Phuket: Proposal for efforts to attract ‘silver’ tourists

[webfact]

Phuket: Proposal for efforts to attract ‘silver’ tourists
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Some elderly tourists are happy to be on the beach but PSU research indicates that Phuket and the South can do more to attract them with nature and history.

PHUKET: -- A proposal to boost the number of elderly Thai and foreign tourists visiting Phuket and other parts of Southern Thailand was aired on Wednesday (January 7), with local people asked to make recommendations about places where the elderly might like to stay, or sites they might like to visit.

Some elderly tourists are happy to be on the beach but PSU research indicates that Phuket and the South can do more to attract them with nature and history.

Leading a seminar at the Katina Hotel, Assoc Prof Dr Saranya Bunnag of the Social Sciences Faculty at Prince of Songkhla University (PSU), Pattani campus, explained the proposal and what is being done.

“We have already researched the behaviour of the elderly,” she said. “They like comfortable accommodation and food that is easy to digest. They like visiting natural places such as the hot springs in Ranong, and places of history.”

Attending the meeting were tour agents, local officials and local people from various parts of the island.

Dr Saranya told them, “The main idea of this meeting today is to get your ideas. You know more than other people about the places that might attract elderly tourists. Our research [when complete] may help tour agencies that decide they want to target the elderly as a market.

“I believe we should attract more elderly tourists to come in Phuket. In Penang in Malaysia they get lots of these people. It would be good if we in Phuket can do the same.

“I believe the results of our research will be capable of attracting more such tourists to the island.”
She said that the PSU research team has already begun collecting information, and expects to complete it in about three weeks. After that, the research will be presented to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Dr Saranya told The Phuket News, “Phuket is an interesting province that international tourists have been aware of for a long time.

“We aim to help create a new target market [the elderly] and create new tour routes [for them] in Phuket, which will also help the nation’s economy.”

Once the results have been handed over to the FTI, she said, FTI representatives can survey all the destinations for the elderly that have been identified by the research. “If [they find] that a tourism place is not good, it can be improved or changed.”

The research will also be presented at the ITB travel show in Berlin, Germany, from March 4 to 8. ITB is one of the world’s largest tourism shows.

She also saw significant possibilities in expanding to a national level a project that PSU has already carried out in the Deep South.

“My research team have successfully created new tourism routes in Songkla, Pattani, Satun, Yala and Narathiwat, where there are many interesting historic sites to visit.

“We found 897 potential tourism points in these provinces. These have been posted on our website. People can go to the site and create their own itineraries to suit their particular interests. After we collect similar information on Phuket, this, too, will be posted on the website (www.me-fi.com/saranya/).”

Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-proposal-for-efforts-to-attract-silver-tourists-50539.php


-- Phuket News 2015-01-14

[Costas2008]

Why don't come out and say the plain truth.

Elderly people have more disposable income to spend.

All the rest is just poppycocks.

Not that I identify myself in that group...........still sooooooo young............

[NCC1701A]

I am thinking Hua Hin is a better choice. The over 50 crowd can't do knife fights.

[madmitch]

I assume the researchers haven't visited Karon and Kata, annual home to many, many elderly travellers.

Three suggestions off the top of my head:

Improve pavements (sidewalks) adding new ones where necessary

Improve access for the disabled and infirm

Bring back sunbeds and umbrellas!

[Crazy chef 1]

make recommendations about places where the elderly might like to stay...

the most elderly(and single) gentleman i assume would like to stay in walking distance to Bangla road...

[Rob8891]

"Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive." Not half as expensive as doing all this high quality research, creating an informative website and then finding that the international tourist industry can't understand any of the information, so the millions of high quality silver foxes go elsewhere. Oh, Thailand!

[inzman]

Aren't those potential new tourists sites in the heart of the battle on Terrorism. Seems like every time a bomb goes off its in one of those towns. Can't they think of a better place to promote tourism in this country?

[madmitch]

Aren't those potential new tourists sites in the heart of the battle on Terrorism. Seems like every time a bomb goes off its in one of those towns. Can't they think of a better place to promote tourism in this country?

It's called terrorism tourism.

[LeungKen]

. Create proper uncluttered pavements everywhere. (Sidewalks)

: Create wheelchair access everywhere

: Provide safe, reliable, inexpensive & honest taxi service.

: Provide safe & reliable public transport system.

: Need to provide access to wheelchairs & mobility scooters etc.

: Provide a cleaner safer environment.

: Stamp out scams etc.

The list is endless, and sadly I don't expect much to change in my life time.

[Bogan Koori]

What do these old coders contribute? They are not silver but zero baht tourists

[Felt 35]

What do these old coders contribute? They are not silver but zero baht tourists

If the elderly are Zero tourist......well then TAT pay the rest and included is free meals at 7-eleven to get their number statistic up.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Felt 35

[Cuchulainn]

Elderly or not, some of the old boys will still visit the knocking shops!!

[ColdSingha]

the first thing to do would be to remove all the beach chairs.. i hear the old folks love bending down and sitting on the floor

[Sviss Geez]

What do these old coders contribute? They are not silver but zero baht tourists

A lot more than the vest-wearers.

