Yingluck Urges T A T To Attract More ' High-End Tourists' Into Thailand

[eddie61]

How about an improvement of services before Thailand thinks of increasing high end tourists. I should think that wealthy tourists aren't interested in dealing with the neanderthals lurking in/outside Suvarnabhumi for a start.

? Peking man is already established here.

Homo erectus pattyensis is also here....

[TheGhostWithin]

Not sure this program is going well. Thailand seems to be flooded

with Chinese and Russians on budget tour packages, and then throw in

the Indians on top of that. Definitely would not make me want to

open a five star restaurant here.. :-)

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

ZhouZhou, I think that his point was the fact that Chinese and Indians, as well as many (but not all) Russians tend to on average spend a lot less than Americans, Brits, Aussies, Swiss and Kiwis. He doesn't have a problem, he is communicating fact. Quality is not quality in Thailand, it is generally about getting people to spend more. quality actually means higher spending in Thailand. Quality Tourist means Higher Spending tourist.

Chinese tourist spend less money in beer bars or what? and that is a problem.

according to what some members said here on the board, members from the countries you mentioned above as the bigger spenders, they hesitate to spend money on anything Asian made and prefer imported products from their english speaking people countries because they believe its better.

Just because my face is white, and I am a young to middle aged tourist in Thailand, does not mean you should judge me. I live in New Zealand, I have a Thai girlfriend from a good background who shares experiences and life with me here in New Zealand. We spend a lot of our year in the South of Thailand (Yala), where there are no beer bars. Please do not confuse yourself and assume that because I have a white face, and the Male body parts that I, nor anyone else with white skin come here just for the beer bars. Some do, but some do not. And this is their choice. I could also generalise and say that all Chinese arrive into Thailand following strange looking flags (this is what most of our white faces see at the airport and we never see most of you Chinese after that), and refuse to acknowledge or learn anything about a foreign culture before they visit or even settle in a country, but this would be racist - precisely the angle you have just taken against me being a white man that likes to visit the Kingdom. And besides, I have a more open view of the world from you and happen to know that a percentage of Chinese and Russians are actually interested in learning. I assume from your response that you are not, and that you are interested in seeing the world through the eyes of anyone except for your own. In 20 years, please do not complain that you are out of touch with the world; it is changing, even if you are not.

In relation to not wanting to buy from Asian traders; it is more about perception of trust - we feel we are seen as a number, and an easy target for a swindle by people of Asian origin, the same as when Chinese visit my country they tend to buy Chinese products from Chinese vendors. I have been around a while, and actually prefer to buy from Thais because I find them generally very honest and good at selling the right product, unless you shop at Pantip. In my country, everything is made in China. Unfortunately Chinese hunger for growth has destroyed our uncompetitive industrial market, but that is fine because it the industries here were greedy and inefficient previously.

Your small tunnel vision of the world in a nationalist and racist viewpoint is most concerning.

[Mudcrab]

What about first improving services to tourists and wipe out cheating and scams to tourists, e.g. jet ski scams in Pattaya and Phuket? In Feb. I was in a hotel in Roi Et, they not even provided a towel on request in the room... really more then poor service.

Another concern are the visa regulations, which are a real nightmare in comparison to other countries, e.g. overstay fines already when overstaying 1 or 2 days. And of course the harassing of tourists by corrupt police, which is increasing. All this is not adapted to attract more wealthy tourists. To promote tourism TAT should learn from European countries. TAT is generally quite useless, poor leavlets, poor information.

A 3rd concern are the rising prices in Thailand, in neighbouring countries you get definitively more for your money, e.g. in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar.

Overstay your visa in Australia (by one day..it happened to a girlfriend) and you will be taken in to detention at passport control and deported ASAP with no further entry allowed for a few years. Overstay a couple of days inThailand and a few baht fine.....easy by comparison.

[Ianatlarge]

But, but, we are already here!?

[TheGhostWithin]

I guess this means that TAT will stop all further advertising programs in the UK...

