#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Thailand and Asia News >  >  > Business, Finance & Economics in Thailand >  >  Phuket - High-season tourism outlook bleak: PTA

## dirtydog

*High-season tourism outlook bleak: PTA

*  PHUKET CITY: Despite a large drop in fuel prices internationally, the outlook for this year’s high season for tourism remains bleak, a top tourism industry leader has said.

Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice-President Bhuritt Maswongsa told the Gazette that current occupancy rates and advanced bookings from now until the end of the year should result in an island-wide average occupancy rate of about 55% compared to 80% for the same period last year.

Mr Bhuritt, who is General Manager of the Patong Beach Resort, said the main cause for the downturn was a drop in the number of arrivals from Phuket’s traditional “bread-and-butter” market: Europe.

Security fears resulting from the ongoing political turmoil in the capital and global economics have combined to keep the Europeans away, he said.

“Many countries still have travel advisories in effect, warning tourist not to visit areas where pro- and anti-government demonstrations are taking place. Also, the economic crisis in the US and Europe has caused potential tourists to delay or cancel their travel plans in order to save money,” he said.

“I expect that many hotels and resorts will be forced to lay off staff around the middle of next year. Another reason for the lower occupancy rate is probably due to an oversupply situation in the number of hotel rooms,” he added.

In Patong alone, the number of hotel rooms registered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand grew from 9,919 in 2005 to 12,962 by September this year, which is an increase of over 30%.

Similar increases in the number of rooms available at hotels, resorts and rental villas have taken place in many other parts of the island.

The PTA and the government will launch a road show to China in mid-December in a bid to lure in more tourists from that country, he said.

 Phuket Gazette

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## Mid

*Banyan Tree shows concerns in Thai politics*
Thu, November 13, 2008 : Last updated 21:20 hours

*Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd, a leading manager and developer of premium hotels and resorts listed in Singapore, witnessed a 51 per cent decrease in third-quarter operating profit to S$9.2 million mainly due to political turmoil in Thailand.* 

"The political turmoil in Thailand which resulted in street demonstrations in Bangkok and also closure of Phuket Airport over a weekend in August has affected travel to the country in the third quarter. 

This was compounded by the fact that 3rd quarter is the shoulder season of the year," Ho KwonPing, executive chairman of Banyan Tree, said in a statement issued on Thursday. 

"We are closely monitoring the Thai political situation and given the increased deterioration of the global financial situation, we are approaching the high season at the end of this year more cautiously."

In September, anti-government protesters blocked Phuket International Airport and many countries issued travel warnings on fear of escalating violence.

In September, anti-government protesters blocked Phuket International Airport and many countries issued travel warnings on fear of escalating violence. 

Operating profit for the nine months was 17 per cent ahead to S$82.9 million, largely driven by its Hotel Residences segment. 

The group said the outlook is unclear given the increased deterioration of the global financial situation and a period of great uncertainties. The political turmoil in Thailand, if protracted, may have a significant impact on the group, especially if accessibility to its properties are hindered or travel advisories are issued by countries of our key guest markets. 

"We are closely monitoring the Thai political situation and the general global outlook as we approach the high season at the end of the year. As of now, the hotel's on the book ("OTB") rooms revenue for 4th quarter for Banyan Tree/Angsana Resorts outside Thailand is still healthy at 45 per cent higher than the same period last year," Ho said. 

OTB for hotels in Thailand however is 19 per cent lower and overall OTB is 4 per cent higher than the same period last year.

nationmultimedia.com

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## killerbees

Talked to someone last week (Thai) who was noting the irony that those in Phuket bankrolling the local PAD chapter had basically shot themselves in the foot by doing so... no tourists are coming, and industry is suffering. I can personally attest to it. This month is generally the beginning of the high season where I work. Not so at the moment. September and October, instead of seeing increasing numbers, were progressively quieter and quieter. Bread and butter where I work are the foreign tourists. Without them, it's a ghost town. There's a hiring freeze, and now talk of cutting bonuses (and it's only November...). We'll see what happens, I suppose, but it looks like everybody's dire predictions for a very quiet high season are accurate. And all the while you have the gov't tools out there saying that everything is fine and tourism is going up, up, up.

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## bkkandrew

Sterling buying just 51.7 baht doesn't help...

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## Spin

> Sterling buying just 51.7 baht doesn't help...


Just three months ago you got 25% more bang for you quid at 64.6 baht to the pound. linky

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## jim1176

Thailand needs to cool off ... got too expensive resulting in poor value.  Thais failed to realize people who spend more money want better service, not Thai culture aka "take it or leave it farang". These people have more options and are smart enough to find good value. The mongers will always come and many know the scene well enough to keep costs down. Higher end tourists will just go else where.

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## bkkandrew

^^NY trading has taken the pound to 1.457 against the USD and consequently 51.25 against THB.  :Sad:

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## Texpat

I agree. 

