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

[dallen52]

15 hours ago, Spidey said:

Yes, I get that but the invasion is complete, you can't get away from them. Went for a swim and lunch in the Areca Lodge last week. Mostly farangs with their farang wives, a few farangs with their Thai "girlfriends. Large group of young Indians spread round the pool and started acting like complete idiots. Really annoying. Most people, us included, packed up and left the pool area.

Sat on Dong Tan beach yesterday. 

Very clean.

Nice shady tree near the car park.

No umbrellas on Wednesday. 

Ten minutes later, seven Chinese and 4 Russian under the same tree.

With me....

Would not stop bloody talking. 

 

All that beach and they have to sit under my tree. lol.

 

I packed up and left.

[maechanman]

The friendliness factor also has quite a bit to do with it, just returned from a 6 day trip to Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

The service in both hotels I stayed in was excellent and they went the extra mile for you on more than a one occasion.

I actually stay long term in a hotel here and have seen a regular turnover of staff. The majority have ranked extremely low on the helpful/friendly scale.

[Pedrogaz]

I am in Pattaya at the moment.....absolutely no trouble getting a room in any hotel I have asked. And at discounted rates. Far less Chinese here than last year....far fewer coaches and more to eat at the breakfast buffet due to the lack of coach trips. 

I cannot compare it to last year as I was not here during the same weeks.....but I am in lovely hotel which is usually quite full with a Chinese coach party every evening. Been here 3 night already.....not a single coach party. Room rates are cheaper than in low season (I stayed here the last week in September and paid more).

[simoh1490]

22 minutes ago, Kim J said:

There are bars for sale all over the city, along with countless other businesses. Bars constantly close and re open in a seemingly never ending cycle.

A very good friend of mine who has owned a bar for over a decade in a very busy Soi told me after last High season that things had been in a serious decline for two years already and he will not be able to continue much longer unless trends reverse and one more poor high season will most likely be the end of it all as the pot is now almost empty.

Maybe for once you could consider listening to people that are here all the time and to the business owners that are suffering rather than basing your perceptions upon the few days you have spent in the city over the last 10 years?

I listen to lots of people on various subjects all the time, I just don't listen to you on any, you know what you can do with your remarks! Back on to my ignore list you go, this time for good.

[Lucky mike]

Less tourists ?

[marcusarelus]

59 minutes ago, Kim J said:

There are bars for sale all over the city, along with countless other businesses. Bars constantly close and re open in a seemingly never ending cycle.

A very good friend of mine who has owned a bar for over a decade in a very busy Soi told me after last High season that things had been in a serious decline for two years already and he will not be able to continue much longer unless trends reverse and one more poor high season will most likely be the end of it all as the pot is now almost empty.

Maybe for once you could consider listening to people that are here all the time and to the business owners that are suffering rather than basing your perceptions upon the few days you have spent in the city over the last 10 years?

I moved from Chiang Mai to Pattaya in 2005 and the first thing I noticed were all the bars for sale.  A good friend of mine owned a bar on soi Honey and he said things were so slow he was going to go to Bangkok and open a Baptist Church. 

[simoh1490]

4 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

Hmm. All sounds very bad - but the Demographics are even worse, potentially much worse! For those concerned about the influx of Asian males in particular, but it applies too to China and parts of the Middle East...

 

20 years of 'population management' by in particular India and China, with official 'one child' or cultural 'boy child' policies has resulted in a surplus of maybe 200 Million males with no chance of marriage, and in conservative societies, little chance of even getting laid. Socially stratified marriage traditions (esp China) simply add to the problem. Thailand's 'reputation' makes it a beacon of opportunity for these guys as they pass though adulthood and see the limited opportunities before them. Anyone with the price of a low-cost-carrier ticket and 2 brain cells will be looking over here.

 

Thailand's long slide downhill as a Tourist destination for comparatively wealthy Westerners is well documented and really beyond doubt (or denial). But it isn't over yet. Not by a long chalk. Ground Zero is still a long way down.

