Pattaya high season hotel bookings well down on 2017 - but there could be a reason say THA

[Megasin1]

I'm sure that it has absolutely nothing to do with the soaring cost of flights, the over inflated value of the THB or the drop in other currencies (even the Yen) and more to do with computer habits because yes, when I turn on my computer I can see the cost of flights, the value of the THB and how much a holiday in Thailand would cost me and so I am looking elsewhere for my Christmas sojourn. So really it's down to computer use.

[theswedishguy]

Maeby 50000 condos have something to do with it?

3000 in central Pattaya just last 24 months? Short time rental is not legal, but all these condos are sold on renting out. 

I actually live in my condo and on my floor with 12 condos: 1 long-term rental. The rest is short-term. 1001 condos where I live. Maybe 10% are used by people who actually live there. Rest rentals. 

 

If you been to Pattaya once, why stay in a hotel? There is a strange "line" after beach road. New buildings. Just 5 minutes walk from Beachroad: 8000THB-month rental. Yes: The owners lose on this, but better to get 8K than nothing. There are 1000s of those condos. Just minutes from the magic circle and all 8000 for beach view 35-40sqm studios.  

 

And the biggest reason: EU people have no money thanks to our governments printing 10% more paper money each year. My currency is down 40% just last 4 years. 55% since 10 years back. 

How quickly this has happened. 2014: about 30% EU, 45% Russians and 20% Asians, 5% Arab/Indians. 

Today low season: under 1% EU. 40% Chinese tours. 20% Asians and 39% arabs/indians. I walk along beach road every single day. During low season it was just like Sweden. 1 white and 99 indian/arabs. 

 

There are different cultures. We are not the same. No bull about "better/worse", just fact that we are different (that brainwashed in the west do not understand).  My girlfriend does not want to walk outside because of Indians/Arabs since they just grab and touch every girl they see (many of them. Maybe not all). The whole feeling/vibe changes when instead of thai culture we have screaming arabs. It is simply not fun to visit.

 

Many I know that have been to Thailand many times will not come back because of that. 

 

Westerners have been swapped to Chinese people (who mostly have no money since on tour) and Indian/arabs that usually have 1/20 of the money compared to western tourists. That's why we have so many closures of fun places to go to. Ind/arabs buy their beer in 7/11. Not clubs.

 

heck: even condo rentals. Every time a studio is rented to Indian/arab: always 4+ persons to save money. 35sqm 4 person. No wonder things break and the strange gang-bang culture with sharing entertainment since they can't afford it per person.  And I will not even address crime, pollution and culture clashes this new kind of tourists bring. Just wish TH understood it more.  I was forced to flee as a refugee from my home country because of this. Now its here. 

[ReMarKable]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Absolute, complete, total BS nonsense. What a farce. Truth is not truth, I guess. Who waits until the last minute to book a vacation in high season? Maybe 10% at most. This woman is both delusional, and compromised. Bottom line is that bookings throughout Thailand are down, and there are many, many good reasons for it. It is called the chickens coming home to roost. Thailand is just not keeping up with the demand, and the services are sub-par. Too bad for the Thai people. This administration has been very bad for the Thai people. They are a disaster. 

Too bad for tourists, but it also affects ex-pats.  Service has definitely declined in the 10 years I have lived here.

[geisha]

Most Europeans know all about Thailand. They came here in the good days when the beaches and water were clean and prices much much lower. There wasn’t a lot of competition for beach holidays then. They won’t come back. 

[malcoml]

Quite a few sex tourists would book two rooms. One room to sleep in possibly with the family and the second room to sneak off to for a daily massage. You need two Chinese to replace one of these guys.

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

Most Europeans know all about Thailand. They came here in the good days when the beaches and water were clean and prices much much lower. There wasn’t a lot of competition for beach holidays then. They won’t come back. 

Things have changed. And the Europeans, Americans, Australians and Canadians used to spend alot more than most of the current crop of zero baht Chinese tourists. The administration gambled. They lost the bet. 

