I frequently work in China and observe that the Chinese are very interested in all things Thai and Korean. Subtitled Thai soap operas and horror movies are very popular with young Chinese.

Most of my Chinese friends have visited Thailand at least once. Usually they go with a tour at first and then develop a taste for independent travel.  I have helped them with advice and bookings etc.  Thailand is not expensive when compared with metropolitan areas of China. I think the next few years will see a huge rise in independent Chinese travellers to Thailand and SE Asia in general.

On 10/28/2017 at 9:49 PM, HauptmannUK said:

I think the next few years will see a huge rise in independent Chinese travellers to Thailand and SE Asia in general.

Sounds like a bad dream. 

 

 

 

On 27/10/2017 at 11:29 AM, elgenon said:

Has the government ever produced a list of events that shows Pattaya is a hub of Sports Tourism? They did that very poorly attended (and participated in) run. That was postponed several times so many they are counting each time a date was announced. That's the only thing I know of..

The thing is  - they dont need to - because the press reports that it is and nothing else!! So the masses are brainwashed into silence!!

Really? I think there's some fibs being told. I can't believe any Thai would possibly lie about anything, NOT.

I think they meant to say Pattaya is boom boom town not boomtown..

2 hours ago, thomash said:

I think they meant to say Pattaya is boom boom town not boomtown..

 

Is that what colinneil told you to think?

 

 

Hee hee!

Now high season so where is all this quality tourist I see very few ?

On 28/10/2017 at 3:49 PM, HauptmannUK said:

I frequently work in China and observe that the Chinese are very interested in all things Thai and Korean. Subtitled Thai soap operas and horror movies are very popular with young Chinese.

Most of my Chinese friends have visited Thailand at least once. Usually they go with a tour at first and then develop a taste for independent travel.  I have helped them with advice and bookings etc.  Thailand is not expensive when compared with metropolitan areas of China. I think the next few years will see a huge rise in independent Chinese travellers to Thailand and SE Asia in general.

" Subtitled Thai soap opera's and horror movies are very popular with young Chinese " .! Jeez they're easily pleased then .. Still , there's no accounting for taste .. 

Yeah sure, I was just in the midst of brainstorming a 4 week holiday in Thailand and came upon the mental collapse of realizing to heck with it.  Too many hassles and problems in Thailand.  I'll just stay in the Philippines.   I can live here quite comfortably and I can even travel on the roads without worrying about death.

2 hours ago, survivalblue said:

Yeah sure, I was just in the midst of brainstorming a 4 week holiday in Thailand and came upon the mental collapse of realizing to heck with it.  Too many hassles and problems in Thailand.  I'll just stay in the Philippines.   I can live here quite comfortably and I can even travel on the roads without worrying about death.

 

On 11/3/2017 at 7:27 AM, pgrahmm said:

Many years in many areas pf both - none in the "seedy" areas.....The Philippines is a "ripe sh!t hole" per my last friend that visited there - and he's right.....

Beggars are everywhere knocking on your vehicle at stop lights.....Gangs of kids 4-11 are patrolling the streets......Women are afraid to go out unaccompanied - literally no women drivers, they hire security of they own their own cars.....Hospitals are unfit, dirty, and overflowing.....Thieves of opportunity everywhere.....Hostile mano on mano drivers.....Tryke drivers with suicidal tendencies.....The 3 tier government/anti government (basically country wide militia type organized crime - thugs for rent)/and local "face" - for show government.....Taxi drivers afraid to take foreigners......The food stinks as does their habitual cleanliness.....Small houses with 10-15-20 people....

My ex has a bedroom with 2 30' closets & could fit 4 kingsize beds - the rest of the house is just as spectacular.......

I am a part of a wealthy family there....We travelled with our own drivers, cooks, nannies, security = they live very well there......And they are all planning on moving to Thailand now that they've visited me here....

 

If you spend the time driving around observing the conditions (including the expats it draws) & get to know the place it is not a good/quality/healthy place to be.....No checks & balances like here - people disappear......

 

Mix in the fact that many cannot communicate if outside their dialect area which compounds - codifies the independent (away from the 3 tiers) crime affiliations/boundaries it's a perplexing place......

 

There are many nice people there....

 

Unless a family event takes place there I'd have to attend I won't go back.....It is really a 3rd world country or worse......

 

And that's the glossy version......

 

 

 

On 5/31/2017 at 6:41 PM, Jessi said:

More B/S from the  TAT!!!

Andrew Drummond just did a story about the lies coming out of the TAT.

Might be more BS from TAT but not sure mentioning Drummond adds any credibility

18 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

Everyone has an opinion and everyone has an <deleted>.   

I live a comfortable life in the Philippines, no problems for me here. 

Same in Thailand, but there are hassles in both countries.

I'm not going to let someone else's opinion influence my personal experience.

 

 

 

These "gangs of kids 4-11 years old" are harmless little <deleted> who run away when you scowl at them.  The beggars are just beggars, they have nothing, they don't follow or harm anyone, they are just begging.  A little more concerned about the criminal factors of the populations,  Sure,  I've walked around Cebu City at all hours of day and night and only once had an incident of violence.  I spent a lot of my youth in crime ridden areas of the US, far more safety concerns there than here.  So as for the entire scheme of labeling the Philippines as a sh*thole.  That is an opinion. 

I like it here, do I miss Thailand?  Heck yes I miss Thailand.  And I am actually planning on returning next month for a 4 week holiday.  

I'll still come back here to my apartment in the Philippines, it's home.  However much of a sh*thole it is, I do like it here.

1 hour ago, survivalblue said:

 

 

Good. Now we've established that there are hassles in both countries and that some regard the hassles of the Phils as a lot worse than the hassles of Thailand. Balo's huge list of farang deaths proves that one can well worry about death in the Phils without even traveling on the roads. So now you're back to planning your visit to Thailand.

 

I like many aspects of the Phils. But I think you'll find, at least from a perusal of the comparison threads in the forum, that most people familiar w/ both countries consider Thailand the better place to live overall. Member tropo, who often travels there w/ his Filipina wife, strongly agrees w/ that opinion as well.

17 hours ago, JSixpack said:

 

Good. Now we've established that there are hassles in both countries and that some regard the hassles of the Phils as a lot worse than the hassles of Thailand. Balo's huge list of farang deaths proves that one can well worry about death in the Phils without even traveling on the roads. So now you're back to planning your visit to Thailand.

 

I like many aspects of the Phils. But I think you'll find, at least from a perusal of the comparison threads in the forum, that most people familiar w/ both countries consider Thailand the better place to live overall. Member tropo, who often travels there w/ his Filipina wife, strongly agrees w/ that opinion as well.

Yes indeed that I've decided to return to Thailand. 2018 wouldn't be complete without at least 4 healthy (or not so healthy) weeks in Thailand.  Looking forward to it.

An off topic post and reply have been removed

'QUALITY TOURISTS'... what drugs is that person on?  

6 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

'QUALITY TOURISTS'... what drugs is that person on?  

 

Money is down by 15 to 20 percent. So what do they do? Put up the prices of everything. Thailand is an expensive place to go now.

 

Should have taken the blue pill