Inflation and forex have served to crush the good value Thailand enjoyed just a few years ago. My father visited last year for a month, when the greenback was worth around 33B. After listening to me tell him how cheap things were in Thailand over the previous few years (40B-45B), he compared prices of many, many things: Farang food, golf clubs, hotels, gasoline, hardware, cars, shoes, clothes, insurance ...

His conclusion was that it's not cheaper in Thailand, and many items that Thai consider luxury, but he considers indispensable, are far more here than in the US (Fla).

Any value in Thailand is found at the very bottom, survival-level existence. A bag of vegetables, a dusty sidewalk eatery with plastic plates and chairs, a 5-gal bottle of water ... Any step up from the most basic, is often acompanied by outrageous prices which quickly push it out of the range of good value. Double glazed windows, leather seats in a car, riding lawn mower ...

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## S Landreth

With news like this (see link), I think tourism around the world will be effected, not just here in Thailand. People are worried and may not want to spend money at this time on vacations.

Link: http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/11/12/recession-global-economy-oped-cx_nr_1113roubini.html

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## bkkandrew

^^Quite so Tex. Tonight I spent B140 on a whole chicken roasted on a spit in my soi. It was delicious, glazed in a honey sauce.

The identical item can be purchased in any UK supermarket at the same price at today's exchange rate. And factor into that the on-costs of a supermarket.

So you are correct, the 'value' aspect of Thailand has simply disappeared.

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## EmperorTud

Prices here have skyrocketed in the last few months, and it will only get worse as the global slowdown and strong Baht affects Thailand more and more. In my local supermarket prices on many items have doubled in the last two months. The only savings I am making are on petrol, as that has almost halved in price recently.

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## phunphin

and when Malaysia is advertising it has everything thailand does , but no sleaze or violence.

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## andy55

things are very bad here in the uk 
 and its just beginning 
you guys that rely on tourists better forget it
everythings going pear shaped 

a collapse of the banking system
 its a nightmare

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## mediamanbkk

It does not help when you get events such as this week:

Monday - Announcements made that Thailand is a safe place to visit.

Tuesday - Prime Minister warns of possible bomb attacks on Wednesday at Loy Krathong festival - avoid large crowds

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## melvbot

Its quite easy to be blind to the price of things when you dont think about the exchange. 100 baht notes are basically £2 notes, the wife doesnt see it that way "its only 100bt" or "its only 500bt". A few of these "only" prices add up to £20 or £30 quite easily.

 We did a small shop around Big C and spent 1500 baht, roughly £30. I could have got twice the amount in a UK supermarket.

Phuket will suffer badly if people have the sense to check what prices are going to be beforehand or if theyve been before and roughly know the costs.

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## watterinja

^ That's a neat way to look at the cost-of-living. I've always considered Thailand to be extremely expensive.

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## bkkandrew

> Its quite easy to be blind to the price of things when you dont think about the exchange. 100 baht notes are basically £2 notes, the wife doesnt see it that way "its only 100bt" or "its only 500bt". A few of these "only" prices add up to £20 or £30 quite easily.
> 
> We did a small shop around Big C and spent 1500 baht, roughly £30. I could have got twice the amount in a UK supermarket.
> 
> Phuket will suffer badly if people have the sense to check what prices are going to be beforehand or if theyve been before and roughly know the costs.


Quite. What brought it home with the latest Sterling drop was that the beer in the bar which was around £1 (B80) has now gone up to B90 and is 'around' £2. Whichever way you look at it, tourists will not be crowing about how cheap it is to go out in Thailand!

As an aside, I had some drinks in The Black Swan next to the Asoke Skytrain station recently. Heineken was B220 per pint. This works out at £4.30 per pint, which is 50% more than my local in the UK, more expensive that most places in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and on-par with a London pub. :Sad:

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## Gaudente

“Many countries still have travel advisories in effect, warning tourist not to visit areas where pro- and anti-government demonstrations are taking place. Also, the economic crisis in the US and Europe has caused potential tourists to delay or cancel their travel plans in order to save money,” he said.

After the Queen's pets blocked Phuket airport for three days what could they expect ? That's what you get when you grant impunity to criminals !

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## jandajoy

> I spent B140 on a whole chicken roasted on a spit in my soi


Blimey, that's a bit expensive. 105 up here.

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## killerbees

Some of my relatives came to visit last month. Being the magnanimous asshole that I am, I decided to take them out and show them around, despite my busy schedule. Well, after years of me telling them how cheap it was (starting in about 2003), they finally bought tickets. What they found, unfortunately, was that things are really not that cheap at all. Previously, I had lived in smaller, out of the way, medium-sized cities where you could go out for a night, have a great time, and spend a ridiculously small sum of money, comparatively. Now that I live in Phuket, it's the opposite. It's not uncommon to go out and spend a large sum of money with relatively little to show for it. 

