Flat growth in tourist arrivals to Chiang Mai

[GeorgeCross]

12 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

After Loi Krathong the hotel and especially the hostel bookings are low again. Chinese prefer good hotels and will never stay in dormitories like western backpackers. Also they like Airbnb. If the new ASTRA with more then 600 Condos and the ad, that they are "Airbnb friendly", the hotels will loose more guests.

4 weeks ago I was at the Eat@Rincome restaurant. They told me that the U Hotel (4*) is fully booked - by Koreans. 

 

i have it on good authority that middle aged westerners prefer good hotels and will never stay in dormitories like 18 year old asians

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

How did you differentiate between Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists?

They dress differently.

[moe666]

2 hours ago, EricTh said:

Lanterns is a hazard to planes flying to get into the Chiang Mai airport and also might cause fire on rooftops. 

 

The lanterns ban is lifted only for certain remote area that airplanes don't fly low and not many houses there.

They cancel the flights so as not to hit any balloons. But from my observation last night there were pretty much zero laterns in the sky end of another traditionmthank you army

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, MartinKal said:

Which is why the number of visitors is misleading as it is number of nights and average daily spend that is important. 

I'm thinking every one of them would have been out in the street for Loi Kratong.

I remember 3-4 years back at Loi Kratong when the inside of the ring road was grid locked until 2am and the moat was so packed with people you could hardly move.

[wazzupnow]

well do not believe all u read,

booking.com has only about 2500 hotels/guesthouses/hostels in chiang mai

and let me tell u that this is the right amount because without this giant you can not operate a guest house/hotel

further since the worst smokey season in 10 years there is at least 20% of the accomodations in chiang mai closed /for sale

sales in loy krathong are tripled in accomodations below 1000 bht per night

yes if you include ridiculous high priced locations, than bookings are up only 30 %

but those accomodations are also the reason for the downfall of tourisme( this is all paperwork not reality)

with the high thai bht it is locical people take a step down on their bookings

[khunPer]

When the number of hotels grow with almost 74 percent, but the number of tourists is about even or only a few percent higher, more hotels will complain about "bad" or "not enough" business – that's simple math that don't require a higher education to see.

[khunPer]

1 minute ago, wazzupnow said:

well do not believe all u read,

booking.com has only about 2500 hotels/guesthouses/hostels in chiang mai

and let me tell u that this is the right amount because without this giant you can not operate a guest house/hotel

further since the worst smokey season in 10 years there is at least 20% of the accomodations in chiang mai closed /for sale

sales in loy krathong are tripled in accomodations below 1000 bht per night

yes if you include ridiculous high priced locations, than bookings are up only 30 %

but those accomodations are also the reason for the downfall of tourisme( this is all paperwork not reality)

with the high thai bht it is locical people take a step down on their bookings

Do you think that "booking.com" represent all hotels in Chiang Mai?

[cmsally]

13 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Do you think that "booking.com" represent all hotels in Chiang Mai?

I would say a good 70-80 % . I can think of some places not on Booking.com, but not too many. Then there are some which are condos, rooms on AirBnB only.

[korkenzieher]

We live in Hua Hin, and toured around in the north during summer of this year. It is quite a bit more expensive than Hua Hin and really 'feels' like a tourist trap. It had a few people, but wasn't exactly busy. I wouldn't go back there in a hurry. Even if I flew into the airport, I would be looking to go elsewhere as quickly as possible - probably ChangRai of preference, which we really enjoyed in May/June.

 

I rarely feel any need to visit the touristy areas of Thailand these days - because I really do feel like a tourist - fair game, and in the cross-hairs. I guess for tourists here in Hua Hin, it maybe feels the same, I can't say - but without local knowledge, a large leo was coming in at 150. Here it is 55 in the local food court. That soon adds up.

 

Visit, look around, move-on seems to be the best advice.

[dogfish180]

So the number of hotels are up from 2,300 to 4,000 adding 10,000 more rooms! That means 1,700 more hotels....... 10,000/1,700= 5.9 rooms per hotel. That's either a lot of very small hotels, or lot of mathematical incompetence? ???? 

[Caldera]

Chiang Mai has been overrated for as long as I can remember. That the pollution keeps getting worse doesn't help. If it hadn't been for that "Lost in Chiang Mai" craze in recent years, Chiang Mai would hardly be worth talking about nowadays at all.

[sawadeeken]

12 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

Nation can't even get Loy Krathong Day right.   So don't bother with any of the other drivel.

The NATION had LOY KRATHONG as Nov. 11 which is correct....... IS CORRECT.....

Quit your posting while you are playing with the Mrs. and/or the girl.......... LOL

[ChakaKhan]

4 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Went out last night to the ping river area and lanterns were banned about 200 people there from last years 5,000 another tourism catastrophe ????  

Banned???? confused..as thought this was the place to be and even sent tourists there...just kratongs??

[NanLaew]

18 hours ago, orchis said:

that means zero growth

Yes, and their lame attempt at positive spin by using 'flat growth' sounds akin to flat-lining to me.

[ChakaKhan]

3 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

How did you differentiate between Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists?

 

 

Nike Shoes--Yankee hats and Mama cups..

