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

[Straight8]

4 hours ago, ThailandGuy said:

Well if it is not the Baht exchange rate causing this ..... then what other reason could their be? Land of smiles is loosing its smile? Neah it must be the Baht exchange rate. How long will it take for them to do something about it or keep denying it?

It amazes me when I read a line starting with......... "It's not the baht"

 

Wake up and do some basic math. Strong baht + rising prices for virtually everything. Double whammy!!!

 

Is there really anymore to say on this???? Thought so, yet you're still going to get those with their heads buried in the sand or live somewhere that the nearest 7-11 is an hours drive & live on 15,000 baht a month keep saying..."It's not the baht" 

[Deported]

Haha, really not a surprise...
With the way of the immigration treat the tourists, about what do you want waiting for?
All are going where they are well treated and well welcomed!
Brazil, 3 month without visa, Mexico 6 months and the majority of countries around have better conditions too....
Avoid Thailand until they become welcoming again!

[Jane Dough]

I went to Patong in 1982. I thought it was overpriced then. What changed?

 

Rooster

Edited January 3, 2020 by Jane Dough
typo

[Call]

Every single year, there are complains and asking for government to support, Thai style ???? 

Every year are worse then the previous one.

My answer to the low occupancy predictions of 2020, let the market rule, take down the price! Lets say 1.000 Bath a night for this season and the next one maybe booked a year ahead.

Dear Thai hotel owners, think out of the Thai box.

[madmen]

I think hoteliers crying is the worst possible indicator with the massive rise of unstoppable air bnb and its only going to get worse for hotels from now on.

 

I considder the numbers in the OP totally flawed and meaningless when it comes to feet on the ground ..Airport arrival data is the way to go 

Edited January 3, 2020 by madmen

[Olmate]

2 hours ago, USMC RETIRED 2015 said:

Check where?  TVF??? HAHA, your comment is a joke..I live in Thailand and I am "SHOCKED" everytime I visit Phuket about how expensive everything is...I am just glad my friend owns a nice big house for me and my family to stay in and I always venture to the local thai markets for food and buy drinks at the market...never will I buy anything near the water or in the tourist areas....that's the only way to enjoy the beaches/sunsets etc. without the rip off prices of hotels, food, transportation...

You know the score but he doesn’t,t? Maybe he,s the joke then. Plenty of feedback all over the internet, guess only you and I and all on TVF know! I’ve lived in Phuket for many years.What a good idea venturing to the local markets, maybe that,s what makes you special????????

[WineOh]

Good! I worked in the hotel industry for 3 years in Phuket as a young man.

The way they treat their guests is despicable. So, so so rude, entitled, arrogant. The tour operators are a disgrace, ripping unsuspecting tourists off daily. 

 

I truly hope they get everything they deserve on that miserable island. 

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, madmen said:

I think hoteliers crying is the worst possible indicator with the massive rise of unstoppable air bnb and its only going to get worse for hotels from now on.

 

I considder the numbers in the OP totally flawed and meaningless when it comes to feet on the ground ..Airport arrival data is the way to go 

How many airbnb bookings have there been and what are the airport arrival figures ?

[DaRoadrunner]

9 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Yep! Them there chickens have come home to roost, though the idea that it is themselves that have driven customers away will not sink in, as they will always seek to blame someone or something else.

Post of the thread! When will they learn?

[Olmate]

3 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Good! I worked in the hotel industry for 3 years in Phuket as a young man.

The way they treat their guests is despicable. So, so so rude, entitled, arrogant. The tour operators are a disgrace, ripping unsuspecting tourists off daily. 

 

I truly hope they get everything they deserve on that miserable island. 

Guess you were a young manager then! All too hard it seems...

[WineOh]

2 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Guess you were a young manager then! All too hard it seems...

I was not a manager. Just normal staff. I was hired mostly for my language skills (I speak 5 languages). I left because I couldn't take their BS anymore and the constant bad mouthing they did about their guests. Honestly, local phuket people have a real dislike for the very people that provide them with a roof over their heads. They have been biting the hand that feeds for decades and now it is going to bite them back hard on the butt.

 

good, i'm overjoyed at the prospect. 

[Scot123]

9 hours ago, madmitch said:

The hotel industry is one business that doesn't follow this particular Thai trend. They reduce prices to try and attract business. The problem is that when one hotel does it, others follow. It's good for the tourists but not so good for those in the business as occupancy rates don't improve and overall income reduces. It is going to be a tough year for accommodation providers.

Lol! You do live in Thailand don't you or have you just arrived and not yet experienced Thai economy one on one yet????? 

[Traubert]

7 minutes ago, sanemax said:

How many airbnb bookings have there been and what are the airport arrival figures ?

