TAT Chief Expresses Fear for Pattaya's Tourism Industry

[Gaybutton]

The tourism industry in Pattaya had plenty to fear in the first place, long before any of the present political turmoil got started. Business has been terrible for months. I was in some of the bars this evening. Plenty of boys, very few customers. Now, as a result of the current upheaval, things are expected to get much worse.

 

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE:

_____

 

Fears for the Pattaya Tourism Industry from Local Tourism Authority Chief

 

On Wednesday we spoke with Khun Niti, Director of the Region 3 office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regarding the effect on tourism in relation to the political crisis now occurring in Bangkok and other Provinces around Thailand. Many Embassies have now issued travel warnings for Thailand following the Emergency Decree in place for Bangkok.

 

Khun Niti told us that official figures for Pattaya indicate a drop in Tourism by approximately 20% from this time last year. The TAT suggest that the High Season will also see a significant reduction of tourists coming to Pattaya regardless of whether a solution to the problems in Bangkok are found or not. We have also spoken to a number of business owners here in Pattaya who do not wish to be named and they suggest that without a good high season, their businesses will probably not survive.

 

A number of bar owners tell us that this years low season was particularly bad compared to previous years and they do not expect a good High Season due to a combination of the problems occurring in Bangkok and the unfavorable exchange rates at this time and the global economic slowdown which is forcing some countries into recession, including the UK and other European Countries.

[Guest lester1]

There are several levels to this topic. the obvious reasons for the drop in tourists are:-

1. World financial crisis

2. Big rise in airfares.

 

For normal (ie straight) tourists, other reasons will include:-

 

3. Increase in crime rates in Pattaya

4. Polluted beach and sea.

5. Lack of facilities for families.

6. Weak infrastructure so that traffic deadlocks. Lack of public transport that allows you to arrive at destination on time, clean and unstressed.

7. Perception that other Asian resorts do not have the above problems.

8. Good works done in the past like the Beach Road walkway and bali hai pier are allowed to stagnate.

 

For night life seekers:-

 

9. Feeling that City Hall and TAT are trying to kill the previous 'anything goes' atmosphere that was the initial attraction.

 

and for gay tourists:-

 

10. Thailand is not so gay friendly as it once was.

11. Police raids are impinging on gay tourists so that they no longer feel comfortable.

12. bar rip offs, over pricing.

 

PLUS general matters like the lack of confidence amongst the business community about the future, the volatile political situation in Thailand, the constantly changing visa rules designed seemingly to discourage tourists from becoming long stay, plus the worry about investing in property.

 

What have I left out??

[Gaybutton]

What have I left out??

 

I don't think you've left out anything. I think your analysis is excellent. I agree with every word you wrote.

[Guest]

I don't think you've left out anything. I think your analysis is excellent. I agree with every word you wrote.

 

Yes, I think you covered it all quite well.

[Guest fountainhall]

Thailand is not so gay friendly as it once was

 

This seemed to start with the Thaksin era and the broadening of the brief given to the Ministry of Culture when culture" became as concerned with morals and lifestyles as with the arts and preservation of local culture. With Thaksin gone and the Samak government's days surely numbered, I wonder what chance there is of this changing back again?

[Gaybutton]

I wonder what chance there is of this changing back again?

 

Until recently I would have thought there is virtually no chance. However, especially now with the tourist industry in such bad shape, considering Thailand's dependence on it I have real hope that changes will be made to re-attract tourists, including gay tourists. I don't know if we can ever expect things to be as they were twenty years ago, but I see no reason why they can't at least come close.

 

One of the simplest things they can do that would please tourists would be to end this absurd 1:00AM venue closing rule. More difficult, but necessary I believe, would be to recruit more police officers and re-assign current police officers to combating serious crime, with emphasis on drug crimes, bag and gold chain snatching, pickpockets, break-ins, gangs, and those sorts of crimes. They also need to do something about dishonest baht bus drivers. This nonsense about police not lifting a finger to help unless they are bribed also needs to stop.

 

In my opinion, one of the main factors that keep tourists away is fear of crime. Years ago, I felt completely safe in Pattaya no matter where I was and no matter what time it was. Now Pattaya has become a crime ridden city and that's a major part of the problem. I think that's also a major factor hitting the real estate market as well.

[Guest lester1]

There has always been an uneasy but nonetheless working relationship between night life and crime. This applies all over the world. Wherever there is nightlife there will be prostitution and drugs. Add in the fact that in many countries there will be protection rackets and police backhanders having to be paid.

Sunee is a classic case of all three colliding at once and ultimately all three feed off the tourist baht. A lack of tourists means that income into this area is reduced. Venue owners have less income, workers have less income, prostitutes of all persuasions have less income, and police and protection rackets dont like being told that there is less money for them. Add on outside pressure to clean up street crime and the drug scene and what I see is a bit of a frenzy at the moment and a realligning of the parties involved.

What are peoples opinions on where they see pattaya a year down the line from now.