[george]

Thailand second best-value destination
Iceland, Thailand, London best-value destinations: Lonely Planet

Iceland and London are among the world's best-value destinations thanks to the economic crisis, travel guide firm Lonely Planet said Tuesday, while Thailand remains tough to beat.

South Africa, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya and Las Vegas in Nevada rounded out the top 10, said the British-based company in its "Best In Travel 2010" guide.

The annual snapshot book captures "the world's hottest travel trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the year ahead," Lonely Planet said.

The economic collapse in Iceland meant the island was no longer punitively expensive, said the guide, putting the beleaguered country at the top of its best-value list.

"Have you always wanted to discover this magical, mysterious country? To explore ice caps and volcanoes, and wallow in hot springs? Been put off because of the prohibitive prices? Well, 2010 is your year."

Thailand, at number two, remained "perennially good value", said the book.

"It's one of the cheapest long-haul holidays for European holidaymakers... visitors are always spoilt for choice regarding accommodation."

Meanwhile London's days as a costly destination were now over, Lonely Planet said.

"Long ludicrously expensive, London has become much more affordable for visitors from abroad, if not for its residents," said the guide.

"The favourable exchange rate means that travellers will often find hotels and meals up to half the price they were a few years ago."

Elsewhere in the top 10, Malaysia "is a clever choice for travellers on the lookout for a bargain", while in India "your money stretches almost as far as the infamous Indian 'stretchable' time".

"South Africa is not only about an amazing climate, vast unspoilt scenery, balmy sandy beaches, extraordinary wildlife and adventure activities, but the cost of living is low, so it's also excellent value for money."

The top 10 countries overall for travellers were El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and the United States.

The top 10 cities were Abu Dhabi, Charleston (South Carolina), Cork (Ireland), Cuenca (Ecuador), Istanbul, Kyoto (Japan), Lecce (Italy), Sarajevo, Singapore and Vancouver (Canada).

Bali (Indonesia), Goa (India), Koh Kong (Cambodia), Southern Africa and southwest Western Australia featured among the top 10 regions.

-- Agencies 2009-11-03

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[h90]

How much does a good rank cost?

[h90]

rick66, on 2009-11-03 12:39:21, said:

Thailand is also known as the 2nd best location in the world outside Russia to play Russian Roulette.

And also known as the best location for sky diving even the balconies in Pattaya are not as high as in other countries.

[hammered]

Value for money is going to be a consideration for more at the moment. Looks like Thailand is well positioned for this which is good. There are rumours that the high season is going to be quite good as a whole although some traditonal niches may not do as well.

[EnhancePlus]

rick66, on 2009-11-03 13:39:21, said:

Thailand is also known as the 2nd best location in the world outside Russia to play Russian Roulette.

[chefshane]

Oops.
Another 'nail in the coffin' for the 'glass-half-empty' brigade.
They must be grinding their teeth in chagrin at this point.
Perhaps this nation will NOT slide downwards past Burma and Korea as they had predicted with monotonous regularity over the last 12 months.
What about the drunk Aussie sheila who stole the bar mat? That was meant to have a devastating long term impact on how all foreigners, white and black, fat and skinny, chose to view Thailand.
No?

[nosatisfaction]

In case of doubt, Istambul is in Turkey,

[Milo]

About time there was some positive news! Tourist industry could use a boost.

[basjke]

chefshane, on 2009-11-03 13:02:14, said:

Oops.
Another 'nail in the coffin' for the 'glass-half-empty' brigade.
They must be grinding their teeth in chagrin at this point.
Perhaps this nation will NOT slide downwards past Burma and Korea as they had predicted with monotonous regularity over the last 12 months.
What about the drunk Aussie sheila who stole the bar mat? That was meant to have a devastating long term impact on how all foreigners, white and black, fat and skinny, chose to view Thailand.
No?

Did I read anywhere in the OP that the tourists were favoring Thailand?NO.It said that thailand was a cheap destination among many others.
Now if only the tourists still had a job and money in the bank then it might be a good thing for the tourist season.

[Acharn]

nosatisfaction, on 2009-11-03 13:02:51, said:

In case of doubt, Istambul is in Turkey,

Yes, and it's not "Constantinople" any more, either. So what?

[george]

Milo, on 2009-11-03 13:12:10, said:

About time there was some positive news! Tourist industry could use a boost.

