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

[AlQaholic]

Thailand is a wonderful place to stay, visit and live in. One of the pearls of the world.

Now if they could only remove the 70 Million or so...........

[phrisco17]

It seems that 'Thainess' has 2 definitions

For Thais:

Thainess = All things good about Thailand

For foreigners:

Thainess = All things bad about Thailand

This being the case, promoting Thainess will do wonderful things for domestic tourists/tourism and exactly the opposite for the international market

Beauty and Thainess is only skin deep!

[roo860]

Was that get 'waid' or get 'laid',? Now thats Thainess!!!

[how241]

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

+1...You on to something now...ha ha

[laobali]

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

Very interesting.........fr.jpg

Food Republic (food court concept chain) originated in China, now also in other Asian countries. Odd name but probably more acceptable than Food Anarchy or even Food Monarchy?

[Mudcrab]

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.

Since the OP is related to international tourists, not long term temporary residents of Thailand, I would suggest 99.999% of international tourists do not get involved in your list of 10.

Of course the gullible, foolish or those pumped up on booze and/or drugs will scammed or beaten up as they would if they visited any other country and acted n the same manner.

They certainly do in Australia.

The vast majority of international tourists, in my opinion, travel knowing that they need to be aware of, and respect the traditions of the country they visit (if they don't refer back to gullible/foolish comment).

It is an occupational hazard of the traveller to get ripped off by some unscrupulous vendors in any country. Watch Scam City on the television.

I got ripped off by a taxi driver in London.

And for a lot more than any taxi driver in Bangkok would dream of.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Mudcrab

[dragonfly94]

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.

Since the OP is related to international tourists, not long term temporary residents of Thailand, I would suggest 99.999% of international tourists do not get involved in your list of 10.

The rest get killed here

[Mudcrab]

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.

So apart from being a very poor technical teacher in the adult world, with apparently little disciplinary skills in a workshop environment - what is the point of your post?

And you blame Thainess?

[wileycoyote]

Enjoy a good red curry !

[ratcatcher]

Thailand is a wonderful place to stay, visit and live in. One of the pearls of the world.

Now if they could only remove the 70 Million or so...........

"Now if they could only remove the 70 Million or so..........."

Why not? Would you prefer an easy eradication, a pleasant purge or a gentle genocide.

Eradicate the Thais? Is that what you want?

There are a few of you Nazis on this forum I am afraid.

[cup-O-coffee]

"Discover Thainess".... Oh heavens!... where to begin.........where to begin...

[Jim walker]

Thainess” is when they come at you with a gang of about 20 so you don’t stand a chance of winning or even coming in second. The perfect way to get rid of the last of the tourists who can get better value for a Dong than a Baht

[Thomas Hannah]

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?

WRONG.You can get insurance.Get in touch with( insure and go).I am 54 annual worlwide £79.

[MJP]

Perhaps "Thainess Uncovered" would have been a better slogan.

[anon022]

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?

[anon022]

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

Seems the ill informed are out in full force again, save the double pricing though.

[nithisa78]

"The weary soul of the wandering mortal finds eternal rest in the arms of the Most High; the wise man hungers for the divine embrace; the earth child longs for the security of the arms of the Universal Father."

[BigBadGeordie]

"The weary soul of the wandering mortal finds eternal rest in the arms of the Most High; the wise man hungers for the divine embrace; the earth child longs for the security of the arms of the Universal Father."

The noble man seeks for that high estate wherein the soul of the mortal blends with the spirit of the Supreme. God is just: What fruit we receive not from our plantings in this world we shall receive in the next.”

Yeah what the eff, whatever.

[FrankOff]

The Wai = giving to get = Thainess .....once upon a time tourist were actually wai'ed upon arrival to Don Mueang by beauty queens...perhaps they should reinstate this nice gesture of calm welcome just before the tourist step outside the airport to be feasted upon by the wolves,snakes and pythons!

Edited January 15, 2015 by FrankOff

[BigBadGeordie]

The Wai = giving to get = Thainess .....once upon a time tourist were actually wai'ed upon arrival to Don Mueang by beauty queens...perhaps they should reinstate this nice gesture just before the tourist steps outside the airport and get feasted upon by the wolves,snakes and pythons!

