Warning to Thai tourism sector: Unfriendly staff, poor services hit competitiveness

[webfact]

Warning to tourism sector
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

Unfriendly staff, poor services hit competitiveness: study

BANGKOK: -- Hospitality firms and workers have been urged to develop their service skills and adopt a friendlier attitude to cope with the strong competition in Asean's tourism industry, amid warnings that the country is in danger of losing ground to Malaysia and Singapore.

"Thailand needs to develop tourism services and improve hospitality so that the tourism industry can help increase the country's income during the slowdown in exports and domestic growth," Aat Pisanwanich, director of the Centre for International Trade Studies at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said yesterday.

The centre's study shows that ASEAN countries, especially Malaysia and Singapore, have seriously improved their tourism and hospitality services to draw more visitors.

After the ASEAN Economic Community crystallises, Thailand could find it more difficult to compete because its tourism services have developed less than those in other countries in the region, as well as in Japan.

Foreign visitors are less satisfied than they once were with the "Siamese Smile", as many Thais, particularly people working in service businesses, look displeased, according to the study. The Japanese are more favoured among travellers.

The service industry should urgently improve its services and the attitude of its employees or the country could see fewer visitors in the future, the study found.

Other issues that foreign visitors are worried about include political stability, travellers' safety, integrated service facilities and Internet services. Cultural tourism should be promoted as foreign visitors appreciate Thai culture and tradition, the centre said.

The public and private sectors need to encourage their employees to develop language skills in English and other tongues, especially Chinese, Japanese, Korean and ASEAN languages, it said.

If Thailand could improve on these points, it could become the leading tourist destination in ASEAN by 2020, Aat said.

Thailand is expected to draw up to 34.5 million visitors a year by 2020. The tourism industry is expected to generate Bt1.65 trillion, or 11.3 per cent of gross domestic product.

Malaysia attracts the most foreign visitors in ASEAN at 25 million, followed by Thailand at 22 million, Singapore at 14 million, Indonesia at 8 million, Vietnam at 6.8 million, the Philippines at 4.4 million, Cambodia at 3.5 million, Laos at 3 million, Myanmar at 600,000 and Brunei at 250,000.

-- The Nation 2013-08-28

[ratcatcher]

I'm sure the billions of tourists coming to Thailand enjoy rude staff and poor service. T.A.T. will spin this one as usual.

[zydeco]

"Other issues that foreign visitors are worried about include political stability, travellers' safety, integrated service facilities and Internet services. Cultural tourism should be promoted as foreign visitors appreciate Thai culture and tradition, the centre said."

---Not to mention kidnapping, extortion, robbery, murder, train derailments, floods, poisonings in hotels, and being massacred on the roads.

Edited August 28, 2013 by zydeco

[NongKhaiKid]

Easy to see this warning / criticism is coming from a non-government source.

Can anyone imagine TAT making a statement like this as everything, everything in their garden is so rosy ?

[theblether]

I'm sure the billions of tourists coming to Thailand enjoy rude staff and poor service. T.A.T. will spin this one as usual.

Yup, they'll say that tourists love coming here to be abused.

[hansgruber]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

[jalansanitwong]

Thailand has the most resilient tourism industry in the world today.

If one tenth the incidents that happen here in LOS happened in Australia we would be hauled before international courts and heavily penalised by Korean 'ban the moon' boss of UN and others.

Thailand's tourism industry will continue to grow regardless of the slow/useless hotel service and no matter how many people are murdered ,drugged ,kidnapped,disappear,crippled ,scammed,ripped-off ,filthy beaches or even bankrupted.

Where else in the world can you get a hotel with pool + a drinking session + girl = about 70 dollars ? Not even in the Phillipines. ( not necessarily a girl either, tens of thousands of men and some women come here for the Issan boys).

Thailand is strategically placed in Asia with a major int airport and one smaller in Phuket.

Farangs arent coming here in as big numbers but that will change with the UK pound and euro climbing the ladder. Thai's are chasing the Chinese,Ruskie,Indian an Nth Asian markets now.

The Thais love us for it !.......... huge money. Their major industry for sure.

I visited guests at two 4 star hotels recently. Staff took 45 minutes to bring whisky glasses even though i had ordered wine glasses.

The other hotel took about 30 minutes to serve one person but not the other. Nothing, probably because i ordered a glass of iced water. No money in that ! ...f##k 'im.

Service used to be good here but they get rid of the 'old staff' and bring in pretty young faces. no experience.

[worgeordie]

If they want to improve the service,they first thing they need to do

is improve the English speaking skills of staff,management also

needs improving ,so they motivate the staff.