Yes, its about time.

[fxe1200]

h90, on 2009-11-03 12:42:45, said:

How much does a good rank cost?

...one bullet!

[asiawatcher]

How did Vegas rate? Easier to get mugged? Easier to be ripped off and taxis that you hand your wallet to and say keep the change! Hotels that are way way over priced if you are not a gambler and police and ambulance sirens and guns shots 24/7. Value for money? Try buying any suit at your local tailor there for under 1,000? Yep - LP were doing these reports off internet blogs!

This post has been edited by asiawatcher: 2009-11-03 13:23

[Viper]

What utter crap!!! I agree London has now most certainly become better value. Things are much cheaper in comparison to Thailand. Thailand is fast becoming a major rip off! People are still living in the past and still believe the old crap. So what is better value in Thailand?

[klikster]

chefshane, on 2009-11-03 13:02:14, said:

Oops.

Perhaps this nation will NOT slide downwards past Burma and Korea as they had predicted with monotonous regularity over the last 12 months.

Surely you mean North Korea? Or perhaps a better definition of what " .. slide downwards past .." means.

[robenroute]

Viper, on 2009-11-03 13:26:49, said:

What utter crap!!! I agree London has now most certainly become better value. Things are much cheaper in comparison to Thailand. Thailand is fast becoming a major rip off! People are still living in the past and still believe the old crap. So what is better value in Thailand?

Don't forget that "we" see Thailand differently from the regular tourists. I can see why Tom, Dick and Henriette like Thailand: temples, oriental food, tropical beaches, bamboo bungalows, loads of sunshine and generally friendly people. To people who've been living in Thailand things might be slightly different. But your average tourist doesn't give a toss about being ripped-off. hel_l, they wouldn't be able to tell if they were. The Euro gives you around 50 Baht; to European tourists this simply means a cheap holiday (where a beer is about the same price as it is at home). Infrastructure/transportation is reasonably well organized, so what's there to complain about? Two weeks later they're back home with shiploads of photographs and good memories.

[givenall]

george, on 2009-11-03 11:55:31, said:

Thailand second best-value destination
Iceland, Thailand, London best-value destinations: Lonely Planet

Iceland and London are among the world's best-value destinations thanks to the economic crisis, travel guide firm Lonely Planet said Tuesday, while Thailand remains tough to beat.

South Africa, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya and Las Vegas in Nevada rounded out the top 10, said the British-based company in its "Best In Travel 2010" guide.

The annual snapshot book captures "the world's hottest travel trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the year ahead," Lonely Planet said.

The economic collapse in Iceland meant the island was no longer punitively expensive, said the guide, putting the beleaguered country at the top of its best-value list.

"Have you always wanted to discover this magical, mysterious country? To explore ice caps and volcanoes, and wallow in hot springs? Been put off because of the prohibitive prices? Well, 2010 is your year."

Thailand, at number two, remained "perennially good value", said the book.

"It's one of the cheapest long-haul holidays for European holidaymakers... visitors are always spoilt for choice regarding accommodation."

Meanwhile London's days as a costly destination were now over, Lonely Planet said.

"Long ludicrously expensive, London has become much more affordable for visitors from abroad, if not for its residents," said the guide.

"The favourable exchange rate means that travellers will often find hotels and meals up to half the price they were a few years ago."

Elsewhere in the top 10, Malaysia "is a clever choice for travellers on the lookout for a bargain", while in India "your money stretches almost as far as the infamous Indian 'stretchable' time".

"South Africa is not only about an amazing climate, vast unspoilt scenery, balmy sandy beaches, extraordinary wildlife and adventure activities, but the cost of living is low, so it's also excellent value for money."

The top 10 countries overall for travellers were El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and the United States.

The top 10 cities were Abu Dhabi, Charleston (South Carolina), Cork (Ireland), Cuenca (Ecuador), Istanbul, Kyoto (Japan), Lecce (Italy), Sarajevo, Singapore and Vancouver (Canada).

Bali (Indonesia), Goa (India), Koh Kong (Cambodia), Southern Africa and southwest Western Australia featured among the top 10 regions.

