Hotel Glut On Samui

[southwest19]

Official warns of hotel glut in Koh Samui

CHATRUDEE THEPARAT

The Thai Hotel Association has expressed concern over the rising number of hotel rooms on Koh Samui as foreign tourists are likely to move back across the isthmus to the Andaman Sea.

Koh Samui became more popular after the 2004 tsunami devastated tourism areas along the Andaman coast.

The completion of the tsunami warning system has brought back confidence to tourists visiting Phuket, Krabi and Phangnga provinces, said Prakit Chinamourpong, the association's vice-president.

The tourism boom in Samui in the past few years has prompted heavy hotel room expansion on the island. An additional 2,000 to 3,000 rooms are expected in the next three years, up from 10,000 rooms at present.

Hotels this year have felt the pinch as occupancy during the high season, from January to February, was only 60% _ lower than the 80% occupancy rate during the same period last year.

The 60% rate remains good, he said, but further expansion could pose risks.

Apart from an expected saturation of rooms, a lack of flights to Koh Samui is also a major barrier because Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on the island. Samui has no problems with water supply this year, but Mr Prakit said the government should make the proper investments to meet demand in the ensuing years.

The cabinet will consider proposed plans to build either a big or small reservoir, improve existing water resources, build a tunnel from the mainland to Koh Samui worth 700 million baht, or allow the private sector to increase water works installations.

"The current [water] production could meet demand until 2012, based on an 8% increase in the number of tourists," he said.

Mr Prakit said the room occupancy rate in tourism spots along the Andaman Sea was rising. Hotels in Phuket, Phangnga and Krabi have averaged 80% occupancy.

But occupancy rates in Bangkok in the first two months of this year fell sharply compared to the same period last year, due mainly to the bombings on New Year's Eve.

THA member hotels in Bangkok now have 7,000 hotel rooms, with an additional 4,000 expected over the next three years, mainly from expansion in the Sukhumvit area to handle increased traffic from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/120307_Business...r2007_biz34.php

I think there may also be the possibility that hotels have ramped their prices up over the past couple of years withour upgrading their facilities.

Maybe with increased competition better times are ahead for Samui's tourists!

[yabs]

I think the phrase here is "som num na"

[Noodles]

I think the phrase here is "som num na"

It's a shame but i feel the same. The arrogance of some of the businesses here on the

island that thought the sudden surge of tourism here after the tsunami would last forever,

and the way alot of them took advantage by increasing their prices to silly levels after the tragedy.

Well like yabs said....

[yabs]

I'm sure the situation will get worse. I've met many people who have said they used to like it but now will never go back

due to overdevelopment and high prices. Short term gain is what the local businessman seem to think about. Money today without a care for tomorrow. Well thats what they wanted and thats what they got, and now tomorrow has arrived.

Does anyone know if this development surge spilled over to koh phaghan? I truelly hope not. Koh Phanghan and Lanta are the only islands i consider not to have been spoilt. Only a matter of time before they go as well I presume if not already

[koheesti]

Higher prices are a small price to pay to keep down the hippy population. No offense to any of you hippies out there.

[Lite Beer]

Higher prices are a small price to pay to keep down the hippy population. No offense to any of you hippies out there.

So you are happy being ripped off. No offense.

[koheesti]

Higher prices are a small price to pay to keep down the hippy population. No offense to any of you hippies out there.

So you are happy being ripped off. No offense.

Depends. Just how much have the prices increased? 10%? 25%? 50%? 100%? Are the higher prices across the entire island? Or do you just need to know where to look (for example, away from tourist heavy areas)? I live in Estonia which was a great little secret 10 years ago but now is losing its charm due to over develpoment, skyrocketing real estate prices and floods of (mostly British) tourists causing prices to go up. Why, they even have to close the beach at least once a summer because the water gets so dirty. Hmmm, that all sounds familiar.

Back to the "getting ripped off". I do a lot of shopping on the Internet because I refuse to "get ripped off" at the stores here. Some popular-with-tourists places here have doubled the price of a beer the last 5 years while other places popular with the locals prices have barely changed. What's it like on Samui?

One's point of reference is also very important when discussing prices. It doesn't feel like you're getting ripped off if prices are still lower than you are used to paying. Which is probably how most tourists to Samui feel while the residents have experienced the price increases personally so they are more aware of it.

[lazeeboy]

Higher prices are a small price to pay to keep down the hippy population. No offense to any of you hippies out there.

So you are happy being ripped off. No offense.

Depends. Just how much have the prices increased? 10%? 25%? 50%? 100%? Are the higher prices across the entire island? Or do you just need to know where to look (for example, away from tourist heavy areas)? I live in Estonia which was a great little secret 10 years ago but now is losing its charm due to over develpoment, skyrocketing real estate prices and floods of (mostly British) tourists causing prices to go up. Why, they even have to close the beach at least once a summer because the water gets so dirty. Hmmm, that all sounds familiar.

Back to the "getting ripped off". I do a lot of shopping on the Internet because I refuse to "get ripped off" at the stores here. Some popular-with-tourists places here have doubled the price of a beer the last 5 years while other places popular with the locals prices have barely changed. What's it like on Samui?

One's point of reference is also very important when discussing prices. It doesn't feel like you're getting ripped off if prices are still lower than you are used to paying. Which is probably how most tourists to Samui feel while the residents have experienced the price increases personally so they are more aware of it.

back in 1995 pro rata the prices were more exspensive than they are now cheap not backpacker bungalows were around 600 baht 37b to the pound in those days now 1000-1200b 68b to the pound the increase may seem a lot when people talk about the old days of 20b food delivery costs due mainly to petrol prices having quadrupled over the last decade have a lot to do with the increases motorbikes 10 years ago were 150b now still 150b remember 37b to the pound.

as inflation goes samui isnt so much more than phuket chaing mai bkk etc it may be a little more to live here than a few years ago but isnt that the case any where else in the world?

[southwest19]

Higher prices are a small price to pay to keep down the hippy population. No offense to any of you hippies out there.

So you are happy being ripped off. No offense.

Depends. Just how much have the prices increased? 10%? 25%? 50%? 100%? Are the higher prices across the entire island? Or do you just need to know where to look (for example, away from tourist heavy areas)? I live in Estonia which was a great little secret 10 years ago but now is losing its charm due to over develpoment, skyrocketing real estate prices and floods of (mostly British) tourists causing prices to go up. Why, they even have to close the beach at least once a summer because the water gets so dirty. Hmmm, that all sounds familiar.

Back to the "getting ripped off". I do a lot of shopping on the Internet because I refuse to "get ripped off" at the stores here. Some popular-with-tourists places here have doubled the price of a beer the last 5 years while other places popular with the locals prices have barely changed. What's it like on Samui?

One's point of reference is also very important when discussing prices. It doesn't feel like you're getting ripped off if prices are still lower than you are used to paying. Which is probably how most tourists to Samui feel while the residents have experienced the price increases personally so they are more aware of it.

back in 1995 pro rata the prices were more exspensive than they are now cheap not backpacker bungalows were around 600 baht 37b to the pound in those days now 1000-1200b 68b to the pound the increase may seem a lot when people talk about the old days of 20b food delivery costs due mainly to petrol prices having quadrupled over the last decade have a lot to do with the increases motorbikes 10 years ago were 150b now still 150b remember 37b to the pound.

as inflation goes samui isnt so much more than phuket chaing mai bkk etc it may be a little more to live here than a few years ago but isnt that the case any where else in the world?

If you compare todays hotel rates with 2004 they have gone up dramatically as many took the attitude that Phuket was finished. This escalation in prices over that timescale has not happened elsewhere in Thailand.