Thai tourism industry leery of 'low-end' Chinese tourists

[sabaii69]

Don't see them in the news much for stealing, robbing or murders. Certainly other countries are busy doing bad things so Thais should weigh the good stuff......naw...bahts rule here.

[bkkstooge]

This deluded idea about high end tourism has been going on here since Oh I don't know maybe the 80s, Thaksin started that Elite Card scheme and got how many members to sign up about 150 and it had promotional campaign on CNN for weeks maybe months. People with money, who want to go on holiday, DON'T come to Thailand simple! and because of this TAT should aim for the Chinese, the backpackers,etc.. because the Philippines is a lot safer than it used to be a decade or so ago, Vietnam (IMHO) dumps all over Thailand in service, clean beaches, decent hotels and right now Chinese nationals are wary of going to the 2 above countries because of political disputes and how does TAT milk this situation to their benefit. it slags of the Chinese tourist

[CraigSchuler]

Me thinks....A little bit of something is much better than a whole lot of nothing!

[John Clarke]

What to say?

I agree that large tour groups can make some feel uncomfortable, its not their race, its just that its a large "mob". I have experienced many Chinese visitors at my hotel in Pai, mainly young singles for a day or so. Most are polite, well spoken and dress very well. I would consider they are not wealthy, just middle class, not into the "group mode".

Its the tour operators that cause the problem, so much they promise to show the group, rush here, rush there, hurry get on the bus! Over all they have paid for just about everything in the "package tour", so you do not see them spend at bars and restaurants much.

No matter what race, tour groups in general cater for the not so confident travelers.

[Khun Loong]

Simple.......on the planes in from Chinese cities simply run educational videos on internationally acceptable behaviour. including don't spit everywhere, don't trow rubbish everywhere, don't scream at the top of you voice when talking to your friends, don't push in and be obnoxious, etc etc etc. Start an education program before they even arrive. I don't care how much they spend or don't spend, but a majority of their behaviour is an issue for other people.

[The stuttering parrot]

So basically it's just the Chinese tourists who throw rubbish are obnoxious etc etc!

I beg to differ!

[bobmac10]

It's a fact, they don't spend on the street or in restaurants.

Everything is pre-paid to Thai(Chinese) tour companies, and the money doesn't filter down to the Thais in the tourism industry.

Ask anyone, they'll tell you they don't spend.

So what good is there for Thailand?

[HeijoshinCool]

The authority has publicized results of a "survey" which concluded Chinese arrivals are "low-end" and negatively affect the more profitable tourist-flows from Britain, France and Germany, according to Bangkok Post.

Wow, they actually publicized their thoughts.

When the master race speaks, people listen.

[maximillian]

TimCM:

""I am sure I read somewhere that the Chinese are the largest group of tourists in Thailand.

Surely a better way would be to look at customizing tourism for them while protecting their other segments.

It would be a too big potential market to ignore or destroy.""

EXACTLY !!!

I've seen China's unbelievable fast growth and development during the past 20 years.

Wait a couple of years, they will soon be the biggest spenders in the travel industry. Worldwide.

Edited June 19, 2014 by maximillian

[ggt]

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What an completely obnoxious and arrogant OP, we don't want "these types" of tourist because they don't spend enough money.

This add fuel to the fire...that foreigners are only seen as ATMs to be exploited by Thais...

[unanimosity]

You would hardly call the hordes of Englush.,Aussie,German etc tourists high end either - tourists come hear because it's cheap!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And it is no secret what "it" is that's driving single males to come..

[Nemesis7]

This is a really bad post and sort of racist post.

just for sake of it, not a single Chinese was seen any where in Thailand begging......??

[Tomtomtom69]

You would hardly call the hordes of Englush.,Aussie,German etc tourists high end either - tourists come hear because it's cheap!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Correction, they used to come here. Cheap is not what comes to mind these days. Two-tier pricing system, inflation which has rocketed has meant it has become expensive. I can eat (my own food), drink, and rent a place in Europe far cheaper than say Phuket. I also save on Parks which are free in Europe as with many other attractions. Churches are free (if you visit them), in Thailand the Royal Temple you must pay if your a foreigner (Thais not). Taxis in Phuket are the same prices in Europe, and there are many more examples.

If Thailand wants to attract more tourists (evidently they are not), then you must start changing your policies. Fair price restructuring would be a good start rather than penalizing the foreigners with dual-pricing.

Right. China is one such place. Dual pricing was eliminated there eons ago (back in the late 90s to be exact).

[HerbalEd]

What an completely obnoxious and arrogant OP, we don't want "these types" of tourist because they don't spend enough money.