It's possible to live cheaply in Phuket. I shop at the produce markets, don't really do a lot of high-end stuff. But when people come to visit or come on holiday, they don't want to pinch pennies (aside from the soapdodging contingent, who see deprivation as some sort of notch on the rucksack). A night out on Patong cost me more than a night out back home, I shit you not. To my relatives on vacation, it wasn't that big a deal to go out and spend a hundred baht on a beer. To me, it was crazy. On a given night out in Patong, I can go through 4,000 baht easily, and this includes a semi-decent room and just food and booze. It ain't cheap. And what someome said previously was correct: if you're paying more money, you want (deserve) better service. If I pay 100 baht for a beer, it better be cold, first of all, be a good beer, secondly, and be served by someone who has a bit of an idea what is implied by the term "service." There are some well-run places in Phuket but the majority of them (those that cater to tourists) are offering nothing better than slightly cheaper or comparably-priced services with abysmal to decent service. 

Still, some people marvel at the prices of t-shirts and things like that. Great, if you want to buy a shitty shirt with a tired Diesel logo that's going to fall apart in two months. Hopefully the memories last longer.

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## good2bhappy

I am starting to hear stories of long term people having to leave.
their pensions just cant stretch anymore.
if this slide continues many people living on the edge will have to up sticks.
But to where?

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## bkkandrew

> On a given night out in Patong, I can go through 4,000 baht easily, and this includes a semi-decent room and just food and booze.


And that is 80 quid now.  :Sad:

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## Thetyim

> Blimey, that's a bit expensive. 105 up here.


We can still get them for 70 baht here
Guess it depends on size and these are small

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## killerbees

???




> I am starting to hear stories of long term people having to leave.
> their pensions just cant stretch anymore.
> if this slide continues many people living on the edge will have to up sticks.
> But to where?

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## killerbees

> Originally Posted by killerbees
> 
> 
> On a given night out in Patong, I can go through 4,000 baht easily, and this includes a semi-decent room and just food and booze.
> 
> 
> And that is 80 quid now.


Live rates at 2008.11.14 06:21:10 UTC Notice: The THB rate shown below is the international rate. Rates used within Thailand may vary.*4,000.00 THB*

*=*

*114.117 USD*

Thailand Baht United States Dollars 1 THB = 0.0285291 USD1 USD = 35.0519 THB


I guess that's gone up since the last time I checked. It's been a while.

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## Texpat

Yes, the US buck is strengthening, but the Oz dollah, the pound and Euro are stinking the place up now.

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## melvbot

Vietnam and to a certain extent Cambodia will be better places for bang for buck. Dollars are accepted everywhere in Cambodia so no worries about exchange rates, nice beaches, good food at a reasonable price and plenty of touristy things to see as well. Got a friend with a bar there that hasnt got half the worries I have at the minute.

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## Troubled

I would hazard a guess that few if any tourist locations here in Thailand are cutting their rates to try and attract customers.
I would also hazard a guess that most have gone to their "high-season" rates or greater because traffic is down.

There is more and more competition for Thailand and people will look for greater value for money when money is tight

Hotel rates cut as financial crisis bites - Telegraph

 Hotel rates cut as financial crisis bites - Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/34...-as-financial-... 1 of 2 14/11/2008 13:51 Hotels in Paris, Amsterdam and Prague have all cut their rates in an attempt to attract more British visitors 
 Hotel rates cut as financial crisis bites 
 European hotels are cutting their room rates by to 50 per cent in a bid attract British travellers. By Charles Starmer-Smith 
Last Updated: 1:34PM GMT 13 Nov 2008 
Hotels are cutting room rates by up to 50 
per cent in an attempt to keep Britons 
travelling during the economic downturn, 
a leading hotel booking agency has 
claimed. 
Ian Ackland, commercial manager of 
Hotel Connect, which offers hotels in 
more than 200 destinations, said concern 
about a lack of bookings this winter are 
prompting record discounts. 
"Hoteliers have always dropped their 
rates by five or ten per cent at the start of 
winter, but only for a couple of weeks. 
These reductions are at an 
unprecedented level – we are now seeing 
cuts of up to 50 per cent for the next two 
or three months, as hoteliers recognise that this thing [economic downturn] is not going to go away." 
He said that hotels in cities such as Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam and Prague were offering the biggest reductions, as the weakness of the pound and the dollar against the euro puts travellers off. Dubai hotels are also cutting rates by a third, he added. The pound has fallen against the UAE dirham by a third since last year. 
Last month travel analysts had predicted that hotels would close floors to save money during the financial downturn rather than cut rates, but bookings have slowed since then. 
Manny Fontenla-Novoa, chief executive of Thomas Cook, speaking at this week's World Travel Market in London, called on more hoteliers to lower their rates during the economic downturn. He said that, even with a 12 per cent reduction in the number of holidays being offered next year, the current conditions made it imperative that hoteliers give operators the best prices now to guarantee bookings for next summer, rather than wait until March to decide whether to reduce rates. 
He added that he expected holidaymakers to continue to switch from traditional packages in Spain to mid-haul destinations such as Egypt and Turkey next year. 
The savings are not confined to hotels abroad. Travelodge, the British chain, has cut its average room rates from £50 a night to £29 until the end of this year. A spokesman said that by next spring it will offer hotel rooms in 15 British cities from as little as £9 a night, as part of an aggressive price war against its rivals.

