Foreigners Commend Thailand's Stability, Hospitality

[stoffel45]

Let's forget the quality of Assumption's try to do a research project.

The moaners and whiners - yes - you lot - if you think Thailand is such a terrible place - just try booking 3 seats on a plane in say April, July or August from Europe. OK Air France is pretty empty - but so it should be. Most of the airlines are chock a block - day after day, flight after flight. To Thailand.

Haven't you seen the collapse in Hotel prices because the foreigners are so appalled at what they find they stay away? No of course you didn't.

Our family used to spend 3 holidays a year in Thailand - Christmas, Easter and Summer - usually around 70-75 days. We've only cut that to half BECAUSE the idiots managing the euro have wrecked our currency - which makes EVERYTHING go up - including airfares.

We spent hours - many - trying to find a decent place on the Med. But that is the eurozone and it is half the price to fly there (from Belgium) and triple the price to stay in a third grade hotel which claims 4 or 5 stars.

Thailand is a Bloody Great place to be - come and try Europe - any country (except Italy which is excellent - but too pricey). Miserable people in the EU. So they should be.

A month here would change the Cheap Charlie - endless moaners.

Come on now - all together - "Thailand is a great place to live and visit."

[crazydrummerpauly]

What a strange population in this survey : 56.2 per cent were tourists, and 54% ("32.3 per cent business people and 21.7 per cent investors") - i.e., 54% business people. Why the heavy skew in the direction of 'business people' ? And why no input from the people who really know something about LOS, the long-term Ex-pats ? Just another one of those dreary waste-of-space PR-gestures...

[crazydrummerpauly]

Most foreigners have the perception that Thais are "lovely" people. Very kind, honest, and sincere. Of course those farang searching for sex find it a buyers market where the girls appear to be accommodating, willing, friendly, maybe lovely, sincere, customer oriented, speak a little English, eager to please..etc. Were the respondents in the survey the sex traveler or the temple and elephant tourist?

"56.2 per cent were tourists, 32.3 per cent business people and 21.7 per cent investors"

[PoodMaiDai]

Were they asked before they were scammed and their girlfriends were raped by locals or after?

[nisakiman]

A lot of negative comments here, some sort of justified (because yes, scams are as prevalent in LOS as anywhere else with a transient flow of tourists), but mostly unjustified, I think. Generally speaking, the Thai people are warm, friendly and welcoming. That's been my experience, anyway, from the first time I visited in 1970. I think the 'survey' is probably bull...., but for a visitor it is a great place to visit, particularly if you get off the beaten track.

Wherever you go in the world, you will find a***holes, and Thailand is no different, but you can't tar the whole nation with that brush just because there are a few bad apples. On a scale of ten, I'd put Thailand in the high eights for friendliness, helpfulness and hospitality. I can think of a few countries I've been to that would score a lot lower than that. My own mother country included.

[me313]

The ABAC poll, conducted by a research centre at Assumption University, surveyed 969 foreigners in Thailand between Jan 15-30

what a pathetic attempt at a survey millions of tourists come here every year and this small amount can in no way be an affective representation of the influx . maybe if the study was done for a year it would be more representative of the people coming .

It came from "Assumption" university, that name alone should indicate their methodology! (bad joke) but bad jokes aside, I learned in a Research Methodology class that random sampling is more indicative of the spectrum of the sample, rather than an undisclosed percent of "tourists", "business people" and "investors"--which could be people staying at The Hilton, people doing business at the Hilton, and people planning investments while staying at the Hilton where they get coddled with obsequious well-trained employees.

[mca]

Yes but they are now the Graduates from Assumption College to Assumption Uni doing the survey ...

You don't have to be a graduate of Assumption College to study at ABAC.

Edited January 31, 2013 by mca

[timewilltell]

Ha ha - this University couldn't poll an open ballot box with no spoiled papers to confuse them. I am sorry they might as well have asked "Is it sunny here sometimes?" - environment, Do you like sitting on the beach? (Only to those who are actually sitting on the beach) - Tourist Attraction, "Do you think Thai people like each other?" - harmony, "Do you think our girls are ...um...accommodating?" - customer service and Do you think our temples are nice? - culture.

Then if they can be taught not to double count people and get marks for designing a well thought out survey then we might be onto something. This is 3rd grade stuff. No wonder the garbage that comes out of Thai Universities. Most need a calculator for the simplest maths, speak hardly a word of English which will be the agreed business language (and contract language) of ASEAN coming in a couple of years, have zero knowledge of history except as it makes Thailand look grand (you can't learn from someones elses mistakes if no-one will let you see them), and are ignorant in so many areas.

