This was written by Unuudur newspaper’s journalist as a comparison to Mongolian tourism

I have traveled to the beautiful Phuket, which is considered the largest island of the Kingdom of Thailand. The island is surrounded by famous beaches such as Patong, Karan, Katon, Kamala, Rawai, Freedom and Nai Yang along the coast of the Andaman Sea. An average of 10 million tourists come to Phuket every year. According to the report of the tourism organization, 9.8 million tourists visited the region in 2019, before the pandemic. However, in 2020 and 2021, it received the fewest number of tourists in its history. In 2022, a limited number of tourists were accepted with certain conditions (vaccination certificate, Thai passport, medical certificate, health insurance), and from January of this year, foreigners were allowed to enter without any restrictions.

Although Thailand is considered a major tourist area, people say that tourists are treated harshly, especially Mongolians, when they were allowed to cross the border. There are quite a few cases of group theft and travel, so Mongolians are required to book round-trip flight tickets, hotels, and travel insurance, and fill out additional forms. However, from 2023, both citizens of countries exempted from visa requirements and Mongolians will be allowed to cross the border without any hassles, only passports will be checked and fingerprints will be scanned. This is related to the goal of restoring tourism, which is one of the main streams of the country’s economy. In terms of GDP, Thailand ranks second in Southeast Asia, 27th in the Pacific region, and 35th in the world. However, tourism and services make up 11 percent of the total economy. Among the tourist areas, towns, villages and beaches along the coast of the Andaman Sea play a major role in attracting tourists and increasing the income of the smoke-free industry.

Thailand is a benchmark not only in the region but also in the world for its diversified development of tourism. In addition to the development of natural tourism based on beautiful islands and freshwater seas, it is also famous for entertainment, medical (gender reassignment, plastic surgery, massage) tourism. While Phuket and its islands are relatively quiet, some beaches and tourist streets are full of transgender young people in the evenings, turning into shows and adult entertainment venues. Tourists choose beaches depending on what they want to see and the purpose of their trip. For example, Phuket’s Patong Beach is relatively crowded and close to shopping and service centers, so people who want to have fun, get to know the history and culture of the city, and see more things, especially young people, often relax there. On the other hand, those traveling with families and small children tend to relax in less crowded and peaceful places such as Nai Yang, Freedom, and Rawai. As for us, we preferred the second option, a place with less traffic, so we stayed at a hotel near Freedom and Nai Yang Beach.

The country’s main tourism market is Asian countries. Chinese, Korean, Russian and Indian tourists weigh in. Therefore, many Thai people who work in trade and hospitality can speak Russian and Chinese without difficulty. It was often seen that the addresses and location information of the service centers were also written in both languages. This will help determine which country’s tourists are the main market there. The area of Thailand is 513,000 square kilometers or three times less than our country. It is ranked 49th in the world by this indicator. It has evergreen forests and 37 percent of its territory is forested, so the general climate is humid. It has three seasons. Rainy season occurs from May to October, dry and cold from November to February, and hot and humid from February to April. The best time to travel is considered between February and April. At this time, the temperature reaches 30 to 35 degrees, and for tourists, there is no such thing as sunscreen, water, or air conditioning.

The average monthly salary of Thai people is 96,900 THB. This is an average of 9.6 million MNT. The cost of living is considered high because the economy is expanding rapidly and the focus is on human development. Among the cities, consumption costs are relatively high in Pattaya and Phuket, where tourism is dominant. The cost of goods and services is obviously higher in Patong than the beaches in Phuket, because it is more crowded. This difference is noticeable even in the cost of one plate of food and one kilometer of travel. Bangkok, the capital of the country, and other major cities have introduced many types of public transportation such as subways, express buses, and trains, but Phuket does not have all of them. The bus is also an eyesore. There is a blue bus that transports passengers between the beaches, but tourists don't choose it because it takes too long. Instead, it is common to take a taxi, or rent a comfortable car or motorcycle for the day, and reach your destination by a local brand of Tuk Tuk (a small passenger truck). Generally, the main means of transport there are motorcycles and tuk tuk. Expensive and elegant cars are rare. There is no trouble of not finding a taxi or a car, or having to wait for a long time. Starting from the airport, there are many hotels, shops, service points and beaches. Taxis are expensive in Phuket. Due to the high prices set among foreigners by drivers, it is common for tourists to order a ride through applications such as ‘Grab’, ‘Bolt’, and ‘In drive’. At this pace, they charge about 2,000 MNT to 3,000 MNT per kilometer.

The most pleasant thing I experienced while traveling in Phuket was the culture of the service industry. They are friendly with everyone, young, old and children. The culture of welcoming and saying goodbye with a smile is there. Most of the staff in the service organization speak English, Chinese and Russian. People who don’t know the language will try to understand each other somehow. Just grab your cell phone and use the translation app to communicate. Even when you ask for something that is not served, they leave with a smile saying goodbye and come again. As mentioned before, it is common for restaurants, shopping centers, and even small kiosks to have their address, location, and information about the products and services they sell written in two to three languages. This is very important for tourists. It is a compass for the language-impaired. In our country, there is a lot of problems with the registration in the electronic system, even the visible address and location, and tourists are very disappointed about it.

I have heard many comments such as “Mongolians have bad name in Thailand. So, don’t tell anyone where you came from”, "Because it's a tourist destination, people only think about extorting money from people, they don't care, and they treat some people rudely” before. However, in Phuket, I didn't feel this bad atmosphere and attitude at all. On the contrary, I admired the friendly and cultured character of the people there.

Mongolia and Thailand have one thing in common: beautiful nature and the opportunity to develop tourism based on it. Thai people have already found their way in tourism. They are starting from taxi drivers to develop this industry and make a special impression on tourists. Any taxi driver there will inevitably ask you two questions. Firstly, they will ask where you are from. Then they will ask in which direction and on what program they are going to travel. And then they will definitely offer a brochure with travel itinerary and information about what to see in Phuket Island placed on the back of the seat. They also kindly express that they are always available if you need a taxi service. Travel agencies outside Phuket International Airport also welcome tourists and introduce their products and services. In general, they do not think that traveling to tourists is only the work of tour operators and travel agencies, but they seek to mediate foreigners in their national companies and service organizations. They all have one goal. Every taxi has information, price information and maps of major jewelry stores, shops, service centers, and tour agencies on the island.

Tourists visiting Phuket can visit Andaman Water Park, Central Phuket Shopping and Service Complex, Bangla Road Tourist Street, Phuket Aquarium and Crocodile World, Tiger Kingdom, Bird Park, Elephant Jungle sanctuary. They are unique and advantageous as they bring together all the ancillary services needed by tourists under one roof. But those who want to get to know the beautiful nature of the island can take a boat trip to Pee Pee Don, Maya Bay, James Bond (named because of the filming of the world famous movie), and Monkey Island. We took this route. Thai people are very careful that about not damaging these places under people’s feet, so they do not keep them for a long time. Even resorts and tourist camps are rare there. The most famous is the specially protected island called Maya Bay. It is a place that catches the eye of tourists because of its beautiful nature with fresh water beaches and clean, white sand. Locals and tourists travel tens of kilometers by boat to set foot in this beautiful place, and take off their shoes by the footpath to avoid pollution. Also, after entering the sanitary facilities, they wash and clean the soles of their shoes with water. Maya Bay is a place visited by millions of tourists, it is very beautiful and new. Pretty neat for Pee Pee Don, James Bond, and Monkey King. Thais protect and love their main tourist areas as well. I think this is the most important thing to learn from them. A special protected area fee of 300 THB or about 30,000 MNT was charged per person for traveling in that direction.