-being' (but not sure ) started shouting at me 'out of the blue' ???

It was because I passed the red line with just 1 of my shoes for about an inch.....HE ORDERED ME BACK, LAST IN LINE AGAIN, AS A PUNISHMENT for crossing the line.....and that line was long I'll tell you.

I was not amused

LaoPo

You want unfriendly.....try Vietnam or Cambodia....

I have come across some grumpy ones at Don Muang but then having to deal with with people that have been restricted for some hours....some extremely tired or weary...some that are just totally pissed off and some that are alcohol affected and some that assail them with bad Thai (you would be surprised how many try out their newly learnt language skills on them) on a daily....no....hourly basis....then it is not surprising that they arent full of smiles and good cheer.

Usually I just say hello (in English) and hand over the required documents....when they have finished, I thank them politely in Thai with a smile....usually I get a smile back.