The new Minister of Tourism and Sports is highly qualified in his position - after all - he has a degree in electrical engineering.

well maybe he can get a job wiring up the nuclear power plant when it goes ahead

An old Asia hand once told me that Thailand had had the choice of two different models for development - Japan and Burma. While it is clear that Thailand did not choose Japan, it is never too late tl start. High time for Thai authorities to study what makes Japan tick. Japan is hardly a perfect country, but, as anyone who has visited Japan can tell you, things work pretty well, and there are some good things worth emulating.

Let's start with the educational system, the civil service and the infrasstructure. English is as much of a phonetic challange for Japanese as it is for Thais, yet educated Japanese soeak AND write good English - often better than some "native" English soeakers, like Americans.

quote name="PhilipCook" post="6330140" timestamp="1366695446"]“I will adopt safety measures similar to those used in Japan, a country that rarely has criminal complaints from tourists.” Set a timeline with targets my friend. Lofty statements like this are too plentiful to quantity here. I remember Thaksin saying he would solve the traffic problems in Bangkok in 6 months...

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Thaksin_Shinawatra

Try a new approach, lets use the Japan model as the goal to start working towards, but show a timeline with modest targets. Aiming for the moon only stirs up wonder and amazement, better try for something achievable for a change. Enforcement of laws would be a start, then increasing the penalties would be the next step. The problem with this is that he has no authority to enforce the laws.

When the article mentions that tourism(excessive) is a threat to the country's national heritage and having a negative impact on the country's social fabric it smacks of xenophobia nicht wahr? As if they prefer to have fewer foreigners coming here and hopefully fewer Thais marrying non-Thais. Wonder where consumerism and greed fit into the mix.

sorry,

i write wrong

the first thing foreigner have to do "no call police if possible" when them come only more expensive for us.

i french , so my english so

Tourist Safety, we will see

start to kik ass police first.

when foreigner have problem , them no help, them only make story for take ours monnaie and share with thai.

thailand no law for us, only for thai.

i come here near 20 years and leave here now 5 years, when have problem , the first thing foreign have to do "NOW CALL POLICE IF POSSIBLE ",when them come only be more expensive for us.

clean thailand about this chit police, give us power for can make problem with them if them no make them job correctly.

thailand no police and no safe for tourist.only boyshit.

sorry,

i write wrong

the first thing foreigner have to do "no call police if possible" when them come only more expensive for us.

i french , so my english so

Perhaps you should write your response in French and use the translation from Google or Bing.

I dont think its policy that needs to change...

Thais need to be educated in common sense, courtesy and respect. They sure as hell dont learn it at home, school or TV! (and to be perfectly honest, even back home its the same as kids are now somewhat "punishment free" and can do as they please with little consequence)

Go into any 7-11 and watch the rudeness of people towards others, not just tourists.

I dont think its policy that needs to change...

Thais need to be educated in common sense, courtesy and respect. They sure as hell dont learn it at home, school or TV! (and to be perfectly honest, even back home its the same as kids are now somewhat "punishment free" and can do as they please with little consequence)

Go into any 7-11 and watch the rudeness of people towards others, not just tourists.

Common sense-no way, but Thais do know respect. It is a matter of where you are on the list.

1 Thais in the order of their perceived chaste system based on wealth, status and/or skin complexion

2 Farm animals including buffalos

3 Soi dogs

4 Other Asians

5 Farang

I predict that if we review this topic in six months that there will not be any significant change or improvement. Tourists will still be getting robbed, scammed, killed and assaulted on a regular basis.

WRONG...

There will be an INCREASE in the number of tourist robberies, scams, assaults and deaths directly proportional to any increase in arrivals.

You do not need any doctorate-or be a Don/prof.

to have a path/walkway clear from ANY obstructions, To implement safety to ALL public and private vehicles. to have police walking ON BEAT around tourist areas NOT just collecting money. most of all reel in the police, and force them to enforce the laws properly. From the movie My fair lady---Oh wouldn't it be lovely

^{"the country’s social fabric"}

^{What's that then?}

^{Prostitution?}

^{Fake goods?}

^{Dodgy police?}

^{Tourist scams?}

^{Bribery of officials to allow massive overbuilding at tourist locations?}

^{Deforrestation?}

^{Destruction of national parks?}

^{Culling protected species for money?}

^{Dangerous roads?}

^Drugs?

Jet Skis

Is that all? I thought Thailand had serious problems

^{"the country’s social fabric"}

^{What's that then?}

^{Prostitution?}

^{Fake goods?}

^{Dodgy police?}

^{Tourist scams?}

^{Bribery of officials to allow massive overbuilding at tourist locations?}

^{Deforrestation?}

^{Destruction of national parks?}

^{Culling protected species for money?}

^{Dangerous roads?}

^Drugs?

Jet Skis

Is that all? I thought Thailand had serious problems

Iagree with all but 1-----prostitution, if that goes Thailand goes, the biggest money spinners are the Chinese and they are mostly here for this, as are most other nationalities. Stop the UNDER-AGE bit though.

