"tourist".....it's A Strange Word

[englishoak]

ok I have been having a dialog with jdinasia during which the word tourist came up. Now i thought i would resort to looking up the word and come back with a good counter argument..... wrong turns out tourist is a very strange word indeed.

Chambers dictionary reference ....tourist.......... meaning of ....excurtionist, globe-trotter, explorer,voyager,sightseer,holidaymaker,journeyer,traveller,tripper,visitor,trek

er,day-tripper

I Guess that covers just about everyone going anywhere ......... funny but I never thought about the fact that when I go to Tesco's I am in fact a tourist or mabe a day-tripper doing some shopping

I always thought of a tourist as someone on vacation or going somewhere new as in sightseeing, I never considered it the same thing when having another purpose.... visiting relatives at xmas would be considered touristing ? when living in BKK going back to see family in uk is being a tourist ? going to another location to do business?

I would be more inclined to describe myself and other members with family/friends in thailand as visitors but according to the above it means the same anyway. It also infers that going anyplace other than in your house makes you a tourist.

What do you think ?

[chanchao]

> What do you think ?

I think you need a proper dictionary.

tourist

n : someone who travels for pleasure

(A list of synonyms is not the same as a definition. Obviously when you go to Tescos you're not a tourist. When you're on a business trip you're also not a tourist.)

[astral]

Someone on a tour, touring..........

What is odd about that?

[DavieA]

So if it means everyime I leave my house, I'm a tourist, that means when I leave my house I'm on holidays. WHHooOOOHHoOOOOOOO! Lifes one big holiday!

Does that mean that the homeless are on holiday all their life?

[phibunmike]

I think you need a proper dictionary.

(A list of synonyms is not the same as a definition.

Agreed - sounds more like a thesaurus.

[sor_mui]

So if it means everyime I leave my house, I'm a tourist, that means when I leave my house I'm on holidays. WHHooOOOHHoOOOOOOO! Lifes one big holiday!

Does that mean that the homeless are on holiday all their life?

haha

have you tried dictionary.com?

[rishi]

To the Thai authorities, I believe 'tourist' means anyone between 'illegal alien' and 'non immigrant.'

[Donz]

In Donz's dictionary Tourist is someone who is visiting another country.

[jdinasia]

Thanks guys ... like I sai in that other thread ... when I go back to Hua Hin after having not lived there for a couple of years .. to go out and party etc ... then I'm a tourist ... it'd be different if I had a house there etc :-)

Some people will try anything to win an arguement .. and resorting to semantics is the most common refuge they take

[bbigman21]

It doesn't matter where I go I am a tourist: Because there is always something new to see.

My wife always tells me that I am looking around like I have never been here before, and I say this is the first time today. You just never know what you are going to see.

[gburns57au]

It is a good point and one I would like to see tested....

For instance there was talk on this site that third Tourist visas would not be issued to Thai girls coming here to Oz because after two trips it was considered that they were no longer tourists and should apply for a spouse/fiance visa.....

I have never listed the reason my girl has come here as tourism but rather as a holiday, even when given options such as tourism, business, other....I list other and then write in holiday.....I would have referred back to this if a third visa was refused for the aforementioned reason...A tourist is someone who travels around....a holiday doesnt necessarily mean the same thing...I wont get to test it myself as they issued a 12 month multi entry visa this time and the next visa after that will be a spouse visa if all goes well.

Is it semantics.....you bet it is....and sometimes semantics can make a difference when you are dealing with Government departments.

I also have a really big objection to an embassy telling me I should get married....Imagine if Thailand adopted the same practice....

[englishoak]

Chanchao you are right... The reference is from Chambers dictionary and synonyms .... checked a dictionary but nothing much of a discription.

Besides i know how to spell it.

Tourist . someone who travels for pleasure - covers almost everything as a definition that is fun.... my wife thinks shopping is fun

jdinasia as I said before you are 100% correct of course ...Just thought it was interesting to find out what others thought about being classed as tourist.

time of the month hun ?

[britmaveric]

Tourist - someone who see(s) the sights and is new to an area. I think one stops being a tourist when one is not new to an area anymore and blends in with locals.

[Boon Mee]

Are Backpackers tourists?

Where's DJ Pat on this one?

[jdinasia]

Sure ... so are the gits that come here and never see daylight ... just bars bars bars ;_)