You forgot to also mention the "chase away other tourists" part. Not all, but way to many Chinese tourists are very rude and crude, break in line, talk and snort way too loud, spit on the floors, throw their cigarette butts on the floor, steal the silverware, etc., etc., etc.

Hell, even the Hong Kong resident Chinese can't stand them and have publicly demonstrated against them ... and you can't call that racism, because they're of the same race.

[Tomtomtom69]

This seems humorous seeing how a large percentage of Bangkokians (particularly the business owners) are of Chinese extraction. I think the Thai's were spoiled by all the years of the affluent West (pre 2008).

That's a dumb thing to say. Completely ignorant too. Would it be the same if I said that westerners should like Russians, oh because Russians look the same as us?! BTW I have nothing against Russians, but I'm just saying. Just because you look similar to someone doesn't mean your culture is the same, or that you must like them. Hey and what about the Ukrainians? Many of them are descended from Russians but many of them don't like Russia! Go figure huh!

[Choonpon]

Tourists with real spending power don't bother about free visa. Whether chinese, english, japanese, etc.

[islandguy]

At least the toilets make them feel right at home.

Your post suggests that the photo is of a Thai public toilet which it isn't, it's not even a Chinese one. It would be interesting if you could come up with a photo of a real toilet in Thailand that looked anything like the one you maliciously posted, my money's on your not being able to do so.

This is why my wife insists (and I agree) to always gas up at PTT stations when traveling in Thailand. Very clean toilets chain wide. And while I can't remember any this bad in Thailand, I have seen plenty of dirty ones.

[tezzainoz]

No shit? Little late now. You should have done your homework before. Now all the quality high end customers or most of them are gone and will never come back. Try charging the Chinese double for everything. Dosent work does it?.....No repair for this damage accept an exchange rate, may double what it is now.You will have to buy them back..........lol.....

What do you mean "try charging the Chinese double for everything. Doesnt work does it?" Actually isn't that already happening and expected to happen anyway?

I am not sure what you mean by that or even if I understand your meaning correctly that is what is needed. Low-end Chinese tourists are not appreciated by many in the tourist industry (and even by many who are not in the tourist industry) due to their lack of manners, screaming, spitting everywhere, and general behaviour as if they were still in some small city in Hunan or the backwaters of Yunnan or wherever. Stealing of blankets, pillows etc. from hotels, refusal to tip (although that's because in China no one tips) don't help matters either. As they generally come on pre-purchased package tours, they spend little else after arrival.

It's different for more high-end tourists who spend a ton on shopping, although they typically purchase goods that are sold for less in Thailand than in China, often luxury goods that have nothing to do with Thailand and simply enhance a major retailer's profit margins (think Central or Robinson) rather than the average Somchai on the streets.

I have met quite a few nice Chinese travellers (mainly in Laos and a couple in northern Vietnam though, but OK same thing it could just as well have been in Thailand) and while some of them were low budget, maybe because they were younger, travelling by themselves rather than in a package tour, some of them could speak some English (though I mostly spoke with them in Chinese) and in general acted much like their western counterparts they were respected by those around them from what I could gather. The funniest encounter was with a Chinese backpacker who hitchhiked everywhere he went in Laos, preferring the back of a local goods truck than a bus and sometimes attempting to camp in front of a hotel rather than staying in a room. I was driving in Laos and picked him up and we became good friends. Not surprisingly, he got a job working at a backpacker hostel in Kunming upon his return to China.

You need to get out and see the real world

Take a trip to the Duty free store in Victory Monument

You will find it full of chinese buying their wallets dry

and what do they buy

Goods made in China

Had some business guest at work one week and they rubbished everything fro Thailand

I had the last laugh when 4 Thai sovineers where rubbished by these people

Until I turned them upside down and showed them the

Made in China

on the bottom

[choochoo]

No shit? Little late now. You should have done your homework before. Now all the quality high end customers or most of them are gone and will never come back. Try charging the Chinese double for everything. Dosent work does it?.....No repair for this damage accept an exchange rate, may double what it is now.You will have to buy them back..........lol.....

charging more to tourists happens in usa also. not only thais do it.

[Justanotherpassword]

This post is upper rubbish from the OP aka Coconut.

I mingled in the past 1 month often with Chinese tourists and they are surely not that cheap as everyone thought they are. In fact the guys and gals I met stay at a 4star hotel which goes for around 3000 Baht a night.

To see some cheap tourists from Europe visit Khaosan or the full moon party.