[JIMHILL]

IMHO: The heart of the diminishing tourist numbers is the relative strength of the Thai Bhatt over the past 10 years

[Mises]

I agree with the reasons for the decline in numbers of Europeans, Americans, Australians etc. coming to Thailand as already stated by so many here. The Laguna area in Phuket has had the quietest November I have ever seen, Boat Avenue is virtually empty, the independent restaurants are struggling, just trying to survive and hoping December will boom. What if it does not? I get the impression from flight prices still being discounted - LHR-BKK under £500 - that the planes are far from full.

[1duckyboy]

3 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

What a nice dream 

wake up 

The  Chinese had find out you are not a 1 class quality family resort 

About Russians they mostly only comes for working but get bs from their own country man 

Exactly, only so many first time Chinese tourists will come to the "East Coast Riviera" before word gets around at home that Pattaya is a dirty, dangerous, unfriendly dump. Deceptive advertising will only go so far.

[meinphuket]

What a load of cheap BS. Nothing is technologically different from last year, nobody books months in advance any more, except for Russians, and then only for the  peak season. Accept it, from now on in tourism will decline slowly but surely,  and offering free dinners and apres dinner BJs in Soi Nana won't change any of that. Greed, safety issues, ignorance and aggression have taken its toll.

[randy723]

I have not been to Pattaya in over 6 years and I do not ever plan to go back there because you read every day of a farang getting robbed, killed ,beaten up from a gang ripped off by a ladyboy. I love Thailand and Pattaya is not Thailand. I love north east Thailand where the people are the best in the world and treat Farangs like humans and not an ATM machine

[Cake Monster]

Very recently, I spoke to a Brit and his Wife that were only off the Plane a few hours, and they said their flight was only about 60% full. and most of the passengers were only on a short stop-over in BKK before an onward flight to either Vietnam, or Cambodia.

I guess that the average Tourist from the UK is fed up with the " in your face " commercialism of Thailand now, and are looking for better destinations.

For sure, with the weak Pound, the UK Tourists will be looking for more value for their Pound 

[BestB]

3 minutes ago, randy723 said:

I have not been to Pattaya in over 6 years and I do not ever plan to go back there because you read every day of a farang getting robbed, killed ,beaten up from a gang ripped off by a ladyboy. I love Thailand and Pattaya is not Thailand. I love north east Thailand where the people are the best in the world and treat Farangs like humans and not an ATM machine

???????????? and North East, Isaan is Thailand ? Is that why they do not speak thai but Isaan?

and where do you think all the thugs in Pattaya come from? Not Isaan? 

 

Did you think hookers who rob you blind come from another country ? 

 

????????????

[BestB]

6 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Very recently, I spoke to a Brit and his Wife that were only off the Plane a few hours, and they said their flight was only about 60% full. and most of the passengers were only on a short stop-over in BKK before an onward flight to either Vietnam, or Cambodia.

I guess that the average Tourist from the UK is fed up with the " in your face " commercialism of Thailand now, and are looking for better destinations.

For sure, with the weak Pound, the UK Tourists will be looking for more value for their Pound 

It’s just too expansive for everything plane and simple .

 

Even shopping at the markets. A crappy quality T-shirt is 200 baht.

 

In Kmart in Australia , better quality T-shirt is $4-$5 ie 100-125 baht.

 

Western quality food can easily  set you back 3000-4000 baht for 2 people, again double to cost back home.

 

And if you here for girls , at 1000-3000 bar fines and 3000-7000 for her is hardly a bargain , the crappy attitude is added free of charge though as a bonus ????

Edited November 28, 2018 by BestB

[Caine]

Pattaya is like it’s new beach will be in 3 years time. WASHED UP.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, mercman24 said:

hey did you forget the INDIANS i was in Pattaya a few nights ago, thought i was in INDIA lol, even cheaper charlies than the Chinese

 

Yep. We went to Safari World a few weeks back. Just like little India. They were even playing Bollywood songs to get the crowd excited before the Dolphin show! Coach loads of single men as well as families.

[NoshowJones]

There is a reason. Thai immigrations visa rules, go figure.

[watcharacters]

 

I am OK with zero tourist coming to thailand.     I live here and fail to see how an influx of tourists is of benefit to me.

 

Other than small hotel and restaurant  owners of which there are fewer and fewer, I don't see how anyone could care about a lower number of tourists coming  to this  Kingdom.

