Thailand Tourist Friendly?

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RCer
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Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by RCer »

If this is in the wrong place please move.

Thailand touts itself as a tourist destination, yet makes rules and laws that are about as Tourist Unfriendly as possible.

In the past year we have seen these rules:

No advertising or chatting online about alcohol.

No drinking on beaches.

No riding in the back of pickups.

No smoking on beaches or in national parks.

No big bike riding in national parks.

Feel free to add any I've missed.
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caller
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by caller »

National park entry fees.

All they want is your money and what they perceive as 'quality tourists'. I have no idea how they define that?
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HuaHin61
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by HuaHin61 »

caller wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:49 am National park entry fees.
All they want is your money and what they perceive as 'quality tourists'. I have no idea how they define that?
as you wrote:
a "quality tourist" is spending a lot of money during his holiday. :thumb:

some say, chinese tourist groups, will not be such quality tourists :duck:
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by 404cameljockey »

HuaHin61 wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:33 am
caller wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:49 am National park entry fees.
All they want is your money and what they perceive as 'quality tourists'. I have no idea how they define that?
as you wrote:
a "quality tourist" is spending a lot of money during his holiday. :thumb:

some say, chinese tourist groups, will not be such quality tourists :duck:
Um. It's the Chinese that have the money nowadays.

Every luxury jeweller and leather goods retailer in the high-end malls in Dubai now have at least one Chinese shop assistant.
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HuaHin61
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by HuaHin61 »

RCer wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:26 am Thailand touts itself as a tourist destination, yet makes rules and laws that are about as Tourist Unfriendly as possible. In the past year we have seen these rules:

No advertising or chatting online about alcohol.
No drinking on beaches.
No riding in the back of pickups.
No smoking on beaches or in national parks.
No big bike riding in national parks.

Feel free to add any I've missed.
demolition of several places in HH: (boat pier, poonsuk rd, around Hilton, across railway)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34541

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35242
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by handdrummer »

The ideal tourist stays home and sends money.
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by pharvey »

404cameljockey wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2017 11:35 amUm. It's the Chinese that have the money nowadays.
Certainly doesn't make them a "quality tourist" though does it? I'm certainly not a fan of people being tarred by the same brush, and the LHG is Chinese - BUT I've had had many experiences of Chinese tourists both in China and "Abroad", and TBH it's not pretty most of the time.......

Back to "Tourist Friendly Thailand"..... Double standards on pricing, well, I've experienced that all over the world. Scams and overpricing - avoid tourist traps (all over the world). As to some others: -

No drinking on beaches - Yes a pain, but many other places have this law. Try South Africa.
No smoking on beaches or in National Parks - As above really. A a "reformed smoker" I'm the worst of the worst and like that law! :neener:
No advertising or chatting about alcohol online - Not a touristy thing IMHO, but perhaps an issue for some retirees.
No riding in the back of Pick-ups - aren't these classed as "taxis"? :D

One of the bad experiences the LHG and I had in HH/Thailand was being spat at by a couple of Thai kids because we had ignored their pleas for money...... Very unpleasant all around to be honest. They certainly didn't look like they were living on the streets, but perhaps we were wrong in walking on. Their reaction however seems to tell a slightly different story.
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by buksida »

Some more recent ones ...

No e-cigarettes.
Cant have a beer on a train.
No pretty girls at an international motor show.
No beer gardens.
Raids on microbreweries and real ale establishments.
Music restrictions for the past year.
Stupid time restrictions on buying alcohol.
Rampant, almost state encouraged dual pricing (worse than ever before).
Clampdowns on street food vendors.
Restrictions on tourist visas.

Happy days in Toyland, or maybe we are in the Yemen. Good to see the dictator "bringing happiness back to the people", especially those in the tourist industry.
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by Big Boy »

The thing I always wonder about is whether these are legislation or enforced ideas. If for instance a scantily clad girl turned up at a motor show, yes it would be frowned upon, but could they take any legal action?

The thing always at the back of my mind is the wild imagination the BIB have, and the financial penalties we have to pay because of an over active imagination. Our only 'offence' has been to drive a motor vehicle legally on a Thai highway. They are so convincing, they must be able to believe the crap that comes from their mouth.

So are these new laws, loose interpretations of existing laws or just the latest whim from The Ministry of Silly Ideas?
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by usual suspect »

If you're Chinese or S.Korean then maybe they think this country is very friendly towards them...
..my guess is every Thai person they come into contact with thru'out their stay will have been thru' a staff-meeting etc to
ensure 'Thainess' is seen at all times.
As for us Westerners..my rule of thumb is a Thai is only ever polite & nice to you if he/she is directly, or indirectly
receiving or due to receive money from you.
Yes there will be exceptions, but generally this is my view. :?
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by Big Boy »

alcohol discussion moved here viewtopic.php?f=8&t=35730
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by Gregjam »

Is Thailand Tourist Friendly, yes, not as much as it used to be for sure but it is still tourist friendly. The regulations both real and perceived seem to grow but most tourists will enjoy their holiday having found the prices cheap despite being ripped off, the places beautiful despite paying ten times what the locals pay to get in and the weather nice despite this year being the wettest for many years. Another question to ask is Thailand 'Non Immigrant' foreigner friendly and that has always been dubious (and not the subject of this thread but many others).
Tourists in any country are unlikely to see or experience what most of the forum members who live here experience on a day to day basis and the lack of enforcement of any regulation probably means that they will return home having never been told what they should not have done. Some things they will notice but will also have seen similar in other countries and will take in their stride. Hopefully for the sake of those who rely on tourists for their livelihood the tourist season is good as it has been a quiet off season and they will be needing the income.
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by STEVE G »

Yes, many of my colleagues visit Thailand and they seem to be happy with the experience but they generally do it as married couples staying in upmarket resort hotels which means they don't really notice all the negative stuff that residents do. Certainly they're not riding motorbikes in National Parks!
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by Stargeezer »

Yes Thailand is still Tourist friendly, but certainly not expat friendly. My friend who lives in
Hua Hin with his wife, says he only goes there for 5+ months because he hates Winter and his
wife likes to see her home country and parents and family each Winter. The prices slowly go up and
his expat friends are getting older and less and less are returning. After this Winter I doubt I will be
back as often as well, except for funerals in my Thai family. I do not enjoy my visits as much as I used
to and have seen most of the country. I may go see Roi Et, and a couple more in the NW part of Thailand
but it is just not as fun as it was even 5 years ago.
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Re: Thailand Tourist Friendly?

Post by Cuffee.michael »

The worst thing is in nightclubs.
There is a queue for Thai people, with free entry, and there is one for farangs, that have to pay something like 400/500 bahts to get in.... I mean, I had never seen that before in another country.

Being a tourist in Thailand is amazing, but living there as an expat .... I don't know... I sometimes feel they don't want us to be here lol
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