Doesn't matter. This is the hotel industry in Phuket moaning about non-bookings.

 

Every one of the AirBnB customers is not staying in a hotel and it's pretty hard to get to Phuket if you dont fly.

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, bangkokequity said:

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

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

So there are or not?

[CGW]

2 hours 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.

I would imagine there is an ongoing "internal" battle between Hoteliers and developers, both sides will have a lot of influence, my money would be on the developers having the more influential friends? 

[Olmate]

3 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

I was not a manager. Just normal staff. I was hired mostly for my language skills (I speak 5 languages). I left because I couldn't take their BS anymore and the constant bad mouthing they did about their guests. Honestly, local phuket people have a real dislike for the very people that provide them with a roof over their heads. They have been biting the hand that feeds for decades and now it is going to bite them back hard on the butt.

 

good, i'm overjoyed at the prospect. 

Don,t put that last comment on your CV!

[sanemax]

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Doesn't matter. This is the hotel industry in Phuket moaning about non-bookings.

 

Every one of the AirBnB customers is not staying in a hotel and it's pretty hard to get to Phuket if you dont fly.

I was just inquiring whether the air bnb bookings were having an effect on the hotel market and to what degree

[Olmate]

1 hour ago, A Los for words said:

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

What’s the reason?

[phantomfiddler]

Only themselves to blame, a total rip-off of a place ????

[Olmate]

57 minutes ago, fruitman said:

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.

Thanks for the recent feedback on Phuket!

[Straight8]

3 hours ago, phiber said:

I'm not seeing lower hotel prices on website, am I missing something? Maybe online prices won't change until the very last minute?

No no, you won't see lower prices, only higher prices to fill the gaps for lost profits... its what we call here on TV, Thai economics 101

[Straight8]

3 hours ago, Richard S said:

I don't believe the 1.25 % rate is the problem ..  its the bank savings at 1.8% with no tax  ( foreign money ) money poring in to the banks  ...  in England its 1.3% with tax withholding ...

How the farrrk can anyone not get a toughie over a 1.8 % return.. I'm excited!

[Olmate]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

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.

Let’s know where the best servants are which(who) can!

Edited January 3, 2020 by Olmate

[WineOh]

11 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Thanks for the recent feedback on Phuket!

I was last there less than 12 months ago. Forced into it by my wife to attend some cousins wedding who I havent seen or spoken to for 7 years. It's as bad now as it was then, in fact its even worse. The touts are more agressive, all hopped up on red bull and crystal meth. The taxi drivers are still as ferocious as ever (if you can get a smile out of one of them without handing over any money I will personally buy you a beer) and the girls are among the ugliest in Thailand.

It's also infested with russians and indians. 

I'm never going back.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Liverpoolfan

[elliss]

10 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Don't worry, Indian millionaires are on their way.

 

       Big White Hunters , just a memory .

         Non  whites , have money more , welcome...

        No raciste remark , intended .

 

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by elliss

[Chivas]

10 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 .

Wildly wrong on this occasion fella...... The Thais have already dropped the interest rate twice in recent time and simply darent do it for a 3rd time whilst remaining very much at the top of the USA watch list for currency manipulation.

Moving on with an additional $1 billion a month being added to an already colassal currency reserve total theres little danger sadly of the Baht weakening out

 

[Inn Between]

So, is it ONLY hoteliers that are suffering? Do the restaurants and entertainment venues have good cash flow? Do the low hotel occupancy rates mean tourist numbers are low as well, or are non-traditional accommodation like AirB&B creating too much competition for hotels?

 

If there are just as many tourists spending just as much money but not staying in hotels, will the gov't be concerned? I guess the only thing they could do in that case to satisfy the hotel industry would be to disallow AirB&B, but couldn't that blow up in their faces with people deciding they'd rather go to places where rules effecting their holiday spending and choices aren't being  dictated and limited? 

 

Thailand may be putting itself between a serious rock and hard place. 

[elliss]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

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

 

     That  makes me Junta up and down,  with Joy ...

 

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by elliss

[miamiman123]

If there’s a war with Iran in the ME....all bets are off. You haven’t seen anything yet! 

[wealthychef]

10 hours ago, neeray said:

"It's good for the tourists but not so good for those in the business as occupancy rates don't improve and overall income reduces."

I would disagree on your philosophy here. People shop around, especially in this era as it's made easy with a smart phone. All logic says that more rooms should be filled at less money. But the gross revenue should increase.

 

No, the only logic that says that is one that supposes that tourists have to go to Phuket instead of somewhere else.  Beaches?  Vietnam has 'em.  Ancient ruins and temples?  Ankor Wat.  Jungles?  Laos, Myanmar.  Diving?  Indonesia and Malaysia.  Cutting local hotel prices doesn't affect those things.