 

[Cake Monster]

1 minute ago, Caine said:

Pattaya is like it’s new beach will be in 3 years time. WASHED UP.

3 Year !

The Beach will be washed away in 3 Months????

[watcharacters]

 

I am OK with zero tourist coming to thailand.     I live here and fail to see how an influx of tourists is of benefit to me.

 

Other than small hotel and restaurant  owners of which there are fewer and fewer, I don't see how anyone could care about a lower number of tourists coming  to this  Kingdom.

 

[NoshowJones]

There is a reason. Thai immigrations visa rules, go figure.

[Trollmann]

I am retired and currently living in thailand. The cost of staying in thailand has increased 30% over the last years because of the exchange rate. The prices in thailand are also increasing. I dont want to go to national parks because of the double price discriminating farang policy. Thailand is to expensive and the 90 days reports and the paperwork to extend the visa or re-entry is to much work. So this year will probably be my last year in thailand

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, mercman24 said:

hey did you forget the INDIANS i was in Pattaya a few nights ago, thought i was in INDIA lol, even cheaper charlies than the Chinese

 

Yep. We went to Safari World a few weeks back. Just like little India. They were even playing Bollywood songs to get the crowd excited before the Dolphin show! Coach loads of single men as well as families and company trips.

 

They are indeed cheaper charlies than Chinese! Some were asking for a discount on the pony ride for their kid!

 

 

[ebean001]

6 hours ago, mercman24 said:

all the agents Agoda etc do this to try and get you to panic buy, its a sells routine,when you get in touch with the hotel direct , and the answer has always been , *yes no problem, we have a room for you *

Agoda buys a certain number of rooms. When they are sold, Agoda is sold out. The hotel may not be.

[madmitch]

5 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

There is a reason. Thai immigrations visa rules, go figure.

What? If anything Thailand's visa rules are easy for tourists. 30 day stamp for many countries, easy tourist visas. E-visa would be nice though.

 

Just now, ebean001 said:

Agoda buys a certain number of rooms. When they are sold, Agoda is sold out. The hotel may not be.

Agoda do not buy rooms, they sell rooms on behalf of the hotel. And most hotels use software known as a channel manager to control their bookings across agents and their own website so usually sold out on one is sold out on all (though some may keep a few rooms back)

[watcharacters]

8 minutes ago, Trollmann said:

I am retired and currently living in thailand. The cost of staying in thailand has increased 30% over the last years because of the exchange rate. The prices in thailand are also increasing. I dont want to go to national parks because of the double price discriminating farang policy. Thailand is to expensive and the 90 days reports and the paperwork to extend the visa or re-entry is to much work. So this year will probably be my last year in thailand

 

For your post to have any relevance, don't you think you should state the comparative currency?

 

Are we just suppost to guess?

[BestB]

1 minute ago, watcharacters said:

 

For your post to have any relevance, don't you think you should state the comparative currency?

 

Are we just suppost to guess?

I would guess AUD

[watcharacters]

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

I would guess AUD

 

As I said the poster "expects all others to guess".

 

A little clarity would make sense to me.

 

I'm nevertheless sad to hear his finances prevent him from staying here.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by watcharacters

[NoshowJones]

9 minutes ago, madmitch said:

What? If anything Thailand's visa rules are easy for tourists. 30 day stamp for many countries, easy tourist visas. E-visa would be nice though.

 

Agoda do not buy rooms, they sell rooms on behalf of the hotel. And most hotels use software known as a channel manager to control their bookings across agents and their own website so usually sold out on one is sold out on all (though some may keep a few rooms back)

"What? If anything Thailand's visa rules are easy for tourists".

Not for the under fifties who want to stay long term they are not.

[terryofcrete]

6 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

Booked hotel in Pattaya for Dec 13 on Agoda a couple of days ago:

 

"Hurry, 44% of rooms in Pattaya are booked for your dates"

 

 

They have been at that carry on for so long now that no one believes it . All the sites ! Hurry ! ... 1 million people are looking at this hotel now ! 2 days before you go you might get the best price ... or when you arrive the hotel is only half full ... Agoda need watching though ... you really need to shop around the other sites , and if you are using the App , check the site on the open internet .. you could find that your " special" price is higher than Joe soap's price who has no App...