Thai travel agents complain tourists are planning their own trips

Tour firms fret over drive-yourself travel

Published: 7 Jan 2013 at 12.48
Online news:

BANGKOK - Local tour operators are asking the government for help, complaining that more travellers now tend to drive their own cars rather than take tour buses.

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"The behaviours of Thai tourists have changed as 85% of them prefer to plan their own trips while the others travel with tour agencies, causing many of them to close down or cancel many of their trips because they cannot afford the cost while the number of their customers decreases," Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) president Yuthachai Soonthronrattanavate said on Monday.

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DonAleman
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Discussion 17 : 07 Jan 2013 at 22.1917
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Now that the tour operators have admitted to slumping revenues the,
usual, scheduled vehicle maintenance, is often the first to be "cut"
so the govt. had best set up inspections BEFORE the first tragic accident.
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bazza5335
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Discussion 16 : 07 Jan 2013 at 19.3316
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If the tours offered value for money, there would not be a problem. Obviously, something is wrong with their offer.
And maybe the Farang attitude to being ripped of has changed, better value out there than these dangerous drivers getting a cut from every retail shop they stop at.
It is called business, change or go down....
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geoffo
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Discussion 15 : 07 Jan 2013 at 16.1715
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OMG, theft from luggage stored in the lower compartments , hand up those who know first hand about the guy hiding in the luggage compartment ransacking the bags, hands up those who have had to threaten driver to get them to slow down.

Pay to get on a Thai tour bus - dream on
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topcat_bk
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Discussion 14 : 07 Jan 2013 at 14.2214
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You gotta love them for pocketing the easy money and then, when their product and business model is outdated, run to the government and ask for taxpayer money to keep them fat.

Perhaps they have enough voting power to convince the government to buy out all their boring, dangerous and overpriced tour packages at twice the normal price.

It worked for the rice merchants!
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onlyasking
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Discussion 13 : 07 Jan 2013 at 14.1413
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Too many tour operators for the market and not too few tourists is the problem. Let some go out of business and the complaints will stop.
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sibley
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Discussion 12 : 07 Jan 2013 at 13.5112
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I have only been on 1 tour and to be honest the tour bus driver drove like a 5 year old very scary, I have been on many trips now I organize the trip myself from phone calls and the internet, I have a great time save money and I do not feel as if I am being scammed. people have moved on now and will only go on trips that are value for money.
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Asian Hand
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Discussion 11 : 07 Jan 2013 at 13.4711
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Tour operators are just like any other middleman and are dying breed in this age of GPS, online bookings, cheap handphones and access to information on the Internet. You better find another line of work real quick.
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saparod
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Discussion 10 : 07 Jan 2013 at 13.4710
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Knock-Knock…. Anyone home here?
Good morning! Thank you for waking up. Now it’s time to think and to innovate and offer value for money without assuming customers are cattle. Markets do change, businesses MUST change as well! OR maybe the trends did change and your business/product is not attractive or needed anymore? Think about it! And please stay awake don’t go back to dream-land…. Hrrrrrmmmmm….
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upena
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Discussion 9 : 07 Jan 2013 at 13.479
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The Tourism Authority of Thailand already has a solution - let 7-11 sell tour packages. Guess TAT doesn't really like local tour operators.
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lucy
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Discussion 8 : 07 Jan 2013 at 13.408
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Run to the government for help because your total lack of a serious business model or work ethic is cutting into your profits? It's the private sector, adapt - and continue to make huge profits - or go down. That's business, you fools. Or you could just vote out the government that encourages people to buy new cars. Oh no, you wouldn't, that's the same government you're running to in expectation of yet another handout of taxpayers' money.
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