Thailand's upper northern provinces adjust to new breed of tourists

[noitom]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

All foreigners are looked down upon by Thais. A Thai looking at a foreigner is like an x-ray machine finding your wallet and never letting go until it's empty. If you fall down, tough. If you get sick, tough, If you are in a serious accident, tough. If you lose your documents, tough. You have to pay, pay and keep paying until you are on the plane returning home.

[lineofentry]

A massive 20 % of the Thai economy is thanks to foreigners, be they tourists or long term, this is both from direct and indirect knock on effects according to a recent report from the IMF.

Draw your own conlusions.

[kratiam]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

All foreigners are looked down upon by Thais. A Thai looking at a foreigner is like an x-ray machine finding your wallet and never letting go until it's empty. If you fall down, tough. If you get sick, tough, If you are in a serious accident, tough. If you lose your documents, tough. You have to pay, pay and keep paying until you are on the plane returning home.

If you dislike Thailand/the Thai people so much, and you live here, why not go home? If not living here....what's your problem? (Or are you just trying to add to your ' impressive' total of posts?) Get a life!

[Ulysses G.]

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

Nothing much has changed I live in Chiang Mai and still love it, I get on my motorcycle and go for a ride in the mountains go on week trips all over Thailand, there are always people who want to be critical. Yes there is traffic in Chiang Mai as in most cities any more but people deal with it. What have you to offer as a positive as the post was all negative

I love it too and I know many people who live here that feel the same and lots of visitors that come back every year. In many ways, it is a lot better place to live than in 1991.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[davejones23]

'new breed of tourists'

They really do look at us as some kind of beings from another planet, don't they.

Once and alien, always an alien.

Who is 'us'? Thai people are also tourists in Thailand.

[atsiii]

I presume they will be putting up sign's around the place"welcome,so-lo mo tourist'

No, they will "text" it from the new: ThaiAdvisor.com website running on the new Thai Gateway. All traveler's cell phones will automatically register their locations and phone numbers so as to receive valuable Thai government and Travel Information Tips . It will be TAT's new TITS program.

[Morch]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

All foreigners are looked down upon by Thais. A Thai looking at a foreigner is like an x-ray machine finding your wallet and never letting go until it's empty. If you fall down, tough. If you get sick, tough, If you are in a serious accident, tough. If you lose your documents, tough. You have to pay, pay and keep paying until you are on the plane returning home.

Some are like that, some aren't.

Guess it comes down to personal experience and which people one meets.

Not sure it is all that much different here compared with some other countries, as far as foreigners are concerned.

[Tomtomtom69]

About 12 years ago, I was a consultant with a team of US advisory experts in cooperation with the Thai Govt and one of the projects we did, and which I led was to engage with tourism sector businesses in the north. This was just before all the 5 star hotels were built. At the time, there were none. Only the 4 seasons up in Mae Rim. Any others had lost their star rating. And the tsunami of investment was coming in only couple years.

I could not marshal enough support for much of anything. It was like herding cats. There was not even a Welcome Booth at the airport to give out information for free on how to get into town, what was going on, etc. This kind of independent entity that major players and local govt could agree to support financially was finally set up after a year of wrangling.

I had a tourism consultant arrive from the USA to lead a seminar on eco-tourism products. He walked up to the booth and found the kid behind the desk spoke virtually no English. He understood not a single question.

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

Well, if you were partly responsible for all the five star hotels cropping up here in chiang mai now, then you helped destroy the fun you talk of having in 1991.

There's a well-worn path in 'tourism'… travellers explore and visit places like thailand, spending their money in ways that benefit the locals at the local level. Then residents from the capital city hear about all this foreign money and visitors, and start hitting the likes of chiang mai and investing all their money in higher end hotels. Then they adverstise and the tourists start coming, and they spend their money that mostly ends up in the pockets of the rich bangkok investors.

Travellers easily deal with lack of english being spoken, it's tourists who can't deal with this.