[ExPratt]

“We aim to help create a new target market [the elderly] and create new tour routes [for them] in Phuket, which will also help the nation’s economy.”

What are these people thinking, why would a plethora of elderly persons living in Europe want to Jump on a plane and fly 10 hours to Phuket

​If you want elderly Tourists buy a Tea-room in Eastbourne , you'll have more luck

[samsensam]

Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive.

they must have a very small budget or an absolutely massive website.

[Xonax]

Clean the damn place up first, before attempting to attract more tourists. Garbage everywhere and an overload of E-Coli in the ocean.

[kurnell]

Blue pills. That's what the elderly need

[Suffinator]

Of all the schemes the Thai Gov come up with they continue to miss the mark by miles.

Thailand, like any other nation, need foreign investment and foreigners spending. Why not take a better look at retirees. Simple math ... assume the average retiree gets a pension of $1,600 a month, that's approximately 595,000 Baht a year.

Taking the national average wage of 9,000 Baht and you have a person capable of spending 66 times that of an average Thai wage earner.

Why not make it easier for retirees ... issue a 5 year visa with no stupid 90 day reports ... let's be honest what does the 90 day report achieve other than inconvenience for the expat.

The article referred to Malaysia getting more elderly tourists and I should imagine with their My Second Home Visa they get a lot more of them retiring there and spending their money.

The Thai Gov needs to wake up to reality and put aside their nationalistic ideology and learn that people are just people and the retirees rarely cause social problems but more's to the point spend a lot of money annually.

“We aim to help create a new target market [the elderly] and create new tour routes [for them] in Phuket, which will also help the nation’s economy.” It'll take more than a few tour buses with drivers on yaba to lure these folks.

Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive. Really, I beg to differ; it's more likely they couldn't find anyone there to read or write English and yet their research suggest they know and understand foreigners.

They need to go back to the drawing board and maybe start asking actual elderly foreign residents what they would like as they would have more of a sense to what elderly tourists would like.

Once again ... a complete and utter failure to see the real issue and then address them adequately.

[LeungKen]

Carrying on from Xonax & Suffinator's valid suggestions.

Why not go one step further & allow properly run aged care facilities operate here. They could be run on a much smaller budget than the west but still give a better service

and provide employment for Thais and a warm caring environment for the elderly receiving a pension from Europe, the USA & Australia etc.

If I wasn't so cynical I'd would have thought it could happen.

[Deli]

I am thinking Hua Hin is a better choice. The over 50 crowd can't do knife fights.

Wouldn't say so, you wanna try ? Just passed 50...

[ExPratt]

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

Of all the schemes the Thai Gov come up with they continue to miss the mark by miles.

Thailand, like any other nation, need foreign investment and foreigners spending. Why not take a better look at retirees. Simple math ... assume the average retiree gets a pension of $1,600 a month, that's approximately 595,000 Baht a year.

Taking the national average wage of 9,000 Baht and you have a person capable of spending 66 times that of an average Thai wage earner.

Why not make it easier for retirees ... issue a 5 year visa with no stupid 90 day reports ... let's be honest what does the 90 day report achieve other than inconvenience for the expat.

The article referred to Malaysia getting more elderly tourists and I should imagine with their My Second Home Visa they get a lot more of them retiring there and spending their money.

The Thai Gov needs to wake up to reality and put aside their nationalistic ideology and learn that people are just people and the retirees rarely cause social problems but more's to the point spend a lot of money annually.

“We aim to help create a new target market [the elderly] and create new tour routes [for them] in Phuket, which will also help the nation’s economy.” It'll take more than a few tour buses with drivers on yaba to lure these folks.

Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive. Really, I beg to differ; it's more likely they couldn't find anyone there to read or write English and yet their research suggest they know and understand foreigners.

They need to go back to the drawing board and maybe start asking actual elderly foreign residents what they would like as they would have more of a sense to what elderly tourists would like.

Once again ... a complete and utter failure to see the real issue and then address them adequately.

Sounds similar to what they do in Malaysia , Second Home scheme, They started Hiking the minimum house price requirement up Used to be .2'5M baht but now 5m baht , with nailed on 5yr Visa

[Ve37]

I am thinking Hua Hin is a better choice. The over 50 crowd can't do knife fights.

I'd consider living in Phuket if the Thai government took steps to ensure Thailand is a Buddhist Nation,...even making all government jobs only available to Buddhists.

There are too many folks of the Abrahamic faiths in Phuket,...which makes safety a top priority.

I'm not saying that anyone should be banned from the delusion of their choice,...but proselytizing Abrahamic practitioners are of the belief that they can Muslimize and Christianize the South,...which breeds terrorism and the contracted vibrations of Abrahamic religionists.

I visited Phuket last week and could see the impact that Abrahamic religionists have already been having on the normally expressive, smiling Thai population.

Where Thai Buddhist celebrate happy,...."There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to [the Abrahamic religions] as a human being." James Joyce

[Reigntax]

Of all the schemes the Thai Gov come up with they continue to miss the mark by miles.

