Thai Tourism Minister confirms stringent measures to take care of tourists

[Winniedapu]

All these negative comments are disgusting.

And we wonder why more and more Thai citizens hate their guests? And why taxi drivers avoid us.

Your ignorance and stupidity create negative polorization, which leads to discrimination, and violence.

If you don't have anything positive and helpful to post or say; shut up and leave!

Please, so the rest of us who have been living here for many decades can continue to have a great life.

What's disgusting is to wake up every day and read the recurring, and mostly preventable, carnage of deaths related to ...

car crashes, motorcycle crashes, bus crashes, van crashes, train derailings, ferry sinkings, speedboat and jetski mishaps, etc etc etc.

And to know full well that the authorities are going to do literally nothing to stop it.

So far, like you, I lead an entirely peaceful life here thus far. But, to the point, I'm careful to NOT do any of the things above that regularly get Thais, tourists and others needlessly killed.

How do you cross roads? Stay away from zebra crossings? Stay away from footbridges? Don't venture into underpasses or other tunnel-shaped things? Play dodge-the-motosai-with-the-maniac-riding-it?

OK.

Then your house will probably slide down a hill. Or your condo will slide down a hole in the ground. Remember the bridge in Ayutthaya and give thanks it hadn't opened yet.

Like the abbot, they'll getcha one way or another.

W

Well off you go, your Nanny is awaiting your return Chicken Little. Nobody is forcing you to stay.

Oh dear. And you were doing so well until just then.

Why not write to the government pledging your loyalty? I'm sure they'd be very grateful. That seems to be about your mark.

W

[kevc]

Wear a life jacket for when your boat sinks, this goes nicely with phone 1567 if you think your hotel night collapse. She IS supposed to be promoting tourism isn't she ?.

[Redline]

Is the cup half full, or half empty? Oh, there is nothing in it. Save the wasted words, and use concrete action. Give the detailed plan and strategy, then put it in the news!

[Winniedapu]

Wear a life jacket for when your boat sinks, this goes nicely with phone 1567 if you think your hotel night collapse. She IS supposed to be promoting tourism isn't she ?.

Don't carp, she's doing the job she ought be doing. Trying to provide reasons for tourists not to come to TL.

W

[Mudcrab]

ahhh once more the tiger without teeth tries to roar but more like a sterile purr.........

Once again Im staggered by the lack of curative analysis.......

Lets not ascertain why these accidents are occurring rather lets make sure all tourists have life jackets on just in case it happens again....

Where are the measures and controls on boat seaworthiness, max permissible passengers per boat , skippers licensing and training, accident management plans , weather contingency plans and controls, insurance provision and coverage.. etc etc etc......

Where is the strong co-ordination between various departments who have jurisdiction here..... "Land Transport being advised to tackle problems" sounds very casual indeed......

Were the measures introduced not published in this release as the terminology " stringent" as applied doth butter no parsnips.

You can have all that ....but be prepared western prices for it.

[Mudcrab]

It is a sad fact that tourists are nowadays viewed as "prey", both by the police and a large sector of the thai public, in order to extract money. In addition there are gangs of thai youths who roam the streets just looking for the slightest excuse to attack us, often at a ratio of several on one, just to satisfy their warped sense of power. Sooner or later the masses of tourists will choose to go to adjacent countries where they will be treated better, and then Thailand will REALLY be in a mess. The Golden Goose is getting annoyed

Oh dear.....the whole idea of tourism is to extract money from the tourist. That is what it is all about....anywhere in the world.....tourists go to a country and spend their money.

Where are these gangs of Thai youths roaming the streets looking to attack us?.....I've never seen any.

Stay in Scunthorpe Phantom and continue fiddling.

[Mudcrab]

to late for the tourist trade this, hi season has been a disaster, having a guesthouse and talking whith other owners

oh dear, .........to ensure that all tourists put on life vests.........

that sentence just stinks again of blaming the tourists

nothing to do with -

over loading

no training

taking loaded boats out when severe weather warnings are in effect

perhaps when people are held responsible and severe penalties are handed out to the people running these businesses (and we all have an idea who that could be) and not just after an incident occurs.

How many more people have to die before they get it, perhaps when their very important tourist industry vanishes they will be left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong

I always get a chuckle when I hear the term high season.....gotta be a northern hemisphere saying.

<deleted> is high season??

When you realise half the world has an opposite set of seasons to you you may understand the folly of the term.

And when you again realise that quite a percentage of people actually live in a tropical climate not unlike Thailand you may be in a better business position.

If your 'business' is simply four low concrete walls constituting a 'bar' with a few tarts and youtube videos thrown in for good measure then I guess this would all be meaningless to you.

You need to work at a business...find out what doesn't work, find out was does work and proceed accordingly.

Retiring at 60/65 with no previous skill set at running a business is not a good way to prosper in Thailand.

