Chinese tourists bring Pattaya small fortune cookies

PATTAYA:--The Chinese tourist invasion of Pattaya is not all that it was cracked up to be.

Hotels are mostly full, businesses are expanding, the roads are busy, boats are full and restaurants are full every other night. But most business owners say that while the Chinese invasion was great in the beginning, they’ve discovered the mainland tourists are not spending as much as expected.

Pattaya has changed during the past few years as many businesses have erected Chinese-language signs. Many investors were attracted to the mass of Chinese visitors as more resorts, hotels, condominiums and tour agencies opened. Now some places in Thailand are like Chinatown.

The majority of the Chinese visitors are on package tours, so mainly hotels are doing somewhat better. However, prices are reduced for everything including plane tickets, bus trips, accommodations, boat rides and many other attractions.

Chinese brokers and businesses make agreements with various attractions to reduce the prices to get the tours. The result is that retailers and restaurants not on the tour are getting nothing.

In addition, many of the tourists are coming to Pattaya on “zero-coin tours” that offer the mainlanders cheap holidays for virtually nothing. But the tours’ use of illegal guides and the exploitation of the tourists once they arrive in Pattaya has tainted the country’s reputation, particularly among wealthy Chinese tourists.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/news/chinese-tourists-bring-pattaya-small-fortune-cookies-57567#sthash.tfUqdnmU.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2016-04-15

Hey, Thailand! You wanted 'em! You got 'em! Deal with it.

This was to expect. Only a fool would be surprised.

Cheap Charlie Chans!

They killed the western golden goose, along time ago. As the man said. They are going down slow.!

fortune cookies normally come with predictions...

And when you are living beyond your means to the tune of more than 3 trillion dollars I predict the Chop Suey train will soon be derailed just like the Vodka Express.

The tour groups remind me of the old chain gangs. Eyes ahead, single file & following someone waving a flag. It looks like an awful way to holiday. A group stayed at our hotel in chiang mai. The noise from them & lack of manners was unbearable

...wow...what a nice welcome......

...exemplary gratitude.....

'Those who ride the tiger, end up inside.' JFK

The tour groups remind me of the old chain gangs. Eyes ahead, single file & following someone waving a flag. It looks like an awful way to holiday. A group stayed at our hotel in chiang mai. The noise from them & lack of manners was unbearable

I stopped going to Amari ocean Pattaya for the same reason, even though it s an expensive & luxurious resort the breakfast hall in the morning has become like a busy Chinese vegetable market !!!, now before booking any hotels my gf calls the reception to make sure there aren't any Chinese around it s not worth spending money to holiday with them !!!

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by marcofunny

The entire China market is all about price…not about value and good taste.

Sure a billion peasants spending a dollar each will net you a billion $….the chinese reduce everything they touch to the lowest form possible.

The entire China market is all about price…not about value and good taste.

not true, I see them in large groups now in hotels 5,000 baht a night and more !!!, some of them afford to pay expensive packages but they are just not well mannered.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by marcofunny

Sai Kaew Beach Resort in Koh samet has been one of the best resort for years, it s an expensive resort (7500 baht +) however I wont dare to go there ever again, it has been really ruined by the mainlander Chinese, even the dinner hall has been separated Chinese / non-Chinese, they cause a real mess at the reception with their loud shouting and manners.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by marcofunny

Up to you when you negotiate rates with Chinese tour operators. They drive a hard bargain.

Take it or leave it. Thai business men have to learn how to negotiate and realize some times

it is better to just say no and walk away. No use signing a deal and later complaining later

you are not making as much as you should be and then blame it on your customers.

Up to you when you negotiate rates with Chinese tour operators. They drive a hard bargain.

Hard bargain is not a new concept in the tourism industry, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Greece offered them for years, for less than a 300$ you could a spend week in (4-5) star resorts all inclusive including airfare, these countries attracted massive number of cheap European holidaymakers & cheap backpackers for years, the problem is the ill manners of the Chinese mainlanders which destroys the value of any given place.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by marcofunny

Maybe these islands they are building in the South China sea are future holiday resorts for their countryfolk

We can dream can't we ?

Chinese tourists bring Pattaya small fortune cookies

Fortune cookies were an American invention.

So the chinese tourists are bringing a fake stimulus to Thailand.

They are queuing up in 7 elevens together with the Russians so at least one business is doing ok.

I'm curious about the restaurants being full every other nite, do Chinese people only eat dinner every other day or maybe the tours only include it every other day?

Edited April 19, 201610 yr by OMGImInPattaya