Then of course there are all the schemes to rip off tourists,the

Government needs to stamp all that out,Thailand wants to take

the tourists cash, but needs to give a lot more in return,like security,

stop the two tier pricing ,and be really serious about stopping the

multitude of scams and rip offs,if not the goose will one day stop

laying the golden eggs.

regards worgeordie

[frankold]

It's the managements fault for allowing the staff to get away with it.

[CiaranO]

They needed a study for these conclusions !!!

[Timwin]

Thailand unemployment rate is 0.77 percent so obviously low paying tourism industry is not that attractive to Thais.

[jackr]

Thailand needs to develop tourism services and improve hospitality so that the tourism industry can help increase the country's income during the slowdown in exports and domestic growth

And not because that is the right thing to do when people come to your country to spend money?

[hanno]

I have service in Thailand always be found to be excellent but maybe that is because I don't stay in cheap flop houses.

[Sayonarax]

Thailand has the most resilient tourism industry in the world today.

If one tenth the incidents that happen here in LOS happened in Australia we would be hauled before international courts and heavily penalised by Korean 'ban the moon' boss of UN and others.

Thailand's tourism industry will continue to grow regardless of the slow/useless hotel service and no matter how many people are murdered ,drugged ,kidnapped,disappear,crippled ,scammed,ripped-off ,filthy beaches or even bankrupted.

Where else in the world can you get a hotel with pool + a drinking session + girl = about 70 dollars ? Not even in the Phillipines. ( not necessarily a girl either, tens of thousands of men and some women come here for the Issan boys).

Thailand is strategically placed in Asia with a major int airport and one smaller in Phuket.

Farangs arent coming here in as big numbers but that will change with the UK pound and euro climbing the ladder. Thai's are chasing the Chinese,Ruskie,Indian an Nth Asian markets now.

The Thais love us for it !.......... huge money. Their major industry for sure.

I visited guests at two 4 star hotels recently. Staff took 45 minutes to bring whisky glasses even though i had ordered wine glasses.

The other hotel took about 30 minutes to serve one person but not the other. Nothing, probably because i ordered a glass of iced water. No money in that ! ...f##k 'im.

Service used to be good here but they get rid of the 'old staff' and bring in pretty young faces. no experience.

I love how you talk about girls like there a commodity, Your mother would be ashamed of you.

[MaxLee]

Sounds to me like "Blame the staff" and not "us operators"

With bad business standards within the business culture there's something wrong.

Too much brainwashing propaganda of what the Thais call "education" doesn't teach children how to behave, but how to cheat and rip each others heart outs to get the profits

[moe666]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

If they have such great English skills how come when I order something in the Philippines 9 out of 10 times I get the wrong order.

[AryanicAristocrat]

The hospitality industry is changing so fast. these days you have a lot of "garbage" working in the management levels as some owners still think that a farang face is essential so they end up hiring young punks with not so much experience or even the right qulifications as long as they have a farang face plus they are cheap. Worst still some of these are promoted so fast to management levels without even knowing a thing about their own industry or the local market. Just check out Dusit Group, Patumwan Princess, Plaza Anthenee etc and you understand what I mean.

[moe666]

I had dinner with a few friends a few nights ago and the service was fantastic my beer glass was never empty until I had finished and I never once touched the bottle. Stop complaining service is the same world wide you get good and bad just never go back to the bad and if you do go back stop complaining.

[Credo]

Thailand remains an enigmatic country with a historical reputation stretching back to the Vietnam war and the Hippie days. It remains so today because of a culture that is strange and fascinating. It isn't until one digs a little deeper that you see the other side of the situation. Easy access, however, will assure a continued booming tourism industry, IMO.

[jackr]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

If they have such great English skills how come when I order something in the Philippines 9 out of 10 times I get the wrong order.

Because your English/Tagalog skills are not up to par?

[moe666]

I have service in Thailand always be found to be excellent but maybe that is because I don't stay in cheap flop houses.

You have a point, my friend stayed at the Sukothai Hotel a few months ago and most of the check in was done in his room. Every detail concerning the room was explained in full by a Thai lady with exceptional English skill

Edited August 28, 2013 by moe666

[moe666]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

If they have such great English skills how come when I order something in the Philippines 9 out of 10 times I get the wrong order.

Because your English/Tagalog skills are not up to par?

I believe the thread is about English skills and mine are ok for ordering ham sandwiches.

[jalansanitwong]

Thailand has the most resilient tourism industry in the world today.

