News Forum - “Thailand should be a luxury and premier holiday destination” – Deputy PM

[Thaiger]

In the first half of 2022, Thailand welcomed around 2 million international travellers, marking a promising recovery after the Land of Smile’s tourism sector suffered from the outbreak and the restrictions imposed on entry requirements, such as the Thailand Pass. Thailand holiday Thailand holiday But rather than offering significant discounts to attract world travellers, hotels, businesses and private hospitals should aim to boost the kingdom as a luxury and premier holiday destination, comparing how the luxury brands do business, according to Deputy Thai PM and public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. “We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because […]

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[ExpatPattaya]

It already is for the wealthy who stay at and frequent luxury places normal travelers never see - 555

[Pinetree]

A sensible statement, followed up by allowing low spending Indians to come here in droves, followed no doubt by even lower spending and anti social Chinese.  Or do they just intend to dump those lower end tourists into a Pattaya ghetto, to join the low end farang tourists?  It sure looks like that is the plan. 

[Pompies]

The man knows nothing about running a business, and his family construction empire delivered a shoddy and inferior parliament building that was years late and wildly over budget. To think that a country based on trawling the lowest depths for decades can suddenly switch to a premium model is simply delusional. There are no educated, linguistically capable people to deliver a premium service thanks to a third world education system where teacher promotion is based on bribery. There are not the facilities to offer premium experiences except for a few BKK shopping malls. There is not a premium international airline to act as an ambassador for Thailand, and there is no domestic transport system to deliver a speedy premium service. Anutin can mouth off all he likes but he doesn't know what he is talking about. Louis Vuitton has spent over a century delivering outstanding product quality, a truly premium shopping experience and a promotional capability that maintains the brand image. Anutin himself promotes a scruffy, ignorant image of Thailand and needs to grow up and understand what is possible I stead of uttering nonsensical dreams. Dirty farangs have seen what he is really like already.

[Vigo]

I agree with the great leaders'  sentiments. Now all he has to do is provide the luxury and premier quality services to attract the high end visitors.

[Cabra]

"The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales.” This guy is a

Just because you charge a higher price doesn't make it luxury and it sure won't draw more customers. And right now, that's what Thailand needs. 

[Tea]

Yesterday they were saying that supply issues, inflation and fuel prices were hurting the restart of tourism. Today it's sell Louis Vitton and they will come. 

[oldschooler]

1 hour ago, ExpatPattaya said:

It already is for the wealthy who stay at and frequent luxury places normal travelers never see - 555

Suppose the minister meant “ exclusively”. Exclude the backpackers ! Right, when 8 million Thais are in Poverty living on 2,000 baht monthly.

[HolyCowCm]

He had a dream about a new movie, and it was called- Anna and the Anutin.

 

[HolyCowCm]

Article Quote: “We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it’s cheap. Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales.”

Yeah, I can just see it now. A plate of Pad Thai at 850 baht. This guy needs some shock therapy.

[Bluesofa]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

 

Anutin Charnvirakul. “We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it’s cheap. Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers."

 

His logic reminds me of a beer bar in Pattaya that were selling more expensive beer than the other bars.

When I asked the owner why, she complained there weren't enough customers, so in order to make the same profit, the few customers she had needed to pay more for the beer.

[HolyCowCm]

Anybody know what his nickname is? Translates to Rat.

Anutin Charnvirakul - Wikipedia  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anutin_Charnvirakul

 

Early life and family

Nicknamed Noo (Thai: หนู; literally: Rattus)

 

 

[Loong]

Quote

Once the pandemic began, numbers dropped to 6.7 international travellers in 2020

I don't think that it fell quite so much. I guess that the 7th traveler must have been in a wheelchair?

Quote

Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales.”

I bet that the cheap knock-offs sell more than the genuine items.

Quote

Sell premium.

Most of Thailand is not premium.

[Janneman]

3 hours ago, Pinetree said:

A sensible statement, followed up by allowing low spending Indians to come here in droves, followed no doubt by even lower spending and anti social Chinese.  Or do they just intend to dump those lower end tourists into a Pattaya ghetto, to join the low end farang tourists?  It sure looks like that is the plan. 

No no no. Pattaya is the spot for the millions of Saudi's that are predicted to come to Thailand. As it has some nice islamic attractions. At least, that is what was said when Thai and Saudi goverments buddied up again.