"Most people who live there hate it now". Absolute nonsense.

Emotional rhetoric, and apparent double-standards. Perhaps the new kind of visitor is less damaging to thailand than you seem to have been.

Nah, I agree with Minnehana. I still enjoy visiting Chiang Mai, but it's not what it used to be. My local friends have mostly moved on and the 3 main people I know, that are still in town I have only known since 2 years or have only moved there within the last 2 years. Without their presence I wouldn't know what to do in Chiang Mai anymore or have any reason to go, the locals are still nice but it's much less personable than it used to be. In order to find real charm in northern Thailand, one needs to visit the more rural areas and smaller cities.

[Tomtomtom69]

Why does everyone think this article is about foreign tourists. Clearly the "lo" meaning "local" refers to local tourists. I have seen plenty of these types of tourists in northern Thailand...they greatly outnumber foreign tourists in places like Lampang.

[NoThainess4U]

About 12 years ago, I was a consultant with a team of US advisory experts in cooperation with the Thai Govt and one of the projects we did, and which I led was to engage with tourism sector businesses in the north. This was just before all the 5 star hotels were built. At the time, there were none. Only the 4 seasons up in Mae Rim. Any others had lost their star rating. And the tsunami of investment was coming in only couple years.

I could not marshal enough support for much of anything. It was like herding cats. There was not even a Welcome Booth at the airport to give out information for free on how to get into town, what was going on, etc. This kind of independent entity that major players and local govt could agree to support financially was finally set up after a year of wrangling.

I had a tourism consultant arrive from the USA to lead a seminar on eco-tourism products. He walked up to the booth and found the kid behind the desk spoke virtually no English. He understood not a single question.

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

Well, if you were partly responsible for all the five star hotels cropping up here in chiang mai now, then you helped destroy the fun you talk of having in 1991.

There's a well-worn path in 'tourism'… travellers explore and visit places like thailand, spending their money in ways that benefit the locals at the local level. Then residents from the capital city hear about all this foreign money and visitors, and start hitting the likes of chiang mai and investing all their money in higher end hotels. Then they adverstise and the tourists start coming, and they spend their money that mostly ends up in the pockets of the rich bangkok investors.

Travellers easily deal with lack of english being spoken, it's tourists who can't deal with this.

"Most people who live there hate it now". Absolute nonsense.

Emotional rhetoric, and apparent double-standards. Perhaps the new kind of visitor is less damaging to thailand than you seem to have been.

Nah, I agree with Minnehana. I still enjoy visiting Chiang Mai, but it's not what it used to be. My local friends have mostly moved on and the 3 main people I know, that are still in town I have only known since 2 years or have only moved there within the last 2 years. Without their presence I wouldn't know what to do in Chiang Mai anymore or have any reason to go, the locals are still nice but it's much less personable than it used to be. In order to find real charm in northern Thailand, one needs to visit the more rural areas and smaller cities.

or just accept that Thailand is done it is time to move on,

many are going to Cuba now

[DubaiIsCalling]

About 12 years ago, I was a consultant with a team of US advisory experts in cooperation with the Thai Govt and one of the projects we did, and which I led was to engage with tourism sector businesses in the north. This was just before all the 5 star hotels were built. At the time, there were none. Only the 4 seasons up in Mae Rim. Any others had lost their star rating. And the tsunami of investment was coming in only couple years.

I could not marshal enough support for much of anything. It was like herding cats. There was not even a Welcome Booth at the airport to give out information for free on how to get into town, what was going on, etc. This kind of independent entity that major players and local govt could agree to support financially was finally set up after a year of wrangling.

I had a tourism consultant arrive from the USA to lead a seminar on eco-tourism products. He walked up to the booth and found the kid behind the desk spoke virtually no English. He understood not a single question.