No, all Immigration staff would be good at saying "Hello Mr. Mohammed from England" - quality through the simplicity of repetition

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Why are the high end tourists going to come for?

Air pollution, police corruption and deadly roads?

Let's address product quality first.

[thhMan]

Not sure this program is going well. Thailand seems to be flooded

with Chinese and Russians on budget tour packages, and then throw in

the Indians on top of that. Definitely would not make me want to

open a five star restaurant here.. :-)

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

With Indians... YEAH !!!

4 of them sharing a coke!

4 of them sharing 1 girl (she doesnt know till the gang bang starts)

Constant complaining about the cost

Asks for the world and back it up with comments... "Price is no option"... so you spend time working it out... only to hear... "Sorry.. I think helicopter is 100 THB per person.... never mind"

AND.... it just goes on and on... I wont even mention how they treat the girls when they are here.

And fair enough.. I am over generalizing.... but a point was made and every nation has its nuances... and India is known for........ !

Edited March 22, 2013 by thhMan

[kiniyow]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

[Pimay1]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

The Baht went down today following the stock market decline on speculation that Yingluck could be found guilty and Yaowapa would replace her.

Edited March 22, 2013 by Pimay1

[tragickingdom]

And what is the definition of a high-end visitor? A person who stays in a five star hotel booked at a discount site or a backpacker spending 3000 Dollar? Just like with big brother Thaksin who gave Thailand the Elite Card after which Thailand had to give the high end card holders millions of dollars to keep it afloat it looks like a slogan without a plan.

[Thai at Heart]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

The Baht went down today following the stock market decline on thinking that Yingluck could be found guilty and Yaowapa would replace her.

And the discussions in Cyprus continue.

[ZhouZhou]

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

ZhouZhou, I think that his point was the fact that Chinese and Indians, as well as many (but not all) Russians tend to on average spend a lot less than Americans, Brits, Aussies, Swiss and Kiwis. He doesn't have a problem, he is communicating fact. Quality is not quality in Thailand, it is generally about getting people to spend more. quality actually means higher spending in Thailand. Quality Tourist means Higher Spending tourist.

Chinese tourist spend less money in beer bars or what? and that is a problem.

according to what some members said here on the board, members from the countries you mentioned above as the bigger spenders, they hesitate to spend money on anything Asian made and prefer imported products from their english speaking people countries because they believe its better.

Just because my face is white, and I am a young to middle aged tourist in Thailand, does not mean you should judge me. I live in New Zealand, I have a Thai girlfriend from a good background who shares experiences and life with me here in New Zealand. We spend a lot of our year in the South of Thailand (Yala), where there are no beer bars. Please do not confuse yourself and assume that because I have a white face, and the Male body parts that I, nor anyone else with white skin come here just for the beer bars. Some do, but some do not. And this is their choice. I could also generalise and say that all Chinese arrive into Thailand following strange looking flags (this is what most of our white faces see at the airport and we never see most of you Chinese after that), and refuse to acknowledge or learn anything about a foreign culture before they visit or even settle in a country, but this would be racist - precisely the angle you have just taken against me being a white man that likes to visit the Kingdom. And besides, I have a more open view of the world from you and happen to know that a percentage of Chinese and Russians are actually interested in learning. I assume from your response that you are not, and that you are interested in seeing the world through the eyes of anyone except for your own. In 20 years, please do not complain that you are out of touch with the world; it is changing, even if you are not.

In relation to not wanting to buy from Asian traders; it is more about perception of trust - we feel we are seen as a number, and an easy target for a swindle by people of Asian origin, the same as when Chinese visit my country they tend to buy Chinese products from Chinese vendors. I have been around a while, and actually prefer to buy from Thais because I find them generally very honest and good at selling the right product, unless you shop at Pantip. In my country, everything is made in China. Unfortunately Chinese hunger for growth has destroyed our uncompetitive industrial market, but that is fine because it the industries here were greedy and inefficient previously.

Your small tunnel vision of the world in a nationalist and racist viewpoint is most concerning.