I know this corrupt government and it corrupt opposition want to keep the gravy train going for their scamming corrupt ways but failing to educate its people is theft of opportunity from the very people they claim to love. It is a scandal - but don't bother asking the tourist just before he is hand in hand on his way back to his room because he will have more important things (to him) on his mind that the social structure of this disfunctional society and just say Yes Yes Yes to every question to get rid of the interfering twit asking him stupid bloody questions.

And as for half the people or thereabouts being business people or investors - how is that a representative sample of foreigners. Either target it to tourists (if you want o know what tourists think and if they would come back or not in which case do the survey at the Departures lounge of the airport at the end of their hoiliday) or ask what businessmen think in which find find some businessmen who are here long term (assuming you can find enough given the obstacles Thais put in the way of any foreigner doing business here long term) or ask long term expats if you want to know what people think who try to stay here. If you want a general survey - thats fine - but the objectives of teh survey need to be defined and you need a sample that represents the make up of the spectrum of people here.

Are Thais generally smilier and more pleasant to deal with than many other races - yes if they are not in contact with too many foreigners or are on the game. Is the weather nice here, the food cheap and the hotels good value for money - yes and so in other countries too. Is the culture interesting - yes except when it is shoved down your face BECAUSE you are a foreigner and the speaker wants to look good. Is Thailand a great place to live - hmm well that depends on your experiences - for some it is, for many it is but severely soured by the racism and obstruction and corruption in everything bureaucratic especially for long term residents - difficulty of getting a work permit, ridiculous 90 day reports if you are on a 1 year visa, the monstrously difficult abd costly path to becoming a citizen even when you are raising an otherwise Thai family here and the horrendous obstruction to justice both civil and criminal). Those are things other groups of foreigners will never see.

Thailand is about as stable as an upside down triangle and no number of deceitful smiling faces is going to stop its decline vis a vis its neighbours unless it changes the whole set of people and families with a stranglehold on its politics.

[stoli]

What a load of bull. OK, the ïnvestors and business people" maybe, but 98% of foriegners wouldn't know the first thing about Thai politics (nor would they care).

Maybe these folks came to enjoy Thailand, and not just to complain about their politics. Why are the politics so important to you anyway to consume your feelings towards this country? Do you get to vote here, and influence what is going to happen? I didn't think so. So just enjoy.Life is to short to worry and complain about things you have no control over. Admit it, you are here because it has so much to offer to you.

[redroo]

The world is a vampire.

There is no escaping it.

A pink vampire is still a vampire.

[Thai at Heart]

I think Assumption is making some very broad assumptions.

[attento]

How and where did they find so many Investors ? Do they give a definition of "Investor" ?

[retell]

Well I was kind of excited to see this report. That soon ended when I saw it was a university poll.

The icing on the cake was

"56.2 per cent were tourists, 32.3 per cent business people and 21.7 per cent investors" = 110.2%

Maybe Assumption University should have stayed closed.

could be some of the investors were business people

[retell]

Ha ha - this University couldn't poll an open ballot box with no spoiled papers to confuse them. I am sorry they might as well have asked "Is it sunny here sometimes?" - environment, Do you like sitting on the beach? (Only to those who are actually sitting on the beach) - Tourist Attraction, "Do you think Thai people like each other?" - harmony, "Do you think our girls are ...um...accommodating?" - customer service and Do you think our temples are nice? - culture.

Then if they can be taught not to double count people and get marks for designing a well thought out survey then we might be onto something. This is 3rd grade stuff. No wonder the garbage that comes out of Thai Universities. Most need a calculator for the simplest maths, speak hardly a word of English which will be the agreed business language (and contract language) of ASEAN coming in a couple of years, have zero knowledge of history except as it makes Thailand look grand (you can't learn from someones elses mistakes if no-one will let you see them), and are ignorant in so many areas.

I know this corrupt government and it corrupt opposition want to keep the gravy train going for their scamming corrupt ways but failing to educate its people is theft of opportunity from the very people they claim to love. It is a scandal - but don't bother asking the tourist just before he is hand in hand on his way back to his room because he will have more important things (to him) on his mind that the social structure of this disfunctional society and just say Yes Yes Yes to every question to get rid of the interfering twit asking him stupid bloody questions.

And as for half the people or thereabouts being business people or investors - how is that a representative sample of foreigners. Either target it to tourists (if you want o know what tourists think and if they would come back or not in which case do the survey at the Departures lounge of the airport at the end of their hoiliday) or ask what businessmen think in which find find some businessmen who are here long term (assuming you can find enough given the obstacles Thais put in the way of any foreigner doing business here long term) or ask long term expats if you want to know what people think who try to stay here. If you want a general survey - thats fine - but the objectives of teh survey need to be defined and you need a sample that represents the make up of the spectrum of people here.

