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Tourist Arrivals Still Falling


waerth
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I made my point poorly. Thailand has been a draw for a broad range of people, I think we can find common ground there. Whatever shortcomings and problems it had were eclipsed by the idea that it was an open environment where to some extent you could redefine yourself and experience a different culture and a different perspective on the world. An army of attractive and available women certainly doesn't hurt. Yeah yeah yeah this kind of environment also draws problems and scams and assholes and people to avoid -- but with a little common sense Thailand had a lot of appeal for many (and disillusionment for many too, granted).

 

Too some, seeing the environment change to become more like Burma, or China or Singapore or Vietnam causes the appeal to diminish. It's not really about safety (don't get me wrong, I'm not going on walkabout through Libya and safety is always a factor, but not the most important one and the least appealing thing is a sterile environment - people who want that can go to Disneyland). But when you hear about increasingly strict media and speech and social controls - this is a deterrent, and it goes against some deeply ingrained values for some. Especially young people. Whether this be naive or not.

 

So a military government with great hotels and deals and parks... yeah you'll still get tourists and the curious. I'll certainly come back unless they start executing falangs.

 

But it most definitely ain't the same.

 

Hence, a lot of folks are curious about where the country will go. This impacts how they see things there, how much time one is willing to invest in learning the language, culture, etc..

 

Go read the backpacker forums.

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HOly fuck let that be a lesson - don't try to post while on a conference call (a boring one) taking notes for your boss. Hoped I was making a 'thoughtful' post but it's a meandering mess.

 

Anyway - what I wanted to say is that the consolidation of power by the military and the decrease in civil liberties gives pause. The country itself might be X times safer and cheaper, but....

 

Now, I hope that in the long run it's all an overblown dog/pony show and much ado about nada. We shall see.

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"Go read the backpacker forums."

 

 

I prefer not to. Once upon a time, I tried following the Loony Planet's Southeast Asian thread. I gave up because it had some of the most ignorant, stuffed shirt prats you would ever hope not to meet. Not to mention how things so often descended into flame wars.

 

I go to Banglamphu fairly often, right next to KSR. There are now American fast food outlets in the area, and they are invariably packed with the "world travellers" sampling the exotic cuisine of Bangkok - at prices much higher than far better meals offered by the Thai, Indian, Nepali and Israeli restaurants nearby.

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