Yes agreed, most Westerners who comment on places such as Pattaya seem to think that Westerners are the be all end all of tourism there and that only they have money and only they count. Statistically however westerners represent a small part of the overall tourism picture, even if much of the infrastructure in such places is still a hangover from days long gone, one that catered to western sex tourists predominently, bars and go-go's et al and was a primary reason why many expats chose to move there to live. I think it was around 2006 or so when the zoning of bars in Bangkok caught everyones attention but Pattaya was not zoned at the time because they were said to have a credible growth plan that involved big business. My son manages an international hotel which is part of a chain and he reports that his business demographics have changed over the past six years and the hotel strategy has had to change as a result - the emphasis is now on higher spending visitors, fewer single males in search of local temporary girlfriends and a marked reduction in alcohol consumption by guests. 

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Yes agreed, most Westerners who comment on places such as Pattaya seem to think that Westerners are the be all end all of tourism there and that only they have money and only they count.

They're probably right about Pattaya.

Most Asians have access to cheap (slim and attractive) hookers in their own countries.

[SheungWan]

2 hours ago, dallen52 said:

Sat on Dong Tan beach yesterday. 

Very clean.

Nice shady tree near the car park.

No umbrellas on Wednesday. 

Ten minutes later, seven Chinese and 4 Russian under the same tree.

With me....

Would not stop bloody talking. 

All that beach and they have to sit under my tree. lol.

I packed up and left.

You have a hard life.

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

They're probably right about Pattaya.

Most Asians have access to cheap (slim and attractive) hookers in their own countries.

The Indian gentlemen would seem to disagree with you. 

[SheungWan]

22 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I moved from Chiang Mai to Pattaya in 2005 and the first thing I noticed were all the bars for sale.  A good friend of mine owned a bar on soi Honey and he said things were so slow he was going to go to Bangkok and open a Baptist Church. 

Soi Honey does things like that to you. From BJ to Hallelujah!

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

They're probably right about Pattaya.

Most Asians have access to cheap (slim and attractive) hookers in their own countries.

Ah yes, but that's a quality issue. 

[Spidey]

3 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

How desperate would you characterize Thailand's desperation for your wealthy friend?

Not my post.

[watcharacters]

13 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Not my post.

 

Sorry your name was attached to a quote and post I made.     I thought the  post from which I quoted was humorous as it had the flavor of that    "do you know who I am"?  kind of thing.

Maybe that post disappeared.      

[Spidey]

Just now, watcharacters said:

 

Sorry your name was attached to a quote and post I made.     I thought the  post from which I quoted was humorous as it had the flavor of that    "do you know who I am"?  kind of thing.

Maybe that post disappeared.      

As have many others. Not a problem.

[GeorgeCross]

4 hours ago, sanemax said:

Ant time a Foreigner visits another Country , its quite possible that immigration will ask him a few questions .

   Why do you feel that your friend should be allowed to travel the world without any I.O.s asking him any questions ?

 

if he's western, westerners CAN travel the world without being asked questions

 

well, i suppose with the exception of iran, iraq, north korea, china, russia and ... Thailand ????

 

 

[murraynz]

3 hours ago, maechanman said:

The friendliness factor also has quite a bit to do with it, just returned from a 6 day trip to Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

The service in both hotels I stayed in was excellent and they went the extra mile for you on more than a one occasion.

I actually stay long term in a hotel here and have seen a regular turnover of staff. The majority have ranked extremely low on the helpful/friendly scale.

they  could learn a lot from hotels in Da nang....the friendliness and service is incredible

[SheungWan]

1 minute ago, murraynz said:

they  could learn a lot from hotels in Da nang....the friendliness and service is incredible

I always ask the guys who want to push the Vietnam thing, "So when are you moving?"

[murraynz]

2 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

I always ask the guys who want to push the Vietnam thing, "So when are you moving?"

pathetic response... i was simply comenting  on my recent experience in da nang.

im NOT  a regular moaner about thailand...i own a very nice condo in thailand.

i would be bored in vietnam after one week.

surely some constructive coment should be positive...

i just renewed my 12 mth extension-today...quite happy where i am .--for now.....

 

[window]

The strength of the Baht might have something to do with it as well.

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

I always ask the guys who want to push the Vietnam thing, "So when are you moving?"

