Mass tourism market blamed for degradation of Phuket

[marell]

If only the farang would come here, drop off a few thousand Baht then go back home!! Am waiting for the blame to be aimed directly at us

That is just not going to work. Pesky tourists are all to blame for the Tuk Tuk and Taxi and Jet Ski issues and for all of the encroachment, and for the total lack of planning, and for the faulty wiring electrocuting people, and for all the other problems. It all falls on the shoulders of those insensitive tourists coming to Phuket. If the tourists had any class or empathy for Thainess, they would stay home and just wire their money to Phuket.

Excellent idea!

[iSabai]

I understand what you are saying in regards to the 20 year figure. I would suggest that tourism has become more low end here within the last 3 to 4 years, and it's the speed of degradation in those recent years that has surprised me. Currently, that degradation has gained so much momentum, I can't see it being stopped. It has changed the demographics of the tourists coming here.

Even looking at your 20 year figure, it seems so short when you start talking about tourism to places like London, Rome and Paris. Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing a tropical island in Asia to capital cities in Europe. Just highlighting how short 20 years is in relation to global tourism.

How do you lose a major market, like the Europeans, to the Chinese and Russians, in such a short time????

The lower Phuket goes, the lower the Chinese and Russian tourists will be. I suspect, that will speed up significantly in the near future, whilst continuing to lose whatlittle European market is left here.

We know many Thai's got rich here, over this 20 year period, but at what cost?

Some "major market" European countries are having their financial difficulties now. Add reduced exchange rates to that, and Phuket is no longer a cheap place to holiday. Lots of Chinese and Russian tourists come on package tours which are affordable to them. Euros are more experienced and independent travelers.

I don't think Phuket lost that market (i.e. gave up on them) as much so as that market just finds cheaper holiday destinations. At least for the time being.

Sure, the financial woes of Europe, and the exchange rate, would effect some of the holiday market.

Hua Hin is attracting a lot of Europeans now - I guess they are the ones that Phuket used to have, lost, and now want back.

Okay, but not completely accurate. Hua Hin may have more Europeans now, but mostly retirees as opposed to mainstream tourists. Maybe some ex-Phuket retirees might have moved on to Hua Hin, but I doubt your mainstream tourists in general are deciding to holiday in Hua Hin rather than Phuket.

Outside of possibly Bangkok, which is a major air hub and tourist stopover before moving on to other destinations in the country, I'd guess that Phuket is the #1 tourist destination in Thailand.

[baboon]

This like saying we didn't get enough party hats for the kids birthday party.

You were the ones advertising for them to come.

That is what my initial reaction was. I would not invite Thai at Heart to stay in my home and then complain about him crapping in the toilet, especially if he was paying the rent and buying the beers...

[bigbamboo]

Phuket was originally marketed in the west as an inexpensive, winter destination where friendly locals would welcome you to their unspoilt paradise.

How much of that is still true today?

[NamKangMan]

I understand what you are saying in regards to the 20 year figure. I would suggest that tourism has become more low end here within the last 3 to 4 years, and it's the speed of degradation in those recent years that has surprised me. Currently, that degradation has gained so much momentum, I can't see it being stopped. It has changed the demographics of the tourists coming here.

Even looking at your 20 year figure, it seems so short when you start talking about tourism to places like London, Rome and Paris. Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing a tropical island in Asia to capital cities in Europe. Just highlighting how short 20 years is in relation to global tourism.

How do you lose a major market, like the Europeans, to the Chinese and Russians, in such a short time????

The lower Phuket goes, the lower the Chinese and Russian tourists will be. I suspect, that will speed up significantly in the near future, whilst continuing to lose whatlittle European market is left here.

We know many Thai's got rich here, over this 20 year period, but at what cost?

Some "major market" European countries are having their financial difficulties now. Add reduced exchange rates to that, and Phuket is no longer a cheap place to holiday. Lots of Chinese and Russian tourists come on package tours which are affordable to them. Euros are more experienced and independent travelers.

I don't think Phuket lost that market (i.e. gave up on them) as much so as that market just finds cheaper holiday destinations. At least for the time being.

Sure, the financial woes of Europe, and the exchange rate, would effect some of the holiday market.

Hua Hin is attracting a lot of Europeans now - I guess they are the ones that Phuket used to have, lost, and now want back.

