Government Gives Etiquette Manuals to Chinese Tourists

[Jacob Maslow]

Thailand is handing out etiquette manuals to Chinese tourists who are traveling to the country during the new year period. The manuals hope to curb inappropriate behaviors.

Approximately 90,000 Chinese tourists are expected to travel to Thailand for the Chinese New Year this week. To curb offensive behavior, Thailand will be handing out tourism manuals printed in Mandarin.

The manual will inform tourists of proper museum etiquette (such as not touching paintings), encourage appropriate driving behavior and warn against using public property as lavatories. Chiang Mai will be the focal point of the manuals. The city is the most popular amongst Chinese tourists.

In 2014, 4.5 million Chinese tourists traveled to Thailand, fewer than the previous year. However, Thailand saw an influx of Chinese visitors in December, which saw 86.5% more visitors than the previous year.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd asked Thai citizens to be patient and to maintain their spirit of hospitality as the influx of tourists arrive this week. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are expected to draw the most visitors this year. Last year, the behavior of Chinese tourists in these two cities spurred complaints from the locals who accused the visitors of defecating in the city’s moat, driving recklessly and vandalizing tourist attractions.

Just last week, the Black House Museum in Chiang Rai was reportedly damaged by Chinese tourists, according to Chiang Rai Times. The top of a wooden stair pole was allegedly broken off during the incident.

These aren’t the first complaints against Chinese tourists in Thailand. In early February, Chinese tourists were banned from the famous “White Temple” for half a day for inappropriate restroom use. Tourists were allowed to re-enter the temple after guides agreed to take responsibility for cleaning up after tourists who behaved inappropriately.

Just a few days earlier, the Bangkok Post reported that locals were shocked to find a Chinese woman drying her undergarments on a chair in Chiang Mai’s airport. Authorities warned tour operators to put a stop to this type of inappropriate behavior.

-- 2015-02-18

[rasmus5150]

If Thai authorities think that a manual will change the behavior of the Chinese tourists, think again. All over China there are signs about no spitting etc. etc. and it absolutely does not work.

[Just1Voice]

Ahhh, yes, you have to have "Etiquette Manuals" passed out to the "Quality Tourists". What's wrong with this picture???

[wabothai]

Love to get my hands on one of these manuals.

[Expat1]

I am with Jackie Chan (yes, the actor) on this. He is clear on the point (and I am paraphrasing here) that one must be constantly firm and threatening with the Chinese people or you get no where.

[JohnnyJazz]

China's media has turned the spotlight on non-Chinese tourists misbehaving overseas, in what appears to be a move pre-empting a new wave of criticism against its own citizens behaving badly while holidaying around the world this Lunar New Year.

A group of foreigners camp out on the Great Wall in Beijing, which is forbidden.

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1717252/non-chinese-tourists-can-be-uncivilised-too-chinese-media-highlights

_

[Card]

If Thai authorities think that a manual will change the behavior of the Chinese tourists, think again. All over China there are signs about no spitting etc. etc. and it absolutely does not work.

The tour leaders seem to have a lot of sway with the Chinese tourists. I was in a hotel in Italy and complained about Chinese tourists running in and out of rooms making a noise. After making hand signals, face contortions etc to try to get them to behave, I gave up and complained to he receptionist. He said he would speak to the tour leader and within minutes, the Chinese had started to behave like human beings.

[koo wallety tourist]

[Tomtomtom69]

If Thai authorities think that a manual will change the behavior of the Chinese tourists, think again. All over China there are signs about no spitting etc. etc. and it absolutely does not work.

The tour leaders seem to have a lot of sway with the Chinese tourists. I was in a hotel in Italy and complained about Chinese tourists running in and out of rooms making a noise. After making hand signals, face contortions etc to try to get them to behave, I gave up and complained to he receptionist. He said he would speak to the tour leader and within minutes, the Chinese had started to behave like human beings.

Next time learn a little bit of Chinese. You could even just use google translate as a start.

[koo wallety tourist]

want we want to read is "Thailand is handing out etiquette manuals to tuktuk, moto, and taxi drivers, and to Thai scammers in general " that would be a real step forward.

here is even the first line.:

1) you will not under any circumstances brawl in public space.

(fill in the next absolutely required 100+ necessary refinements yourself)

[Jonmarleesco]

'The manual will ... encourage appropriate driving behavior ...' They are serious, I presume? '... and warn against using public property as lavatories.' Meaning 'When in Rome' shouldn't apply to Chinese tourists?

[Zonka]

Please let me teach you how to sh#t in the hole in the ground we call toilets! Oh and please drive carefully, don't do what the red bull guy did and mow down a policeman, Also please dont bring your sons of beauty queens, we have enough of our own who have a habit of throwing rocks at buses and driving their Mercs into bus stops and killing innocent people. And PLEASE if you have underage teenage daughters, please dont let them drive that hire car, we have had enough of our own who killed innocent people in a minibus accident that left innocents dead and kids without parents. Truth is there is only so much community service to go around and we cant be seen to be wasting it on you as we have so many deserving hiso's we could give it to.

Also we are understaffed at the moment because our top cop has just been caught with something like 2 billion baht of ill gotten gains in his house.

<deleted>##ing Hypocrites

[angiolo]

I went for a stroll looking for a chinese person to wish a happy new year. I gave up,no Chinese in Mae Sai.Have 2000,000 arrived in Thailand ?

[emilymat]

Hope it's not red. Mao will be turning in his grave.

[koo wallety tourist]

I went for a stroll looking for a chinese person to wish a happy new year. I gave up,no Chinese in Mae Sai.Have 2000,000 arrived in Thailand ?

they were occupying all the tables where i ate this afternoon. smiled at one baby child and a table was vacated for me when i was ready. mostly nice people. just too many of them.

[1BADDAT]

Is there any mention in the manual to advise them that they are not the only people on this planet and to open their eyes and allow others to pass. Seems pretty simple, especially if they are occupying a roadway, driveway, parking lot...etc...

[A1Str8]

It's useless since the reason they act like idiots is not that they don't know how to behave but because they simply don't care.

[BB24]

You cant count your hair.

You cant kiss your elbow.

You cant get blood out of a stone.

You cant make a silk purse out of a pig's ear.

And you cant teach pigs how to fly (or behave).