Oh, i am sorry. i didn't know that your knowledge is much bigger than mine and that i am not interesting in learning, because because you are white and have an asian gf from a good background, but i i was told there are less Chinese tourist in beer bars. Is that now true or not?

[Hecate]

The difference between Hua Hin where I live and a high-end tourist destination is about a ton of garbage on the beach. When people see that, plus the fact that there are no public toilets, they expect to pay third world prices.

[ginjag]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

The Baht went down today following the stock market decline on speculation that Yingluck could be found guilty and Yaowapa would replace her.

Many a poster thinks the whole lot ought to be --put down

[osiboy]

hi-so tourists insurance claim ; " i walked out of my hotel and tripped over some loose pavement into a ladyboy , she stole my handbag i gave chase but was run over on the zebra crossing by a pick-up with bald tyres, the driver was not insured and had no license , the police arrived and charged me for damaging the pick up , i took photos of the accident scene but the police are holding it as evidence , as the ladyboy had my handbag i had no money so tried to sell my gems i bought from bkk but they turned out to be plastic , so i exchanged them for a jetski ride , but was accused of damaging the jetski and was ordered to pay 100 squillion baht , i now live a room with 6 other girls and have no passport to go home ............i wish to claim for the whole in my trousers after tripping on the pavement . thank you

[Pimay1]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

The Baht went down today following the stock market decline on speculation that Yingluck could be found guilty and Yaowapa would replace her.

Many a poster thinks the whole lot ought to be --put down

Including me.

[rubl]

Next: TAT starts new campaign, expects tourist figures to drop as ordered suggested by PM

[theajarn]

THB3,000 a day isn't enough??? Wow. So in other words, Thailand isn't fleecing enough money from tourists. Great. It's nice to see some confirmation of what the Thais really see in those that come here to visit their country.

And why is Yinluck's name attached to this?? Is she the one announcing the figures? The article really looks woven together to make her look bad. Not that she doesn't do a fine job of that herself whenever she speaks, but I sense a little bias here. Breaking news indeed.

Edited March 22, 2013 by theajarn

[spectre324]

Oh good ... grief. Next she will suggest that that all get a plastic card which will give them privileges .....

I believe her brother tried this yrears ago, promised them the moon if they invested a million baht and they got nothing! just another scam!

[bigbamboo]

I'm begining to see why the CEO wants a change in the 'real PM' department.

Surely even Yaowapa wouldn't come out in public with this kind of embarrassing tosh.

[A_Traveller]

The contribution by prostitution to the economy of Thailand is a a subject that has proven to be intractable to resolve. IIRC a late '90s study with reasonable academic qualifications as to methodology suggested that in '98 close to 300 million USD was transferred yearly to rural families by women engaged in prostitution in urban areas and contended that in the years ['93/95 I think] the income from prostitution was some 24 Billion USD per annum.

If someone says "link" I don't have one but I do recall the presentation [the numbers kind stayed with me because they seemed so extraordinary] which was greeted with sage head nodding not indignation nor disbelief.

[bangarang]

"She also asked the TAT to introduce measures to extend tourists' length of stay from five days to six days,"

Really... im curious to see how to propose that when most people take a week off of work and need those 2 extra days for traveling back home.

[theajarn]

As the Thai Baht just keeps getting stronger it will be only High End tourist that can afford Thailand....

The Baht went down today following the stock market decline on speculation that Yingluck could be found guilty and Yaowapa would replace her.

Many a poster thinks the whole lot ought to be --put down

Including me.

Mee too ... I mean, it's not as if Yaowapa isn't guilty of anything. Airport mafia anyone?

[bigbamboo]

How is she going to stop the 10% low end from coming if increasing high end to 30%?

No Aussies?

[puukao]

I got 100 Baht in my pocket RIGHT NOW!!!!

I'm a high-roller

Today, I might get a banana shake.....and then some rice

for today........that will suffice

Tomorrow I will get another 100 Baht

and wave it around........since it is a lot

walk into 7-11 with money in my hand

buy a large water and drink it like a man

I'm a high-roller.....