Okay, but not completely accurate. Hua Hin may have more Europeans now, but mostly retirees as opposed to mainstream tourists. Maybe some ex-Phuket retirees might have moved on to Hua Hin, but I doubt your mainstream tourists in general are deciding to holiday in Hua Hin rather than Phuket.

Outside of possibly Bangkok, which is a major air hub and tourist stopover before moving on to other destinations in the country, I'd guess that Phuket is the #1 tourist destination in Thailand.

Not sure I agree with you. I think Pattaya is Thailand's number one tourist destination, it's a tourist city, in it's own right, but it's hard to know with certainty because many land at Bangkok Airport for Pattaya, but are probably counted as Bangkok tourist.

That said, many are using Phuket Airport as a cheap flight into Thailand and then heading off to the islands, but are counted as Phuket tourists.

Only a fraction of the Russians are coming to Phuket - you should see how many are in Pattaya. They are everywhere.

Considering Phuket has lost a large part of the European tourist market - is it not more profitable to then keep your expats?

You can have someone fly into Phuket and spend $5000 in 2 weeks or you can have an expat who spends $5000 in 2 months - sadly, Phuket is losing both the short term cashed up "spending" tourists and the long term cashed up "spending" expat.

[andreandre]

Phuket was originally marketed in the west as an inexpensive, winter destination where friendly locals would welcome you to their unspoilt paradise.

How much of that is still true today?

This much...

[NamKangMan]

Phuket was originally marketed in the west as an inexpensive, winter destination where friendly locals would welcome you to their unspoilt paradise.

How much of that is still true today?

Remember when tourists would be greeted with the famous Thai "wai" - which many wanted to see.

They don't even get that now.

Edited June 16, 2013 by NamKangMan

[stevenl]

Phuket was originally marketed in the west as an inexpensive, winter destination where friendly locals would welcome you to their unspoilt paradise.

How much of that is still true today?

Remember when tourists would be greeted with the famous Thai "wai" - which many wanted to see.

They don't even get that now.

Of course they do, every hotel greets its guests with a way.

[andreandre]

Remember when tourists would be greeted with the famous Thai "wai" - which many wanted to see.

They don't even get that now.

Of course they do, every hotel greets its guests with a way.

Some big brand hotels do [and only because the staff is instructed to wai} apart from them the famous Thai "wai" with real feeling and meaning that you got from all Thais who really appreciated you being here has for sure long gone.

[Sirius1935]

I took a party of Australians from Phuket to the Simillan Islands and around Phang Na Bay, last February by yacht.

They won't be coming back to Phuket because of:

1. Exorbitant National park fees at both places. Up to ฿400 per person per day, on top of their holiday costs.

2. Dreadful pollution on every beach we stopped at over a two week period

3. A constant stream of plastic waste in a direct line, returning from Simillan islands. Not just on the surface but as deep down as one could see.

4. Unpleasant, mafia like checks that they had paid the NP fee by rude thugs.

5. Far too many tourists at the normal beauty spots like Koh Hong and other islands.

From now on we will only consider cruising in Burmese and Vietnamese waters.

So objecting against the Thai 400 Baht entrance fee for the park, not per day as you mention, but willing to pay the 200 US$ Burma fees?

Yes, per day. They wanted ฿600 per day from those who were diving and ฿400 per day from those not diving.

[stevenl]

I took a party of Australians from Phuket to the Simillan Islands and around Phang Na Bay, last February by yacht.

They won't be coming back to Phuket because of:

1. Exorbitant National park fees at both places. Up to ฿400 per person per day, on top of their holiday costs.

2. Dreadful pollution on every beach we stopped at over a two week period

3. A constant stream of plastic waste in a direct line, returning from Simillan islands. Not just on the surface but as deep down as one could see.

4. Unpleasant, mafia like checks that they had paid the NP fee by rude thugs.

5. Far too many tourists at the normal beauty spots like Koh Hong and other islands.

From now on we will only consider cruising in Burmese and Vietnamese waters.

So objecting against the Thai 400 Baht entrance fee for the park, not per day as you mention, but willing to pay the 200 US$ Burma fees?

Yes, per day. They wanted ฿600 per day from those who were diving and ฿400 per day from those not diving.

Sorry, this does not happen.

Entrance is 400 Baht, diving fee per day is 200 Baht. So 1 day diving costs national park fees 600 Baht, 2 days 800, etc. 1 day non-diving costs 400, 2 days 400, 3 days 400, etc. Amounts are total for the trip, not per day.