Holidaying locally VS. Holidaying in Thailand

[Beachlover]

This is an interesting article by backpacking blogger, Ben Groundwater.

He compares holidaying in Thailand to holidaying locally in Australia. Similar things could be said about many Western countries.

Full article: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html

I've taken a few local short getaways recently and have to agree with the comparison. At home in Australia, you get shit all for what you pay. To me, Thailand and other countries in Asia offer MUCH better value and the air fares getting there are pretty cheap these days.

I like some of the comparisons made...

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(All quoted excerpts from the article)

"Two groups of friends... One group was heading to the Margaret River region of Western Australia, for four days of wine drinking, food eating, and surf staring (too cold to get in, unless you're English). The other trip was to Phuket, Thailand, for four days of Singha drinking, poolside lying and chilli eating."

In Australia:"a fairly basic two-bedroom flat in the middle of town, was $95 per person, per night."

In Thailand:"My Thailand-going friends... stayed at a pretty fancy hotel for $97 a night each."


In Australia:"A beer... goes for about $9 or $10 a pint."

In Thailand:"In Thailand, it [a beer] would have been about $2."


In Australia:"hired a car to drive us around the Margo wineries for $400 for a whole day."

In Thailand:"spent a fraction of that on tuk-tuks into town (when they weren't lurching from the breakfast buffet to the massage table)."


In Australia:"We got to hang out on some beautiful beaches, some of the best I've ever seen. We got to spend a couple of days hanging out in wineries and sampling the local product. We had a few fun nights out in the local pubs of Margaret River."

In Thailand:"four nights in a fancy schmancy hotel near Phuket, hanging by the pool drinking Singhas and taking a tuk-tuk into town when they felt like it. They had tasty, cheap Thai food in town, and buffet breakfasts each morning."


"the nitty gritty of this whole situation is that my friends got to fly to a new, interesting country, soak up the culture, eat great food and stay in nice accommodation with great service for the same money it cost me to stay in Australia, eat average food and stay in average accommodation."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/the- ... 1eh43.html

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[fedssocr]

not sure how much "soak[ing] up the culture" one actually does in Phuket while "lurching between the breakfast buffet and massage table" or laying by the pool.

I know lots of people do it and call it a vacation but I would go nuts.

[Marsilius]

To me, Thailand and other countries in Asia offer MUCH better value...

Quite true - but the comparison we are invited to make here is a rather limited one. Lumping Thailand together with "other countries in Asia" fails to make the point that, compared with many other Asian (and other non-North American/European) holiday destinations, Thailand can come out poorly for value these days because of the strong baht and idiosyncratic Thai business practices - especially putting prices UP to combat falling demand. A more enlightening theme for the thread might have been "Holidaying locally vs. Holidaying in Thailand vs. Holidaying elsewhere"

[Khor tose]

"The fruits of peace and tranquility... are the greatest goods... while those of its opposite, strife, are unbearable evils. Hence we ought to wish for peace, to seek it if we do not already have it, to conserve it once it is attained, and to repel with all our strength the strife which is opposed to it. To this end individual[s]... and in even greater degree groups and communities are obliged to help one another... from the bond or law of human society." [Marsilio dei Mainardini (c.1275-1342), Defensor Pacis]

One of my favorite Italians. Mes Compliments, vous estes tres bien lire.

Mes Compliments, vous estes tres bien lire.

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[thonglor55]

He compares holidaying in Thailand to holidaying locally in Australia. Similar things could be said about many Western countries.

Perhaps you could make a list of the many Western countries you've visited where you've made the comparison. Or is that a similar remark to your one about security guards at guest houses in Pattaya that began "In my experience, most ... " and was subtley altered in a later post to be "In the guest houses where I've stayed"

[Beachlover]

not sure how much "soak[ing] up the culture" one actually does in Phuket while "lurching between the breakfast buffet and massage table" or laying by the pool.

I don't know... But there's something exotic and more appealing about doing that in Thailand (or anywhere else in Asia) as opposed to doing it in Australia. Anyway, you've got to have your lazy chill out days and active days on any holiday.

Quite true - but the comparison we are invited to make here is a rather limited one...

True... but there's only so much you can cover in a short article like this. People have short attention spans.

compared with many other Asian (and other non-North American/European) holiday destinations, Thailand can come out poorly for value these days because of the strong baht and idiosyncratic Thai business practices - especially putting prices UP to combat falling demand.

Personally, I haven't noticed any significant increase in the cost of services over the last 6 years I've been visiting Thailand, other than very very minor things like drink prices at a couple of places and such. Nothing major to complain about, in my opinion. None of the usual services I pay for, hotels, food, drinks, going out, taxis and transport, spa/massage etc. have really gone up.

Looking at its immediate neighbours, I didn't really find Vietnam any cheaper than Thailand in any noticeable way. Malaysia feels on par with Thailand (I think good hotels are slightly cheaper in KL than in Bangkok). Cambodia is definitely cheaper but doesn't offer anywhere near as much as Thailand.

It depends on what value mix you're after but overall, for what you get, I think Thailand is still quite competitive and compelling.

You can't expect Thailand to be the cheapest, considering how much it has to offer. I feel other countries like Singapore and Malaysia have to make a fair effort to attract tourists, look after them and keep them happy. Thailand does make some effort too. But I think for the most part, it sits there bumbling along with airport shutdowns, protests and civil unrest, tourist scams and tourist price fixing... and STILL attracts lots of tourists!

Having said that, other countries are creeping up on Thailand.