Thailand, like any other nation, need foreign investment and foreigners spending. Why not take a better look at retirees. Simple math ... assume the average retiree gets a pension of $1,600 a month, that's approximately 595,000 Baht a year.

Taking the national average wage of 9,000 Baht and you have a person capable of spending 66 times that of an average Thai wage earner.

Why not make it easier for retirees ... issue a 5 year visa with no stupid 90 day reports ... let's be honest what does the 90 day report achieve other than inconvenience for the expat.

The article referred to Malaysia getting more elderly tourists and I should imagine with their My Second Home Visa they get a lot more of them retiring there and spending their money.

The Thai Gov needs to wake up to reality and put aside their nationalistic ideology and learn that people are just people and the retirees rarely cause social problems but more's to the point spend a lot of money annually.

We aim to help create a new target market [the elderly] and create new tour routes [for them] in Phuket, which will also help the nations economy. It'll take more than a few tour buses with drivers on yaba to lure these folks.

Asked why the website was in Thai only, she said that translating it would be expensive. Really, I beg to differ; it's more likely they couldn't find anyone there to read or write English and yet their research suggest they know and understand foreigners.

They need to go back to the drawing board and maybe start asking actual elderly foreign residents what they would like as they would have more of a sense to what elderly tourists would like.

Once again ... a complete and utter failure to see the real issue and then address them adequately.

Put some new batteries in the calculator and try again! Hint 66 times?

[ggt]

Proposal for efforts to attract ‘silver’ tourists

This was a logical place for Phuket to explore...as they had already taken all the tourist's Gold...

[hawker9000]

. Create proper uncluttered pavements everywhere. (Sidewalks)

: Create wheelchair access everywhere

: Provide safe, reliable, inexpensive & honest taxi service.

: Provide safe & reliable public transport system.

: Need to provide access to wheelchairs & mobility scooters etc.

: Provide a cleaner safer environment.

: Stamp out scams etc.

The list is endless, and sadly I don't expect much to change in my life time.

.but that won't stop officialdom from trying to remedy the problem with whiz-bang proposals and unending empty promises. I guess the hard way and the right way is not the "middle way"...

Nobody's fooled anymore. The empty talk just doesn't carry the weight that it used to. 'Evidently a very slow learning curve about this.

Edited January 14, 2015 by hawker9000

[ExPratt]

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

. Create proper uncluttered pavements everywhere. (Sidewalks)

: Create wheelchair access everywhere

: Provide safe, reliable, inexpensive & honest taxi service.

: Provide safe & reliable public transport system.

: Need to provide access to wheelchairs & mobility scooters etc.

: Provide a cleaner safer environment.

: Stamp out scams etc.

The list is endless, and sadly I don't expect much to change in my life time.

They should do that anyway , everywhere. They are always coming out with "Tourism Made X amount of Billion last year" . Well where does the money go . Certainly not reinvested in Tourism.Just take,take ,take, I think they have taken the Tourists for granted and now its coming back and biting them in the arse

[schlog]

I am thinking Hua Hin is a better choice. The over 50 crowd can't do knife fights.

I'd consider living in Phuket if the Thai government took steps to ensure Thailand is a Buddhist Nation,...even making all government jobs only available to Buddhists.

There are too many folks of the Abrahamic faiths in Phuket,...which makes safety a top priority.

I'm not saying that anyone should be banned from the delusion of their choice,...but proselytizing Abrahamic practitioners are of the belief that they can Muslimize and Christianize the South,...which breeds terrorism and the contracted vibrations of Abrahamic religionists.

I visited Phuket last week and could see the impact that Abrahamic religionists have already been having on the normally expressive, smiling Thai population.

Where Thai Buddhist celebrate happy,...."There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to [the Abrahamic religions] as a human being." James Joyce

Sure this post is in the top 5 insane tv posts!

[Pinot]

I am thinking Hua Hin is a better choice. The over 50 crowd can't do knife fights.

I'd consider living in Phuket if the Thai government took steps to ensure Thailand is a Buddhist Nation,...even making all government jobs only available to Buddhists.

There are too many folks of the Abrahamic faiths in Phuket,...which makes safety a top priority.

I'm not saying that anyone should be banned from the delusion of their choice,...but proselytizing Abrahamic practitioners are of the belief that they can Muslimize and Christianize the South,...which breeds terrorism and the contracted vibrations of Abrahamic religionists.

I visited Phuket last week and could see the impact that Abrahamic religionists have already been having on the normally expressive, smiling Thai population.

Where Thai Buddhist celebrate happy,...."There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to [the Abrahamic religions] as a human being." James Joyce

I live in a Muslim village beach town on Phuket. My landlord and most of the people around me are Muslims. They go to bed early and they don't drink. They're lovely people and never an issue. The above post is ridiculous. Safety an issue? That's silly.

[Felt 35]

I wonder how accommodating this place is for elderly tourist five years out! Take to account the last 20 years it seems better fitted for tourist with no demand for decent standard now than ever.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Felt 35