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## EmperorTud

> A spokesman said that by next spring it will offer hotel rooms in 15 British cities from as little as £9 a night


When you see prices like this (460thb approx.) you start to realise what you've been paying for that dirty fan room isn't really cheap anymore.

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## terry57

> I am starting to hear stories of long term people having to leave.
> their pensions just cant stretch anymore.


 


This is absolute bolliks.

If they cant survive in Thailand on there pension how the fok are they going to survive in the real world ?

Every time I read a statement like this I roll around in raptures of laughter, keep it real for fok sake.

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## Spin

If i was a British tourist looking for a holiday destination right now Thailand would not be on the list of options. At 52 baht to the pound Thailand is just too expensive.
The average sex tourist is gonna struggle to get layed. 1000 baht is over 19 GBP now.

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## killerbees

> If they cant survive in Thailand on there pension how the fok are they going to survive in the real world ?


Well, they'll move on to someplace cheaper, I suppose. Cambodia and Vietnam apparently being two nearby options, as Melvbot said. The point being, Thailand isn't as cheap as it once was, and isn't as cheap as people may think it is. 

Or they'll do what Thais do, and move in with members of their extended family.

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## Gaudente

> Vietnam and to a certain extent Cambodia will be better places for bang for buck. Dollars are accepted everywhere in Cambodia so no worries about exchange rates, nice beaches, good food at a reasonable price and plenty of touristy things to see as well. Got a friend with a bar there that hasnt got half the worries I have at the minute.


I disagree.
Here in Pattaya a Beach Road bitch charges 500baht for a short time.
In Cambodia you end up paying the same , 15$ , in a cheap brothel like Blue Mountain in Sihanoukville.
In Vietnam you pay 250.000-300.000 dong in massage place where btw they regularly try to steal your wallet.
So there is no save on the mongering side.
In Thailand you can buy a cheap condo saving a lot on accomodation. In Cambo and Vietnam you can buy nothing and have to pay inflated barang rents (in PP a real estate agency had only rents starting 600$ and up)
So the final maths is living in Cambo or Vietnam is about $ 300/month more expensive compared to Thailand.

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## plorf

Certainly agree with you lot that Thailand isn't really cheap anymore. But there are a few things that are still a good bargain for your money:
- Rent a scooter for 100Bht a day
- Shopping of non-imported goods (souvenirs, clothes and the like, and clothes don't necessarily need to be a cheap brandcopy)
-Fantastic hotel in Koh Phangan in low season for 900 Bht including breakfast buffet (normally 2700+Bht in the winter)
-Great thai food in a comfortable & clean restaurant for less than 100Bht outside Bkk
- etc etc .. 

But yes, same things as in Europe goes for the same price.

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## Little Black Duck

> Certainly agree with you lot that Thailand isn't really cheap anymore. But there are a few things that are still a good bargain for your money:
> - Rent a scooter for 100Bht a day
> - Shopping of non-imported goods (souvenirs, clothes and the like, and clothes don't necessarily need to be a cheap brandcopy)
> -Fantastic hotel in Koh Phangan in low season for 900 Bht including breakfast buffet (normally 2700+Bht in the winter)
> -Great thai food in a comfortable & clean restaurant for less than 100Bht outside Bkk
> - etc etc .. 
> 
> But yes, same things as in Europe goes for the same price.


Hi Plorf I'm heading to Udon at the end of the month can you recomend a good place to stay for a month and motorbike rental as well thanks LBD

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## jandajoy

> Here in Pattaya a Beach Road bitch charges 500baht for a short time. In Cambodia you end up paying the same , 15$ , in a cheap brothel like Blue Mountain in Sihanoukville. In Vietnam you pay 250.000-300.000 dong in massage place where btw they regularly try to steal your wallet. So there is no save on the mongering side.


Fascinating. Please get your self a nice apartment on a high floor with a small balcony.

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## melvbot

> Originally Posted by melvbot
> 
> 
> Vietnam and to a certain extent Cambodia will be better places for bang for buck. Dollars are accepted everywhere in Cambodia so no worries about exchange rates, nice beaches, good food at a reasonable price and plenty of touristy things to see as well. Got a friend with a bar there that hasnt got half the worries I have at the minute.
> 
> 
> I disagree.
> Here in Pattaya a Beach Road bitch charges 500baht for a short time.
> In Cambodia you end up paying the same , 15$ , in a cheap brothel like Blue Mountain in Sihanoukville.
> ...


I wasnt referring to sex tourists just your average Joe and his family who may want to go to the far east. Not everyone who comes out here is coming for the whoremongering. Phuket has a reputation for being a holiday island for the likes of honeymooners and families as well as the dodgy whoremongering.

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## dirtydog

I think your "Bang for buck" remark confused him.

