Thailand invites international travellers to 'Discover Thainess' with year-round activities

[ratcatcher]

You gotta love the pic with the heading "republic" and the main sign on the float in Thai only.

The whole thing is clearly aimed at the domestic audience. It probably looked very colourful and impressive on TV to audiences in Si Saket and Buriram.

Unfortunately it does nothing whatsoever to promote foreign tourism and is a complete waste of taxpayers' money. Arriving tourists would just wonder it took them 3 hours to get their hotels.

"You gotta love the pic with the heading "republic"...."

You read too much into what you see without looking further.

The word "republic" is part of the name of a food chain of restaurants called "Food republic" .

"In Thailand, Food Republic has three branches in Bangkok, located on the sixth floor of CentralPlaza Grand Rama IX, Mega Bangna and the fourth floor of Siam Center." wikipedia

Probably the location of the photograph and setup. Nothing to do with a nation.Thailand will not be a republic.

[wabothai]

On the Photo the only English text is "republic". Interesting !!

[stopthegreed]

Posters here never waste an opportunity to go Thai bashing. My own daily experience is nothing but respect and warm hearts from the locals. Ive said it before but for those who live here and dont like it then go back from where you came from. End of. No ifs or buts just go home.

Been here long? Ever go outside?

I agree entirely, if your not happy change it !! But I do wonder if you are living in some sort of bubble. You really should out a bit more.

[ratcatcher]

On the Photo the only English text is "republic". Interesting !!

Very interesting.........

[outsider]

"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Don't know where you live, but either you don't go out or you are a very bad man :-)

Get them everyday up here in Issan.

It could well be both the things you mention ... but actually (I'm in Bangkok), I think it's more a reflection on how much Thai people change when they live and work in Bangkok. There's a very big difference in how foreigners are treated in the "tourist" areas and the more rural areas. This has been most noticeable in the past 5 years, prior to that it was very different.

Agreed. Live in BKK too and during the same period of about five years or so, I've noticed a marked reduction in tolerance towards foreigners. The locals now seem less 'amused' and have less patience when dealing with foreigners. I've tried my best to stay out of people's way and to 'do as the Thais do' as much as I could. Would be interesting to have some insights into this change.

[Manbing]

What was wrong with 'Amazing Thailand?' New York has had 'I love NY' for decades.

Amazing Thailand. Invokes too many bad memories.

People with any understanding of what goes on say "that's amazing, I am amazed these people get away with this".

[Suffinator]

Prime Minister General Prayut said, “Thainess represents the unique character of Thailand, which embodies centuries-old cultural values and social practices.

The issue is that many foreigners that live or have indeed visited Thailand have a completely different view of Thainess; this is associated with:

1. Double or more pricing

2. Scams

3. Jet Ski rip offs

4. Intimidation from touts

5. Shakedowns by the police

6. Racism and discrimination

7. Rampant corruption

8. Violence

9. Rip off taxis

10. Human Trafficking

I could go on but you get the idea. All of these and more are relatively easy to fix and yet this government along with all past (and probably future) won't address the core issues because doing so prevents them from stuffing money in their pockets.

Frankly Thailand doesn't deserve to have a tourist industry and why expats remain in Thailand and put up with the abuse perplexes me.

This campaign is little more than window dressing that attempts to cover up all the foul mess but that's Thainess; put a band aid on a severed limb and hope that no one will notice that the patient is bleeding to death.

Good luck with yet another worthless campaign that costs millions instead of addressing the core issues that would certainly revive the tourist industry and indeed make it thrive.

[Moonlover]

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"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Don't know where you live, but either you don't go out or you are a very bad man :-)

Get them everyday up here in Issan.

It could well be both the things you mention ... but actually (I'm in Bangkok), I think it's more a reflection on how much Thai people change when they live and work in Bangkok. There's a very big difference in how foreigners are treated in the "tourist" areas and the more rural areas. This has been most noticeable in the past 5 years, prior to that it was very different.

There's a very big difference in how foreigners are treated in the "tourist" areas and the more rural areas. This has been most noticeable in the past 5 years, prior to that it was very different.

From my traveling experience (extensive) this comment can be applied to almost any country that has a tourism industry.

[outsider]

I've understood "Thainess" for years. All of it is in one way or another based on everything being done for show. External appearance is all that matters. The inner workings of anything are ignored.

"Thainess" ... A big glittering gold wrapped box with diamond encrusted ribbons... yet when you open the box....it's empty.

Quite true that. They are quite superficial and taking your point further, you will see it goes back to one thing - the 'face' thing.

Check out this survey done a few years ago: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20120424-341661.html

1,800 respondents is but a drop in the ocean but I guess it's relevant where our conversation is concerned.

Edited January 15, 2015 by outsider

[Maestro]

Is there a Twitter, Facebook or Google+ page where tourists can post their individual experiences and photos of their discovery of Thainess?

[In Search of Space]

"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Don't know where you live, but either you don't go out or you are a very bad man :-)

Get them everyday up here in Issan.

