Domestic / cross cultural issues - Thai / Foreigner concerns

The Value of a Tourist.

By Sean Moran, Created on: 18/01/2009, Last updated on: 15/12/2010

» What are some of the most common positive and negative results of foreign tourists from overseas visiting Thailand? Thai opinions welcome, kap.

• Pinklaopanther commented : Surely tourism plays a huge part in Thailands economy. Look at the hundreds of high rise hotels in Bangkok alone, some offering a higher degree of service and interpersonal skills than others. This is not just farang tourists but Japanese and S Koreans and Chinese. I have to say after one year of living and working in Bangkok and having travelled quite a lot around Thailand that this is an amazing place for tourists to see. Regarding the Thai/farang relationship or lack herof, its incredibly complex. There are Thais who naturally look at westerners and ASIAN tourists as walking ATMs and naturally so, this is a POOR country compared to the host countries of most visitors.. But I would hazard a guess that most people who come here have a positive experience and want to come back again. In so many respects its like another planet compared to back home, some threads and blogs on the net imply that the Thais are lacking in respect for tourists and actively dislike them. I would agree to an extent. But I think its a broader Asian phenomenon. Go to Japan, S. Korea etc and you would easily be driven to thinking that the locals dont like you. BUT, its a race thing. People here are more protective of their own way of life and when you get a smile from a local, then you know its genuine and not fake. I cant say I love it here, but I get more from a genuine act of humanity and rapport with a local than I would back home in Blighty. I'm gonna stick it out.

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