I like the bit about the backpackers. Sadly they do not stay in the 4-5 star hotels owned by Thailand's classless 1%. They do buy beer which is goes towards the 1%. Backpackers also forgo expensive dinners and over priced wine.

Backpackers usually benefit the economy as a whole and not the entitled.

Khaosan is busy all the time. Why can't they just accept it as a good thing.

If you want to live with the classes, sell to the masses. If you sell to the classes you'll always live with the masses.

What are his thoughts on who should be excluded as not "quality?"

Thailand is already attracting higher scale tourists from the region and across the globe. Just as some tourists see Thailand as red-light districts while many Thais don't even know these areas. There is a entire group of tourists both domestic and foreign who spend big money here and stay at one of the many five star hotels. One only needs to look and see so many of the tourists areas being built up with more expensive hotels and shops including the never ending building of malls including the likes of Central Embassy. While many of the lower priced hotels have vacancies it is not uncommon that the finer hotels on tourists spots are full. Just a month ago I was staying at the Hilton in Hui HIn and while it was clear it was low season on the streets and beach, the hotel was full.

Tourists wants more quality Thais.

Ones that pour stronger drinks or prostitutes who can speak better English?

I think he was thinking more along the lines of ones who don't rob, assault, swindle, rape or in one way or another prey upon tourists.

Quality tourists, don't come to Pattaya, to see all those bad smelling overloaded garbage containers on the jomtien beach. Quality tourists like to sit in a limo, like in Waikiki. They don't sit on a back of a pick up truck (song tew). Quality tourists don't like to see rats on the beaches, etc. Quality tourists don't like traffic jams, like in Pattaya.

Before talking about quality tourists, some member of the city hall should visit tourist destinations, like Waikiki, some places in Switzerland (Interlaken, Davos), Ibiza (Spain), etc., to compare and see, what quality tourists prefere and like

Yours is a very good point. When I go to Pattaya, I stay at resorts with private beaches and I don't usually venture out. Jomtien beach is... depressing.

Are we back to that quality tourist again thingy.....

And people had the nerve to slag Yingluck off??

Is this really the sort of person Thais want to lead their country into the 20th century?????? I know it's the 21st I'm being sarcastic.

How many coup mongers on here now are starting to have serious reservations about this guy? Suck it up guys he's no Ghandi that's for sure and as each week passes he gets further from the real world.

Why hadn't he toured Issan and laid the foundations of peace and reconciliation there ? Maybe because he's not as popular as many TVF people think up here???

He's not interested in the little people who historically didn't vote for the elite that's why!!

Keep the gaffes coming it's like watching a Thai duke of Edinburgh and comical Ali all rolled into one !!

mr PM allready started looking for quality.....giving the russians tourist run visa facilities.

u better shave before you enter the country and by the way try to put a necktie too......

Quality tourists usually go to quality destinations...... hence not many quality tourists.

Stop killing, robbing and beating your tourists, and you may get some quality ones coming here.

Personally, I feel that Thailand has lost its charm. It became less interesting each time I visited there. Now I can bypass Thailand altogether. It's not about quality control on tourists. It's a matter of building back the interest on these quality tourists. I say it's going to be hard.

Quality tourists could mean non-ebola, non-mafia, non-terrorist, non-suicide, non-murder, so forth....

Countries that are ruled by a junta general, and have martial law and a lot of crimes. They don't attract quality tourist with money

Clutch is the new resident troll

Stupid remark of the general of course Thailand wants quality tourists however this country can't offer that much quality itself. If they improve the roads and take care of nature quality tourists will come. However if you let everyone rip the tourist off and your roads and nature is getting worse..

Tourists wants more quality Thais.

Ones that pour stronger drinks or prostitutes who can speak better English?

I think he was thinking more along the lines of ones who don't rob, assault, swindle, rape or in one way or another prey upon tourists.

Then he should get our more as the overwhelming vast majority of Thais, just like most places, don't fit into this category. If you read news here like you have never read news before then I can see how one might ignorantly believe the incidents talked about in the news are representative of a significant portion of the population --- instead of understand things generally make the news because they are not common.

But suggest those looking for a clean, law abiding society then they go to Singapore. Kind of shocking that folks go to a less developed country and expect first world standards. It is like thinking that there should be cheap red-light districts and poor enough women who are willing to be with men three times their age and five times their body weight but that everything else should be just like home ... just not a realistic view.

Great! Can't wait to see the Quality Hookers!

Quality Tourists to be murdered, raped, etc.

Tourists wants more quality Thais.

Of course,....but Elitist Thai's want more Elitists. Perhaps if they (the Elitist tourists they want to attract) got Yellow welcome shirts, signed by the now Enlightened Monk, Mr Suthep.

“Before martial law was declared, Gen Prayuth told me ‘Khun Suthep and your masses of PDRC supporters are too exhausted. It’s now the duty of the army to take over the task’, ” Mr Suthep said.

Today's backpacking young students are tomorrow's affluent 'quality' tourists.

Let's start screening them at airport. Have a new question added to the Arrival card: "Are you a Quality Tourist" Yes or No?

The arrival card already has a box to tick declaring income. As long as you tick the box that says you earn in excess of 60K USD and you give your hotel address as Plaza Athenee or Dusit Thani in Bangkok, then you will be very welcome in Thailand. TAT will be so pleased when the next visitor statistics are due...

Coming from a tourist town in Spain, (actually largest resort in Spain) the same was said by the tourist boar in Spain "we want more quality tourists"

Result? less Brits of both young party crowd and families. More erm...Russians. Less drunkards in streets, bars and restaurants empty and often out of business. Streets quiet as Russians like the all inclusive hotels and hang around the street and/or beach all day. Less ambiance around the town in general.

in short not a good move for the town or country as tourism was not effected so much but money spent in the country in shops, and independent businesses dropped significantly increasing seasonal unemployment in a season of high employment!

