Hotel prices slashed and quiet beaches, Phuket faces challenging high season

[madmen]

6 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I spent a week there last week, sure as you say, it is dead and in the 13 years that I have been visiting Phuket, I won't be returning.

 

Nothing's changed, same old same old, no money invested in footpaths being made wider with people with prams wheelchairs having to use the roads as people stop to buy things from the store sellers in these narrow footpaths, that are laden with holes that will break ankles, legs or force someone to have a serious fall. 

 

Patong Beach is still dirty as ever with the large grates evident at the end of the road showing all of the water run off to Patong beach.

 

Taxi drivers on every corner smoking cigarettes than linger in yours and your child's path, and still trying to rip off the farang, e.g. at the hotel we stayed at, I asked my Thai wife to go across the road and ask the taxi drivers how much they wanted to go to the Australian Consular General's office which was a 15 minute drive from where we were, I thought I was out of sight in the foyer area, the taxi driver immediately said 500 baht with my wife replying, why so much, and his reply summed it up, you are with a farang sister, with my wife replying, the farang is my husband and those two children are ours brother, oh he said, 450 then, no 400 she said and he agreed, now 100 baht is not a lot of money, it's a tip IMO, but the mentality is enough for me not to tip them one baht.

 

I could go on, but I won't, let what is going to unfold, unfold, the writing has been on the wall for years, unfortunately the way I see it is that the Thai's down south are all for themselves and think the prosperity they have been receiving from tourists over the years will never run out, well, good luck with that thought.

 

Will never return to Phuket as I have seen Thai's there for what they really are, and on that note I will it at that.

All of the above has been the same for decades yet the people still came. The only difference now is the Baht shooting up. This is the real reason tourists will stop coming right across Thailand

[4MyEgo]

1 minute ago, madmen said:

All of the above has been the same for decades yet the people still came. The only difference now is the Baht shooting up. This is the real reason tourists will stop coming right across Thailand

I will agree that it has been the same for decades, well the 13 years that I have been visiting as mentioned in my previous post, that said, I don't believe the baht has anything to do with it, people like to see improvements to places they visit, and farangs "hate" being ripped off, all of the friends that I have spoken too who are not returning have all mentioned the fact of being charged more, or been short changed when given change, the lack of, or nil improvements to the footpaths/beaches, e.g. they don't feel safe walking along the footpaths, and feel the beaches are not clean, so my sentiments are echoed by others.

 

For me, it will be Hua Hin, different vibe, cleaner and less of what you see in Phuket, including the quality of farangs visiting, a little up market should we say. 

 

[AntipodeanThai]

They (Hotels, taxis, places to eat et al)can "rip" some of the people of for some of the time but not all of the people all of the time. Seems like self inflicted wounds.

[TSF]

Well the word travels fast and there are way too many horror stories getting around. Someone from Australia or Europe maybe holidays twice a year in Phuket. Now there's no guarantee they'll get in. Maybe the IO thinks they're holidaying too much and turns them back. Maybe they don't have 20,000 THB in cash but are carrying half a dozen credit and debit cards and the IO won't allow them go get the cash from an ATM 50 meters away. Then if they're lucky enough to get past the suspicious IOs, the long list of scams start the second they walk out the airport. Who needs all this BS? There are plenty of other great places to go to and spend your money.

[kevin612]

Counting on the Indians? Thai people don’t like Indians.

[johnny49r]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Kongsak Khuphongsakon, head of the Southern Thai Hotel Association, told Manager Online that Phuket has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 hotels, with between 100,000 and 150,000 hotel rooms catering for tourists of all budgets.

This is a great reason NOT to go there - too crowded and polluted. 

[Jiggo]

Mr Kongsak predicated occupancy room rates will hit 90 percent with tourists from Europe, Asia, Thailand, and even China still expected to visit in large numbers.

Been reading your tea leaf's after your morning ''Cuppa'' Mr Kongsak 

[rocketdave]

So the big spending Indians are going to save the tourist industry eh? Last week one of them was arrested here in Pattaya for breaking and entering a 100 Baht note, he was let off, he had only been here a month and it was a first offence!

[marqus12]

11 minutes ago, TSF said:

Then if they're lucky enough to get past the suspicious IOs, the long list of scams start the second they walk out the airport.

Trying to find this bus for 170 baht outside this airport

is already an "adventure".

[Skallywag]

1 hour ago, FinChin67 said:

Not even on Chinese sites... 16-20 Dec One room, 3 adults (if want to compare)

The Rosewood Phuket is the best deal as you get a free breakfast with your 26,000 baht room for the night.  Better hurry though it is a "Limited time offer" 

[Captain 776]

I have lived here 14+ yrs now but stopped going to Phuket 8-9 yrs ago, there are much better safer choices.

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, tonysilly said:

Soo no more half farang and half Thai babies?  I wonder if half Indian half Thai babies will be on all the drama and singing shows? 555

 

Cumin soon!

[CNXexpat]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Kongsak Khuphongsakon, head of the Southern Thai Hotel Association, told Manager Online that Phuket has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 hotels, with between 100,000 and 150,000 hotel rooms catering for tourists of all budgets.

Plus the illegal ones in the same quantity. Plus endless of AirBnbs and private short term rentals.