[Nicknoodle]

I don't live in Chiang Mai but I have spent a considerable amount of time there in the last 7 years. I have only seen a minimal increase in hotels, but as earlier mentioned on this thread, the increase in numbers is only attributed to "guesthouses" now being licenced. In regard to numbers, you can ask any hotel, any bar, any travel agent, they will all say the same thing, numbers of tourists is well down year on year. But one thing I have personally noticed is that there are many more independent Chinese tourists booking cheaper hotels instead of being on tours and paying through the nose. This has in turn has caused the cheaper end hotels to increase in price. If, as per this article states, the number of hotels was up, but the number of guests was pretty much the same then I have no doubt that the hotel prices would have dropped, but they haven't! Always gotta love the Thai statements that are so obviously false. 555

[Mavideol]

16 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Nope, not at all true. Everybody understands that the amount of hotels in one city, can not almost double, from 2200 to 4000, in only two years.

I would be better to tell the truth. That is only 2200-2300 had a license for their business, and after they made a lot of raids others already doing business for many yoear had to get lecensed. That´s why they are visible today.

you expect TAT to tell the truth, good luck 555

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

They dress differently.

 and the last 2 don't speak loud and don't spit on your shoes, complete different behavior

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, Nicknoodle said:

but the number of guests was pretty much the same then I have no doubt that the hotel prices would have dropped, but they haven't!

In Thailand less customers = higher prices.

[ChakaKhan]

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

In Thailand less customers = higher prices.

In Thailand less baht=less boom boom ????

[Matzzon]

21 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

you expect TAT to tell the truth, good luck 555

To my defense, I said "better to" and not "expect". ????

[Matzzon]

6 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

In Thailand less baht=less boom boom ????

Hmmm.....Nah, not nessessarily.

 

There are high end call girls, gogo dancers, bargirls and freelancers. Depending on what quality the customers has chosen to rely on for his pleasure and joy, then the same customer can spend a smaller amount of baht by lowering his standards. He can still get same much. Some can even get more, depending of the drop in quality and standard.

Almost same as chosing between russian caviar and frozen fish egg in Makro. 

[ChakaKhan]

3 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Hmmm.....Nah, not nessessarily.

 

There are high end call girls, gogo dancers, bargirls and freelancers. Depending on what quality the customers has chosen to rely on for his pleasure and joy, then the same customer can spend a smaller amount of baht by lowering his standards. He can still get same much. Some can even get more, depending of the drop in quality and standard.

Almost same as chosing between russian caviar and frozen fish egg in Makro. 

As the good lord told me ..do unto yourself what you would rather do unto others!  ????

[findlay13]

43 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Yes, and their lame attempt at positive spin by using 'flat growth' sounds akin to flat-lining to me.

Good chance it was actually down but we'll hear next week of an "

increase" no doubt

[Max69xl]

6 hours ago, gabruce said:

What day was Loy Krathong? I too thought it was the 11th and that's the day my family celebrated as well.

November 11,just have a look at a thai calendar. 

[cmsally]

55 minutes ago, Nicknoodle said:

I don't live in Chiang Mai but I have spent a considerable amount of time there in the last 7 years. I have only seen a minimal increase in hotels, but as earlier mentioned on this thread, the increase in numbers is only attributed to "guesthouses" now being licenced. In regard to numbers, you can ask any hotel, any bar, any travel agent, they will all say the same thing, numbers of tourists is well down year on year. But one thing I have personally noticed is that there are many more independent Chinese tourists booking cheaper hotels instead of being on tours and paying through the nose. This has in turn has caused the cheaper end hotels to increase in price. If, as per this article states, the number of hotels was up, but the number of guests was pretty much the same then I have no doubt that the hotel prices would have dropped, but they haven't! Always gotta love the Thai statements that are so obviously false. 555

If places at the lower end got licensed, then it would have cost them a considerable amount . Impossible to drop rates or keep them the same if you have to fork out that amount of cash. There is also the phenomena of thinking that a vast upgrade and entry into more middle market would make it much more profitable. Not necessarily the case as CM has a vast glut in the middle market.

[joecoolfrog]

16 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

After Loi Krathong the hotel and especially the hostel bookings are low again. Chinese prefer good hotels and will never stay in dormitories like western backpackers. Also they like Airbnb. If the new ASTRA with more then 600 Condos and the ad, that they are "Airbnb friendly", the hotels will loose more guests.

4 weeks ago I was at the Eat@Rincome restaurant. They told me that the U Hotel (4*) is fully booked - by Koreans. 

You are comparing apples and oranges. Most western families do not stay in hostel dormitories but young Chinese independent travellers most certainly do.

[joecoolfrog]

3 hours ago, korkenzieher said:

We live in Hua Hin, and toured around in the north during summer of this year. It is quite a bit more expensive than Hua Hin and really 'feels' like a tourist trap. It had a few people, but wasn't exactly busy. I wouldn't go back there in a hurry. Even if I flew into the airport, I would be looking to go elsewhere as quickly as possible - probably ChangRai of preference, which we really enjoyed in May/June.

 

I rarely feel any need to visit the touristy areas of Thailand these days - because I really do feel like a tourist - fair game, and in the cross-hairs. I guess for tourists here in Hua Hin, it maybe feels the same, I can't say - but without local knowledge, a large leo was coming in at 150. Here it is 55 in the local food court. That soon adds up.

 

Visit, look around, move-on seems to be the best advice.

I agree , Chiang Mai isn't particularly cheap for tourists unless they know the ropes 

[CNXexpat]

1 hour ago, joecoolfrog said:

You are comparing apples and oranges. Most western families do not stay in hostel dormitories but young Chinese independent travellers most certainly do.

No, they don´t. Neither western families nor young Chinese use dormitories. If I compare, then apples with apples - young Chinese, Koreans, Japanese with young western people.

[Isaan sailor]

We like Chiangmai, and try to visit family and friends there.  But the air pollution limits our timeline, and the overflowing Chinese tourists, and the high Baht—we have better places to go now...