Are Thais generally smilier and more pleasant to deal with than many other races - yes if they are not in contact with too many foreigners or are on the game. Is the weather nice here, the food cheap and the hotels good value for money - yes and so in other countries too. Is the culture interesting - yes except when it is shoved down your face BECAUSE you are a foreigner and the speaker wants to look good. Is Thailand a great place to live - hmm well that depends on your experiences - for some it is, for many it is but severely soured by the racism and obstruction and corruption in everything bureaucratic especially for long term residents - difficulty of getting a work permit, ridiculous 90 day reports if you are on a 1 year visa, the monstrously difficult abd costly path to becoming a citizen even when you are raising an otherwise Thai family here and the horrendous obstruction to justice both civil and criminal). Those are things other groups of foreigners will never see.

Thailand is about as stable as an upside down triangle and no number of deceitful smiling faces is going to stop its decline vis a vis its neighbours unless it changes the whole set of people and families with a stranglehold on its politics.

think i figured it out they did the survey in the 1st class vip lounge at the airport

[Tatsujin]

Did they only interview Chinese or Japanese tourists by any chance? If so, I might agree with these results.

[Tatsujin]

Well I was kind of excited to see this report. That soon ended when I saw it was a university poll.

The icing on the cake was

"56.2 per cent were tourists, 32.3 per cent business people and 21.7 per cent investors" = 110.2%

Maybe Assumption University should have stayed closed.

I think these are the same people who gather the TAT Tourist numbers . . .

[Tatsujin]

How and where did they find so many Investors ? Do they give a definition of "Investor" ?

Someone with loose change in their pockets.

[Melyn]

I shall trawl the bars of Silom, Nana and Cowboy this weekend and conduct a poll on how their customers perceive the political stability of Thailand and its adherance to a democratic doctrine.

[Songhua]

What a load of bull. OK, the ïnvestors and business people" maybe, but 98% of foriegners wouldn't know the first thing about Thai politics (nor would they care).

Maybe these folks came to enjoy Thailand, and not just to complain about their politics. Why are the politics so important to you anyway to consume your feelings towards this country? Do you get to vote here, and influence what is going to happen? I didn't think so. So just enjoy.Life is to short to worry and complain about things you have no control over. Admit it, you are here because it has so much to offer to you.

I'm not there, the inner workings of Thai politics do not consume me (nor would I assume I have any control over it the times I am there) and, if I had been approached as a tourist or even a visiting businessman, my reply to most of the questions in the survey would have been 'sorry I'm a tourist so I'm not up to speed at the moment' or 'I don't care' .. not 'I'm a tourist, your constitution needs amendment and it's time to change your government'.

Of course that depends on how the question was posed - maybe they weren't offered a choice d. to say they love the country and its people but couldn't give a fat rat's about its politics.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Songhua

[HaleySabai]

Iam assuming that none of the poll was conducted in Phuket or Pattaya

[maturebrit]

most beautifully put...and so accurate

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Sayonarax]

What a load of

Maybe Assumption University should have stayed closed.

Assumption College

I rest my case I copied from the article and pasted it.

ABAC is a university, maybe if you two actually went to one you'd know the difference...

Edited February 1, 2013 by Sayonarax

[julemanden]

Let's forget the quality of Assumption's try to do a research project.

The moaners and whiners - yes - you lot - if you think Thailand is such a terrible place - just try booking 3 seats on a plane in say April, July or August from Europe. OK Air France is pretty empty - but so it should be. Most of the airlines are chock a block - day after day, flight after flight. To Thailand.

Haven't you seen the collapse in Hotel prices because the foreigners are so appalled at what they find they stay away? No of course you didn't.

Our family used to spend 3 holidays a year in Thailand - Christmas, Easter and Summer - usually around 70-75 days. We've only cut that to half BECAUSE the idiots managing the euro have wrecked our currency - which makes EVERYTHING go up - including airfares.

We spent hours - many - trying to find a decent place on the Med. But that is the eurozone and it is half the price to fly there (from Belgium) and triple the price to stay in a third grade hotel which claims 4 or 5 stars.

Thailand is a Bloody Great place to be - come and try Europe - any country (except Italy which is excellent - but too pricey). Miserable people in the EU. So they should be.

A month here would change the Cheap Charlie - endless moaners.

Come on now - all together - "Thailand is a great place to live and visit."

