Phuket facing worst tourism crisis in three decades - half of hotel rooms empty in 2020

[cyril sneer]

perfect place for 1st time tourists, though ones i've spoke to told me they didn't enjoy it

[BestB]

I can see renewed raids on hotels without a license to help boost occupancy .

 

Thai thinking 101, cut out competition and raise prices and that will do the trick 

[DUNROAMIN]

Me thinks, riding on the sheeps back for too long, parties over, better holidays to have elsewhere!

[legendcat]

The hotel industry is facing a big  Challenge from airb&b and other condos rental. I.am not sure why the hotels do not put up a fight about this.

[ROGER DUNN]

It’s time Phuket Re-Invented themselves and cleaned the Place up and got rid of all the Scammers,Then maybe they will get the Tourists back

[chang1]

Taksin started the decline by going for "quality tourists" and driving away the backpackers. These new tourists were nieve so easy to RIP off. This greatly fuelled the greed in places like Phuket and Samui. Meanwhile all those small businesses catering for the lower end of the market were driven out by the larger operators channeling money straight to wealthy owners. Backpackers, like I was, also often became the "quality tourists". Backpackers used to stay for months but now quickly move on to neighbouring countries and learn how overrated Thailand now is so don't return. After getting poor value for money holidays even the "quality tourists" are not returning and spreading the word to others. Also making expats feel unwelcome is a massive own goal as they are unlikely to recommend Thailand to friends and relatives. It has been sad to see this great destination turn into a very poor version of Spain. The fun has gone and I doubt it will ever return. I hope places like Vietnam learn from what happened in LOS and protect the low end of the market as that is what is most important. Otherwise they have to compete with well established closer destinations that do things much better and without the long haul flights. Basically Thailand sold out and cast aside what it did well and totally messed up the market it went for. The taxi mafia alone are a massive turn off - first impressions last. 

[peterwinnh]

7 hours ago, smedly said:

been saying it for years - just like some areas of Pattaya they priced themselves out of the market - greed and stupidity a poor combination for a business

Totally Agree

[aspenbkk]

Haha exactly how western people forecast and we don't listen to fake figures I saw it a year and a half ago getting emptier and emptier. Now I chose to spend my money in other Asian countries where I get welcomed not scowled at on entry and asked what I'm doing here time and time again glad I'm not going there as only the rich benefit in Thailand not the working people. 

[Phuket Stan]

35 minutes ago, legendcat said:

The hotel industry is facing a big  Challenge from airb&b and other condos rental. I.am not sure why the hotels do not put up a fight about this.

 

The Hotel Association is always complaining to the Govt about short term rentals instead of fixing and cleaning up their own backyard

[tomauasia]

Thais must demand foreign observers next election. All Thais stop the country 

[Mavideol]

8 hours ago, keith101 said:

And the powers to be decided to leave the rate at 1.25% allowing the strong baht to stay where it is . Thai like to just wait instead of actually doing something positive because its in their nature to be lazy not active and this goes for my wife as well .

and that males 2.... you are not alone with lazy wife, maybe laziness is in their DNA 555

[Mavideol]

it's not only  Phuket that has an oversupply of hotels, the same problem all over any beach area and this is mainly due to poor local government management, they see the easy money for new construction, red/brown envelopes and have no clue as to supply and demand is. Have been going around Krabi area for suite some time and in the last 3 years hotels supply have double or triplicated, spoke with of my friends who manages an (very) expensive local well know hotel and he said the majority of the hotel have a 30-40% occupancy rate, all offering last minute High Season deals and 3 more under construction.... that's great scheduling from the local wishful thinking government

[fruitman]

7 hours ago, noone223 said:

Booming because 90% of its tourism is based on old Scandinavians who are in and out within 2 weeks.

When you're 90 years old, after a long flight, you just want to get to a close beach town.

Without being harassed by sex workers (which means Pattaya is just not an option)

So the 90 year old scandinavians don't mind the crappy sidewalks? Stairs without handrail? Beaches full of poisonous yellyfish? Servants which can't speak english? Tuktuk's with hard seats and a high step in? 

 

For me Hua Hin is also out of the agenda, i know better destinations....outside of thailand that is.

[globalspark]

I will say this again prices have become far too high so tourist have found different destinations. I was in Pattaya  in November   early December and the nice hotel I stayed was around $50 Australian then my friend  tried to book the same hotel for around  Christmas and the price had gone to $100 plus.

No lets get serious   does Thailand want tourist?  People are not totally stupid so prices need to be on a level playing field.  Frankly I am finding everything more expensive than Australia.i have been Dental treatment done in Pattaya and what was 4 times cheaper is now 50% cheaper so  is it worth coming to Thailand now?Vietnam  and India is a lot cheaper.

 Further problems are with the Government playing games with  the visas and I do not wish to write about the previous saga  with my Chinese wife multi entry visa or visa on arrival.