[Mudcrab]

"....tackle problems in the tourism industry, including those related to the rental of speed boats and ferries, passenger boats, motorcycle taxis and taxis." Must have been a little lapse, as she forgot about dangers of walking (Hannah and David). I'd suggest might be safest to not leave room, but then again we did have collapsing guesthouse just the other day, and then there are all those "assisted suicides" in hotels..

Hannah and David.....walking....hahhahaa.... horizontally maybe.

You have no idea about the Myanmar culture and the reaction it could have caused to the so-called B2.....I do.

Why don't all you people just go......I know I'll be flamed for this but really.......just leave!!

Watch your shadows at Swampy.....even they are out to get you....the Thailand sun causes this.

[Mudcrab]

Oh this again. Is it that time of the month again? Meanwhile tourists are dying and being beaten in droves, can't wait for the July media release stating stringent measures being rolled out to protect tourist dollars.

Love the bitter foriegners, dying and beaten in droves.. Ahahaha, beating tourist hmm come to Australia and see

I have told him a million times not to exaggerate.

30 million tourists come a year and a handful get beaten up.

From that handful, most have brought it upon themselves by slapping, punching, pushing, swearing, abusing, spitting or not paying for their drinks etc A few more are injured while being robbed as is normal in any country.

There are transport accidents but common sense should tell you not to get on an overcrowded speedboat in weather that already caused the cancellation of the very same tours by other companies. Don't hire a motorbike if you don't have a licsence and wear a helmet if you do. Don't drink and ride/drive.

IMO the best thing they could do would be to hand out a list of dos and don'ts with the arrival card on the plane. Let tourists know that Thais don't want to be patted on the head (farangs mistakenly think they are being friendly), don't put your feet on things, and all the things that the Thais are sensitive to, but farangs are not. Don't make an angry big scene out of a small mix up.

The Thais are very friendly people and most are proud of their country and happy to share it with polite foreigners. The way I have been treated by thai people here has been great.

As the above poster said, go to Australia and see how foreigners are treated there. No one goes out of their way to help foreigners. They will likely be racially abused on public transport, attacked for fun, and in the more severe cases be shot and buried in the bush.There was also the case of the Thai woman being thrown off a bridge and being fed to saltwater crocodiles. A Thai school girl is still missing. Indian students are singled out for beatings.

Thais don't go around beating up foreigners just for fun, there is usually something that sparks these incidents and often it is drunk or angry foreigners.

Lovely people these Thais, 30 million tourists coming this year, 29,999,900 will have a great time, many will have the best time of their lives.

It's a privilege to recognise a stars-in-their-eyes tourist, doubtless complete with conviction that inside every primitive culture lies a spiritual depth unknown to or forgotten by the more advanced civilisations. It's like watching a bad Shangri-la movie sometimes.

The reality of course is different. There are no advanced medicinal cures for ailments incurable in the west, in fact the medicine in Thailand is primitive at bestand incompetent at worst. Buddhism does not hold spiritual depths that the west, in their broader evolution, has lost sight of. The culture is primitive, the religion is misinterpreted and corrupted, the politics is primitive and deceitful, the economy is based on corruption and theft. The sociology is based on arrogance, face, a belief in their immutable superiority, and violence.

Please, enough of the starry-eyed newcomer, they are full of wishful thinking and if they've been in Thailand for more than 2 years, then they are willingly delusional as well. The above post is a wonderful example of the kind of stupidity that encourages Thais to think that all foreigners are stupid.

All you have to do to understand Thailand and Thais is read the newspapers and watch the Thai TV stations. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Sorry for the rant, but these 'Thais-do-nothing-wrong' fools get right up my nose.

W

There are no advanced medicinal cures for ailments incurable in the west,

Doubt there are many medicinal cures for ailments incurable anywhere.

Yes agree that Thailand is different to the 'West' isn't that what makes it so attractive to so many?

You want the West....not hard to do....

[DUNROAMIN]

I think a lot of people are not seeing he big picture here. Why do you think it is cheap to live and holiday in Thailand. Because Thailand has not fallen into the political correct and safety awareness mentality. In most westernised countries we have gone to the extreme now with public safety, we have wrapped ourselves up in so much cotton wool and paperwork, that it has become a pain in the Ar#####s. Insurance for that, insurance for this, train people to be competent, laws for this, laws for that, safety, safety, etc, etc. It all costs big bucks.

If Thailand follows the rest of the world forget about living or holidaying here on the cheap.

I am concerned about safety just as much as anybody, however, it is your choice and decision what you do, where you go, and how you get there. If you have concerns don't go, find something that suits you as far as safety goes. Live your life as you see fit.