-- Agencies 2009-11-03

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Thailand may become number one if they get rid of the Thaksin /Red shirt SOP

[klikster]

Viper, on 2009-11-03 13:26:49, said:

What utter crap!!! I agree London has now most certainly become better value. Things are much cheaper in comparison to Thailand. Thailand is fast becoming a major rip off! People are still living in the past and still believe the old crap. So what is better value in Thailand?

I'm confused. Are you claiming that London is a cheaper holiday than Thailand?

As to what is "better" value in Thailand, I would suspect that accommodations and local food are less expensive.

[oevna]

george, on 2009-11-02 20:55:31, said:

Bali (Indonesia), Goa (India), Koh Kong (Cambodia), Southern Africa and southwest Western Australia featured among the top 10 regions.

?!?!?!

I once got stuck in Koh Kong for a night on the way to Sihanoukville. There was almost nothing there, except for hotels and beer bars (this was in 2002 I think). My impression was that the whole town's business model was based on tourists getting trapped for the night because they missed the one boat to Sihanoukville. At the time, the Thai-Cambodia Bridge hadn't been completed yet and the only way to Sihanoukville was by boat. The border crossing from Thailand opened at 8am, and you had about 30 minutes to get through and try to catch the boat, which required a taxi or moto ride to a pier some distance away. Maybe the first few people caught it; the rest of us stayed the night in Koh Kong. I have a hard time believing that this narrow window was a coincidence.

It was cheap though.

Apparently it has been been built up a bit since then (and perhaps there was more to it than I knew at the time). Admittedly, since I had no intention of staying there, I didn't do any reading on the place in advance. The staff at the hotel were helpful, but my Khmer was minimal, and their English not much better. I ended up taking a somewhat sketchy motorcycle tour to a "water fall" for the afternoon, and finishing up the evening at a beer bar with my moto driver and his friends (whose food and drinks of course I ended up paying for, although the total bill was quite reasonable).

Has anyone here been to Koh Kong in recent years?

[thefalang]

The Lonely Planet also stated : "The top 10 countries overall for travellers were El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and the United States. " and "South Africa, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya and Las Vegas in Nevada rounded out the top 10, said the British-based company in its "Best In Travel 2010" guide."

How they could claim that El Salvador, South Africa and Thailand are good tourist destinations? They must be basing their opinion on cost only, with little or no priority given to the safety of the tourist. All three countries posed serious threats to toursists.

[SebD]

chefshane, on 2009-11-03 06:02:14, said:

..................
Another 'nail in the coffin'................................................
What about the drunk Aussie sheila who stole the bar mat? That was meant to have a devastating long term impact on how all foreigners, white and black, fat and skinny, chose to view Thailand.
......................

Until a proper survey has been conducted to ascertain the effect that that had on the travel habits of beermat collecting drunk Aussie Sheilas. I think it best not to jump to conclusions, just yet.

[bkkjames]

I suspect this 'news' item was churned out by LP to contain as many key words as possible to have it show up on as many google searches as possible.

With the Baht as strong as ever against all major western currencies, hard to see how it makes it a top tier value to travel here. Just because LP says it's a good deal, doesn't change reality.

[JR Texas]

hammered, on 2009-11-03 12:52:21, said:

Value for money is going to be a consideration for more at the moment. Looks like Thailand is well positioned for this which is good. There are rumours that the high season is going to be quite good as a whole although some traditonal niches may not do as well.

Didn't you work for GM as a "feel good spokesperson?"

[Thaihog]

bkkjames, on 2009-11-03 13:57:45, said:

I suspect this 'news' item was churned out by LP to contain as many key words as possible to have it show up on as many google searches as possible.

With the Baht as strong as ever against all major western currencies, hard to see how it makes it a top tier value to travel here. Just because LP says it's a good deal, doesn't change reality.

I agree, with the current exchange rate Phuket is more expensive than Spain for example...

[madjbs]

Viper, on 2009-11-03 13:26:49, said:

What utter crap!!! I agree London has now most certainly become better value. Things are much cheaper in comparison to Thailand. Thailand is fast becoming a major rip off! People are still living in the past and still believe the old crap. So what is better value in Thailand?

It was only a matter of time before the idiots turned up.

Cheaper in Thailand:

-Accommodation
-Public transport
-Eating out
-Most groceries (apart from imported western items)
-Health care (apart from NHS)
-Fuel
-Insurance
-All kind of taxes

Do I need to go on.........