What Did Pattaya Learn From PATA?

[george]

What did Pattaya learn from PATA?

Pattaya: -- Nobody can imagine the future The 55th conference of the Pacific Area Travel Association, held at the Royal Cliff near Pattaya, had quite a few lessons for our resort’s future. The travel industry all over the Pacific rim is changing rapidly. Firstly, any assessment of likely markets has to take into account the coming rise of the middle classes in China and India as their economies continue in overdrive. For example, if there are 3 million Chinese currently visiting Thailand every year, that number is expected to triple within three years.

Indeed, it’s the Asian markets rather than the European which will fuel the ambitious targets which the Thai tourist authority has set itself. A lesson has already been learned from Russia. Now that Russians can travel to Thailand for up to a month without a prior visa – and the deal is mutual – there are daily flights from Moscow carrying hundreds of their nationals. Another lesson from PATA is that tourists’ expectations are rising, whatever their nationality. One important aspect is the arrival of the alternative, hugely discounted airlines which have drastically cut the cost of air travel, especially within the continent.

Talk-of-the-Town

PATA delegates on parade at Royal Cliff

Although cheap flights in an age of booming fuel prices may seem a contradiction, more and more countries are establishing special airports (or sections of them) to deal with the low cost carriers. As regards Europe and America, most of the future growth is going to be the ageing baby boomer generation who were born after world war two and who are now facing retirement. So we can expect more hospitals offering treatment to the elderly and estate developers opening up sheltered accommodation and retirement homes. Pattaya made its name thirty years ago as a rest and recreation spot for worn out American personnel. Since then, it has grown and boomed in a way nobody envisaged. Now it’s changing yet again, or needs to, to accommodate new markets fuelled by revolutions in the travel industry and demographic changes of gigantic proportions. Only time will show how these realities will shake down in a resort which is rapidly diversifying away from its traditional sleaze image.

At the time of writing, Pattaya police chief, colonel Somnuk Changate, has been transferred to an inactive post pending an internal police inquiry into his conduct. So let’s remember at this point in time what a great contribution he has made to date in farang affairs in the resort. In case after case – the recent murder of an Austrian national and the rape of a Liverpool woman last January are two random examples – police colonel Somnuk took personal charge and conducted the inquiries in a prompt and efficient manner. He has tried to establish and enhance links with the expat community across the board and has become a far more familiar police chief than any of his predecessors, a situation certainly helped by his fluency in the English language. Let’s hope he’s able to take up the reins again soon. It’s a sign of the times that an entrepreneurial whiz kid started last month to import snuff into the kingdom.

This ground, powdered tobacco was popular in England in the early 19th century, but sales collapsed as new technology introduced cheap cigarettes such as the roll-up. “Better a snort than a Silk Cut any day,” said the youthful importer, as he predicted snuff taking is set to boom in Pattaya now that fewer and fewer places allow you to light up in public. Not likely. Apart from anything else, the powdery substance could easily be mistaken for an illegal drug leading to a confusing visit to the police station. Additionally, we don’t want to name the importer for obvious reasons but he doesn’t have a work permit. Careful there! Recent research offers you some assistance in protecting your home or villa against unwanted burglars.

Apparently, many wannabe thieves actually prefer to enter your premises when you are home asleep as there’s more likely to be valuables in handbags and wallets left lying around. Burglars are most likely to head straight for the master bedroom, then to other bedrooms, as they usually provide the best picking grounds. The least attractive areas for intruders are apparently children’s rooms and the toilet, so you may like to consider transferring your bank books and credit cards there. The average time for a burglar to be in your home is 20 minutes and the average take is worth around 40,000 baht. Now you know it all. According to the London based foreign office, there are 13 million Brits now living abroad with around 65 million visits abroad by Brits in a year – that’s one for every man, woman and child in the country.

There are almost 100,000 Brits every year who get themselves into serious difficulties are require consular assistance from their local embassy. Much of this assistance is traditionally free, but now a government watchdog suggests that Britons in distress be asked to pay call-out fees. Might not work too well in Pattaya, where the most common problem is that the visitor hasn’t got any money in the first place! Doing the rounds once again is the longstanding farang complaint that some Pattaya banks won’t let foreigners open an account or won’t pay interest on deposit accounts. Well, folks, it’s up to the bank in question: if the manager doesn’t want your business, tough cheese. But most now will accept your cash if you take along a letter from the immigration police which verifies your local address.

Interest rates on term accounts are now rising, and you should get 5% or more on sizeable sums. It’s up to you to shop around. But don’t expect Thai banks to offer you a credit card, such as Visa, unless you have a current work permit. They’ve been bitten once too often in the past. Now that the outsourced visa application centre in Bangkok has been opened on behalf of the British embassy, the feedback is coming in. And mostly it’s good. The centre is properly staffed, welcoming in approach and mostly without the horrendous queues of the past. Many applicants don’t need an interview for a visitor’s visa and there’s usually a reply in two days. But don’t forget that the actual decision on whether to grant a visa remains with main site embassy staff. And you pay the fee at the point of presentation.

If an application does fail, there’s no refund. Thai International Airways says the Suvarnabhumi international airport could be open by September this year. “If we could, we would propose that the airport open by the end of September,” said Kobchai Srivilas, the airline’s senior vice president. “There are a lot of concerns, but recently we have come to the conclusion it’s highly possible the airport will be ready by that month.” That’s called keeping your options open. There’s a piece of bold advertising outside a restaurant on the main Pattaya to Jomtien Road restaurant, shortly after the Thepprasit Road traffic lights.

It says if you don’t like the food, there’s no need to pay. Those who’ve been as customers say they have been happy to pay in any event.

--Pattaya Today 2006-05-15

[kurgen]

Very intresting.

I almost read the whole of the 1st paragraph

[barryofthailand]

What are they investigating the good police chief for>

Barry

[fourbaht]

Yeah any one have any news on why the harley riding police chief is being investigated?

[Kerryd]

Very intresting.

I almost read the whole of the 1st paragraph

You made it further than I did !

[britmaveric]

Couldnt bother either - anyone care to fill me in??

[Pattaya_Fox]

....the last few lines are interesting....it says that there is a restaurant along Thepprasit Rd (Pattaya to Jomtien) which has a sign outside which says that if you don`t like the food you don`t have to pay...........now there`s a First

[MP5]

They got to see all the rubbish on the routes they took to and from the Royal Cliff!

Really with all the developments and pure laziness the place is turning into a road side rubbish dump.

You think they would keep from Banglamung to Sattahip in A1 condition.

It's my pet whinge bloody lazy people who just trash Pattaya.

Oh! well back to "T" shirts and forensics.

Edited May 25, 2006 by MP5