When the price of hookers in Thailand doubles.

(Or the price of hookers in Vietnam halves).

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

I bought a lobster, at market price, in a Phuket restaurant while the 10 Chinese who snubbed their noses at the menu walked on and later passed where I was enjoying my lobster with bags of mama and durian that plainly could be seen thru the plastic bags. Big spenders those rich Chinese. Lol! ????

[androokery]

My contacts in the travel industry (EU) tell me bookings are down all over the board. That impacts the number of tourists coming from Europe mainly. They're saying it's common after a massively hot summer to see a significant reduction in bookings. And this summer was truly massive and the travel industry is hurting a bit right now.

[elgenon]

On 11/28/2018 at 11:36 AM, 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

How can you say that? I saw only 4 Indians go with 1 LB. BTW She returned to Walking Street in 15 minutes.

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere said:

I bought a lobster, at market price, in a Phuket restaurant while the 10 Chinese who snubbed their noses at the menu walked on and later passed where I was enjoying my lobster with bags of mama and durian that plainly could be seen thru the plastic bags. Big spenders those rich Chinese. Lol! ????

Average Chinese tourist spends 67,000 baht per vacation.  Mine is not anecdotal evidence by a bigoted anti Asian who can no longer afford Thailand it is from Nielsen.com.

https://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/cn/docs/Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends.pdf

 

[simoh1490]

12 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Average Chinese tourist spends 67,000 baht per vacation.  Mine is not anecdotal evidence by a bigoted anti Asian who can no longer afford Thailand it is from Nielsen.com.

https://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/cn/docs/Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends.pdf

 

How dare you interject with fact, do you not understand it interferes with fabricated bashing and ranting.

[paulikens]

23 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

I bet you'll be wrong..

my friend booked his hotel last month for december & it was near on full&no this wasnt a marketing ploy,as they told him this after he had booked it.& this a hotel thats off the beaten track

[BestB]

48 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

Average Chinese tourist spends 67,000 baht per vacation.  Mine is not anecdotal evidence by a bigoted anti Asian who can no longer afford Thailand it is from Nielsen.com.

https://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/nielsenglobal/cn/docs/Outbound Chinese Tourism and Consumption Trends.pdf

 

How does a link which talks in general terms and mentiones popular destinations for Chinese such as Australia translates into this is how much Chinese spend in Thailand ?

 

furthermore let’s say out of 1 million Chinese , how many considered “average” ?

 

I just had a guest from UK for 21 days who has dropped about 250000 baht not including travel and board.

 

So that’s about 4 tones of your average Chinese .

 

No doubt you or your cheer leader will tell me this is not average but then I am yet to have a Chinese who would spend 1/10 of that

 

unless of course your theory is that all those buses carry average Chinese , that would explain 7-11 stores running out of mama noodles on daily basis.

[simoh1490]

22 minutes ago, BestB said:

How does a link which talks in general terms and mentiones popular destinations for Chinese such as Australia translates into this is how much Chinese spend in Thailand ?

 

furthermore let’s say out of 1 million Chinese , how many considered “average” ?

 

I just had a guest from UK for 21 days who has dropped about 250000 baht not including travel and board.

 

So that’s about 4 tones of your average Chinese .

 

No doubt you or your cheer leader will tell me this is not average but then I am yet to have a Chinese who would spend 1/10 of that

 

unless of course your theory is that all those buses carry average Chinese , that would explain 7-11 stores running out of mama noodles on daily basis.

You have told us previoulsy that Chinese tourists represent less than 5% of your customer base. Since you don't target the Chinese market it comes as no surprise that you haven't seen Chinese tourists spending at the same level as your anecdotaal one off, well above average UK tourist you claim to have seen recently.....why are you surprised!   

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

You have told us previoulsy that Chinese tourists represent less than 5% of your customer base. Since you don't target the Chinese market it comes as no surprise that you haven't seen Chinese tourists spending at the same level as your anecdotaal one off, well above average UK tourist you claim to have seen recently.....why are you surprised!   

Oh I see so in that 5% there can not be the “ average Chinese “?

 

the only anecdote are your endless rants when you are totally clueless