Thailand - Land of Smiles (no more)

[Benny10]

When you hear about hardship postings you may relate it instantly to jobs in Nigeria, Siberia or Bangladesh, but definitely not to LOS, the promised land of smiles.

 

This interesting post from a fellow colleague on ehotelier.com may help to see things from a different angle.

 

 

 

Thailand - Land of Smiles (no more)

 

I write this as some food for thought for fellow colleagues and hotel professionals. Opinions and input are most welcome.

 

Last night I was speaking to very good friend on mine who is senior GM working for an international management chain and in charge of a 400+ room hotel in down town Bangkok. He is a veteran hotelier with a career in Europe and Asia.

 

He is, very sadly at the point of a break down:

 

Since we both arrived in Thailand in 2006 we (as hotel managers) have had to endure the 2006 military coup, the 2007 military rule, multiple general elections (which is not a simple process in Thailand), the 2008 economic crisis, the 2008 airport shutdown, the disaster at the Asean summit and now the deadly political demonstrations that have engulfed central BKK. As I write this many international hotels have had to temporarily close their doors.

 

As many of you know as GM of a business that faces these challenges, the actions, decisions, interaction and explanations to the owners lies solely on the GM’s shoulders.

 

Over the past four years we have had to lay-off many associates (mainly expat staff), cut bonuses to local staff, enforce job sharing and 3 or 4 day working weeks, sit through countless P&L presentations and get berated by owners who cannot accept under budget profits, endlessly try and convince overseas T/A’s that Thailand is a safe and decent place to visit and also fore go many vacations and salary increments to show compassion and consolidation to our local staff.

 

Throw into that, the worry of having a wife and family at home that are endlessly nervous by the political end economic situations that have unfolded over the past 4 years. And then add to that the telephone calls from family overseas worrying, the fluctuations in the currency making our salaries rise and fall and the you start to understand his scenario.

 

Who would have ever thought that Bangkok was a ‘hardship’ posting?

 

What happened to my friend with his blond hair and youthful face? Now he is grey and aging rapidly - All this due to a multitude of circumstances that are both unforeseeable and totally out of his control. BUT WHEN IS TOO MUCH? My dear friend is now very seriously considering his future in Asia. If it wasn’t for his daughter in finishing year at school he would never have bought them back from summer vacation this year!

 

THESE DAYS; IS BANGKOK IS A HARDSHIP POSTING?

 

posted by SLB on 2010-04-20 on ehotlier.com

Edited May 4, 2010 by Benny10

[yankee99]

Hmm glad i live in pattaya

[woundedinlove]

As a hotelier he has had a bad time yes.

But look at his complaints; he is saying business is not good.

Some of these problems, that he mentions are unique to Bangkok yes. But I think more of his problems would not be unique. He does not mention GFC, the Flu outbreak, the volcano ash and so on. I think these would have had a larger impact on his business than the localised Bangkok problems. He is just trying to pass the blame to the local political situation.

[abinder]

As a hotelier he has had a bad time yes.

But look at his complaints; he is saying business is not good.

Some of these problems, that he mentions are unique to Bangkok yes. But I think more of his problems would not be unique. He does not mention GFC, the Flu outbreak, the volcano ash and so on. I think these would have had a larger impact on his business than the localised Bangkok problems. He is just trying to pass the blame to the local political situation.

The guy is also lucky that he has a job. There's soooo many people that don't have jobs these days.

 

Allen

[Dr.Winston]

Thailand has always been one of the hardest countries for Westerners to do business in, TBH I can't see things changing fast, why? Well no matter how many obstacles are thrown in front of an ex-pat, no matter how many frustrations he might suffer the bottom line is that he well tolerate the hardships and inconveniences just to continue to live there. When the working ex-pats actually do leave instead of just threatening to things might start to change. The Thais have no motivation to change things becasue there is a seemingly never ending supply of willing farangs who will tolerate jobs with no real security to them (No work permits for example or not being able to actuaslly own their own business). ATM the Thais can have their cake and eat it.

[Mr Bean]

The political unrest is doing nothing for the country.

 

Is a satisfactory end to this in sight?

 

Whilst this persists, Bankok & Pattaya will continue to suffer.

 

Pattaya, I understand,from reports I have recd. is currently a 'ghost town'

[Expat46]

Yes, Pattaya is really a Ghost town these days.

 

Been around town every evening from 8pm onwards - dead - dead -dead.

Soi 7 at 8.30pm: every bar have 2-3 customers only. Many empty.

Soi 8 doing just a little better.

Second road same.

 

Can't remember seen it so bad for a decade.

 

Wait to June / July, and crime will set new records .....

[hazze]

I feel for the guy as a GM.

Its a good job, and fantastic when things are going well.

