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Poll: Majority of foreign tourists still prefer to revisit Thailand

BANGKOK, Sept 6 (TNA) -- Despite ongoing political turbulence in Thailand, as many as 97 per cent of foreign investors and tourists visiting the kingdom said they would revisit this country again if the opportunity opens, according to a poll conducted earlier this week.

Noppadol Kannikar, director of Assumption University's ABAC Poll, said the survey, conducted Sept 2-5 among 532 foreign investors and tourists, found that 98.9 per cent of the respondents said they would ask their relatives and friends to visit Thailand.

A total of 88.7 per cent of respondents expressed positive comments even after learning of the recent clash between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and the State of Emergency imposed in Bangkok, said Mr. Noppadol.

However, 23.8 per cent of total respondents admitted their journeys were inconvenienced due to the suspension of domestic airlines and railway services as a result of work stoppage by employees. Some 11.6 per cent were forced to change their travel plans.

The gross happiness index of foreigners residing in Thailand, however, improved marginally to 8.06 in the latest survey from the 8.02 registered earlier. (TNA)

enews.mcot.net

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"Keeping quiet while monks and other peaceful protesters are murdered and jailed is not evidence of constructive engagement." - Arvind Ganesan, Human Rights Watch.

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EmperorTud

Investors and tourists?

They do these surveys of tourists at places like Chatuchak market at the weekends.

What qualifies these people as investors? The fact they have invested in useless junk sold at the market?

Loy Toy

One day at a time and with regard to staying, working and living here!

In fact it still feels like I am on holidays (and after more than 20 years here) and you just have to take the good and bad days and as they come and in your stride.

Of course people will still want to come here!

Why? Because here is still a lot better shithole than the shithole that they come from!

EmperorTud

If there is bloodshed, and continuing political turmoil, less and less people will come.

Not to mention the global recession will be a major factor.

The survey only serves to postpone the eventual realisation that Tourism in Thailand is in big, big trouble.

Maybe if they are Burmese or Lao.

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Mortals you defy the Gods, I sentence you to travel among unknown stars, until you find the Kingdom of Hades, your bodies will stay as lifeless as stone.

Loy Toy

Yes, good and relevent points tuddy but at the end of the day it is still far cheaper to live here and relatively still a lot safer than the social environment that some farangs live in at the moment.

Regarding the ongoing gloom and doom, and with regard to the global economy, some will feel a change is as good as a holiday and decide to make Thailand their new cheaper to live in home IMO.

keda

Political uncertainty is part of the parcel...LoS will always have the tourists flock for it's weather, cost of living, laid back attitude, and neverending output of cheap and obliging knobwarmers.

EmperorTud

Cheaper for certain things and far more expensive for others.

Much of a muchness.

It's certainly not safer in Thailand although it certainly feels so.

Thailand won't allow mass arrivals of long term Westerners.

Visa rules, the ones in the pipeline notwithstanding, will be tightened further to ensure that never happens.

dirtydog

it must be real horrible to be Scotish, everybody thinking that you are scum and that, funny world aint it.

melvbot

I wouldnt do a poll of Scots at the minute. They lost 1-0 to Macedonia. That'll knock a few points off the scale.

EmperorTud

I'm afraid you're mistaken, it's the English that are hated Worldwide. The English.

The Scottish are welcomed the World over, especially in places where our diaspora has reached, notably North America and Australia.

Loy Toy

Thailand 30 years ago was run on the smell of an oily rag so to speak. Not so today!

With the growth of the country (in ther last 10 years) and with regard to infra-structure and particularly the "middle class", you will find that they will finally realize they need us farang more than just for technical transfer.

Time will come Tuddy, that they will finally realize what their greatest natural resource is. And that is our tourist dollars and long term solid investment profile and intentions.

Our day will come and I really don't think that is far away!

Smeg

I guess living here is a more healthy alternative to using crack for 20 years

Who is it cheaper for? Only those bringing money with them. And even then, the only things that are cheaper are the limited number of locally made products and services that can't be exported to people who'll pay more for them.

EmperorTud

We've had our day in the big scheme of things.

As far as Thailand is concerned "our day" was in the heady days of R&R during the American War.

The Sufficiency Economy and Governments' Nationalist policies will ensure we don't get a foothold over here, and that suits the Thais and the people that run their country; the Chinese.

Thailand will never, ever, tolerate immigration of Westerners to its shores, it barely tolerates a few hundred immigrants from our shores a year, preferring to keep the vast majority of us on non-immigrant status as temporary visitors.

dirtydog

Emperor Turd, i really think that it is just you that is hated, and your Scottish, I rest my case.

Loy Toy

Yes understand your points Smeg but at the end of the day it really depends on your lifestyle and what makes you happy.

For the first 14 years here I pissed and fcuked my way through every baht I could make, ate in the best restaurants and drove the best cars.

Sometimes you really find your comfort zone and where you are happy and content to live in.

I came here with 200 Oz dollars in my pocket and have done OK since then but I choose now to be more rational with my spending and because it suits me.

Spending capacity is solely an individual experience and according to how hard that person wants to work.

momo8

^^ he has ginger hair too?

Any place in the world is great if you have money and are making money. So many more options and choices at your disposal.

EmperorTud

And you're a scumbag that lives in Pattaya that threatens to shoot people on an internet forum.

Your point caller?

EmperorTud

I thought you said you got sent here on an engineering job?

dirtydog

I have never threatened to shoot anybody Mr Turd.

dirtydog