Almost three decades ago when I was a university student, I occasionally had to travel to Don Mueang airport for a part-time job. Back then, it was Bangkok's only airport, and, with the tollway not yet in existence, was considered very far from the city centre. There, my task was to ask departing tourists to fill in questionnaires for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which wanted to know what they liked or disliked, as well as their spending behaviour, during their visits.
These days, however, I can easily get similar information from home or anywhere with an internet connection.
How? Can you guess?
If you think I just use a search engine, you're wrong. From that, you won't get the real picture, but most likely just boring numbers, especially when it comes to tourist expenditures. I have a better way, which is as simple and virtually effortless but yields more detailed real-life results. The best part is I, or you or anyone, can get the answers those questionnaires were seeking without having to disturb anybody's time or privacy. You can observe the tourists' behaviour via YouTube.
The popular website is full of videos posted by both vloggers and tourists who recorded different aspects of their holidays and are happy to share the experience with everybody on the planet. To find out how random tourists find Bangkok, for example, just key in the search field with simple words such as "Bangkok travel", and you will find tons of videos about the City of Angels posted by people from different parts of the world. There are solo travellers, couples, and family or friend groups. These travellers belong to different age groups, genders and lifestyles. Some were first-time visitors, others were repeaters.
From watching their videos, you will know where they go, what they eat and buy, what wows them, what disappoints them, and much more. Many even show off their bedrooms or the contents of their suitcases, the first reveal their choice of accommodation and the latter what souvenirs and products from Thailand they're bringing back home. No questionnaire can give you as many details, no matter how well designed it is.
Apart from would-be visitors to Thailand, trust me policymakers and anybody involved in tourist-related businesses, from hoteliers to street food vendors, can gain some insights about tourists from their own videos. For others, this is also a quick way to update ourselves about our city and country. When was the last time you went to MBK or Khao San Road? Sometimes, you might also learn about new restaurants or coffee shops too. I don't know about other people but some of these videos just confirmed how lucky I am to live in this country.
Of course, after finishing with each video, if you enjoy it don't forget to click the Like button!
Pongpet Mekloy is the Bangkok Post travel editor.