"Life Goes On!" - Kobkarn confirms tourism to continue unabated

[SOTIRIOS]

.....TAT....... is tact.....less.....

[Thaidream]

Frankly- I find the slogan the Minister is using rather coarse and not keeping with the solemnity of what has happened. While Thailand wants tourists to come- there is a much better way of pointing that out.

[JHolmesJr]

2 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Things are very quiet around Bangkok: Centralworld has never been so empty ( except when it was on fire). The restaurants along the skywalk are deserted and the food court is much less busy than usual ( both locals and tourists).

 

Wont last for too long...farangs love their temples and ancient culture. 

[bangon04]

52 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Frankly- I find the slogan the Minister is using rather coarse and not keeping with the solemnity of what has happened. While Thailand wants tourists to come- there is a much better way of pointing that out.

" Under the banner "Life Goes On"  she said that it was effectively business as usual  "

 

classy slogan in the circumstances......

[greenchair]

1 hour ago, ratcatcher said:

No, where is that?

In Thailand when a resident goes on holiday and leaves the country, upon their return , they are required to fill in their address on an arrival card TM8 half of which is stapled in their passport. When a foreign tourist moves around on holiday, it is incumbent upon the hotel, guesthouse to report their presence. If a resident has been staying at the same address as registered with immigration, not necessary to report. Only if address changed. 

Oh really, well obviously you are not up to date with the latest news. 

Maybe you should check it out, but don't come blabber blabber to me asking for details, I'm going to sleep. 

[tukkytuktuk]

The welcome for foreign tourists would be the usual warm one, she said.

Defamation case for buffaloes.

[Stray]

3 hours ago, sambum said:

Of course not! The "warm welcome " is for TOURISTS, as stated above!

 

Perhaps you missed the report on the seminar in Chiang Mai where those that were working/retired here were referred to as 'long-stay tourists.'

 

From http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/950215-expats-air-their-concerns-with-minister-of-tourism-sports/#comment-11265140

 

"Long stay tourists are defined differently by different departments, the TAT identifies anyone as a long-stayer who has been in Thailand more than year, while other organizations can view people as long-stay who are here for more than a month."

[sambum]

15 minutes ago, Stray said:

 

Perhaps you missed the report on the seminar in Chiang Mai where those that were working/retired here were referred to as 'long-stay tourists.'

 

From http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/950215-expats-air-their-concerns-with-minister-of-tourism-sports/#comment-11265140

 

"Long stay tourists are defined differently by different departments, the TAT identifies anyone as a long-stayer who has been in Thailand more than year, while other organizations can view people as long-stay who are here for more than a month."

 

In which case, there must be an awful lot of "long stay tourists" here from Burma!

[newnative]

If 'Life Goes On' then the International Fireworks event should go on, too.

[tukkytuktuk]

If 'Life Goes On' then the International Fireworks event should go on, too.

Thai's light fireworks at funerals to scare away bad spirits, or something like that. Maybe this superstition or belief is why firework displays are canceled.

[sujoop]

-Siam Paragon Last night 6:30pm, Gourmet Market at the restaurant on the supermarket floor  beside the salad bar area where you can bring your steak, lamb, seafood etc-which you select from the butcher counters opposite and let them grill (+100 baht, great value quality dinner btw) had to wait 30 mins to get a seat (50-50 mix Westerners/Asians). Also, mall itself heaving as always.
 

-Suvarnabhumi/Swampy, yesterday, 3 pm - had to wait 10 mins to get a seat at Starbucks, airport also bustling and airport rail link packed, to and from, standing room only.
 

-Sapan Taksin, today, yesterday, every day, chok full of tourists waiting in long queues to go to Asiatique via boats  (50-50 Western/Asian)

 

-Upmarket hotels - Tried in vain to book Chatrium (river view) room last weekend for visiting friends but all full up. Since I reside opp Sapan Taksin and 5 star hotel row with views over the Chaopraya, can see that the Shangrila consistently has min 80%+ rooms alight/occupied nightly.
 

-Nightly cruises multiple river cruise boats continue on in great numbers, all full of tourists night after night.
 

Meanwhile, from reading posts here by typical disgruntled at the world types (for passing them by?) and sexpat posts, (same-same?) Nana/Cowboy etc trade continues to dwindle (as it has for years) same in Angeles/Phils apparently. Also Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and  throughout SE Asia,  stroppy Walter Mitty sexpat types head home, pining away for the good 'ol days (translation = 75-1 exchange rates, cheap beer and cheaper girls). Sorry 'lads', your dancing days are done. However, for multitudes of regular tourists and families, Thailand does and will continue to appeal.

