Famed Thai hospitality shows signs of strain

By Thomas Fuller
International Herald Tribune Published: March 20, 2007

BANGKOK: Long one of the most open and accommodating destinations for tourists and businesspeople in Asia, the well-advertised "land of smiles" is showing signs of a subtle frown directed toward foreigners.
Over the past seven months, successive Thai governments have passed measures scrutinizing land purchases by non-Thais and clamping down on long-stay retirees and expatriate workers who lack proper visas. In January, the cabinet passed a sweeping bill that tightened restrictions on foreign companies, a measure that awaits final approval.
"There's been a trend that suggests rising economic nationalism," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. Thailand, he said, has fallen into a "very complex mood of ambivalence" toward outsiders under the military-led government that seized power last September.
That mood is evident in a 12th-floor conference room at the headquarters of Bangkok Bank, where Vongthip Chumpani, an adviser and former vice president at the bank, expressed her frustrations about certain types of foreigners who come to Thailand тАФ and tend to stay.
"We are getting a lot of weird retirees here," Vongthip said. "They can't survive in your country so they come here."

full article http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/20/ ... s/thai.php
via zilfo on Thorntree Thailand

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"We are getting a lot of weird retirees here," Vongthip said. "They can't survive in your country so they come here."

Someone give that lady a fricking medal for her keen powers of observation!

"There's been a trend that suggests rising economic nationalism," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Chulalongkorn University. Thailand, he said, has fallen into a "very complex mood of ambivalence" toward outsiders under the military-led government that seized power last September.

Only since last September? Really? The whole emphasis of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai, including the name itself, was "Thailand for the Thais", and that captured a mood in Thailand that had been growing for some time. Before Stickman's column began its hibernation there were a number of entries about the rising antagonism of Thais towards foreigners, particularly Westerners. This is not a new phenomenon - but it is a growing one

One does wonder about the mentality of even educated Thais, such as the Bangkok Bank woman quoted. Thailand is not only competing for such things as medical tourism, it is competing (whatever they may tell you) for the retiree dollar. Countries such as Malaysia have formalised the entire system and have an programme with an official name - it used to be (and still may be) called "Silver Hair". Thailand hasn't gone down the path of formalising a programme for one simple reason. When a Malaysian industry minister complained to his Thai counterpart that Thailand was attracting more foreign investment than Malaysia, and asked why, the Thai minister replied "Because Thailand's more fun". Thailand has the same attraction over Malaysia for the retiree market which is why the Thais can get away with not having a formal programme - Thailand sells itself. The Thais are now finding out that there's a downside to "Thailand's more fun" - ask many people, especially those who haven't been here, to name Thailand's top three fun attractions - recreational sex will always be one of them. To complain that such people wouldn't survive in their own countries is simply nonsense, a cheap and easy shot - and popular

[fedssocr]

it's kind of hard to blame them for clamping down on people over-staying their visas or otherwise breaking the law. why have rules at all if you're not going to enforce them?

I've only been to Thailand once so I don't have any other past experiences to compare, but everywhere I went I felt extremely welcome. In fact I have remarked many times that I have never met nicer people anywhere. And I plan to return later this year. So we'll see.

"Thailand's more fun" - ask many people, especially those who haven't been here, to name Thailand's top three fun attractions - recreational sex will always be one of them. To complain that such people wouldn't survive in their own countries is simply nonsense, a cheap and easy shot - and popular

Not so, mostly they, as far as I have been reading, cannot even survive in Thailand. Forever taking little trips home to have the odd nip and tuck, usually its the prostate, but they make full use of such things as the national health and the very strong Euro, Dollar (not so strong) etc, to be able to just survive on the cheap sex, accommodation and food Thailand offers. Not to mention the fun. Retiring in Thailand is 1000% easier on the old wallet than staying home, the heating bills at home alone would put them in the poor house.

[Aunty]

I have enormous sympathy for the comments from the Bank Official. She's absolutely right. Just because you're old don't mean you're quality. Just ask Beryl.

I have enormous sympathy for the comments from the Bank Official. She's absolutely right. Just because you're old don't mean you're quality. Just ask Beryl.

No wonder newbies don't want to post here when people like Aunty turn every thread into a personal attack. Let's not forget that it's poster Aunty who has told us recently that all Asians are cretins, incapable of winning Nobel (or as Aunty puts it "Noble") Prizes, but also that Thailand is a Third World shit-hole. Aunty seems to have the colonial mentality - go to a foreign country and fuck the natives

[Aunty]

I rest my case. :cheers:

I rest my case.

One of Hedda's favourite ripostes on losing an argument via having her own words thrown back in her face. Hmmm

... To complain that such people wouldn't survive in their own countries is simply nonsense, a cheap and easy shot - and popular

I think Vongthip's comment is valid. If a farang retiree only has a small budget to live in LOS like an average (or below average) Thai, no, he can not survive in his farang land. I don't know the statitics, but I suspect many farang retirees are in this category.