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

In today's Postbag of BKK Post there is a strong condemnation by an angry Thai towards foreigners. And that we, foreigners should not underestimate the intelligence of all Thai. I know there is intelligence but is it used ? Technological inventions, make Thai traffic less lethal, maintain your National Parks like Koh Samet ? Teach people by TV spots plastic bags shouldn't be thrown in the environment, learn at least English when you want to assure income ?

[NoThainess4U]

About 12 years ago, I was a consultant with a team of US advisory experts in cooperation with the Thai Govt and one of the projects we did, and which I led was to engage with tourism sector businesses in the north. This was just before all the 5 star hotels were built. At the time, there were none. Only the 4 seasons up in Mae Rim. Any others had lost their star rating. And the tsunami of investment was coming in only couple years.

I could not marshal enough support for much of anything. It was like herding cats. There was not even a Welcome Booth at the airport to give out information for free on how to get into town, what was going on, etc. This kind of independent entity that major players and local govt could agree to support financially was finally set up after a year of wrangling.

I had a tourism consultant arrive from the USA to lead a seminar on eco-tourism products. He walked up to the booth and found the kid behind the desk spoke virtually no English. He understood not a single question.

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

In today's Postbag of BKK Post there is a strong condemnation by an angry Thai towards foreigners. And that we, foreigners should not underestimate the intelligence of all Thai. I know there is intelligence but is it used ? Technological inventions, make Thai traffic less lethal, maintain your National Parks like Koh Samet ? Teach people by TV spots plastic bags shouldn't be thrown in the environment, learn at least English when you want to assure income ?

someone shud tell the boy, the USA built his country while his Thai fathers raped it

[DubaiIsCalling]

Why does everyone think this article is about foreign tourists. Clearly the "lo" meaning "local" refers to local tourists. I have seen plenty of these types of tourists in northern Thailand...they greatly outnumber foreign tourists in places like Lampang.

They for sure outnumbers foreigners when it comes to how many persons occupy 1 apartment or hotelroom.

[edgarfriendly]

lets face it, they wont be happy until we are all gone and they can fling dung & pick bugs out of each others pelts in 'screaming & grunting peace'..

they have never been happier than when their chinese heroes turned up with stacked card decks & loaded dice and just 'won' the whole country in a matter of months.

i see them writhing in mental anguish every time they are forced to try and understand anything more than 'lorn' and 'hiew khao'

Chai- yooooooo...

Edited June 7, 2014 by edgarfriendly

[The Blot]

oh, really... wow, incredible, new way of traveling, I never tought about that, come on WAKE UP! It´s 2014 Sophisticated - Lost - Mongers...

[harryfrompattaya]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

All foreigners are looked down upon by Thais. A Thai looking at a foreigner is like an x-ray machine finding your wallet and never letting go until it's empty. If you fall down, tough. If you get sick, tough, If you are in a serious accident, tough. If you lose your documents, tough. You have to pay, pay and keep paying until you are on the plane returning home.

If you dislike Thailand/the Thai people so much, and you live here, why not go home? If not living here....what's your problem? (Or are you just trying to add to your ' impressive' total of posts?) Get a life!

That is the problem many think like you and do not come to Thailand, and more are not coming

[TPI]

About 12 years ago, I was a consultant with a team of US advisory experts in cooperation with the Thai Govt and one of the projects we did, and which I led was to engage with tourism sector businesses in the north. This was just before all the 5 star hotels were built. At the time, there were none. Only the 4 seasons up in Mae Rim. Any others had lost their star rating. And the tsunami of investment was coming in only couple years.

I could not marshal enough support for much of anything. It was like herding cats. There was not even a Welcome Booth at the airport to give out information for free on how to get into town, what was going on, etc. This kind of independent entity that major players and local govt could agree to support financially was finally set up after a year of wrangling.

I had a tourism consultant arrive from the USA to lead a seminar on eco-tourism products. He walked up to the booth and found the kid behind the desk spoke virtually no English. He understood not a single question.

