reader Posted December 20, 2017 Share Posted December 20, 2017 From Forbes Thailand has been a personal favorite of mine since my wife and I first visited in 1970 while I was on a one-week Rest & Recreation respite from the war in Vietnam. Back then, Bangkok was a smaller city and lacked much of the vibe of the metropolis it’s become over the nearly 5 decades since then. For one thing, few buildings stood more than 6 stories high; but what Bangkok did have in abundance then, as it does today, were its wonderful, warm, welcoming people—full of smiles and respectful hospitality. We felt like visiting dignitaries. In those days, Thailand attracted roughly 350,000 foreign visitors annually and about 55,000 of this number were folks like me, a GI on R&R. Little did we envision at the time that we were the forerunners of the record 32.6mn folks who would visit Thailand annually by 2016. Supported by an airport that serves as a major international transport hub and the 1970 opening of the 510-room, 21-story Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok stood on the brink of ushering in its future as a tourism mecca during my first visit. When the Dusit opened, it was Bangkok’s tallest building and its first luxury hotel. Long a Bangkok landmark, the hotel will be demolished next April to make way for an entirely new Dusit Thani property—taller than the original, but with just 300 rooms. Over the rest of the 70s, global mass tourism took off due to the world’s rising standard of living, more people enjoying more free time to travel for pleasure and technological improvements that made it possible to travel further and in greater numbers—a development embodied by the introduction of the Boeing 747 which flew commercially for the first time in 1970 and which United Airlines just retired from its fleet a few weeks ago. In Asia, Thailand, one of the first countries to promote itself to international tourists as an economic generator for its GDP, has ridden the world’s tourism wave as no other—with amazingly positive results. (Continues at) https://www.forbes.com/sites/edfuller/2017/12/18/thailand-the-land-of-smiles-is-still-smiling-after-all-these-years/#7b845bc34137 1moRussian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinapu Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 we , members of this forum know very well what Thailand does right, at least for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted December 21, 2017 Author Share Posted December 21, 2017 Agree with that. I think this single sentence late in the article sums it up in the best generic terms: This doesn’t just mean targeting upscale tourists. Instead, it refers to offering good value experiences that encourage return visits, increase the length of stay and foster higher daily spending. I'm already planning my next trip so can't argue with that formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveboy Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 This doesn’t just mean targeting upscale tourists. Instead, it refers to offering good value experiences that encourage return visits, increase the length of stay and foster higher daily spending. But everyone here wishes that drink prices and off fees don't go up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted December 21, 2017 Author Share Posted December 21, 2017 But everyone here wishes that drink prices and off fees don't go up. Gotta agree with what paulsf said in another post: "Prices doubling in 20 years doesn’t seem all that bad." If you can't afford the price of croissants in Paris, don't go there. If you can't afford the price of pleasure in LOS, look for a cheaper destination. But I don't know what you're worried about. You don't drink and claim that you get ample free sex in the halls and stalls of Babylon. Enjoy the bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveboy Posted December 21, 2017 Share Posted December 21, 2017 Gotta agree with what paulsf said in another post: "Prices doubling in 20 years doesn’t seem all that bad." If you can't afford the price of croissants in Paris, don't go there. If you can't afford the price of pleasure in LOS, look for a cheaper destination. But I don't know what you're worried about. You don't drink and claim that you get ample free sex in the halls and stalls of Babylon. Enjoy the bargain. Still trolling me in attack mode? we , members of this forum know very well what Thailand does right, at least for us I would also say that by doing right for us, Thailand does right for members of its population who can make a reasonable income without utmost sacrifice (I like to think that to be a sex worker is not the most demanding and undesirable kind, if one has the attributes to be a successful one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reader Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Still trolling me in attack mode? Simply calling attention to your privileged position of being immune from the effects of rising prices. vinapu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinapu Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 that encourage return visits,........ and foster higher daily spending. with those two TAT with co-operation with boys was exceeding successful in manipulating me to their ends which makes me very happy. Sure if prices will go up beyond my means of willingness to spend I'll say home to nurse those nice memories reader 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveboy Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Sure if prices will go up beyond my means of willingness to spend I'll say home to nurse those nice memories Don't worry. If prices go up 100% all you need to do is cut your number of offs in half. That can help memory too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