Edited March 22, 2013 by puukao

[super22k]

Yingluck. Do not forget that todays back-packers are tomorrows high-end tourists.

[bunuel]

This is precisely why Yingluck's statement is both timely and appropriate.

Am frankly very surprised by all the negative reactions here. Most tourism industries around the world would rather have fewer tourists who spend more, and anyone with knowledge of global tourism knows that mass tourism is a destructive force with all sorts of unpleasant environmental and social consequences. There are plenty of examples, and the Caribbean is a good place to start. Nobody wants to be another Jamaica, where all-inclusives suck up all the water and electricity, and the only way the locals can make money to rob the tourists or sell them drugs. If you have been to Negril or Montego Bay, you can feel the results - the vibes are terrible.

The bad guys are the big tour operators who want to max out with numbers, and who only care about quantity, not quality. That is why some political leadership as shown by Yingluck is essential. This is not a HiSo issue - this is about what is good for Thailand long term. It is called sustainable tourism development - and what is going on in Pattaya today with a sudden flood of low end mass tourists such as those described below is definitely no sustainable.

Whether or not the Thai travel industry listens and makes the necessary adjustments for a more upscale market is another story.

If Yingluck could convince her political allies to make foreign home ownership legal, for example, that would show this is more than just talk. Long term foreign residents with a stake in the future of the country are going to contribute far more to the local economy than hordes of mass tourists.

Actually, I do think the TAT minister is at least partly responsible, since he loves to flash numbers to show he is doing a good job. Riight now his policies are killing the fatted calf, as they say in the Caribbean, and driving would-be residents to seek other options.

Give Yingluck a break, and send how this plays out!

te name="EyesWideOpen" post="6229329" timestamp="1363944532"]Not sure this program is going well. Thailand seems to be floodedwith Chinese and Russians on budget tour packages, and then throw inthe Indians on top of that. Definitely would not make me want toopen a five star restaurant here.. :-)

[jack1964]

how can you attract high end tourist if you dont have anything to attract them .... that's the question they should ask themselves .

I first came to Thailand in 2006, and flew into Phuket, as I was advised that Pattaya was not a place, as an Aussie Tourist that you would want to go. I sat in my hotel room looking out over the Andaman sea on my first day, and thought to myself, "What am I doing here?" I was another recently divorced, and trying it out. I wanted to go home then and there. I decided to go out for a beer, and not knowing to much about the culture, or beer bars, or 7-11's, or Falang and Thai, I stumbled across a beautiful young lady, who I happened to bump into, literally tripped over, with her landing her ass on the ground. I, as I would do in Australia, apologised madly, was totally embarressed, and shrunk just a touch. She smiled, then laughed, and in perfect English, said, "No worries, I thinked I slipped." Then I did something I probably wouldn't do in Australia, and I brazenly asked her if she would like a drink, all she could say was no.

She smiled back, and said sure....We ended up in The Australia Bar in Bangla, and I got my fill, while my new friend drank responsibly. About two hours passed by, and I suggested she come back to my hotel, and I would pay her 1000 Baht....I didnt even know what 1000 Baht was. But I was under the opinion that all Thai girls would come home with you, it was just a matter of price. She laughed at my suggestion, I upped the anti, and she laughed even more. Ok, "Can I get your number, I'll take you out to dinner tomorrow night." With that she said "OK".

I went out with her for 14 days, and she didn't let me anywhere near the intimate places that I wanted to go. But she rang me the day my flight arrived back in Sydney to find out how my flight went. "Oh well, we didn't crash, and I'm back" I said.

I married that beautiful lady last year, and I fell inlove as I reached down to help her up off the ground in 2006, and I love her more as each day passes, as there is always something new about her, something that wakens me, and addresses my life as only she can do. She invigorates me each and every day that I spend in her company, and I laugh and I cry in her presence. I am no good without her,and I am in paradise when I am surrounded by her love, her heart, her smile, and her life. She is my best mate, my sweet angel, my saviour. And this without the ever lurking posts of money, deception, pain and suffering.