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## melvbot

> In Thailand you can buy a cheap condo saving a lot on accomodation. In Cambo and Vietnam you can buy nothing and have to pay inflated barang rents (in PP a real estate agency had only rents starting 600$ and up)


Like I said I have a friend who lives in Cambodia, he rents a house, not a condo, for around $250pm, around 7,000bt. There are ways around the property laws similar to Thailand, the Cambodian goverment is also considering opening up the market so foreigners can own property to boost the economic development of the country.

 If it does Thailand will be hit even harder still.

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## melvbot

Ive noticed on quite a few Premiership football matches that you now see more adverts for holidays/travel to Vietnam than Thailand.

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## Gaudente

> Originally Posted by Gaudente
> 
> Here in Pattaya a Beach Road bitch charges 500baht for a short time. In Cambodia you end up paying the same , 15$ , in a cheap brothel like Blue Mountain in Sihanoukville. In Vietnam you pay 250.000-300.000 dong in massage place where btw they regularly try to steal your wallet. So there is no save on the mongering side.
> 
> 
> Fascinating. Please get your self a nice apartment on a high floor with a small balcony.


I already did and daily enjoy a nice view (in the rare moments I have no girl attached to my dick, obviously)

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## Gaudente

> There are ways around the property laws similar to Thailand


And just like here in Thailand they will lead you into a lot of trouble.....

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## Gaudente

> There are ways around the property laws similar to Thailand, the Cambodian goverment is also considering opening up the market so foreigners can own property to boost the economic development of the country.


I am afraid these junkies know better than you
happy hippi cambodia sihanoukville southeast asia marijuana cambodian weed ganja adventure marijuana in the tropics southeast asia coffee shop amsterdam themed guesthouse sihanoukville victory hill smack pictures of hard drugs head marijuana south ea

"copy and paste" from "the NO BS FACTS" option the menu , sorry for the all cap text:
ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IS 'CAN I OWN LAND OR MY OWN BUSINESS IN CAMBODIA' AND THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO. FOREIGNERS CANNOT OWN LAND IN CAMBODIA AND AS FOR INVESTING HERE FORGET ABOUT IT. INVESTING IS INHERINTLY RISKY AND DIFFICULT ENOUGH IN THE WEST SO ANYBODY WHO BRINGS THIER LIVE SAVING HERE TO INVEST IS A FOOL, KHYMERS THEMSELVES OFTEN LOSE THIER LAND BECAUSE THEY'RE STANDING IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS (HUGE MULTI NATIONALS WITH CONNECTIONS) AS MATTER OF FACT I DON'T KNOW ANY KHYMERS WHO HAVE MADE MONEY OUT OF REALESTATE YET ALONE ANY WESTERNERS. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT YOU DON'T SEE MACDONALDS PIZZA HUT OR KFC (ALTHOUGH THEY MANAGED TO CLOSE DOWN 'PIZZA HOT' AND 'KHYMER FRIED CHICKEN') FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT CAMBODIA HAS NO LAND ARBITRATION COURTS OR CLEAR LANDOWNERS RIGHTS IN PLACE. SO AS THEY SAY IF THE BIG BOYS CAN'T PLAY WHAT CHANCE DO YOU HAVE. KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN YOU GET OFFERED INVETMENT OPPORTUNITIES. BUSINESS VISA, LISCENCE AND LEASES ARE EASILY OBTAINED BUT DON'T BE FOOLED BECAUSE THESE BITS OF PAPER DON'T OFFER ANY PROTECTION. THE BEST WAY TO START A BUSINESS OR PLACE TO LIVE IS GET A LONG LEASE AND ANYTHING YOU BUILD MUST BE EASILY DE-MOUNTED AND MOVED EVEN SO NEVER PUT MONEY INTO ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN'T WALK AWAY FROM WITHOUT LOOKING BACK OR IT WILL SURELY END IN TEARS BEFORE BEDTIME! ALTHOUGH TEMPTING TRY AND STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF 'PROGRESS' ESPECIALLY ON THE BEACH OR HILLTOP WITH OCEAN VIEWS. DON'T RUSH INTO ANYTHING THINGS GO SLOWLY HERE GET TO KNOW THE PERSON'S REPUTATION YOU'RE LEASING OFF AND TRY AND FIND AND GET TO KNOW THE LOCAL 'CHIEF' (ELECTED OFFICIAL)

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## dirtydog

There are quite a few real estate agents in Cambodia that advertise, are they running a business or just a charity then?

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## terry57

> Originally Posted by terry57
> 
> 
> If they cant survive in Thailand on there pension how the fok are they going to survive in the real world ?
> 
> 
> Well, they'll move on to someplace cheaper, I suppose. Cambodia and Vietnam apparently being two nearby options, as Melvbot said. The point being, Thailand isn't as cheap as it once was, and isn't as cheap as people may think it is. 
> 
> Or they'll do what Thais do, and move in with members of their extended family.


 

Most punters stay in Thailand because this is where they want to be.

If one likes Vietnam or Cambodia more than Thailand they would already be living there I'd suspect.

The best option would be to tighten there belt's and ride out this current situation until things start to pick up again,  which they surely will do.

