I was in Thailand last month; and agree with all the anecdotal evidence about foreign visitor arrivals. That said, I was surprised at high levels of internal tourism, particularly day-tripping. Boy, were those vineyards crowded at weekends!

I think looking to foreign visitors, much of the commentary here is over-educated. Nothing is known of Thai politics. Traveler memories are short, even when the politics come out into the open, clearly effecting travelers (which mostly they don’t) such as in the airport occupations.

Scams, well, every traveler believes that they only happen to other people; and, anyway, they happen the world over. There is a lot of truth in the last statement. Don’t beat yourself up on this Thailand. Any cleaning up of acts though would be helpful.

So what do travelers consider, what do they remember? Price. And I firmly believe that pricing in Thailand this winter, particularly for accommodation, has been way too adventurous. Much softer rates were needed after recent disjunctures, or at all, in the face of global recession. And remember that the last comment covers increased feelings of unease, actual unemployment and reduced income, but also for some, particularly the British, painful movement in forex rates.

Thailand must also remember that in the rush for tourists it has lost some of the charm that attracted tourists in the first place. I nearly collapsed when I was wai’d in the supermarket this time! And I don’t go into tourists areas, so the implication is that Thais are being a good deal less charming with each other.

Finally, a trade point.Thailand is fiendishly difficult to do business with. That hotelier who spoke perfect English, guaranteed he could read written English, actually can’t. Emails go unanswered. Business is lost. I look unprofessional.

But face is saved in the first place. This is where what at first seems charming is, actually, untenable. Trusting relationships can only be built on complete transparency.

From what you say now, it seems that the season doesn’t go on as strong as expected..

Interesting post and insights. It’s a very great disappointment to have to agree with you in at least the majority of what you say.

Sad but true.

I don’t think you can blame the decline in Western high value tourists on the local problems. In Pattaya the Russians and Chinese are present in large numbers but I have heard several local business owners dismiss them as “cheap” tourists. This is the attitude that makes a difficult situation worse.

Years of price insensitive Western visitors splurging on luxury convinced many operators to focus on the high end. But those days seem to have passed. Hua Hin and Phuket went for that luxury market so it’s not surprising that the business has faded. But those who invested inthe dream can’t afford the discount that doing business today demands. Heights Holdings, a major high-standard condo developer in Pattaya is discounting condos by 60% in their current advertising. Pattaya accepts its discount as the cost of continuing to do business. In contrast the lady owner of the super luxury hi-so Prime Nature Villa development beside the Sheraton in Hua Hin was shot dead outside her office in Bangkok a few weeks ago. Whoever was responsible for this horrible murder it should serve as a reminder to us that “luxury” in Thailand isn’t quite as it may appear to be.

If you want to be in a clean safe environment where human beings and their basic rights are respected you should avoid Thailand altogether … If you are wlling to accept less, then what value for money is there in obviously untrustworthy luxury properties and services that promise much but deliver little? Untrustworthy and dirty Thailand is the definition of cheap and now that the big boom is over the discount market is really the only one left. Hua Hin may survive supported.by the spending power of the local Thai elite but Phuket is already showing signs that it’s is in direct competition with Pattaya for the kind of tourist that just last year it’s publicists defined as undesirable.

This has been typed on my iPhone in the departure lounge of Bangkok airport. I will be back soon but I don’t think I am harboring any illusions about the seriously damaged country I am returning to. The premise of the tourism business is that most tourists don’t realize what is going on around them. Perhaps, with no investment in the well-being of Thailand and its people many of the tourists would not care too much even if they did have some understanding of how this place works. Unfortunately many of the locals feel the same way.

What makes Thailand such an untrustworthy dirty place is the inability of most of the local population to empathize and identify with anything outside the narrow range of personal and family interest. Instant gatification, the pursuit of a quick buck, dishonesty like lying cheating and fraud have creatednot just a generally accepted business model but also a society in which people are alienated to a point where they can’t even empathize with their own neighbors. All the public appeals for unity strike me as a recognition that social cohesion is based on hierarchical exploitative power. Take away this and Thailand’s population is atomized into tiny, largely family-based groupings who view everyone else as potential predator or prey. The tourist industry and the expat population are to one side of the power structure and almost always prey … If that isn’t a discount situation then I don’t know what is. The Russians and the Chinese, coming as they do from authoritarian hierarchical societies are probably in a good position to understand what the true value of tourism services and goods might actually be in a place like Thailand. Let’s hope some of their discount gets passed on to the rest of us.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by BangkokDan: (BLOG) Where Are The Tourists? http://bit.ly/7Jj09W...

The only downside is that police corruption will increase because they have to make up their quotas from somewhere. So there will be more on-the-spot fines (for fabricated reasons) and clubs, bars and restaurants still have to make their (significant) cash payments even with no business. Anyone remember the ill-fated Parkbridge club in Patpong Soi 2? Driven out of business by the police.

The real reason tourism is down?

Thai police.

Yes, according to my TAT contact, the Thai police are running organized scams against our visitors.

All the tuk-tuks and taxis near the tourist hotels are participating with them.

I was recently watching the two gentleman that “work” on the corner of Wireless and Ploenchit Road.

They are there every day from 9 to 5, intercepting lost tourists. They are Thai police dressed in street clothes. Go watch them sometime. They take their coffee breaks inside the police box! This police gang has representatives all over town.

Three of them are in front of the Dusit Thani every day. They hang out in front of the hotel entrance.

Another group is on the corner of Naritwat and Silom Road.

Another gang in at the Erawan Shrine.

Another gang is in front of the Central World Shrine.

Another is in front of the Grand Palace, National Museum, etc.

Do a search for “tourist mafia Thailand” and see how this police mafia is ruining Thailands reputation.

Follow these links to photos of the Thai police tourist mafia:

Erawan Shrine Police Mafia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/sets/72157616786296908/

Central World:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21533131@N06/sets/72157616786255092/

Grand Palace:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157616768273247/

Silom:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157616886160455/

Sukhumvit Sois 18/20:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157618019269526/

Siam Center;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157618075380996/

Taxi Mafia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157617806940302/

BMA Footpath Mafia:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29324583@N05/sets/72157617714418287/