BTW I wonder how many German's visited last year Thailand compared to the Chinese. The German's that visit the bars in Pattaya are huge and must be 50% of all arrivals in Thailand. Chinese tourists might be complicated to handle but give it a few more years and you will see the Chinese start building resorts for their own nationals such as the European's did for the past 15 years.

Well the tourist numbers are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Thailand#Top_20_Most_visiting_nationalities

I think it is interesting that the number one tourist is from neighboring ASEAN countries. The 1000 baht represents 47 billion Thai baht into the coffers of the government plus the package tours do pay for hotel rooms and meals and keep a lot of people employed. That is 47 billion they are not looking to collect from you. Even if they spend nothing at the local stores they are a plus to the bottom line of the country. I think that we should remember that Thailand herself has many Thai born citizens who are proudly ethnic Chinese including top high ranking officials (such as the last several prime ministers). So, these folks aren't going out to "sin" at the gogo bars in Thailand. That is OK with me because I don't either.

The Chinese are near, and many in number, and will most likely continue to grow in numbers. Now you like it or leave it.

[moe666]

In Chaing Mai we have hoards of them wandering around blocking the streets, riding a scooter they really have no business riding, screaming at each other, and the list goes on. There are a few who are ok eating at the local places dressed very nice and friendly but these are the minority.If you get a group in to eat especially in a small place they will cause people to go else where due to there behavior

[moe666]

At least the toilets make them feel right at home.

Your post suggests that the photo is of a Thai public toilet which it isn't, it's not even a Chinese one. It would be interesting if you could come up with a photo of a real toilet in Thailand that looked anything like the one you maliciously posted, my money's on your not being able to do so.

This is why my wife insists (and I agree) to always gas up at PTT stations when traveling in Thailand. Very clean toilets chain wide. And while I can't remember any this bad in Thailand, I have seen plenty of dirty ones.

yes PTT the only place to stop while motoring around Thailand

[charmonman]

I will probably get flamed for this, but things were a lot better when the only tourists who came here were the hippie backpackers and German sex tourists - partly because there were only a couple million of them.

Twenty million tourists a year is simply too much whether they are Chinese or not. Thank god the wave of English yobs that started around ten years ago seems to have subsided a bit, at least.

[Docno]

What an completely obnoxious and arrogant OP, we don't want "these types" of tourist because they don't spend enough money.

This is not a case of simple racism. Singaporeans and Hong Kongers also have very negative attitudes towards tourists from the mainland (and in Singapore's case, the Chinese are actually the big spenders). There have also been a number of stories in the Singapore press about Chinese tourists' poor behaviour on (SIA) planes (stealing cutlery and other people's luggage, getting into fist-fights in the cabin, etc.)... seems to be a real meme at the moment. And just two weeks ago, a mainland Chinese friend of mine went on a rant to me about how loud and obnoxious she finds her own people. That, too, cannot be racism...

[tso310]

Lat month just before the coup we stayed a couple of times in a 3* hotel near Secon. Yes they were noisy but only usually when they first arrived, usually about 4am. My biggest gripe is that the hotel turned off the internet when they were around. When the tour buses left at 9am back came the internet. They seemed to be all well dressed. Seemed to find me interesting as the only westerner staying there and with a Thai wife and our 23 year old daughter.

Don't forget foreign travel is very new for all the Chinese you see in tour groups. As a previous poster said they just need a little education on the fact that social habits are different elsewhere.

My wife talked to the owner about them. They weren't liked BUT without them the hotel would probably have closed. The owner also stated that some 4* hotels were now dropping their rates just to get the Chinese tour groups.

[surangw]

I don't recall ever seeing any High end chinese tourists, just the hordes of queue jumpers and street spitters.

[Emster23]

"Maybe if they spent more money and didn't upset the better-heeled visitors from Europe, Chinese visitors would get some love from the tourism industry." What a load of pork floss that is! Show ya gotta pair. Better yet, show me any time Thais accepted responsibility for shortcomings. Better heeled from Europe could give a toss. Thai tourist industry upset because have to put out same level of work but ripping off for less. Always farangs fault. Rule #1 in not accepting responsibility.

[stingray]

High end Chinese Tourists travel to Swizerland.

[dru2]

At last count I think I'd visited China over 70 times so I am well aware.

Just look at the pricing for the groups out of China. Hardly high end. They are pretty demanding and not very worldly or considerate.

Junguo hao

Seventy times and you can't spell Zhongguo correctly in pinyin.... You reckon that's "well aware"?

Edited June 19, 2014 by dru2

[skorchio]

Yeah I think the TAT needs to be a bit careful in what they say on this. The Chinese are a large market, and hey, they have been actively promoting Thailand in China. So, you invited the Chinese, now they are here.