[dingdong]

LOS = land of smokes...

soon in khaosan rd....sir sir you want  girls , ganja ,hashis...black afghan, thai sticks...yaba yaba...come here inside we offer premium service ...

mmmmhhhh...how about girls...???

yes yes  sir..my 12 y. old little sista service verrrrryyyyy good...train by brothers....only thousand bhat a night....

ohhhh...thanks but no thanks...how about ganja...?

 sir we offer premium quality...maybe want some heroin  as well ? golden triangle quality...

result: went to thailand as an idiot, came back as a junkie...soon on you tube : MY STORY inside the khao san street mafia

a win win

attracts premium tourists ...sure

boosts business for the local police ( who will run it just like before )

 

[Pinetree]

36 minutes ago, Janneman said:

No no no. Pattaya is the spot for the millions of Saudi's that are predicted to come to Thailand. As it has some nice islamic attractions. At least, that is what was said when Thai and Saudi goverments buddied up again.

well there are lots of ladyboys about, that they are  apparently partial to sampling, along with other none Islamic practices like beer and whisky.  Nothing like good old fashioned  religious and cultural hypocrisy to increase economic activity and solidify international friendships.

[Guest1]

5 hours ago, Tea said:

Yesterday they were saying that supply issues, inflation and fuel prices were hurting the restart of tourism. Today it's sell Louis Vitton and they will come. 

LV, yes, one of the few shops in central, with a "security guard" (female, these days). And interesting selective measurements: 3 Indian, all male, no masks "you can't get in without a mask". 3 headscarf females without mask, but one had already a LV handbag: "wait a little bit, please, there are to many people in the shop"

So, yes, LV seems to work ;-)

[Giltee]

Is this guy for real. He wants tourists and yet he wants hotels etc to charge premium prices. He should let the market work out what works best for them and the prices will adjust themselves.  Then in another breath they want Chinese and Russian tourists here. The Chinese come on package group tours and won’t pay for top end hotels. With the current Cannabis reform they’re not going to get people willing to pay for high end holidays either. What’s wrong with these people. 

[Bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Giltee said:

Is this guy for real. He wants tourists and yet he wants hotels etc to charge premium prices. He should let the market work out what works best for them and the prices will adjust themselves.  Then in another breath they want Chinese and Russian tourists here. The Chinese come on package group tours and won’t pay for top end hotels. With the current Cannabis reform they’re not going to get people willing to pay for high end holidays either. What’s wrong with these people. 

'What’s wrong with these people'   Everything.
Maybe a joint of dope would get them to chill out - as part of how medical research affects the hard-of-learning.

[DiJoDavO]

Lol, they finally reached some numbers of tourists.... And now they want less? Because if you make it more luxury, the reason why people come here is completely gone. 

[Vigo]

8 hours ago, oldschooler said:

Suppose the minister meant “ exclusively”. Exclude the backpackers ! Right, when 8 million Thais are in Poverty living on 2,000 baht monthly.

Those who live in poverty shall serve those who do not. This is the world we live in. They shall work or they shall die. Up to them. 

[DiJoDavO]

"We cannot let people come to Thailand and stay because it’s cheap. Hold your ground. Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise, Louis Vuitton wouldn’t have any sales.”

The thing is, that when LV became well known, it already had the reputation of being luxurious. When Thailand became well known, it didn't have that reputation at all. That can't be suddenly changed and the way he looks at it is not how any of this works. 

The only logic that came from him was about marijuana, let him get some function with that, but stay out of economics please.

Besides that, how is he going to legalize marijuana and in the same time expect quality tourists?

[DiJoDavO]

7 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

His logic reminds me of a beer bar in Pattaya that were selling more expensive beer than the other bars.

When I asked the owner why, she complained there weren't enough customers, so in order to make the same profit, the few customers she had needed to pay more for the beer.

How's the bar doing now? 

[oldschooler]

10 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

His logic reminds me of a beer bar in Pattaya that were selling more expensive beer than the other bars.

When I asked the owner why, she complained there weren't enough customers, so in order to make the same profit, the few customers she had needed to pay more for the beer.

Already a classic entry in my draft tome, “101Things in Thailand Making No Sense “ , like “ my land / house price is four times market price of same next door”.

[EdwardV]

The analogy about a leopard and his spots comes to mind.