Foreign envoys asked to help invite tourists to Songkran

[seabass69]

I think the Envoys should be warning visitors about: the airport tout scams, duty free shoplifting scam, Thong Lor police random searches yanking tourists out of taxies, the cigarette butt police entrapment scam, the 10 baht TukTuk scam, scammers posing as taxi drivers parked in front of every hotel, the gem scam, Grand Palace closed scam, jet ski scam, violent Phuket Tuk Tuks, Pattaya taxi meter scam, overloading tourists boats, drugging and robberies, random violence, ladyboy pickpockets, double pricing, and allot more.

Agreed?

You forgot 'checking your change at 7Eleven'. That can add up to quite a lot over a two week holiday.

[JoeThePoster]

What a movie it could become if someone made a film about the Shin clan.

They can call it the Wolf of Walking Street.

[Borzandy]

Hey my friends, pls come to Thailand, Songkran is a very funny celebration, you might be killed on the street.

[american12bthai]

Thai government please,

lol comes to mind. no, no and.... no. i had friends that were coming to thailand. instead i directed them to nepal, lovely people there. and on their way back... i recomended vietnalm. ...

fool me once, shame on you.

fool me twice, shame on me.

fool me 200 times...i must be thai and unable to leave.

[ozyjon]

Wow can't wait, to have a bucket of sewer water thrown all over me as i go out to dinner in my nice clothes, (now) wet clothes, wet (destroyed) mobile phone, wet wallet,and this is how i turn up to a formal dinner, can't wait, i live for this.

[MMarlow]

Who would want to come all the way to Thailamd to have Klong water thrown in there faces?

Probably no-one but that probably doesn't happen except in your imagination.

[Sarpedon]

Wow can't wait, to have a bucket of sewer water thrown all over me as i go out to dinner in my nice clothes, (now) wet clothes, wet (destroyed) mobile phone, wet wallet,and this is how i turn up to a formal dinner, can't wait, i live for this.

There are certain steps you can take to minimise the damage to your clothes and possessions when you head out in the evening but I see your point. The time that happened to me was caused by 2 idiotic farangs.

[MMarlow]

Wow can't wait, to have a bucket of sewer water thrown all over me as i go out to dinner in my nice clothes, (now) wet clothes, wet (destroyed) mobile phone, wet wallet,and this is how i turn up to a formal dinner, can't wait, i live for this.

The daft Thai bashers are out in force today. No sewer water is thrown and if you want to avoid getting wet don't go to the areas where it can be guaranteed that will happen and if that can't be avoided get a taxi, don't walk to your formal dinner. The wet wallet and wet phone can be avoided by the use of a marvelous invention called the small plastic bag.

[IBoldnewguy]

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Just a few days ago Surapong was ready to invite the UN chief to Thailand to mediate in the political conflict, implying Thais couldn't solve the problem themselves and were on their way to a failed state.

Suddenly it's all change, please come to Thailand with your money, investors and tourists, everything is fine,

The man is a joke, devoid of any credibility his words are mere hot air.

Not only is Surapong full of hot air so are all the rest , any thing said, take with a grain of salt , this seems to be a problem in Thai politics.

Too much being said... too many gains of salt.... avoid salt... salt in large doses can be toxic...

[skorchio]

Yes I know that we have not complied with (actually ignored) Envoy's requests regarding safety of tourists, police corruption, jetski scams, transport intimidation, financial extortion etc etc, but I do "expect that you will cooperate"in sending us more cannon fodder. You have to admire this guy's neck ...... hub of necks.

[marko kok prong]

I think the Envoys should be warning visitors about: the airport tout scams, duty free shoplifting scam, Thong Lor police random searches yanking tourists out of taxies, the cigarette butt police entrapment scam, the 10 baht TukTuk scam, scammers posing as taxi drivers parked in front of every hotel, the gem scam, Grand Palace closed scam, jet ski scam, violent Phuket Tuk Tuks, Pattaya taxi meter scam, overloading tourists boats, drugging and robberies, random violence, ladyboy pickpockets, double pricing, and allot more.

Agreed?

Agreed,but maybe you can add,the 40c heat[if in north or central thailand],the smog,the good chance you could be involved in a fatal road accident,that you will be soaked with water wether you want to be or not,often whilst driving,drunken and loutish behavoiur, yes who would not want to come for songkran!

[godden]

perhapes better the envoys ask the Thais how safe it is for their people to attend this slaughter

[Baerboxer]

Probably want to drive the tourist numbers up again before introducing the 500 baht "health insurance fee".

Got to get some more income streams into the trough whilst the others are on hold. Got to keep the cash rolling.

[SICHONSTEVE]

"envoys will cooperate". LOL. How diplomatic!

My god!!! they must think this guy is a right tool!!!! How are they to go about inviting people? Tell their mates "why not come to Thailand, its not dangerous, but it might be soon as a civil war might be on the horizon".

Sure, that will attract them and they will come in their droves!!!!

[expat888]

SEE!!! I guess foreign tourism is important enough that 1) the government has lifted the SOE despite the fact that doing so has and will continue to put people at direct risk of injury or death and 2) is now asking other countries to help invite tourists back!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't control the laughter. This is proof positive that tourism is far more than 6% of the economy here.