[OnTheRun]

_{She should have popped over to Khao Tao to ensure tourists don't get murdered and the wrong people fitted up for the crime when she was down there.}

[oldlakey]

I think a lot of people are not seeing he big picture here. Why do you think it is cheap to live and holiday in Thailand. Because Thailand has not fallen into the political correct and safety awareness mentality. In most westernised countries we have gone to the extreme now with public safety, we have wrapped ourselves up in so much cotton wool and paperwork, that it has become a pain in the Ar#####s. Insurance for that, insurance for this, train people to be competent, laws for this, laws for that, safety, safety, etc, etc. It all costs big bucks.

If Thailand follows the rest of the world forget about living or holidaying here on the cheap.

I am concerned about safety just as much as anybody, however, it is your choice and decision what you do, where you go, and how you get there. If you have concerns don't go, find something that suits you as far as safety goes. Live your life as you see fit.

Your post certainly has its merits

We all need to be alert to safety issues affecting ourselves

If you go too far down the devil takes the hindmost road just to reduce costs eventually there will be real problems

That will need addressing

Where Thailand is at the moment concerning that situation depends on your personal view /outlook

I think Thailand is at a crossroads at present but someone needs to find a happy medium

The news coming out of Thailand is not good publicity for the country or its tourist industry as a whole

The main redeeming feature of all this for Thailand is that the average visitor does a passable impression

of all three wise monkeys see,hear and speak no evil

[DUNROAMIN]

Glad to see somebody can look at this with a common sense approach, not like most on this forum who seem to put their mouth into gear before engaging the brain. I agree that it would be good to see a happy medium in relationship to Tourist safety. Thailand's tourist industry would suffer greatly if this goes on unchecked. It is a wonder that Thais have not cottoned on to the "Waiver of Liability Form" like most other countries have, which covers the operator/owner from any liability. Anyway, I don't think I am going to see any great changes here in my lifetime. Cheers

I think a lot of people are not seeing he big picture here. Why do you think it is cheap to live and holiday in Thailand. Because Thailand has not fallen into the political correct and safety awareness mentality. In most westernised countries we have gone to the extreme now with public safety, we have wrapped ourselves up in so much cotton wool and paperwork, that it has become a pain in the Ar#####s. Insurance for that, insurance for this, train people to be competent, laws for this, laws for that, safety, safety, etc, etc. It all costs big bucks.
If Thailand follows the rest of the world forget about living or holidaying here on the cheap.
I am concerned about safety just as much as anybody, however, it is your choice and decision what you do, where you go, and how you get there. If you have concerns don't go, find something that suits you as far as safety goes. Live your life as you see fit.

Your post certainly has its merits
We all need to be alert to safety issues affecting ourselves
If you go too far down the devil takes the hindmost road just to reduce costs eventually there will be real problems
That will need addressing
Where Thailand is at the moment concerning that situation depends on your personal view /outlook
I think Thailand is at a crossroads at present but someone needs to find a happy medium
The news coming out of Thailand is not good publicity for the country or its tourist industry as a whole
The main redeeming feature of all this for Thailand is that the average visitor does a passable impression
of all three wise monkeys see,hear and speak no evil

[Mystified]

oh dear, .........to ensure that all tourists put on life vests.........

that sentence just stinks again of blaming the tourists

nothing to do with -

over loading

no training

taking loaded boats out when severe weather warnings are in effect

perhaps when people are held responsible and severe penalties are handed out to the people running these businesses (and we all have an idea who that could be) and not just after an incident occurs.

How many more people have to die before they get it, perhaps when their very important tourist industry vanishes they will be left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong

You're so optimistic why to keep it on the "possible " side ? I don't think their thinking will change as long as the numbers keep (somehow ) rising in tourism

[smedly]

oh dear, .........to ensure that all tourists put on life vests.........

that sentence just stinks again of blaming the tourists

nothing to do with -

over loading

no training

taking loaded boats out when severe weather warnings are in effect

perhaps when people are held responsible and severe penalties are handed out to the people running these businesses (and we all have an idea who that could be) and not just after an incident occurs.

How many more people have to die before they get it, perhaps when their very important tourist industry vanishes they will be left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong

You're so optimistic why to keep it on the "possible " side ? I don't think their thinking will change as long as the numbers keep (somehow ) rising in tourism

I fail to see how you conclude even a hint optimism in my post

[Mook23]

Thai Tourism Minister confirms stringent measures to take care of tourists

AKA

The "I take care you" - campaign

[ratcatcher]

oh dear, .........to ensure that all tourists put on life vests.........

that sentence just stinks again of blaming the tourists

nothing to do with -

over loading

no training

taking loaded boats out when severe weather warnings are in effect

perhaps when people are held responsible and severe penalties are handed out to the people running these businesses (and we all have an idea who that could be) and not just after an incident occurs.

