Final nail in the coffin ????????

Could this recent political unrest be the final nail in the coffin of Thai tourism. Global media is having a field day. Warnings not to travel and if you are already there, stay indoors.
Sometimes I wonder if the Thai's are their own worst enemy, they rely on tourism heavily and I'm mostly talking about your average struggler/street vendor/go go boy/girl.
I believe the protesters are "average" Thai citizens doing their best to destroy the countries tourism industry.
At the risk of lesse majestie, what is the King doing? One word from him and the problem would end. Drawback of constitutional monarchy I guess.
Farangs who live there or visit regularly may regard the matter as a storm in a tea cup, but anyone planning their first visit is going to give the place a very wide berth.
It's rather sad actually.

[kittyboy]

Could this recent political unrest be the final nail in the coffin of Thai tourism. Global media is having a field day. Warnings not to travel and if you are already there, stay indoors.
Sometimes I wonder if the Thai's are their own worst enemy, they rely on tourism heavily and I'm mostly talking about your average struggler/street vendor/go go boy/girl.
I believe the protesters are "average" Thai citizens doing their best to destroy the countries tourism industry.
At the risk of lesse majestie, what is the King doing? One word from him and the problem would end. Drawback of constitutional monarchy I guess.
Farangs who live there or visit regularly may regard the matter as a storm in a tea cup, but anyone planning their first visit is going to give the place a very wide berth.
It's rather sad actually.

I am certainly no expert on the psychology of tourism but here are my commets.

Before my most recent trip to thailand (this past winter) I was talking to my sister on the phone. She is a bright woman but has not travelled much. She was cautioning me to be very careful while in thailand and even suggested that I cancel my trip. She had been reading about the attacks in india in mumbai, the airport in bkk had been taken over by protesters and there were a couple of other things. In her mind they were all related somehow. She just had an uneasy feeling about traveling in asia. I reassured her that all was OK in thailand. I assued her that I was more likely to get drunk, fall over and crack my head on the pavement than get attacked by some terrorist group while I was in thailand. She remained fearful and cautioned me to be careful (big sisters I suppose always feel they need to be protective - even 4 decades after the need has passed).

To bigaussieal's point - thailand has spent a fortune over the years promoting its tourism industry. I suspect that those who have travelled here or are seasoned travelers will not pay much mind to the domestic political situation. However, those who are a bit less well travelled may become uneasy about thailand or perceive that it is somehow a less friendly place and then book their travel elsewhere.

Again just my comments and opinion - see below for my opinion on opinions.

[DCbob]

The protesters in my opinion (from what I have read) are mostly unemployed persons that are hired to bring about changes that the majority would not want if they could find employment.
I would put on a red, yellow, blue or any other color shirt (or even take my shirt off like they did the other day) and carry around a sign if it would feed me and my family.
Of course I understand in my own mind as to what is happening and I will definitely be back.
My home is in McAllen, Texas and I would probably not return home if I believed what I read in the news about the Mexican/American border.
There is my two cents worth.
May I have my change please?

[x in pattaya]

To bigaussieal's point - thailand has spent a fortune over the years promoting its tourism industry. I suspect that those who have travelled here or are seasoned travelers will not pay much mind to the domestic political situation. However, those who are a bit less well travelled may become uneasy about thailand or perceive that it is somehow a less friendly place and then book their travel elsewhere.

Again just my comments and opinion - see below for my opinion on opinions.


Yes, I agree. Americans, especially those who have not done much travelling, tend to run away/ stay away from places as soon as there's a hint of a problem and the British are nearly as bad. The chicken runs I've witnessed in South Africa, Rhodesia andd that region as well as in the Middle East & Pakistan were primarily Brits running from pillar to post,and of course the Americans were long gone by then. But over the past few years, based on a highly unscientific measure of who I've seen and overheard around Pattaya, Americans and the British make up a fairly small percentage of those walking about ... except when the American Navy is in town of course.

There are a lot of German residents where I stay and a fair number of Russian and Middle Easterners around here apparently on holiday. They seem to be quite content going about their business despite all the carry-on in the news.

Probably the Russians and other Eastern Europeans,maybe Scandanavians, Indians, Chinese and so on from Asian countries, will keep coming unless there's a major upheaval. While western tour organizers are likely to cancel or redirect tour groups, I would guess others are less flexible and not as eager to pull out of existing arrangements.

It will undoubtedly impact tourism and all those employed directly or indirectly in businesses serving tourists, but tourism will go on and it will probably recover if peace returns for awhile.

Loss of export business is likely to recover more slowly because businesses will find alternate sources for their needs.

[pyro]

I am American, but I have to agree with X on this. Americans do not travel as much as Europeans to begin with and any mention of problems will cause a great deal of travel anxiety. I however will NOT be canceling my trip, and will be there at the end of May. I think this be just one more blow to Thailand's already ailing tourism industry and by extension to the whole economy. In these troubled times, ALL industries need all the business they can get.