5 minutes ago

[BirdsandBooze]

This is a wonderful country with wonderful smiling polite people. I have chosen to make it my home for 31 years and am happy I did. I have had a good life and business while here. No matter where you live you can always find something wrong. Thainess is a good expression for tourism and we should promote the country we live in. Tourism is important to the economy of the country. It also helps in the governments promotion of happiness for all people.

The military has done a good job cleaning up Phuket, Samui and Chiang Mai. If they would come to Chiang Rai and do a little house cleaning it would be great.

I never promoted England when I lived there, nor the Canary Islands when I lived there. I'm here as an expat, not to promote the country I choose to live in. As for the Thai people, they aren't really any different from the people in other countries around the world in that most are amiable with a minority with a chip on their shoulder. Much of the culture nowadays, like in other popular tourist countries, is a contrived variety reserved for the consumption of the visitor. I think the General, like many of his age and older, is yearning for what he sees as the good old days when Thailand was a peaceful, agrarian society. Those days and real Thainess are gone forever with development and Westernisation of the country. Thai tourism was built on being a cheap sex and beach destination. Nothing wrong with that. It might be better to continue along that path rather than trying to reinvent the country.

[emilymat]

This is a wonderful country with wonderful smiling polite people. I have chosen to make it my home for 31 years and am happy I did. I have had a good life and business while here. No matter where you live you can always find something wrong. Thainess is a good expression for tourism and we should promote the country we live in. Tourism is important to the economy of the country. It also helps in the governments promotion of happiness for all people.

The military has done a good job cleaning up Phuket, Samui and Chiang Mai. If they would come to Chiang Rai and do a little house cleaning it would be great.

You are right and I think people would be far more inclined to promote Thailand if there were not an undercurrent of cheating and deceit and a lot less attack on foreigners just because they are foreign. It doesn't matter how long you are here there is a very distasteful streak of racism, mostly not the average person but very evident with most in authority. The laws are discriminatory and application of the laws is discriminatory on top of that. Foreigners are targets here although if you are lucky and keep your head low you certainly have a fair chance of avoiding most of the worst. If your life path just happens to cross with just one bad person, your cushy lifestyle can be destroyed overnight for the sole reason that you are foreign and a target. Criminals like to target foreigners because they are rich, comparatively, and the Justice system will offer more targeting through the disgraceful lack of any ethics with Thai lawyers.

Tourists coming here are not treated well and are certainly not respected. The hotel staff are usually fine as are those in the restaurants but outside of that they are scammed in such a variety of ways it is breathtaking. I am not comfortable persuading people to come here with that background. I really wish it were different as it is my home and home to my family who are Thai but the changes I have seen in the last 15 years are not for the better and the levels of disdain towards foreigners is dangerous. You probably don't see this in Chiang Rai as it affects mostly tourist areas which attract the worst people as in most countries unfortunately. The biggest issue is that the anti-foreigner feeling permeates local and national government and particularly the legal sector - I won't call it profession here because there is no professionalism in it.

Thailand is coasting on the tourists that visited years ago and is losing its markets, continually upsetting their historic markets and just looking to the next one. Problem is they are running out of markets to upset and Russia and China are not looking so economically sound. The Soanish did much the same and their tourist industry became a graveyard for many years because once a market is lost the scars remain for a generation. I don't think Thais understand the problems coming down the tube for them, still living in the cocoon of yesteryear and refusing to improve in contrast to their competition.

I agree with that in general terms.

One thing that irritates me about the OP is the emphasis on Thailand being 'unique', as though the rest of the world was some bland, grey, and boring area.

Sure, Thailand has some unique features, but so does every country in the world. I think what I'm trying to say is that this country thinks it's 'special' and people only have to come here to be amazed and realise the boring life they have led in the rest of the world.. It's nonsense really, and I suspect they know it, but pretending this country is the centre of the universe is not the way forward.

[smotherb]

Hello Mr and Mrs Tourist: For our first Thainess tour, we will do these things:

1. Put on a red shirt and walk up and down Songkla

2. Put on a yellow shirt and walk up and down Chiang Mai

3. Get on a shiny new jet ski and experience the waves, both naturally and figuratively

4. Enjoy the scenery of a taxi ride with a broken meter and how to negotiate with a taxi driver holding a machete

5. Enjoy our double pricing created especially for YOU!

Love,

Thainess I love Farang Campaign 2015

No need for a schedule of events, simply marry a Thai.

[rickirs]

I'm sure it wasn't the intent conveyed in the picture, but one has to wonder ..... "republic" ?

[outboard]

Wasn't it Thainess that caused tourism number to drop off. Still can't get travel insurance whilst martial law is in force and doesn't this dimwit leader realise that?

How many times am I going to repeat myself?

YOU CAN GET TRAVEL INSURANCE!

Yes you can. The question is whether it will pay out in the event of a serious claim or whether the assessors will be looking for a get out as is the nature of insurers. It is an issue for people because it is a worry.