Who knows when but its got to be a better option then uping your sticks and pissing off to friggin Cambodia.

Fok that,  at least one is still where they want to be if they just hang in Thailand. 

The ones that will cry the loudest is the fellas who spend all there spare money on trollups,  piss and ciggies. This crisis has robbed them of there mongering money. 

Suck it up lads.  :Smile:

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## jandajoy

What appalling writing. ^^

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## klongmaster

> What appalling writing. ^^


presume you meant ^^^ JJ...

DD won't like it if you take the piss out of his writing...being the edumacated sort and all that...

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## dirtydog

I assume he is refering to his fellow aussie mate km  :Smile:

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## Rural Surin

> Originally Posted by jandajoy
> 
> Blimey, that's a bit expensive. 105 up here.
> 
> 
> We can still get them for 70 baht here
> Guess it depends on size and these are small


Same here, ranging from B70-B80 for a good sized spit bird. Depends where you are as well. I really haven't seen a dramatic increase in market prices over the last several months. Where you might notice the sharp increases are the commercial products. Speaking for ourselves, we might be 60-70% self-suffcient and self-reliant. Everyday items, here and there, that we find a need to purchase still aren't out of sight. It gets down to how one insist on living.

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## Rural Surin

> Prices here have skyrocketed in the last few months, and it will only get worse as the global slowdown and strong Baht affects Thailand more and more. In my local supermarket prices on many items have doubled in the last two months. The only savings I am making are on petrol, as that has almost halved in price recently.


Well sure. "Supermarket" prices will always be less than a decent value. Don't shop at the supermarkets or associated commercial places!!! Certainly, I couldn't begin to guess what your dietary habits are, but if insist to be taking a primarily Farang-style food, you will always suffer in the pocket book.

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## 3737ipod

> Originally Posted by killerbees
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by terry57
> ...


spot on,had the good times now the bad.ride it out and wait for the good times to return :UK:

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## Rural Surin

Seems to me that you folks will always be pleading poverty as long as you go out of your way to exist beyond your means and pursue an unnecessary lifestyle - this could be true wherever you live. This nonsense about long-timers considering returning to their "homelands" because they find the growing economic situation here to be worsening. You won't find it any better back there. Remember? This is why you're here.......gets down to how one cares to conduct their lives and lifestyle. Just as difficult to live beyond your means there as it might be here. :Sad:

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## melvbot

> I am afraid these junkies know better than you
> happy hippi cambodia sihanoukville southeast asia marijuana cambodian weed ganja adventure marijuana in the tropics southeast asia coffee shop amsterdam themed guesthouse sihanoukville victory hill smack pictures of hard drugs head marijuana south ea
> 
> "copy and paste" from "the NO BS FACTS" option the menu , sorry for the all cap text:


A really reputable source of information, the local pot dealer.  ::doglol::

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## richie22

A friend's daughter and husband arrived in Patong a few day's ago on their first trip to Thailand.I met up with them yesterday and their exact words were "what a fkin sh-thole can not wait to get out of here and tell all our friends never to come here.
First night out stung on bangla road for 500 bht a drink,3 times the price of the UK then nearly attacked by their tuk tuk driver(scum of the earth)because he doubled the negotiated price.I have bought them down to Nai harn to jai yen yen.
I hope tourist numbers drop by 100% and give these money grabbing wankers a kick up the arse.

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## jandajoy

> presume you meant ^^^ JJ...  DD won't like it if you take the piss out of his writing...being the edumacated sort and all that...





> I assume he is refering to his fellow aussie mate km


Oops. yes, it was directed at the drivel posted by the idiot Gau.

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## Rural Surin

> A friend's daughter and husband arrived in Patong a few day's ago on their first trip to Thailand.I met up with them yesterday and their exact words were "what a fkin sh-thole can not wait to get out of here and tell all our friends never to come here.
> First night out stung on bangla road for 500 bht a drink,3 times the price of the UK then nearly attacked by their tuk tuk driver(scum of the earth)because he doubled the negotiated price.I have bought them down to Nai harn to jai yen yen.
> I hope tourist numbers drop by 100% and give these money grabbing wankers a kick up the arse.


Less Foreign Devils.....

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## Gaudente

> Originally Posted by Gaudente
> 
> 
> I am afraid these junkies know better than you
> happy hippi cambodia sihanoukville southeast asia marijuana cambodian weed ganja adventure marijuana in the tropics southeast asia coffee shop amsterdam themed guesthouse sihanoukville victory hill smack pictures of hard drugs head marijuana south ea
> 
> "copy and paste" from "the NO BS FACTS" option the menu , sorry for the all cap text:
> 
> 
> A really reputable source of information, the local pot dealer.


They point out an interesting fact: why there are no KFC , McDonalds and other world wide franchisings in Cambodia ? The fact land ownership is a mess in Cambo is a reality confirmed in many message boards.
But if you prefer to believe your real estate agency stating you can own land in Cambo....go ahead, let's see if you will still be grinning once you've forked out your cash.

