"Expensive" Phuket dead as a dodo this high season

[webfact 34,923]

"Expensive" Phuket dead as a dodo this high season

 

Picture: Facebook Jimmy Elizabeth

 

Claims have been made that Phuket has priced itself out of the market. 

 

Both Thais and foreigners are voting with their feet saying that a trip to the Thai holiday island is as expensive as going abroad - and possibly more so. 

 

A devastating analysis - mostly via pictures - appeared on Facebook and was widely shared and picked up by the Thai press. 

 

Picture: Facebook Jimmy Elizabeth

 

On the Jimmy Elizabeth Sea Trip page tourism to Patong was described as the worst in ten years. 

 

Many Patong hotels were up for sale.

 

Restaurants and massage shops were going bust - there were just no customers. 

 

Pictures taken in the area on the public holiday last Monday were accompanied by a statement:

 

"Is this what high season looks like?"

 

Suggestions were being made in comments that Phuket was too expensive - and Thai and foreign tourists were looking for more affordable options elsewhere. 

 

Events that have impacted tourism like the Phoenix boat tragedy are only partly to blame.

 

Phuket has priced itself out of the market.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-17

[ChipButty 727]

Just been speaking to a couple who own a small hotel in Phuket town and they said this year business is very bad, they are trying to sell

[Just1Voice 18,300]

Thai's greed for the almighty baht will be their downfall. 

[missoura 2,195]

A couple of days ago, I was shopping at the local market, when a young Thai man came up and said hello. I was hesitant at first because he looked like a typical island guy wearing a sleeveless shirt, long shorts and covered in tattoos.  Farmers don't wear clothes like this. But, his English was not bad and we got to talking. North, was his name and he was actually from this district where I live in Phitsanulok.  But he had made a living as a tattoo artist down in Phuket for the last ten years. Why was he home? He said no tourists.

Edited December 17, 2018 by missoura

[ezzra 27,035]

The folklore story of the goose who laid golden eggs comes to minds right now...

[NCC1701A 21,312]

I live in Hua Hin which is about 10-30% more expensive than say near by Pranburi or Phetchaburi and when I went to Phuket it was so expensive for everything I was like let me out of here.  

Edited December 17, 2018 by NCC1701A

[jak2002003 3,012]

Looks lovely.  Nice and quiet.  Might go there next week.  

 

Maybe the tourists were put off, not by the price, but by the dirty, smelly and scruffy streets, rubbish on the beach, and polluted brown sea water?  

 

 

[Spidey 4,497]

Phuket is my favourite place in Thailand. When holidaying here, I spent 4-5 days on Phuket every trip.

 

When moving here permanently, I decided that Phuket was too expensive and a bit isolated for me to make it my permanent base. However, Phuket was a magnet to me and I still made a trip there every year.

 

Last year, it felt that there had been a step change in the price of everything, This was also accompanies by a poorer service/quality of everything too. I didn't enjoy my trip and felt that it was one big rip off and not the place it was. This year, for the first time in a good number of years, I haven't visited and have no plans to do so in the future.

 

Gutted.

[darksidedog 30,094]

No tourists? Som nam na. If you looked after them better, and ripped them off less, you might not have the problem.

[darksidedog 30,094]

Phuket is not alone in having very few tourists. Pattaya looks like the depths of low season compared with a few years back. It will be tough for TAT to spin some lies to pretend this is not the case, when the evidence, or lack of it, is clearly visible to all. Thailand has problems with its tourist industry, and it is time for the denial to stop.

[mok199 6,480]

Im sure they are scatching their heads thinking ''we tried everything ,even the honest taxi tall tales aren't working'' ...''Mabey its time for another new shopping mall''.....

Edited December 17, 2018 by mok199

[Issanman 396]

I just spent two weeks in Patong. It certainly was not dead.

All of the beaches I went to were very clean, as were the streets.

Great deals on good food were not hard to find.

Plenty of friendly people.

I will be going back.

[janclaes47 4,273]

1 minute ago, darksidedog said:

Phuket is not alone in having very few tourists. Pattaya looks like the depths of low season compared with a few years back. It will be tough for TAT to spin some lies to pretend this is not the case, when the evidence, or lack of it, is clearly visible to all. Thailand has problems with its tourist industry, and it is time for the denial to stop.

Took my son to the ice rink in Harbor, this Sunday afternoon this high season. He was the only one on the ice.

 

The attractions on the lower floors had similar attendance.

[Spidey 4,497]

Just now, janclaes47 said:

Took my son to the ice rink in Harbor, this Sunday afternoon this high season. He was the only one on the ice.

 

The attractions on the lower floors had similar attendance.

The Harbour never really attracted tourists, more of a place for expats and Thais. Never seen it really busy and, IMHO, has been killed off completely by the opening of T21.

[smedly 20,065]

said it a long time ago - with greed in entertainment venues and ripoff transport they have priced themselves out of the market, certain areas of pattaya have done the same along with Ban Chang and the islands - they just can't help themselves, they seem to think tourists have no other choices and will keep coming as prices go up along with the baht - they won't