I thought the blood running in the streets in '92 was the final nail.

I thought the coup of 2006 was the final nail.

I thought the tsunami was the final nail.

I thought the airport protest/closure was the final nail.

Ho hum. People's memories are about two weeks.

[giggsy]

when they ban smoking in ALL the bars..that WILL be the final nail.

At the risk of lesse majestie, what is the King doing? One word from him and the problem would end.Have I got this wrong? Aren't the red shirts protesting BECAUSE they say the King interfered in politics and engineered Thaksin's removal? If the King says something won't it inflame things?

[latintopxxx]

X in Pattaya....have you been to zimbabwe/Rhodesia? Your ignorance is astounding!! Judging by your past posts I would gladly sponser you a flight to Zim at short notice.

like all the other problems thailand has seen this too shall pass.

[x in pattaya]

X in Pattaya....have you been to zimbabwe/Rhodesia? Your ignorance is astounding!! Judging by your past posts I would gladly sponser you a flight to Zim at short notice.

I lived in Zambia for nearly 25 years during the time of Ian Smith, Mugabe et al. Visited Rhodesia and Zimbabwe many times as well as South Africa both before and after Nelson Mandela was elected president. Even had lunch with Thabo Mbeke at the Pamodsi in Lusaka when the ANC was still based in Lusaka.

Wars were going on in Mozambique, Angola, Zaire ... and they spilled over into Zambia. Everyone had guns and moving around Lusaka by day could be dangerous ... by night it was suicidal. Both Ian Smith's army and the various Rhodesian freedom fighters came and went in Southern Province as they pleased. Drunk soldiers manning the Kafue River bridge fired everything including anti-aircraft weaponry as the spirit moved them. I lived nearby.

Please tell me all you know about that region of the world.

Also lived in Pakistan around the time of 9/11 when all the airlines, including Thai stopped serving Lahore and embassies were evacuating personnel ... even the British Council closed up shop ...and one group or another was bombing churches, schools & hospitals... I stayed. Had to fly to India to get a flight into Thailand for a holiday.

Been to Iran too.

You?

X in Pattaya....have you been to zimbabwe/Rhodesia? Your ignorance is astounding!! Judging by your past posts I would gladly sponser you a flight to Zim at short notice.

I lived in Zambia for nearly 25 years during the time of Ian Smith, Mugabe et al. Visited Rhodesia and Zimbabwe many times as well as South Africa both before and after Nelson Mandela was elected president. Even had lunch with Thabo Mbeke at the Pamodsi in Lusaka when the ANC was still based in Lusaka.

Wars were going on in Mozambique, Angola, Zaire ... and they spilled over into Zambia. Everyone had guns and moving around Lusaka by day could be dangerous ... by night it was suicidal. Both Ian Smith's army and the various Rhodesian freedom fighters came and went in Southern Province as they pleased. Drunk soldiers manning the Kafue River bridge fired everything including anti-aircraft weaponry as the spirit moved them. I lived nearby.

Please tell me all you know about that region of the world.

Also lived in Pakistan around the time of 9/11 when all the airlines, including Thai stopped serving Lahore and embassies were evacuating personnel ... even the British Council closed up shop ...and one group or another was bombing churches, schools & hospitals... I stayed. Had to fly to India to get a flight into Thailand for a holiday.

Been to Iran too.

You?

As you commented last month latintopxxx...."cheap shots are easy" (30 March)
It would be nice (read..unbelievable!) if there was a bit less bitching on this forum.

[Bob]

I lived in Zambia for nearly 25 years during the time of Ian Smith, Mugabe et al. Visited Rhodesia and Zimbabwe many times as well as South Africa both before and after Nelson Mandela was elected president. Even had lunch with Thabo Mbeke at the Pamodsi in Lusaka when the ANC was still based in Lusaka.

Wars were going on in Mozambique, Angola, Zaire ... and they spilled over into Zambia. Everyone had guns and moving around Lusaka by day could be dangerous ... by night it was suicidal. Both Ian Smith's army and the various Rhodesian freedom fighters came and went in Southern Province as they pleased. Drunk soldiers manning the Kafue River bridge fired everything including anti-aircraft weaponry as the spirit moved them. I lived nearby.

Please tell me all you know about that region of the world.

Also lived in Pakistan around the time of 9/11 when all the airlines, including Thai stopped serving Lahore and embassies were evacuating personnel ... even the British Council closed up shop ...and one group or another was bombing churches, schools & hospitals... I stayed. Had to fly to India to get a flight into Thailand for a holiday.

Been to Iran too.

You?

Wow, I'm duly impressed. And I'm jealous of the air miles you must have accumulated.

Other countries can cater for the tourists who want beaches and monuments, but those who want a few gogo bars as well will probably continue visiting Thailand.