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## melvbot

> They point out an interesting fact: why there are no KFC , McDonalds and other world wide franchisings in Cambodia ? The fact land ownership is a mess in Cambo is a reality confirmed in many message boards.
> But if you prefer to believe your real estate agency stating you can own land in Cambo....go ahead, let's see if you will still be grinning once you've forked out your cash.


Where have I mentioned consulting an estate agent in Cambodia or even said I was going to buy property there ?

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## Gaudente

> Oops. yes, it was directed at the drivel posted by the *idiot* Gau.


Post reported

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## jandajoy

> Post reported


Oh No...... please no.

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## Gaudente

> There are quite a few real estate agents in Cambodia that advertise, are they running a business or just a charity then?


They are all running a business , of course. The ones risking are the buyers, not they. If you buy something the sellers did not really own, you are the one losing money, not they. If you buy and put property in name of a company of which you own only 40% and the remaining 60% one day shows up claiming its share, you are the one with a problem , not they.

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## Camel Toe

> I agree. 
> 
> Inflation and forex have served to crush the good value Thailand enjoyed just a few years ago. My father visited last year for a month, when the greenback was worth around 33B. After listening to me tell him how cheap things were in Thailand over the previous few years (40B-45B), he compared prices of many, many things: Farang food, golf clubs, hotels, gasoline, hardware, cars, shoes, clothes, insurance ...
> 
> His conclusion was that it's not cheaper in Thailand, and many items that Thai consider luxury, but he considers indispensable, are far more here than in the US (Fla).
> 
> Any value in Thailand is found at the very bottom, survival-level existence. A bag of vegetables, a dusty sidewalk eatery with plastic plates and chairs, a 5-gal bottle of water ... Any step up from the most basic, is often acompanied by outrageous prices which quickly push it out of the range of good value. Double glazed windows, leather seats in a car, riding lawn mower ...


This should be posted on 1000 more websites because this ^ is the answer.  

Even when I got here I didn't find it cheap.  It's an easy calculation.  Think of a service back home and it's cost-to-salary ratio.  Washing a car: 100B vs. 5 usd.  Shit, I earned $5 in 10 minutes.  I know y'all are wealthier than me so don't laugh .. If I go to Lotus and buy the fixings for five days of fit home-cooked meals it's a day's pay.  Food on the street is cheap, it should be cause there's nothin in it.  What's rice, 50% water?  

I live in a town where lots of tourists used to come.  All I see nowadays are a few trashy-lookin couples asking me where the cheap hotels are.

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## dirtydog

I went to Chicago earlier in the year and I wouldn't say it was more expensive than Thailand, yeah ok they didn't have 25baht meals but I rarely eat them anyway.

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## Smeg

^^ Precisely. If you want to live like a third world peasant, it can be a cheap place. But then its easy to eat baked beans or readymeals from asda or whatever in the UK too. Back in my student days I lived comfortably on less than i live on in Thailand now, and had a car then (unlike now). 

Thailand is one big standard of living illusion, and most of the feelgood factor seems to come from having more money than those you see around you, which wouldnt be the case back in the west.

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## Camel Toe

> and when Malaysia is advertising it has everything thailand does , but no sleaze or violence.


All those restaurants in front of the Phun Phin train station .. most don't even bother opening any more.  

Malaysia is missing a couple of Thailand's allures, just the same it is an interesting place to visit.

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## Gaudente

> Originally Posted by Gaudente
> 
> 
> They point out an interesting fact: why there are no KFC , McDonalds and other world wide franchisings in Cambodia ? The fact land ownership is a mess in Cambo is a reality confirmed in many message boards.
> But if you prefer to believe your real estate agency stating you can own land in Cambo....go ahead, let's see if you will still be grinning once you've forked out your cash.
> 
> 
> Where have I mentioned consulting an estate agent in Cambodia or even said I was going to buy property there ?


Nowhere.
Your mistake is thinking that "the local pot dealer" , who has no interest in conning you, is not a reliable source of information, while a Cambodian real estate agency, whose job is really to con you, would be.

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## Gaudente

> Originally Posted by jandajoy
> 
> 
> Oops. yes, it was directed at the drivel posted by the *idiot* Gau.
> 
> 
> Post reported


I am pleased to see the gratuit insult from the Jandajoy asshole is still there....I guess this gives me the green light then .

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## good2bhappy

What I don't understand is when tourism is low and there are so few punters why do the girls raise their prices or the landlords raise their rents?

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## Gaudente

> What I don't understand is when tourism is low and there are so few punters why do the girls raise their prices or the landlords raise their rents?


Just walk away, and they will soon run after you begging.

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## terry57

> I went to Chicago earlier in the year and I wouldn't say it was more expensive than Thailand, yeah ok they didn't have 25baht meals but I rarely eat them anyway.


 

Very interesting DD.  You cant be serious about that can you ? 

Accomodation costs for starters are totally different unless you are living in a tent under the bridge.

I'll give you an example, at the moment im renting a serviced large room with A/C, sat TV and hot water bathroom for 500 baht.  