Wow, how entirely pathetic this country is.

I suspect directly and indirectly tourism runs about 30-40% of Thai income.

[Thaddeus]

Is this for real, April 01 is a few days away yet......................................

It's going to be a tough job to separate real news from the jokes when 1st April does roll around this year.

[bigbamboo]

I think the Envoys should be warning visitors about: the airport tout scams, duty free shoplifting scam, Thong Lor police random searches yanking tourists out of taxies, the cigarette butt police entrapment scam, the 10 baht TukTuk scam, scammers posing as taxi drivers parked in front of every hotel, the gem scam, Grand Palace closed scam, jet ski scam, violent Phuket Tuk Tuks, Pattaya taxi meter scam, overloading tourists boats, drugging and robberies, random violence, ladyboy pickpockets, double pricing, and allot more.

Agreed?

But they do it all with a smile.

[ramrod711]

Foreign envoys asked to help invite tourists to Songkran

I know this will come as a complete shock to Surapong, but envoys who recommended that people come to Thailand despite grenades being lobbed about, would be held responsible for injuries to tourists from their countries. Lawsuits, dismissals etc.. A totally incomprehensible concept to Surapong, but quite common in other countries.

[rubl]

"Security was tight with police and soldiers guarding the safety of participants."

... following which caretaker Dept. PM, caretaker MoFA, ex-CAPO head, ex-CMPO advisor and current CAPO member Surapong asked the Foreign Envoys to help him invite your people for Songkhran as obviously Thailand in general and Bangkok specifically was a safe place. The ISA was just an administrative matter I guess.

[ramrod711]

Who would want to come all the way to Thailamd to have Klong water thrown in there faces?

Probably no-one but that probably doesn't happen except in your imagination.

It does happen, frequently in Chiang Mai. Thai people don't sit in bars with water hoses filling large barrels filled with ice, they gather around the klong, use buckets to haul water out and fill barrels in the backs of pickup trucks. I go to play every year, use drops in my eyes and ears to avoid infection and have a very good time. I love to see Thai families enjoying the celebration.

[Muhendis]

"Security was tight with police and soldiers guarding the safety of participants."

I expect the participants noticed the high level of security. I also would imagine that they (participants) were wondering how Surapong could expect them to advise their countrymen to come to Bangkok when the level of security needed to be so high.

The message has to be "Go to Thailand and enjoy Songkran if you must but we advise against travel to Thailand".

[allan michaud]

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SEE!!! I guess foreign tourism is important enough that 1) the government has lifted the SOE despite the fact that doing so has and will continue to put people at direct risk of injury or death and 2) is now asking other countries to help invite tourists back!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't control the laughter. This is proof positive that tourism is far more than 6% of the economy here.

Wow, how entirely pathetic this country is.

I've been saying those tourist figures of 6% have been rubbish for years, they always seem to downplay the importance.

Those foreign envoys know the score here too and won't be moved one inch by anything coming out of the Thai Govt's mouths.

Yep. They have been spouting various figures to show the downturn in tourist numbers is small but I know many business men in Phnom Penh who are blaming the Thai situation for a massive drop in tourist numbers. I know who I believe... "don't Thai to me" is the correct phrase here.

[bangon04]

Seems Singapore is now getting into the swing of celebrating Songkran, no doubt without the fatalities that Thailand experience every year. Many of my friends are questioning coming to Thailand given how really expensive it has become compared to other countries within Asia.

If you want to atttract more tourists, then perhaps TAT should be asking why a taxi fare in Singapore is cheaper than say in Phuket ?

I am curious to know how Singaporeans can celebrate Songkran without spilling any water on the sidewalk or making any sort of mess whatsoever...

[DrTuner]

Diplomats are hardly the ones to be asked. They should ask the TV members, since that's what you get when you google.

Just give us same rights as Thais in exchange and we'll sing any old song you wish.

[takkatan in the land]

thainess again... I thought they were trying to attract high class tourists not morons

[ZigZagMan]

The top 20 families that have been controlling and robbing Thailand for decades don't give a crap about tourists or Thailand.

They would initiate nuclear Armageddon to keep their power and money.

Thaksin was getting in their way.

Beware.

[BirdsandBooze]

I can't see why foreign diplomats would be encouraged to tout Thailand's tourist industry when they have one in their home country.

[Tomtomtom69]

SEE!!! I guess foreign tourism is important enough that 1) the government has lifted the SOE despite the fact that doing so has and will continue to put people at direct risk of injury or death and 2) is now asking other countries to help invite tourists back!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't control the laughter. This is proof positive that tourism is far more than 6% of the economy here.

Wow, how entirely pathetic this country is.

I suspect directly and indirectly tourism runs about 30-40% of Thai income.

Whenever you hear about Aussies reporting on some aspect of their "Thai holiday experience" on TV back in Australia, almost everyone states unequivocally that "without tourism, Thailand would be a dirt poor country, without us they'd have nothing". To me that also suggests that tourism is a VERY big income earner, certainly not the 6-8% we read about but probably something along the lines of what you have stated.