Hey a bit over the top, I never spent time with wolf, snake or a python (which is also a snake by the way).............but I did marry a "greeting" girl from DonMuang...19 years ago.

OK point taken, snakes are better. ;-)

[ResandePohm]

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 agree totally.

Sometimes I ask myself how can some members of TV be happy, in a country that they spend most of their time depreciating?

Must be that they have to inject their daily shot of venom to feel better the rest of the day. What a way to spend their retirement !

I hate to say it but it is a trait of the British.

The Australians have for a long time called them "whinging pohms" in Australia. I have come across them in many countries. If you meet them in other European countries they are usually moaning about the beer or that there are no fish and chips. It is always the ones that whinge that dont bother to learn the language or understand the culture. If they are not understood they tend to just talk louder as if that would make understanding more effective.

It is mainly because of this that I will now walk passed a farang without acknowledgement should I see him in Tesco or in the street. I have no desire what so ever to meet whingers and moaners.

[hawker9000]

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.

...While other posters never waste an opportunity to bash the critics... 'Gives out the "if you don't like it you can leave" advice quite freely when it comes to criticizing where he lives, but ignores it completely when it comes to this forum. What a hypocrite.

Just another "it's never happened to me so it never happens" deep-thinker.

Edited January 15, 2015 by hawker9000

[driedmango]

go home you miserable people that hate thailand, and then close your account on thai forums and get a life rather than making it difficult for every other farang in thailand.

[GAZZPA]

I dont understand why the tourism office doesn't find another marketing angle. It seems that the very thing that is suffering in peoples eyes is the one thing they want to promote.

Its almost as if it is self denial and that maybe marketing Thailand in this way actually keeps it alive when it died many years ago,,,

The reality is that Thai people in the areas i have lived in (Pattaya and Bangkok)it is different. The local Thai people clearly do not like foreigners and place us low in societies pecking order. There is certainly no "unique" friendliness,, in fact I would even say out of all the countries I have been to Thailand is probably top 2 of most unfriendly..

[Cake Monster]

I suppose for the 2 week millionaire getting off the plane in swampy, " Dicovering Thainess " all seems so very quante, as looked through at through thier rose tinted glasses.

But for the International travellers that actually live here ? well, the picture for them, - the true picture, in many areas is not the picture of " Thainess " that the Government would want the whole world to see.

[selftaopath]

I think the Thai "govt." would be wise to let travelers discover Thainess slowly. If they learn what "Thainess" is really like quickly they might change their minds a/b coming here.

[Fullstop]

"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...

Unfortunately, there aren't even any atoms inside the "Thainess Box". It's a 100% total vacuum.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Fullstop

[selftaopath]

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

Could it be that Thailand aka Lieland is more amusing than amazing?

[bim]

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 agree totally.

Sometimes I ask myself how can some members of TV be happy, in a country that they spend most of their time depreciating?

Must be that they have to inject their daily shot of venom to feel better the rest of the day. What a way to spend their retirement !

I hate to say it but it is a trait of the British.

The Australians have for a long time called them "whinging pohms" in Australia. I have come across them in many countries. If you meet them in other European countries they are usually moaning about the beer or that there are no fish and chips. It is always the ones that whinge that dont bother to learn the language or understand the culture. If they are not understood they tend to just talk louder as if that would make understanding more effective.

It is mainly because of this that I will now walk passed a farang without acknowledgement should I see him in Tesco or in the street. I have no desire what so ever to meet whingers and moaners.

Im a Brit and could not agree more.

[SKguy]

‘the wai’ or the Thai greeting - a show of respect, as well as the friendly nature of the Thai people, form part of “Thainess”

If the true meaning of "respect" and "friendly nature" was fully understood, the habit of describing tourists/retirees as "farangs" and "aliens" would no longer prevail.

p.s. I love living in Thailand and do not consider myself a whinger just because I make the above observation.

Edited January 16, 2015 by SKguy