Season 3, Episode 10: How scam farms in Southeast Asia are crippling Thailand's tourism industry

(00:00:00) Intro Music (00:00:20) Intro (00:01:39) Thailand's big hit post-COVID (00:03:10) Thailand five years ago (in 2020) versus now (in 2025) (00:05:45) The number of visitors before COVID (00:06:35) Thailand's upstart competitor in the region (00:07:38) One reason Thailand is struggling (00:08:38) How Thailand's image is being hurt by its neighbors (00:11:46) What the legalization of Cannabis did to Thailand's tourism industry (00:15:23) How Thailand's reputation is affected--even if it is not true (00:16:34) Thailand's top 10 nationalities of visiting tourists (00:18:29) Will Thailand legalize gambling and look for another silver bullet? (00:20:17) Why their silver bullets may not work (00:22:53) Will foreign tourists keep coming to Thailand? (00:26:17) Thailand's biggest problem in the region (00:27:55) Why we are covering these scam farms On the Fringe Hey all! On this episode we look at Thailand, the former juggernaut of tourism in Southeast Asia.Thailand is a country much loved here on On the Fringe, but lately it has struggled with a key sector in its economy, tourism. Whether it’s because of COVID, being in a rough neighborhood, or mixed messaging on key legislation, Thailand has been having a rough time staying competitive in the cut-throat world of global tourism.This week, Gav and Dave hash out the tourism industry in Thailand, where it’s at, and where it’s going. If you’ve never been to Thailand and want to learn more about the country, or want to understand what is causing people to not visit, don’t miss this episode. We’ve done several other podcasts on the Golden Triangle. Listen to them here:Season 2, Episode 3: Pig Farming in the Golden TriangleSeason 2, Episode 25: It's all coming down