 

Last, the new sports/tourism Minister is a welcome change from the old-school 'slippery eel' Silpa-archa contingents (disgruntled penny-dropped Walter Mitty's and stroppy sexpats again can and apparently do disagree;)

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2016 by sujoop
format

[stickyrice2000]

Tourists would stay away from Thailand at the moment.  Thai people nationwide are in a mourning period.  Vacation is supposed to be uplifting and fun.  Tourists would not like to be in that kind of environment.

Edited October 27, 2016 by stickyrice2000

[Stargeezr]

Thailand is a tourist destination, I just wish they would modernize and do like Mexico.

  Give the travellers 3 months in country without the need for a visa.

I will have a 2 month tourist visa and have to get an extension for the rest of my

visit. I hope to be swimming with the fishes for part of my visit.

Geezer

[ratcatcher]

15 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Thailand is a tourist destination, I just wish they would modernize and do like Mexico.

  Give the travellers 3 months in country without the need for a visa.

I will have a 2 month tourist visa and have to get an extension for the rest of my

visit. I hope to be swimming with the fishes for part of my visit.

Geezer

"Swimming with the fishes" ? You might want to think about that, or did you?

https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/swim+with+the+fishes.html

 

 

[hawker9000]

9 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

What the…..leave them alone….they are trying to balance economic needs that sustain the lives of hundreds of thousands with a national tragedy…its a fine line to walk ….they don't need all the wise ass opinions on here.

Actually, what's not needed is self-appointed, self-righteous, censors trying to suggest that comment by foreigners FOR foreigners here has anything to do with what "they" need or don't need.  I'm sure they're paying no attention, and perhaps neither should you.   If "balancing economic needs" involves porkies, it's going to generate opinion!  Rightfully so.

[IMA_FARANG]

13 hours ago, Watchout4 said:

when she says " the welcome for foreign tourist would be the usually warm one " , does that include the foreigners who work and pay taxes here for many years , or are they going to continue to make life for them more and more complicated ? Has somebody ever heard of a country where you need to report every 90 days when you got a one year , multiple entry visa plus a valid work permit and a fixed address ?

--------------------------------------------

I do not mean to be rude, but yes I have worked and lived in other countries where for whatever reason there were restrictions on foriegners living and working there.

I may not have agreed with that government but for whaewver  reason they felt they needed to keep track of foriefners living in their country.

As I am sure you do in Thailand,, when i was living and working in such countries i had to live by thier rules even though on occasions  i thought their tules  were slightly silly and unnecessary.

But it was their country and their rules and I has to respect  them.

 

 

[NongKhaiKid]

12 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

What the…..leave them alone….they are trying to balance economic needs that sustain the lives of hundreds of thousands with a national tragedy…its a fine line to walk ….they don't need all the wise ass opinions on here.

Ye economic needs are important but what about a little respect especially from a govt that's been ordering everyone else how to mourn.

It's barely the end of the first 15 days and already it's all about money. Nothing wrong formulating a plan but it could have waited until later to be announced.

[lvr181]

What was her baseline for defining "unabated"? I wonder if the Minister was a political speech writer in an earlier life?

 

But I have to give her 10 out of 10 for biased optimism.  

[digibum]

14 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

You can say it is a period of mourning and that is fine but it is a bit inappropriate for the Minister to be counting tourist dollars if this is the case. If being solemn is truly the only acceptable way of being respectful they should also accept that foregoing some tourist dollars is a part of this. She is trying to have it both ways.

 

 

Exactly.  Same thing I've been saying.  Don't ask me to come to your country and have a subdued time because you're in mourning.  Take your time, mourn.  Invite me back when you're ready.  

 

Promoting tourism while locals are being shamed for not being mournful enough shows an extreme level of disrespect towards tourists.  

 

That's cool though.  I've already booked this year's big trip to Hawaii.  Triple the cost but I would rather be handed a lai getting off the plane than a black ribbon.  

 

 

 

[digibum]

18 hours ago, Watchout4 said:

when she says " the welcome for foreign tourist would be the usually warm one " , does that include the foreigners who work and pay taxes here for many years , or are they going to continue to make life for them more and more complicated ? Has somebody ever heard of a country where you need to report every 90 days when you got a one year , multiple entry visa plus a valid work permit and a fixed address ?

 

First off, she said " foreign tourists" not "foreign expats."  Don't confuse the two.  

 

Second, they must have just passed that 90 day reporting requirement because surely you would not have sought out employment in a country that had such unacceptable immigration policies.  