   After the last trip  we will look elsewhere to travel. We are talking about  a tourist who has spent over 10% of his time in Thailand over the last 10 years.

 

 

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and the off topic replies have been removed. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Which metered taxies in Phuket are you talking about?

OMG.  Nail ... meet hammer!  PERFECTION!  Thank You!!! 555

That guy has n-e-v-e-r been to Phuket! 

[Captain 776]

Been there done that........would not go back.

[chang1]

1 hour ago, legendcat said:

The hotel industry is facing a big  Challenge from airb&b and other condos rental. I.am not sure why the hotels do not put up a fight about this.

Great idea remove the cheap option and drive away those tourists as well. Even more room in the already empty bars and restaurants. How attractive an expensive ghost town. That will pull in millions of high rollers. Thainess at its best. 

While their at it, ban Baht buses and  bike rentals, force everyone (thats left) to use taxis.

Edited January 3, 2020 by chang1

[A Los for words]

8 hours ago, Olmate said:

Why is he shocked,didn’t,t he check prior?whats he expecting?where is he from? Maybe he is from third world!

Maybe you are from a different world. That term ('Third World') has not been used for decades, and for good reason.

[KEITHY BOY]

I've been going twice a year to Patong since 2010 and this decline has been coming since 2017. I last went over in August and I will not be returning. 

I`m going up north next week to Buri Ram and Sukhotai to catching up with my friends, I once caught up with in Phuket. 

Value for money has gone and so has the falangs haha 

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

plenty of nice beaches there, vietnam isn't exactly paradise either, starfish beach on phu quoc has no more starfishes as those low lifes killed them all to sell them dried to tourists.. communism at work...

 

 

That isn't the reason for phukets "decline", its simply massively overbuilt in terms of hotels and too expensive, doesn't take sherlock holmes to notice.

How on earth does communism fit in with killing star fishes?

 

Did they send them to the gulag and work them to death in the mines?

[mikecha]

 

the price is how  you make it

get smart  ask around what normal prices are 

 

dont get agrivated and walk away at silly prices   walk a block try again.

[Triton]

TAT should promote medical tourism with legalized cannabis.
 

That’s it.

[gonesouth]

you reap what you sow.....why people act surprised i dont know....welcome to the place you are not welcome anymore...........................................................

[trainman34014]

An 'Injection' of Honesty, Integrity and Investment in Heath and Safety matters would be a good start !

[ThomasThBKK]

7 minutes ago, Traubert said:

How on earth does communism fit in with killing star fishes?

 

Did they send them to the gulag and work them to death in the mines?

poor <deleted>hole, they do everything to survive, nothing long term.

Every  communist country that ever existed was a <deleted>hole country.

[fruitman]

52 minutes ago, globalspark said:

I will say this again prices have become far too high so tourist have found different destinations. I was in Pattaya  in November   early December and the nice hotel I stayed was around $50 Australian then my friend  tried to book the same hotel for around  Christmas and the price had gone to $100 plus.

No lets get serious   does Thailand want tourist?  People are not totally stupid so prices need to be on a level playing field.  Frankly I am finding everything more expensive than Australia.i have been Dental treatment done in Pattaya and what was 4 times cheaper is now 50% cheaper so  is it worth coming to Thailand now?Vietnam  and India is a lot cheaper.

 Further problems are with the Government playing games with  the visas and I do not wish to write about the previous saga  with my Chinese wife multi entry visa or visa on arrival.

   After the last trip  we will look elsewhere to travel. We are talking about  a tourist who has spent over 10% of his time in Thailand over the last 10 years.

 

 

I was on Samui the christmas the day after that tsunami.

 

We all had to pay for newyears party, 2500 a person....we had to stand in a very long line to get to the buffet, there was a fat ladyboy singing, some girls dancing on stage.....and that was it!

 

When i came to the meat station it was mod, sold out sir.....

 

Some indians started fighting with the staff since there was nothing for vegetarians, they called the police who came....what a great party it was.

 

Never will i go back to Samui, or Phuket.

[daveAustin]

Not that they care, but according to the 'government', tourism is going to be well up this year. ????

[Traubert]

9 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

poor <deleted>hole, they do everything to survive, nothing long term.

Every  communist country that ever existed was a <deleted>hole country.

You've never been in one, obviously.

 

China had 100m tourists last year. Listen to all the noise about Vietnam, Cuba does ok on tourism too even if the Yanks want to strangle it.

[Inn Between]

Phuket business people should be just fine. They've been fleecing the public for decades and must surely have oodles of cash stashed away for these inevitable rainy days when they've finally priced themselves beyond what's competitive. They can just enjoy the down time and treat it as that nice long vacation they deserve for all their hard work over many years, digging as deep into tourist's pockets as they can. That's got to be hard work, so let them slack off for a few years to catch up on sleep and soap operas.  It will be very sanook for them!!!  ????

 

But of course, that could all be foiled next week when TAT announces that tourism numbers are way up over previous years. 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by Inn Between