Back in Perth for that you can get a powered site to throw your shitty tent up in a caravan park, the scanky backpackers pay that in a hostel to get a poxy bunk in a smelly 10 bed dorm.

Cheap food is $8 for some crappy fried rice in a food hall, public transport is double, forget getting a foking taxi as its $ 4 flag fall. 

Costs in the US are comparable with OZ so its all relevant.

No need to go as you get the drift, even with the drastic drop in our buying power Thailand is still way cheaper than first world if one is a tad sensible about things.

Running of to Vietnam or Cambodia to save a few baht is bolliks but if the lads think that good criac its all theres.

Good luck boys have fun.  :Smile:

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## terry57

> Originally Posted by Thetyim
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by jandajoy
> ...


 
Yep,

Same in the real world, inflation has pushed up prices all across the board so whats happenning here is happenning at home.

Dont think its any different as it aint , some people are living an illusion that its cheaper in the west.  :Confused:

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## good2bhappy

There are many ways to live in Thailand, ranging from expensive to cheap.
The mix is pleasant

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## terry57

> Seems to me that you folks will always be pleading poverty as long as you go out of your way to exist beyond your means.
> 
> This nonsense about long-timers considering returning to their "homelands" because they find the growing economic situation here to be worsening. You won't find it any better back there.


 


Its makes me piss with laughter when I read some of these posts mate.

Me and you can work it out, suppose some of the rest will when they sober up.  :Smile: 

Good post by the way and greenie to you.

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## plorf

I guess you're just talking of different things.. If you want to 'copy' your western life in Thailand it's roughly the same as in the West. If you're fine with what Thailand has to offer you get by much cheaper. Just an example: Most cheap appartments in Switzerland have a proper kitchen with everything you need (dish-washer etc) and even in Zürich city I could find a nice 1.5 room apt for 25k Baht, and I am quite sure you won't find a similar appartment for much less in central Bangkok, as I couldn't find one and I did look for quite a while. If you also want to lease/buy a car, have health insurance, go shopping in big malls and eat western food I think it's difficult to see where you could save much money living in Thailand, especially considering the wages. 
I couldn't find the source but I read somewhere that Swiss companies that send their employees to Thailand pay similar salaries as in Switzerland, because of somewhat comparable prices. Like stated by others, this of course is not for a low budget life. Personally I am perfectly fine to downgrade a bit when I travel, but wouldn't want to do that forever as an expat.

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## jim1176

never really heard much good about phuket ... wondering why that is

heard alot of complaints about rudness and high prices...... wondering why that is

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## keda

> What I don't understand is when tourism is low and there are so few punters why do the girls raise their prices or the landlords raise their rents?


They've figured it out...punters down 50%, double rates = par :Wink:

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## Jet Gorgon

Sounds ugly over there! I remember prices rising almost every two weeks before I left, even at the wet market. Our weekly groceries here cost about C$50 (about $1,500 at Bt28.5/C$; lousy rate). That's cheap for Vancouver, but I'm a good shopper. 
What's Thailand doing? The baht printer on the blink? Worried about inflation? Dependent on imports? Govt better start worrying and take action.

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## good2bhappy

> Govt better start worrying and take action.


have to check with the military and PAD first

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## Mid

> Govt better start worrying and take action.


slight problem with missing ingredient .

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## Mid

snap  :Smile:

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## Johnny Longprong

> A night out on Patong cost me more than a night out back home, I shit you not. To my relatives on vacation, it wasn't that big a deal to go out and spend a hundred baht on a beer. To me, it was crazy. On a given night out in Patong, I can go through 4,000 baht easily, and this includes a semi-decent room and just food and booze. It ain't cheap.


What a beautiful quote. My wallet has spoken to me in such terms on many bleary mornings.

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## terry57

> A friend's daughter and husband arrived in Patong a few day's ago on their first trip to Thailand.I met up with them yesterday and their exact words were "what a fkin sh-thole can not wait to get out of here and tell all our friends never to come here.
> First night out stung on bangla road for 500 bht a drink,3 times the price of the UK then nearly attacked by their tuk tuk driver(scum of the earth)because he doubled the negotiated price.I have bought them down to Nai harn to jai yen yen.
> I hope tourist numbers drop by 100% and give these money grabbing wankers a kick up the arse.


 



To give a newbie an experience by subjecting them to Phuket, Pattaya or foking Patpong  is surely exposing them to the worst of Thailand. Its a friggin shame that so many people kick of there trip in these places as Thailand has so much more to offer the genuine traveller.

Its ok if your a monger but as a family unit coming for the first time these places are absolute shite and give such a negative take on things.

Phuket is ok i suppose if one wants to lay on the foking beach all day and get a tan on his ball bag i suppose.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

On second thoughts, NA, its a foking shit hole as well.   :Smile:

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## Camel Toe

> I guess you're just talking of different things.. If you want to 'copy' your western life in Thailand it's roughly the same as in the West.


As long as you don't leave home.

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## plorf

^ money-wise I meant, not the experience ;-)

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