Indian and Chinese tourists outspending Cheap Charlie Farangs in Thailand

For some reason some very vocal Westerners (‘farang’) just flatly refuse to accept Indians have any money and continue to insist these tourists to Thailand are nothing more than cheap charlies who do not spend any money. Well, not only is that wrong but it turns out they spend more money than the average Westerner on holiday in Thailand. Ouch, that has got to hurt!

And the Chinese visitor to Thailand is in a league of their own altogether – Spending more than any other tourist nationality.

TNN media have just reported that the average Indian tourist is spending 5,800 baht a day – still short of the 6,400 baht spend from the average Chinese tourist. But it is someway in front of the Europeans average spend of 3,777 baht per day! In fact according to thaiwebsites.com the ‘farang’ is very much the cheap charlie visitor to Thailand. Europeans in particular spend less per day than any other region.

I was lucky enough to meet a group of young Indian men in Walking Street the other week and they were spending a fortune on drinks and having the time of their lives. I asked them why they thought others had such negative stereotypes about them. They laughed and said it was not only Westerners but the Thai women they meet when out partying.

“You know the funny thing is we often say the same about some of the old Western guys we see sitting outside or near a 7-11 with a can of Chang beer in their hand. To us, it is them that are stuggling at the moment.’ joked one of them. The irony.

Reinforcing these reports are the views from those working within the Indian circles in Thailand. Just the other month Pattaya party organiser Paul Weller was gushing at just how big the Indian opportunity now is in Pattaya.

“The Indian market is booming. The average Indian is out in full force and Walking Street has its 4th Indian club on the way complete with 6,000 bottle bar and swimming pool. The Indians are tarnished with the Cheap Charlie brush but that is clearly not the case.” he said to me.

Again, just a couple of weeks ago I was with a Pattaya hotel developer and they said the Indian market was becoming increasingly important to them for property sales. They said before the Western market was good but now that has cooled, then the Russians came but that too has eased off. Both due to changes in exchange rates from their end. Then the Chinese started to buy but as their exchange rates became less strong against the baht and getting money out of their country that slowed, but now has recovered somewhat. He then said what others have also been saying, that the Indians were now becoming a very important market for selling too.

If everyone in the know is saying Indians spend money when on holiday in Thailand, why do the older Western guys continue to argue against this on the forums and social networks?

I suspect now a few of them will be choking on their Chang beer when they find out the average Indian outspends ‘farangs’ too. What is the world coming too?! LOL

note: Clearly for most of you reading you will know this is not an attack on ‘Westeners’ but a light-hearted dig in the ribs to those that continue to speak badly and incorrectly about the Indian tourist in Thailand.