But if the guys got a heart then laying of people, destroying lives, staying up all night making these decisions.

Its not nice.

[cheang]

sounds like he needs a cold beer, a cute thai girl and a great blowjob! He will be all better after that!! I would love to have his type of 'problem.'

[kuffki]

When you hear about hardship postings you may relate it instantly to jobs in Nigeria, Siberia or Bangladesh, but definitely not to LOS, the promised land of smiles.

 

This interesting post from a fellow colleague on ehotelier.com may help to see things from a different angle.

 

 

 

Thailand - Land of Smiles (no more)

 

I write this as some food for thought for fellow colleagues and hotel professionals. Opinions and input are most welcome.

 

Last night I was speaking to very good friend on mine who is senior GM working for an international management chain and in charge of a 400+ room hotel in down town Bangkok. He is a veteran hotelier with a career in Europe and Asia.

 

He is, very sadly at the point of a break down:

 

Since we both arrived in Thailand in 2006 we (as hotel managers) have had to endure the 2006 military coup, the 2007 military rule, multiple general elections (which is not a simple process in Thailand), the 2008 economic crisis, the 2008 airport shutdown, the disaster at the Asean summit and now the deadly political demonstrations that have engulfed central BKK. As I write this many international hotels have had to temporarily close their doors.

 

As many of you know as GM of a business that faces these challenges, the actions, decisions, interaction and explanations to the owners lies solely on the GM’s shoulders.

 

Over the past four years we have had to lay-off many associates (mainly expat staff), cut bonuses to local staff, enforce job sharing and 3 or 4 day working weeks, sit through countless P&L presentations and get berated by owners who cannot accept under budget profits, endlessly try and convince overseas T/A’s that Thailand is a safe and decent place to visit and also fore go many vacations and salary increments to show compassion and consolidation to our local staff.

 

Throw into that, the worry of having a wife and family at home that are endlessly nervous by the political end economic situations that have unfolded over the past 4 years. And then add to that the telephone calls from family overseas worrying, the fluctuations in the currency making our salaries rise and fall and the you start to understand his scenario.

 

Who would have ever thought that Bangkok was a ‘hardship’ posting?

 

What happened to my friend with his blond hair and youthful face? Now he is grey and aging rapidly - All this due to a multitude of circumstances that are both unforeseeable and totally out of his control. BUT WHEN IS TOO MUCH? My dear friend is now very seriously considering his future in Asia. If it wasn’t for his daughter in finishing year at school he would never have bought them back from summer vacation this year!

 

THESE DAYS; IS BANGKOK IS A HARDSHIP POSTING?

 

posted by SLB on 2010-04-20 on ehotlier.com

 

Great post, i also think its worth mentioning that with all of the crap mentioned, cost of living in Thailand has tripled if not more.

Just today i did a calculation of how much i need to live in Thailand per year and with bare minimum not including party and girls i came up with almost 800 000 baht per year.

 

Sometimes having a job that eats your life away for reasons beyond your control is just not worth having

[rubik101]

hotels all around the world have suffered in the recent past, some more than others. The weak pound hit travel from the UK to the Euro zone countries and the USA last year. Asian flu, as mentioned, caused big problems in the past two years in Asia, particularly. Greek hotels will be empty this summer as tourists stay away. The ash cloud over Europe will hit travel arrangements and hotel bookings for months to come. These events are not unique to Thailand or Bangkok, or even Pattaya, they are a global phenomenon due to the fiscal recession affecting ALL countries, even those with unlimited oil income it seems! Many hotela in Dubai are 40% occupancy when normally they are around 70% this time of year.

Bight the bullet and hang on!

[Edge]

................Just today i did a calculation of how much i need to live in Thailand per year and with bare minimum not including party and girls i came up with almost 800 000 baht per year.

 

Sometimes having a job that eats your life away for reasons beyond your control is just not worth having

 

800k being the minimum amount Immigration says you need too, so I guess they don't count party and girls either.

 

I am here partly because the career I had chosen was trying to eat my life away - forget it.

 

I'm sure everybody applauds your sympathetic feelings for your friend, but everything is relative and a lot of people will consider that he took his chances the same as we all do and that he probably came out better than many - as long as he gets out before it destroys him.

 

P.S. If you like I could recount the night I lay awake 5 days away from the loss of my business, my home and vehicles and bankruptcy for 325,000 GBP and my then wife thought it would be a good idea to have a baby .....

- but only if you'd like.

It's all relative and I can remember someone saying that I'd chosen my own path. He who dares doesn't always win.

 

Despite everything that seems to be going wrong (notwithstanding the prospect of <40 THB/GBP after the UK election) I'm still happy to be here and consider myself more fortunate than many others.