You CAN get insurance yes. But once an Embassy warns agianst travel, the insurance becomes null and void.

most travel insurance is sold when booking the air ticket and, at least under Australian law, despite any clause to the contrary is valid and the company must honour it, besides that i have claimed on travel insurance while marshal law has been in effect, apart from the standard rip off of paying &lt;deleted&gt; all of the bill they did pay with no problems. (was a medical claim, cut myself requiring stitches )

[JOC]

I'm sure it wasn't the intent conveyed in the picture, but one has to wonder ..... "republic" ?

Republic.jpg

Yes who are we going to blame for that one??

Thaksin or Islam...............

[SiSePuede419]

"Thainess... A big glittering gold wrapped box with diamond encrusted ribbons... yet when you open the box....it's empty."

Zen Master!

Indeed, according to basic physics, inside every atom is mostly nothing. Space...

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm....I've had enough "thainess" for the moment ,thanks anyway

[jaywalker]

Thainess,,,,,,,,,,,,

To me, it's where they hire me to teach them some very technical stuff that a monkey could do, were he able to read English.

I teach them. I tell them. I set up systems and processes.

They grin at me and I have a workshop with garbage everywhere, 6 inches deep in water when it rains every day, a squat toilet with no running water, replete with a vicious dog that must be either beaten or circumvented on one's way to said bog...being fed nuclear spicy Thai food, so bog encounters are frequent.

And........They ignore every damned thing I say.

That was my last job in Thailand, re-building 25 each, 25 year old Air Force trucks.

I swear it was like working with 10 year old kids.

Thainess.

[JOC]

Is there a Twitter, Facebook or Google+ page where tourists can post their individual experiences and photos of their discovery of Thainess?

A very good point!!

Instead of spending money the big show yesterday, why not use social media to get the message out??

Cheaper and will reach a much wider audience.

The fact is, despite all the negativity here, most visitors leave Thailand with a positive experience and happy memories.

My sister and her two grown up kids visited me a while back and had the time of their lives and thought that Thailand was cheap (!!). Shared their experience on FB, and no doubt some of their friends will consider visiting Thailand.

[BlackJack]

maybe 30 years ago

but now its all about gold, mobile phone, pads, shakedowns,

red tape

but hey good luck with that

[John1thru10]

"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Me, 20 times a day dude.

[dunks]

You gotta love the pic with the heading "republic" and the main sign on the float in Thai only.

The whole thing is clearly aimed at the domestic audience. It probably looked very colourful and impressive on TV to audiences in Si Saket and Buriram.

Unfortunately it does nothing whatsoever to promote foreign tourism and is a complete waste of taxpayers' money. Arriving tourists would just wonder it took them 3 hours to get their hotels.

Agreed. Not quite as much of taxpayers money squandered/stolen/misrepresented as by the previous prime minister and box head the caddy though.

[Baerboxer]

Wasn't it Thainess that caused tourism number to drop off. Still can't get travel insurance whilst martial law is in force and doesn't this dimwit leader realise that?

I don't know anyone who has visited Thailand recently that couldn't get travel insurance if the wanted it.

Don't dimwit farangs check the facts?

[dragonfly94]

"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Couple of weeks ago i watched a (new?) senior falang manager walking through the lobby of a 4 star hotel in BKK. He was waiing all the staff from the cleaner to the receptionists. Most just ignored him!

[Tony125]

Posters here never waste an opportunity to go Thai bashing. My own daily experience is nothing but respect and warm hearts from the locals. Ive said it before but for those who live here and dont like it then go back from where you came from. End of. No ifs or buts just go home.

I think the reason is that they can't afford to or this is the only place they can find a woman that will have sex with them. If you have the money to live comfortably anywhere why would you stay in a country that you constantly complain about and don't like? I get a wai every day several times a day wether staying in BKK, Chon Buri, Rayong by family, neighbors, motorbike taxi guys, waitress at differrent restaurants/ice cream places (even when I'm not eating there), or a salute/wai by security guards at malls

[spidermike007]

"... and ‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people ..."

I had to think long and hard, the last time I was "wai'd" by any Thai was more than 12 months ago.

Many Thais are very sensitive, almost to the point of being intuitive. They pick up what you are putting out there. If you are putting out ill will towards them, there is little reason for them to show you the respect of a wai. If you are approaching them with goodwill, and are open and friendly, many will offer a wai. I get shown that honor many times a day.

I might suggest you are living in the wrong part of town? Or there may be something about your look? Or you might consider re-adjusting your attitude. Thais can be very nice people. Sorry you are missing out on that experience. I find most very pleasant to deal with on a daily basis.

[Nemesis7]

To love these campgains and slogans.......

[mgjackson69]

You've said it before, please don't say it again, it's pathetic. There is nothing wrong with not liking things about the place you choose to live, it doesn't mean you don't want to stay there. Even Adam wasn't completely happy in The Garden of Eden.

Constant pissing and moaning about where one lives is more pathetic...