My wife knows her country, and will often coment on it. She knows it has much beauty, but just as much, if not more ugliness. The tourist mecca, she thinks not, the beautiful sea and the sun, or the gang with a gun? A child with a smile, or a child who's been defiled? The rice paddies so green, or a place to hide a body? The brochures that "Smile" or the "Tears" that fill many eyes. The love of a family, or their love of money? "My Daughter shall work, she will provide and look after us.".......AT WHAT COST????? Ok, now attract that tourist, the HI-SO, but dont let him out to experience the REAL THAILAND!!!!! Dont let him go beyond the pool, and the manicured grass, and keep reminding him of Thailand with all of the glossy propaganda you can throw at him. The HI-SO Tourist will never experience Thailand, unless they are let out of their conclaves, then robbed, beaten, raped, and killed. For this is the real Thailand.

You have done this to the children of today, the older sisters of yesterday, the mothers the day before, and their grandmothers the week before, a strange timeline indeed, but one quickened up for todays tourists so that they will understand. How can you as a country look after and encourage tourists of a high end, when you cant as a nation look after your own children? When all that matters is currency, and for that currency, everything is able to be bought and sold. I love my wife, she no longer has to be a part of this system, nor this lie, as she has seen the other side, and realises that most come to Thailand to experience something new, different, and to gawk. She no longer believes the propaganda fed to her by her forefathers, and HI SO tourists will never believe it either.

I Love Thailand, and what it has given me. And that is a beautiful and loving family. For the rest of Thailand, I weep.

JJ

[sandhurstmolonski]

I agree that its quite amazing that they get 20 % ..... I really dont want to see too many " High end " tourists , I really reckon there are too many already . You see some ridiculous prices here and there ..and think ..What ? Are you kidding ? . I really like to be away from all this stuff ..

But I've noticed this thought process become stronger over the past few years . They going to try and make Bangkok into Hong Kong ??

Man ..I hope not .

As a previous poster said ..The high dude , will tend to Rarely leave the Resort , except for maybe a Couple of High end tours at Crazy prices organised by the Resort . He / She , will have no idea of what Actually happens out there ..Maybe thats what they want ??

What is high end? Does Thailand have any resorts left that have the complete high end package? Hotel, restaurants, beaches and food that make a complete 5 star experience?

Good question .. I haven't really reasearched it ..Just observed from a Distance . I would have thought there is plenty of high end stuff ...

But I sure cant name individual experiences ..because I aviod .

Although , I did stay somewhere in Koh Chang that I would consider to be 5 Star ( maybe 4.5 Star ) ..But , I must be honest , I was not paying ..

I prefer the more realistic options personally .

[Minnehaha]

Not sure this program is going well. Thailand seems to be flooded

with Chinese and Russians on budget tour packages, and then throw in

the Indians on top of that. Definitely would not make me want to

open a five star restaurant here.. :-)

Got any problems with Chinese, Russians and Indians?

Yes. I believe this is a fair comment. The issue is average expenditure per day. The second issue is number of days. This 3,000 Baht per day is DOWN from 2005 numbers. Back then the majority of tourists were MICE, meetings incentives conventions exhiibitions. It seems like the number of tourist tourists has increased. Back then they were struggling to reach 12 million. Now at 22 million. With the advent of cheap airtix.

I dont really have a solution. I just wanted to comment and give context on the situation. I think the PM has this info and understanding. Naturally it follows to ask why the avg daily expenditure has dropped AND if Thailand is still drawing the number of MICE tourists that it can/could draw. There was the TCEB and another org I forget its name. TAT is peripheral, or separate from these. TAT job is to develop promo material of Thailand resources, not answer these questions. It provides data not creative strategic solutions. I learned this in 2004 when working with these people and other govt agencies to develop and increase this daily figure. I was speciafically tasked with Chiang Mai which has the lowest of the big 3- BKK, Phuket, CM.