More attempted brainwashing from verbal unsubstantiated promises and grandstanding with no forthright plan being mentioned. Dear Minister - please explain how you intend to do this and don't mention the Royal Thai Police as they have no ability to even control traffic at intersections let alone genuine police work.

what a joke...the headline should read ''MORE PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF TOURIST SAFTEY''...qiuck call the media,its time for another ''press conference''....

i feel safer already...thanks ''chief''...

... ''khun somsak''........just sit back loosen your belt and enjoy yet another big buffet meal....'' dont worry about us falangs we got our own backs...zzzzzzzz

Give the guy a bloody chance. Come back and slay him all you like if nothings changed in 6-12 months but he deserves a fair go and the opportunity to back up his words.

That's far too logical/sensible.

You can't let the Thai Visa membership lose a chance to let their 'wisdom' and 'political awareness' of how 'Thailand works' pass by....

Excellent!

Were there nothing being done, you'd all be whining. Now someone is given a job to do and is talking about positive action, you're all still whining.

Go have a think about it....really...

Ask yourself this. Why did he not come up with an specific problem, an actual solution and a timeframe? We have to assume of course, given his new title, he knows alot about the specific tourism related problems and has actual solutions. Otherwise why would anyone give him the job in the first place?

Imagine if a new CEO of Apple in his initial speech said "Well, I think we should just do as Samsung, it seems to work for them!"

Isn't that what Apple does?

Intitially get the police to do their jobs instead of turning blind eyes to everything that goes on.

Check motorbikes and cars tax documents, out of date documents lead to no insurance or drivers licences. Stop children riding motorbikes and driving cars who are obviously under age. I've seen so many. Toughen up the tests needed to obtain a licence so many have no idea. Random stop riders and drivers for drink driving, thereby reducing accidents.

Concentrate on finding the drug users, from them establish the networks and close them down.

Penalise the " slash and burn " farmers properly and stop the smog created by their fires, commonly stupidly referred to as " dust particles. "

Additionally change the attitude of Thai people to " Farangs, " we are not just an easy route to profiteering.

Also show compassion and acceptance to the tourists who are a valuable commodity to the growth of Thailand.

Don't think any of that has anything to do with the Tourism Minister apart from your last sentence.

The "give the guy a chance and come back in 12 months" approach has been tried 100 times already

Would you care to give an example or 100?

I see where you are coming from. I really do; however, were the government to do nothing, you'd all be in a fury...

At least - even though it may be persiflage - there is something being done, means that they are at least aware of the 'ploblem'...?

Persiflage? Persibloodyflage? Bet that got a lot of posters googling, certainly did me!

The program recently shown on UK's Channel 4 about the amount of young Britons killed on Thailand's roads won't have helped.

The program confirms yet again, what most of us knew already, that the official numbers of road deaths stand at about 12,000 per annum, but these figures are only deaths at the scene. Those that die later as a result of injuries are not included, unlike statistics gathered from most other countries.

Mothers of the dead in Britain are, quite rightly, rallying together for sterner warnings from the FCO and for tourists travelling to Thailand. The program exposed the terrible safety record of Thailand's bus services, the criminal negligence by the bus companies and the poorly constructed buses which look modern, yet would fail even the most basic of safety tests.

Fixing this problem will be a start, however I doubt they will even get rid of the jet-ski scammers.

They only care about money, and they are too short-sighted to see that fixing all these problems would be in their long-term interests.

Here's what I see.. The Thai's have a kind of tunnel vision. They some how think their country is the center of the world. Nothing is out there of any interest beyound their borders. I've seen it over and over, when big muckety mucks come to the US for the first time. They stand around in complete awe. They stay in a nice hotel, and they act like it's the Taj Mahal. They see all the auto's on the really good freeways and their mouths drop open. They go to say the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone Park and their mesmerized. I'm sure it's the same way in England or Germany or Australia. I know of a rich Thai who just for the first time took a cruise out of Miami to the carribean. He couldn't believe the ship he was on or the places he visited. He was in shell shock. Never seen anything like it in his life. Then they get back home. Their silent for about a month, then they start in again on how great Thailand is. You would think they would take notes and try upgrading their country a little. I'm just ranting, pay me no mind.. that kind of mood this morning. sorry.

He seems like a very good man I like him

“I will adopt safety measures similar to those used in Japan, a country that rarely has criminal complaints from tourists.”

I think he should have included Singpore also

I wish him well in his new job

^{"the country’s social fabric"}

^{What's that then?}

^{Prostitution?}

^{Fake goods?}

^{Dodgy police?}

^{Tourist scams?}

^{Bribery of officials to allow massive overbuilding at tourist locations?}

^{Deforrestation?}

^{Destruction of national parks?}

^{Culling protected species for money?}

^{Dangerous roads?}

^Drugs?

Is that a list of reasons for you residing here in Thailand?