How many more people have to die before they get it, perhaps when their very important tourist industry vanishes they will be left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong

You're so optimistic why to keep it on the "possible " side ? I don't think their thinking will change as long as the numbers keep (somehow ) rising in tourism

I fail to see how you conclude even a hint optimism in my post

smedly, I'm mystified how you could not detect a wee sprinkling of sarcasm in his post.

[Winniedapu]

I have told him a million times not to exaggerate.

30 million tourists come a year and a handful get beaten up.

From that handful, most have brought it upon themselves by slapping, punching, pushing, swearing, abusing, spitting or not paying for their drinks etc A few more are injured while being robbed as is normal in any country.

There are transport accidents but common sense should tell you not to get on an overcrowded speedboat in weather that already caused the cancellation of the very same tours by other companies. Don't hire a motorbike if you don't have a licsence and wear a helmet if you do. Don't drink and ride/drive.

IMO the best thing they could do would be to hand out a list of dos and don'ts with the arrival card on the plane. Let tourists know that Thais don't want to be patted on the head (farangs mistakenly think they are being friendly), don't put your feet on things, and all the things that the Thais are sensitive to, but farangs are not. Don't make an angry big scene out of a small mix up.

The Thais are very friendly people and most are proud of their country and happy to share it with polite foreigners. The way I have been treated by thai people here has been great.

As the above poster said, go to Australia and see how foreigners are treated there. No one goes out of their way to help foreigners. They will likely be racially abused on public transport, attacked for fun, and in the more severe cases be shot and buried in the bush.There was also the case of the Thai woman being thrown off a bridge and being fed to saltwater crocodiles. A Thai school girl is still missing. Indian students are singled out for beatings.

Thais don't go around beating up foreigners just for fun, there is usually something that sparks these incidents and often it is drunk or angry foreigners.

Lovely people these Thais, 30 million tourists coming this year, 29,999,900 will have a great time, many will have the best time of their lives.

It's a privilege to recognise a stars-in-their-eyes tourist, doubtless complete with conviction that inside every primitive culture lies a spiritual depth unknown to or forgotten by the more advanced civilisations. It's like watching a bad Shangri-la movie sometimes.

The reality of course is different. There are no advanced medicinal cures for ailments incurable in the west, in fact the medicine in Thailand is primitive at bestand incompetent at worst. Buddhism does not hold spiritual depths that the west, in their broader evolution, has lost sight of. The culture is primitive, the religion is misinterpreted and corrupted, the politics is primitive and deceitful, the economy is based on corruption and theft. The sociology is based on arrogance, face, a belief in their immutable superiority, and violence.

Please, enough of the starry-eyed newcomer, they are full of wishful thinking and if they've been in Thailand for more than 2 years, then they are willingly delusional as well. The above post is a wonderful example of the kind of stupidity that encourages Thais to think that all foreigners are stupid.

All you have to do to understand Thailand and Thais is read the newspapers and watch the Thai TV stations. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Sorry for the rant, but these 'Thais-do-nothing-wrong' fools get right up my nose.

W

There are no advanced medicinal cures for ailments incurable in the west,

Doubt there are many medicinal cures for ailments incurable anywhere.

Yes agree that Thailand is different to the 'West' isn't that what makes it so attractive to so many?

You want the West....not hard to do....

You want to fantasise about cheap beer and cheaper whores in Thailand.?

Even easier.

As you know.

Kndly don't drag me into your diatribes.

W

[smedly]

oh dear, .........to ensure that all tourists put on life vests.........

that sentence just stinks again of blaming the tourists

nothing to do with -

over loading

no training

taking loaded boats out when severe weather warnings are in effect

perhaps when people are held responsible and severe penalties are handed out to the people running these businesses (and we all have an idea who that could be) and not just after an incident occurs.

How many more people have to die before they get it, perhaps when their very important tourist industry vanishes they will be left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong

You're so optimistic why to keep it on the "possible " side ? I don't think their thinking will change as long as the numbers keep (somehow ) rising in tourism

I fail to see how you conclude even a hint optimism in my post

smedly, I'm mystified how you could not detect a wee sprinkling of sarcasm in his post.

ah right, hard to tell on TVF as the stupidity levels are quite high lol

[Plutojames88]

The reality and stats show a simple picture.

Not clouded by images and false hopes.

A dream.

Thailand kills.

Many.

Infact more westerners than anywhere else .

Hansel and Gretal types may in their fancy spit dummies and make pronouncement s on the way to their own personal

Ovens.Claiming the safety and virtuous people's in their lives.

It's kinda like the new kid saying "" wow what a view up here ain't it the best ?" ...on 9/11 in the north tower.

Nothing new.

Resenting them is the wrong emotion .

They are like people driving down the freeway on the wrong side.

You can try yelling out.

Maybe they miss the signs ?

Anyhow ...protecting tourists ?

Having free and fair elections is the only way.

Handing back power to the people.

Otherwise it's only a matter of time until tourism is what you call Chinese influx into their new territory