I'm sure most understands what you write, but you are moaning and whining your self about Europe... Here you think everything is nice because you can afford to live on 1st class on your short stays here... There is a hell of difference from coming here on a short holiday to actually live here everyday, year round! Also you'll see how much prices are going up in Thailand and you'll see all the BS there is going on here as well and it's only get worse... Try it and then let us know what you think about after a couple of years here

Don't misunderstand me, i like it it here, but at times we get filled up with all the BS, greed and hassle here!

PS Most airlines from Europe are full yes, but don't forget that many travels on from BKK to elsewhere in Asia and many don't even go trough immigration here... I often wondered about if they count all who lands in BKK airport, or only those who actually comes in through immigration...

[Tatsujin]

Let's forget the quality of Assumption's try to do a research project.

The moaners and whiners - yes - you lot - if you think Thailand is such a terrible place - just try booking 3 seats on a plane in say April, July or August from Europe. OK Air France is pretty empty - but so it should be. Most of the airlines are chock a block - day after day, flight after flight. To Thailand.

Haven't you seen the collapse in Hotel prices because the foreigners are so appalled at what they find they stay away? No of course you didn't.

Our family used to spend 3 holidays a year in Thailand - Christmas, Easter and Summer - usually around 70-75 days. We've only cut that to half BECAUSE the idiots managing the euro have wrecked our currency - which makes EVERYTHING go up - including airfares.

We spent hours - many - trying to find a decent place on the Med. But that is the eurozone and it is half the price to fly there (from Belgium) and triple the price to stay in a third grade hotel which claims 4 or 5 stars.

Thailand is a Bloody Great place to be - come and try Europe - any country (except Italy which is excellent - but too pricey). Miserable people in the EU. So they should be.

A month here would change the Cheap Charlie - endless moaners.

Come on now - all together - "Thailand is a great place to live and visit."

I'm sure most understands what you write, but you are moaning and whining your self about Europe... Here you think everything is nice because you can afford to live on 1st class on your short stays here... There is a hell of difference from coming here on a short holiday to actually live here everyday, year round! Also you'll see how much prices are going up in Thailand and you'll see all the BS there is going on here as well and it's only get worse... Try it and then let us know what you think about after a couple of years here

Don't misunderstand me, i like it it here, but at times we get filled up with all the BS, greed and hassle here!

PS Most airlines from Europe are full yes, but don't forget that many travels on from BKK to elsewhere in Asia and many don't even go trough immigration here... I often wondered about if they count all who lands in BKK airport, or only those who actually comes in through immigration...

If I remember correctly, they always state "arrivals" . . .

[mca]

What a load of

Maybe Assumption University should have stayed closed.

Assumption College

I rest my case I copied from the article and pasted it.

ABAC is a university, maybe if you two actually went to one you'd know the difference...

Step 1) Read my replies in the rest of the thread.

Step 2) Then extract your foot from your mouth.

Step 3) Then come to the understanding that if you're going to use sarcasm ensure you're not making a complete and utter tw@t of yourself in the process.

Edited February 1, 2013 by mca

[EyesWideOpen]

But can we agree that Assumption college/university is the silliest name ever for an institution of learning ??? The term assumption means a conclusion reached without sufficient data to back it up... :-) Come to think of it , maybe that is a perfect name for a college in Thailand..

But back to topic. How can the poll use the term stability in a country with 19 coups ????? Strange.....

Regarding tourists, happiness and the desire to return here , the conclusions are really simple. The happiest people are the one week millionaires on a bar stool with their arm wrapped around a bar girl. The least happy people are the long term stayers here, who have been cleaned out by their Thai " girlfriend/wife", or have been scammed out of their life savings...

Conclusion : The shorter your time here, the happier you are !!!!!!

Edited February 1, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[Songhua]

There are Assumption Colleges, schools and churches all over the world. Our Lady of Assumption or some such. Catholic aren't they?

[sunshine51]

Well I was kind of excited to see this report. That soon ended when I saw it was a university poll.

The icing on the cake was

"56.2 per cent were tourists, 32.3 per cent business people and 21.7 per cent investors" = 110.2%

Maybe Assumption University should have stayed closed.

My feelings exactly HD...excited at first...ran the numbers in my head and went...Whhhaaat!

Just look at the name of the University....I guess they assume nobody will doubt their findings?

[sunshine51]

There are Assumption Colleges, schools and churches all over the world. Our Lady of Assumption or some such. Catholic aren't they?

Songhua...never assume anything...makes an ass out of you & me (ass-u-me).

However one can presume something....hah!

[Morakot]

Thailand the hub of positive polls?

Up to you!