That is just an anecdote. There are many stories. We tried to get a website up to fairly promote the city and environs. It failed. Look at the stupid night safari. Etc. Etc. The traffic in Chiang Mai is horrendous. Most people I know who live there hate it now.

My first trip there was in 1991 and I stayed a few years. It was pleasant. Fun to ride my motorcycle anywhere and go on week trips up into the mountains to get lost. Pure fun.

Thailand continues with its unregulated, unplanned tourism development and the product is more Pattaya and Phuket (Patong) and so on. Sad.

Well, if you were partly responsible for all the five star hotels cropping up here in chiang mai now, then you helped destroy the fun you talk of having in 1991.

There's a well-worn path in 'tourism'… travellers explore and visit places like thailand, spending their money in ways that benefit the locals at the local level. Then residents from the capital city hear about all this foreign money and visitors, and start hitting the likes of chiang mai and investing all their money in higher end hotels. Then they adverstise and the tourists start coming, and they spend their money that mostly ends up in the pockets of the rich bangkok investors.

Travellers easily deal with lack of english being spoken, it's tourists who can't deal with this.

"Most people who live there hate it now". Absolute nonsense.

Emotional rhetoric, and apparent double-standards. Perhaps the new kind of visitor is less damaging to thailand than you seem to have been.

I beg to differ M. femi fan! Fifteen years ago Chiang Mai was a pleasure to visit, so much so that I sold up and moved there! After all of the "development work" that went on and the amount of road traffic it generated it became a very difficult place to live in. Then it was decided to appeal to the "high end" tourists and all that did was to drive the "bread and butter" tourists, whom most of the locals depended on for their business, away to Vietnam and other SE Asian countries!!

It's the great unwashed who come in their thousands not the hi-so's who come in their units that drive the local and national economy! Until CM can sort out its traffic problems and regenerate itself, similar to Pai, it will continue to lose customers to the more welcoming cities!

[chooka]

Maybe tourists prefer to organise their own plans because they have grown tired of the scams.

[retell]

Maybe tourists prefer to organise their own plans because they have grown tired of the scams.

Yep.

Its very easy these days , check for places to visit , the way to go there with your own transport,

Find cheap guesthouses and their reviews .

For me way more fun and so do alot of tourists see it .

[NoThainess4U]

Thai tourism is gone,

how many tee shirts can Europeans be expected to buy?

how many "special massages" before a man gets tired of an ugly mountain girl who thinks pulling a man's penis off is worth another 100baht?

[chooka]

Thai tourism is gone,

how many tee shirts can Europeans be expected to buy?

how many "special massages" before a man gets tired of an ugly mountain girl who thinks pulling a man's penis off is worth another 100baht?

I must go to the wrong masseurs as I have never received that sort of treatment.

[retell]

Thai tourism is gone,

how many tee shirts can Europeans be expected to buy?

how many "special massages" before a man gets tired of an ugly mountain girl who thinks pulling a man's penis off is worth another 100baht?

I must go to the wrong masseurs as I have never received that sort of treatment.

Personally never been to a masseur , masseuses yep , but again never had the experience that they pulled my di*k off , just good nice massages

[The stuttering parrot]

I just wonder about some of the posters on here.

I mean if Thailand is really that bad and you honestly believe that the thai people look down on you then really Thailand is not the place for you.I mean why be unhappy and mope around all day whinging and then hit TV and bash the thai people?

Thailand hasn't gone it will have a turn down in tourists while the political trouble is sorted out and will bounce back as it always does.

The backpackers haven't changed their ways the in betweeners who like a better quality guesthouse haven't changed and the tourists who like quality accommodation or tour packages haven't changed

Thailand boasted well over 20 million tourists last year and there will be a small adjustment but then they will be back.

[Oryx816]

Social, Local and Mobile. Doesn't that describe the backpacking tourist perfectly?