 

Don't move to Thailand and then complain about the immigration laws that you fully accepted when you decided to move there. 

 

Take a look at my previous post.  I'm going to Hawaii instead of Thailand this year.  I choose not to go to Thailand as a tourist during the mourning period because I want to have a good time when I'm on vacation.  It would be idiotic of me to book a trip anyway and then complain that Thais were in mourning.  

[DrTuner]

It must have been extremely excruciating to stay out of limelight without the "Tourism will survive the apocalypse" for a whopping two weeks. 

[elgordo38]

21 hours ago, Seizetheday said:

I thought one chap in Samui was nearly lynched for saying that.

Again it all boils down to who the sayer is. I took another look at the TAT ladies photo on this post and I am wondering if Thailand has become the new hub of robotics. She has a similar expression to the new robot Japanese have out that really looks like the real deal. The TAT lady really seems to stick to an agenda and a lot of her comments seemed canned. Just wondering. 

[fish monger]

21 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Shameless marketing .

He was King of Thailand and travelled extensively throughout his realm and now this is seen as a way to boost tourism and spending thinly disguised as a chance to study.

I would see this as a violation of section 112....Using the King for monetary gain. Weren't a few people arrested for this already..? The government is violating their own law....IN A VERY BIG WAY.

[hawker9000]

9 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

--------------------------------------------

I do not mean to be rude, but yes I have worked and lived in other countries where for whatever reason there were restrictions on foriegners living and working there.

I may not have agreed with that government but for whaewver  reason they felt they needed to keep track of foriefners living in their country.

As I am sure you do in Thailand,, when i was living and working in such countries i had to live by thier rules even though on occasions  i thought their tules  were slightly silly and unnecessary.

But it was their country and their rules and I has to respect  them.

 

 

 

No, you have to OBEY them.  You're fully responsible for OBEYING them.  And if you choose not to (e.g., the long overstayers), it's all on you.  But you definitely DON'T have to have any genuine "respect" them.  

[sambum]

7 hours ago, digibum said:

 

First off, she said " foreign tourists" not "foreign expats."  Don't confuse the two.  

 

Second, they must have just passed that 90 day reporting requirement because surely you would not have sought out employment in a country that had such unacceptable immigration policies.  

 

Don't move to Thailand and then complain about the immigration laws that you fully accepted when you decided to move there. 

 

Take a look at my previous post.  I'm going to Hawaii instead of Thailand this year.  I choose not to go to Thailand as a tourist during the mourning period because I want to have a good time when I'm on vacation.  It would be idiotic of me to book a trip anyway and then complain that Thais were in mourning.  

 

"Don't move to Thailand and then complain about the immigration laws that you fully accepted when you decided to move there."

 

A point that needs to be made is that the Immigration laws that people fully accepted when they moved here are NOT the same Immigration laws that are in place now!   

[anotheruser]

 
Exactly.  Same thing I've been saying.  Don't ask me to come to your country and have a subdued time because you're in mourning.  Take your time, mourn.  Invite me back when you're ready.  
 
Promoting tourism while locals are being shamed for not being mournful enough shows an extreme level of disrespect towards tourists.  
 
That's cool though.  I've already booked this year's big trip to Hawaii.  Triple the cost but I would rather be handed a lai getting off the plane than a black ribbon.  
 
 
 

Here is a man who understands what I am talking about.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[metisdead]

Nonsense posts and replies have been removed. 

[gk10002000]

Well they may want to press on with tourism unabated, but that will not be true by any objective measure.  Just last week pattaya mail had an article showing pattya hotels running at 30% occupancy rate.  Business is going to be down quite a bit.  And while I don't particularly need a big fireworks display at New Years, it is a nice thing to see for many people and the recent announcement seems to say candles instead of fireworks.  That's fine.  Not sure it is a big tourist draw though

[gk10002000]

14 hours ago, anotheruser said:

 

Here is a man who understands what I am talking about.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Yep.  I myself am probably going to fly to Rhode Island and see some winter weather for the first time in many a years and see some family and friends.  I actually get a week of paid holidays from my new company over the Xmas break so while I was sort of planning on taking two weeks and jetting from LAX to BKK, I will just take the free week and go from LAX to PVD.  No hustle and bustle

[geriatrickid]

On 10/27/2016 at 6:28 AM, Prbkk said:

Things are very quiet around Bangkok: Centralworld has never been so empty ( except when it was on fire). The restaurants along the skywalk are deserted and the food court is much less busy than usual ( both locals and tourists).

 

Mostly Thai customers, not foreigners shop at central.