(I am not commenting as biased. I am a British and Spanish citizen - I have never lived in the UK) just from what I seen. Sadly I seen similar with the Chinese tourists in Chiang Mai (not so much money to spend in local businesses) and the Russians in Sin city!

There are many quality places to stay in Thailand for the very wealthy high quality tourists all over Thailand. Bring in tourists that have money to spend and not the cheap charlie kii nok tourists! VOA? show 60k on arrival. (might deter visa runners!) 120k for tourist visa! Problem solved! tourist has money to spend! and not like those Backpackers that spend about $1,500 on a flight to Thailand then haggle for 5/10 baht discount on bicycle hire! (see it with my won eyes!)

It seems that the current trend is for Thailand to "outsource" the blame.

If it's murder, it's must be a foreigner,

If it's the news - the foreign press is to blame

If it's bribing the police, it's the public to blame

Now it's tourism and the tourists are to blame?

Countries that are ruled by a junta general, and have martial law and a lot of crimes. They don't attract quality tourist with money

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Tourists wants more quality Thais.

Ones that pour stronger drinks or prostitutes who can speak better English?

I think he was thinking more along the lines of ones who don't rob, assault, swindle, rape or in one way or another prey upon tourists.

Then he should get our more as the overwhelming vast majority of Thais, just like most places, don't fit into this category. If you read news here like you have never read news before then I can see how one might ignorantly believe the incidents talked about in the news are representative of a significant portion of the population --- instead of understand things generally make the news because they are not common.

But suggest those looking for a clean, law abiding society then they go to Singapore. Kind of shocking that folks go to a less developed country and expect first world standards. It is like thinking that there should be cheap red-light districts and poor enough women who are willing to be with men three times their age and five times their body weight but that everything else should be just like home ... just not a realistic view.

and so many things don't make the news because it's sanitized so much

Everyone wants quality....on both sides.

Quality security and fair play will bring the quality tourist.

The first step must be taken.

Ridiculous. Quality tourists do not stay away due to any security issue.

They stay away because there are better destinations for quality tourists to visit. Countries that are less commercially developed, have cleaner beaches, have cleaner city sidewalks, have less touts, offer safe activities for their children, offer more activities like golfing and sport-fishing, etc..

And less of a reputation as ground zero for sexual exploitation.

Thailand's tourism future is going to be Chinese (who are not bothered by heavy pollution) and Russian (who are bothered by neither pollution or corruption) and 20-something backpackers ( who are too drugged up to be bothered about much anything--even the need to use soap).

Cheers

How about quality for tourist walking,...who are continually endangered by being forced into moving traffic because of motor bikes and vehicles parked on sidewalks. Thailand does not even have a PEDESTRIAN ENDANGERMENT FINE.

I'm in Cambodia now and returning to Thailand on a 30 day extension of stay , I am not a quality tourist but I consider myself a quality resident. But I can't get the right visa to prove it even if I own a condo and have money in the bank. I guess I'm in trouble....

Maybe their strategy is to exterminate the "non-quality tourists". Seem to be doing a good job so far.

Darwinian outcomes are greatly accelerated the closer one gets to the Tropics...this is true the world over.

Are you for real? xenophobic? comments like that makes one wonder that man descended from the trees but some just fell too a lower limb...

Sorry guy's but this PM is a PR nightmare, but hey so many here support this man............

If ya want quality tourists then why have places like Pattaya?

Just what is a quality tourist? the kind that won't protest while being beaten by thugs?

or is it the ones that just smile while your taxi driver rip's you off? maybe the quality tourist is the ones that don't complain when run down by cars motor bikes, driving down the wrong side of the road?, or just shut up and be nice as the cop demands his tea money from you?

Hey you just discribed us Canadians.... So a Canadian = Quality Tourist. I don't know if I should laugh or cry...laughing so hard I can do both

Tourists wants more quality Thais.

Ones that pour stronger drinks or prostitutes who can speak better English?

I think he was thinking more along the lines of ones who don't rob, assault, swindle, rape or in one way or another prey upon tourists.

Then he should get our more as the overwhelming vast majority of Thais, just like most places, don't fit into this category. If you read news here like you have never read news before then I can see how one might ignorantly believe the incidents talked about in the news are representative of a significant portion of the population --- instead of understand things generally make the news because they are not common.

But suggest those looking for a clean, law abiding society then they go to Singapore. Kind of shocking that folks go to a less developed country and expect first world standards. It is like thinking that there should be cheap red-light districts and poor enough women who are willing to be with men three times their age and five times their body weight but that everything else should be just like home ... just not a realistic view.

Equally so it was wrong to assume that tourists who are not wealthy come here just looking for drink and sex.

Sometimes people end up in less high end accommodation because that is what they can afford. They still have the right to a holiday and should not be barred on the grounds of wealth.

Equally they should be safe in these places.

That requires a law force that prosecutes all and every offender and does not side with the scammers.

To suggest anything less is acceptable is shocking.

As to what I read, I have lived here for 13 years now and read a range of news sources.

I have no blinkers and know exactly what is good and bad about Thai society.

And the high quality tourists must eat rice and not bread as well as wearing bikinis only if they are ugly!

last weeks cock up is ugly girls in bikinis are safe,

followed by there's no mafia in Kho Tao,

who's phone is that his or her's ?

no no, now we have the real bad guy's now,

don't say bad things to police or you will make them sad,

if you criticize us you will be charged,

the era of fitting people up is over,

what blue diamond,

This weeks cock up is quality tourist,

next weeks will be white devil whit devil,

and still some here support yet another theft of government, yet another dictatorship,

That dog don't hunt.