If one tenth the incidents that happen here in LOS happened in Australia we would be hauled before international courts and heavily penalised by Korean 'ban the moon' boss of UN and others.

Thailand's tourism industry will continue to grow regardless of the slow/useless hotel service and no matter how many people are murdered ,drugged ,kidnapped,disappear,crippled ,scammed,ripped-off ,filthy beaches or even bankrupted.

Where else in the world can you get a hotel with pool + a drinking session + girl = about 70 dollars ? Not even in the Phillipines. ( not necessarily a girl either, tens of thousands of men and some women come here for the Issan boys).

Thailand is strategically placed in Asia with a major int airport and one smaller in Phuket.

Farangs arent coming here in as big numbers but that will change with the UK pound and euro climbing the ladder. Thai's are chasing the Chinese,Ruskie,Indian an Nth Asian markets now.

The Thais love us for it !.......... huge money. Their major industry for sure.

I visited guests at two 4 star hotels recently. Staff took 45 minutes to bring whisky glasses even though i had ordered wine glasses.

The other hotel took about 30 minutes to serve one person but not the other. Nothing, probably because i ordered a glass of iced water. No money in that ! ...f##k 'im.

Service used to be good here but they get rid of the 'old staff' and bring in pretty young faces. no experience.

I love how you talk about girls like there a commodity, Your mother would be ashamed of you.

Why do people like you always get personal? My mother ?.What has she got to do with anything here. Bring your own mother into it if you want.

Ive been here almost 15 years and never been with a bar girl..Thai service has been taken for granted for too long

Thais are getting lazy which is why service is dropping off even at the top end as i stated earlier.

This countries tourism industry revolves around cheap sex and drugs. Service to tourists is becoming irrelevant. I dont care if you like it or not. Its a fact.

[Nooky2]

Thailand has the most resilient tourism industry in the world today.

If one tenth the incidents that happen here in LOS happened in Australia we would be hauled before international courts and heavily penalised by Korean 'ban the moon' boss of UN and others.

Thailand's tourism industry will continue to grow regardless of the slow/useless hotel service and no matter how many people are murdered ,drugged ,kidnapped,disappear,crippled ,scammed,ripped-off ,filthy beaches or even bankrupted.

Where else in the world can you get a hotel with pool + a drinking session + girl = about 70 dollars ? Not even in the Phillipines. ( not necessarily a girl either, tens of thousands of men and some women come here for the Issan boys).

Thailand is strategically placed in Asia with a major int airport and one smaller in Phuket.

Farangs arent coming here in as big numbers but that will change with the UK pound and euro climbing the ladder. Thai's are chasing the Chinese,Ruskie,Indian an Nth Asian markets now.

The Thais love us for it !.......... huge money. Their major industry for sure.

I visited guests at two 4 star hotels recently. Staff took 45 minutes to bring whisky glasses even though i had ordered wine glasses.

The other hotel took about 30 minutes to serve one person but not the other. Nothing, probably because i ordered a glass of iced water. No money in that ! ...f##k 'im.

Service used to be good here but they get rid of the 'old staff' and bring in pretty young faces. no experience.

I'm guessing you are Thai.

[Nooky2]

It's the managements fault for allowing the staff to get away with it.

The management is equally as guilty.

[harrry]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

If they have such great English skills how come when I order something in the Philippines 9 out of 10 times I get the wrong order.

Because your English/Tagalog skills are not up to par?

I believe the thread is about English skills and mine are ok for ordering ham sandwiches.

Better not try that in Suadi.

[bangkokheat]

when i visited japan and went to buy some food, after you made your purchase the staf would yell out "asen a sai" well it sounds like that at least, i assumed it was to say thank you, every time i pay for something here im lucky to get a grunt out of thais

[Alwyn]

I've already noticed lots of Philipino service staff in resorts in Phuket recently. They just have better English skills and work ethic.

If they have such great English skills how come when I order something in the Philippines 9 out of 10 times I get the wrong order.

Probably because the skilled Philippinos are working in Thailand or on cruise ships etc?

[LuckyLew]

Two things Thais are not known for ...

1- customer service

2- customer loyalty

[EvilDrSomkid]

Why doesn't anybody understand that so many people in this country don't give a sh!t about providing good service or understanding how stuff needs to work.

Or give sh!t about anything at all? It's just laziness. The mak ngai, ya khit maak attitude.

Not saying this is the case with all Thai, but way too many. And trust me, the people who DO care and make an effort to do their best are just as pissed off about this.

Don't forget, you are not getting crap service because you are a westerner. Thai or foreigner same.