Bangkok vows to reclaim top tourist destination title

[wabothai]

Yeah, why don't you vow to win the WC football next time around?

[Evolare]

If they seach and fine one farang for bringing in more than 10.000 baht worth of goods the shit will hit the fan faster than Yingluck can finish a sentence in English. And then Bangkoks tourist attraction status will drop to the bottom next to Pyongyang.

Maybe the military should make a raid on thai customs...and adjust their crap as well.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Evolare

[wabothai]

So mr. AMORN, what are you going to do? You think the tourists buy expensive tickets to see food fairs? They are not stupid you know. Forget being in competition with Japan. Look at the underlying problem why?

[wabothai]

I do remember Spain at some time in the past suffered from lack of tourists. Reason: snobism, cheating and corruption.

Tourists found another destination, Yugoslavia.

Are you listening?

[AloisAmrein]

Since I not like to spend holidays in countries with military dictatorship I have changed my travel plans. I avoid Thailand and I go to Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines instead.

[Don Aleman]

Once travelers who may have visited Thailand in the past and now, went to Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea instead, and saw how they treat treat tourists and the many new attractions, will never be back to Thailand.

[emilymat]

I too found the post from Banglassie interesting and containing many of the views I hold.

Having lived here for seven years on retirement I have always tried to act in the same way as I would in the UK. that is, to treat people with respect and dignity. Now I'm sorry if that sounds a bit "mushy" but it does have a bearing. I have found the majority of Thai people respond to that attitude and sometimes find it a bit quaint.

Unfortunately, as Banglassie says, in certain areas of Pattaya - which I avoid as often as possible - there is undoubtedly an undercurrent of negativity, which you can feel in the air. All in all though I'm pretty contented keeping away from that as much as possible.

This brings me to the main point of the post item. Last year I treated my daughter, son in law and two teenage grandchildren to a holiday here. We decided to spend 2 days in Bangkok and then go to Cha-am.

They hated Bangkok....Not only did my son in law have his pocket picked, they were herded about like cattle outside the Royal Palace etc. The out of own hotel (Booked by me near the airport in recognition of the 15 hour flight) had lousy facilities and food. although it seemed like a palace on line.

Fortunately, the 10 day Cha-am visit saved the day, at least for the youngsters.

It is clear that my family will never visit Thailand again, certainly not Bangkok. I'm sad, but the city is often portrayed as a rip off destination in documentaries and articles I have read.

I cannot comment on the Thai attitude (or other foreigners) to the military take over affecting tourism, but I suspect it has some effect. My brother, who is pretty savvy, said you merely need to look at the example of Egypt, where an elected government was overthrown and the leader of the coup became prime minister. There then followed mass death sentencing, and imprisonment of Aljazeera journalists on trumped up charges> (His words, not mine). I do know my English speaking radio programme is still off the air, which I find worrying and irritating, given it surely cannot be regard as subversive.

I have no answers to the tourism strategy, but I would suggest the Thai's stop kidding themselves and face reality they are in a competitive world for people's hard earned cash.

I've seen many reports in the local Pattaya Paper stating things like "thousands of visitors from around the world attended the latest music festival etc". This is true of course, but the visitors were already here, whereas the suggestion is that people hopped on planes in London/Paris etc simply to attend. Or...we have the world 'countdown record' for the new year. You get my point I'm sure.

Just be yourself as Thais and stop trying to be No1 in the world in everything. I find the vast majority of Thai people I come into daily contact with are polite, interesting and normal.

[banglassie]

Since I not like to spend holidays in countries with military dictatorship I have changed my travel plans. I avoid Thailand and I go to Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines instead.

I understand your point, but Laos isn't that much better. Ok, they have elections, but only the Revolutionary People's Party of Laos are legal to vote on, that means you can only vote for different candidates within the same party.. Vietnam as well is a single-party state, and thus the only option is the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Ok, so these aren't military dictatorships in that sense, but the old communist agenda is still very one-sided. You might be able to change the leader, but not the agenda of the party as a whole. I see no great difference, these forms of communism, including super-capitalistic-"communist" China, are the same as dictators, only the party is the dictator and not a single person.

The Philippines is another story, but I feel I get treated way more as a cash-machine there than in LOS. Again, this might be cause I'm more used to LOS. The same goes for Vietnam, I personally don't enjoy the place. Sure, I have met some great people there and had some nice times, but nowhere have I been victim to as many scams as there.

of course your viewpoint could differ from mine, and you simply don't like military dictatorship, and in that case I completely understand your stand. But personally I feel it's more complex than that, and that we have yet to see if Thailand is going in the direction of a single-party military rule like that of Burma, or a fully functioning democracy without tremendous amounts of corruptions. (or returning to their old cycles of elections, protests, mobs, and finally a military or judicial coup to complete the circle). Right now it's way too early to tell though.

Edited July 8, 2014 by banglassie

[beammeup]

I think it is a great idea, I would certainly make my way to BKK if they had a decent music festival. I haven seen a good live band for years. Jazz Blues Rock whatever. Brink it on!

[ggt]

The Genie is out of the bottle...once distorted by rose colored glasses, puzzy, and beer...tourist see clearly now...can not put the Genie back in the bottle...it will likely never be quite the same...which may be a good thing...

[BillChildress]

There are just a few problems to be resolved before the tourists will start flooding back.

Exactly! They could begin with holding elections to restore their "constitutional monarchy". Military dictatorships, like Myanmar, just don't seem to draw as many tourists!

[chotthee]

Free tour of coup site will be a great crowd drawer.

Don't forget free food and free concert.