1) Social = Stay at hostels and share tips

2) Local = They tend to shy away from the mass tourist attractions and seek out the oddities (see 1)

3) Mobile = Able to instantly change plans for 2 bought to their attention by 1

Nothing has changed, just a more rapid medium.

Hasn't Thailand had the backpacking tourists for nearly 40+ years now? Haven't we just spent the last 5 years trying to scare them away to make room for "quality tourists"?

New type of tourist.....my fat hairy...!!! Desperation and back-peddling morelike!

So true. There is no shortage of backpackers in CM. A quick jaunt to a wat serving food along Ratchadamnoen tonight should provide a sizeable sample of the so-lo-mo.

[Ulysses G.]

how many "special massages" before a man gets tired of an ugly mountain girl who thinks pulling a man's penis off is worth another 100baht?

I must go to the wrong masseurs as I have never received that sort of treatment.

You are going to the wrong places for sure. Go somewhere with masseuses and things might start looking up.

[chooka]

how many "special massages" before a man gets tired of an ugly mountain girl who thinks pulling a man's penis off is worth another 100baht?

I must go to the wrong masseurs as I have never received that sort of treatment.

You are going to the wrong places for sure. Go somewhere with masseuses and things might start looking up.

You got me there. My mistake as I only like women give me a massage.

[femi fan]

Well, if you were partly responsible for all the five star hotels cropping up here in chiang mai now, then you helped destroy the fun you talk of having in 1991.

There's a well-worn path in 'tourism'… travellers explore and visit places like thailand, spending their money in ways that benefit the locals at the local level. Then residents from the capital city hear about all this foreign money and visitors, and start hitting the likes of chiang mai and investing all their money in higher end hotels. Then they adverstise and the tourists start coming, and they spend their money that mostly ends up in the pockets of the rich bangkok investors.

Travellers easily deal with lack of english being spoken, it's tourists who can't deal with this.

"Most people who live there hate it now". Absolute nonsense.

Emotional rhetoric, and apparent double-standards. Perhaps the new kind of visitor is less damaging to thailand than you seem to have been.

You either don't know CNX well - have limited time there. And it seems you do not know any long term residents or you would know what people think of the changes over last 10 years in particular. The rest of your post is not worth addressing.

I have lived in chiang mai since 2002. I first came here as part of my travels in 1991.

I know heaps of long-term residents.

The changes which i've seen in the last ten years here in chiang mai are similar to the ones i saw going on throughout the 90s in places like Koh Samui. Very similar. Ask local thais, local foreign residents what they think of the development, and you'll get mixed answers, and even in many people they express pluses and minuses of the development. Your claim was purely subjective and nothing like the reality.

Personally i think chiang mai is in a great place at the moment, but i do fear further development which is all set up to happen due to the two ring roads. I am personally against five star tourism because it puts all the big money into the big people's pockets, and it's the big people who buy out the locals and buy up their land with their unlimited financial resources.

I've met nobody who 'hates' it living in chiang mai. I mean, why would anybody, never mind 'most people' move to a new town or country, hate it, and continue to live in a place they hate???

"most people who live there hate it now". So go on then, show us how you arrived at this very strong claim.

[NoThainess4U]

I liked Chiang Mai over bkk and chiang rai

I didnt see the south, but do refer a beach life

[Mister Fixit]

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

I expect it's a blend of old backpacker and new, except the new BPs come with Apps, Pads and Pods, Blackberries and Apples, Double Latte'd and Cappucinoed. Most are smarter than their phones.

Hmm, not so sure about that. I often think their phones are smarter than them ...

[NoThainess4U]

Is this new breed of the desired "quality tourist " variety or of the looked down upon "backpackers"?

I expect it's a blend of old backpacker and new, except the new BPs come with Apps, Pads and Pods, Blackberries and Apples, Double Latte'd and Cappucinoed. Most are smarter than their phones.

Hmm, not so sure about that. I often think their phones are smarter than them ...

but in many cases, they actually know how to operate those phones.

some of us cant quite get it