[spidermike007]

Eliminate European, American, Australian and Kiwi tourists from the list. Their numbers are dropping off the cliff. Not much appeal anymore. And far too costly. 

 

Put all your eggs in the Indian and Chinese basket. Smart planning. Visionary stuff. Very typical of the Thai army.

[Dice Man]

18 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

 

...  ... really?! Well, good luck with them ... 

One beer and 4 straws please

[HLover]

1 minute ago, Dice Man said:

One beer and 4 straws please

Perhaps some baby powder too?

[simon43]

I checked the annual booking stats for my ex #3's small (but decent) hotel near the airport.  She gets very good reviews, but competition from ever-growing similar businesses means that her average room rate has dropped by 10%, compared to previous years.  That's 10% less profit basically....

 

'What can I do?' she asked me.  (She works hard, speaks very good English and Japanese, deserves to have a successful business).

 

The only thing that I could suggest was to close the hotel to guests for one night and set fire to it to claim the insurance money... ????

 

 

[Destiny1990]

Probably  Tomorrow headline news story is : Bangla road has record high overseas visitors.

[Scottie12]

2 million Indians per year is 5480 per day, how do people who spout this garbage keep their jobs.  Also, Phuketscrew hit the mark when he said if they don’t know how many hotels or hotel rooms in Phuket how can they forecast with any degree of accuracy.  Personally I am quite happy with a decrease in the number of tourists, Phuket is becoming spoilt by mass tourism.

[NightSky]

3 hours ago, Truthhurts said:

Thank god farangs are all so honest, compassionate and helpful eh.

Just ask the vietnamese people whose dead relatives have been found in the truck in Essex.

What the heck are you talking about, the people traffickers are usually from Asia and Africa. 

 

The poor victims you mention were trying to escape communism and poverty in Asia most likely.

 

You have no clue what you are talking about.

[Millcx]

18 hours ago, Scot123 said:

OMG! Why can they not just come out and say it, the high Baht and very bad reputation has and is causing this crisis not only for the big hotels but everyone who is connected in anyway to tourist income. The downward spiral should not be measured year on year mut maybe should be measured from the day democracy was stolen at the end of a gun. I am sure that would paint a far worse picture. The damage really took grip with the closer of establishments for several months, the disinfectant of places character. These all a play part and the high Baht which stops foreign tourists coming but also increases the high end Thais to holiday in foreign countries. 

First it was the saviour by Chinese now it’s the Saviour of Indians ... Tell you that it won’t be Europeans coz they ain’t that stupid

[jollyhangmon]

18 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

Why? 20 Indians in a one bedroom will do the trick. 

 

... yeah, I heard they'll soon be coming up with the new >One Bus One Room< campaign - specifically designed by TAT to 'lure' in that lot ... 

 

 

[Survivor9]

18 hours ago, Scot123 said:

OMG! Why can they not just come out and say it, the high Baht and very bad reputation has and is causing this crisis not only for the big hotels but everyone who is connected in anyway to tourist income. The downward spiral should not be measured year on year mut maybe should be measured from the day democracy was stolen at the end of a gun. I am sure that would paint a far worse picture. The damage really took grip with the closer of establishments for several months, the disinfectant of places character. These all a play part and the high Baht which stops foreign tourists coming but also increases the high end Thais to holiday in foreign countries. 

History will stand true. If you drive everything up, eventually it has to come down. The rooms are exuberantly overpriced and services severely lacking. It is not helping to say certain things have value if people cannot see the value. Painting pictures of happiness, tranquility, and splendor mean nothing if the tourist are met with rudeness, loud noises, and squalor.  

[GeorgeCross]

airbnb and over capacity is gonna kill off the hotel industry here.

 

seeing lots of guesthouses up for sale now, hotels will follow

 

 

 

 

[metisdead]

Some troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

[ToddinChonburi]

I looked at the hotel numbers and rooms they posted. They basically have no clue at all and are proud to let everyone know it. 90 % of what ?  legal hotels, illegal  hotels.

[alzack]

19 hours ago, Scot123 said:

OMG! Why can they not just come out and say it, the high Baht and very bad reputation has and is causing this crisis not only for the big hotels but everyone who is connected in anyway to tourist income. The downward spiral should not be measured year on year mut maybe should be measured from the day democracy was stolen at the end of a gun. I am sure that would paint a far worse picture. The damage really took grip with the closer of establishments for several months, the disinfectant of places character. These all a play part and the high Baht which stops foreign tourists coming but also increases the high end Thais to holiday in foreign countries. 

 "has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 hotels,"  for Christ sake  how can this man run the tourist office and not know how many Hotels  there are

[Cobby]

It’s so easy to answer the problem 

ic you are chinese or indian 

welcome to Thailand 

if you are western tourists or expat 

its stay away you are not wanted 

People of Thailand ask the government WHY

WHY WHY. WHY

 

[bkk6060]

I use to enjoy Phuket for a few days but it seems has become the biggest rip off, bad attitude place in the country.

Too bad fun to cruise on a m/b but I certainly will not be going back.

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

airbnb and over capacity is gonna kill off the hotel industry here.

 

seeing lots of guesthouses up for sale now, hotels will follow

 

 

 

 

Yes.

It has got to be hurting Pattaya.

The hotel industry seems very unorganized and powerless but find lots of time to complain.