Is anyone else here on a tourist visa and staying in hotels? I want to ride out April lockdown in Phuket, but I just read in the Bangkok Post that 87% of hotels are planning to close, and The Phuket Tourist Association has recommended to the governor to close all hotels for all of April.

 

One authority says there are no tourists left in Phuket, and another says there are 3000 tourists, but we're all expected to leave before the airport is shut down on April 10th. 

 

And they say 95% of hotels will close in Thailand during April. 

 

Anybody know anything, or is in the same situation? I would rent an apartment for a month in Phuket, but I haven't found much available. Most of the places I've found that are listed as apartments are actually hotel rooms...

 

Here's the article:

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1889790/april-lockdown-batters-30-000-hotels 

Not all close. Plenty guesthouse types will need to stay open and try to earn some money. The big guys are shutting. Pay off staff.

Some will not close. Many tourists still in Phuket, but traffic has been a completely wonderful bliss!

Look on Booking.com. If you can book, they're open. If the hotel subsequently cancels it is obliged to find you an equivalent at the same price.

All booking websites allow cancellations without penalties. A buyers' paradise.

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Look on Booking.com. If you can book, they're open. If the hotel subsequently cancels it is obliged to find you an equivalent at the same price.

Hahahahaha... Good luck with that.. Many hotels won't be abiding to the OTA (online travel agent) terms in these extraordinary periods, and if you refer to the OTA when you eventually get through - could be days, they will tell you they tried to contact you, then they'll send you a form to fill in - even though they know the details - once they accept it - they'll send you another form for a refund, we're 30+ days at this point..  The priceline group won't be putting you in another hotel at their expense (or with money you've already spent) if you turn up to a closed hotel with no staff present that havent advised you of cancellation, not until you complete a least few weeks of customer service tennis.  

 

Theft doesn't happen... cos it's illegal. ????

I think it also depends where you want to stay I think I would get out of Patong and move to the south of the island Rawai and Nai Harn, and also your budget.

Lots of small resorts around here

Try airbnb 

3 hours ago, dsf9 said:

Hahahahaha... Good luck with that.. Many hotels won't be abiding to the OTA (online travel agent) terms in these extraordinary periods, and if you refer to the OTA when you eventually get through - could be days, they will tell you they tried to contact you, then they'll send you a form to fill in - even though they know the details - once they accept it - they'll send you another form for a refund, we're 30+ days at this point..  The priceline group won't be putting you in another hotel at their expense (or with money you've already spent) if you turn up to a closed hotel with no staff present that havent advised you of cancellation, not until you complete a least few weeks of customer service tennis.  

 

Theft doesn't happen... cos it's illegal. ????

Well, if anyone is stupid enough to book a non-refundable rate payable in advance then they might find themselves in this position, but it's doubtful.

 

So book a room that has free cancellation until very close to your arrival date and with no advance payment.

 

It's quite easy

If the guv wants to close all hotels in April, it wouldn't matter what or how people booked. 

18 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

If the guv wants to close all hotels in April, it wouldn't matter what or how people booked. 

it will if the very powerful PTA have something to say about that!

Slowly they are shutting down I know of 3 places I think everyone has a price on it

3 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Slowly they are shutting down I know of 3 places I think everyone has a price on it

I work in the hotel industry & I know of 50 or more.... some will stay open, its a face thing also 

 

2 minutes ago, eezergood said:

I work in the hotel industry & I know of 50 or more.... some will stay open, its a face thing also 

 

Some of these OTA's must be ready to commit suicide 

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Some of these OTA's must be ready to commit suicide 

some of them should......

8 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Some of these OTA's must be ready to commit suicide 

They've had a licence to print money for the past few years, the big ones, anyway.

 

I just hope they don't raise rtheir commissions when things get back to relative normality.

They announced hotels have to close tomorrow. I haven't been able to find an apartment, as nobody wants to rent to foreigners now. 

 

I'm thinking of flying to Bangkok tomorrow, but I'd rather not get on a plane full of people right now. 

1 hour ago, trappedinasia said:

They announced hotels have to close tomorrow. I haven't been able to find an apartment, as nobody wants to rent to foreigners now. 

 

I'm thinking of flying to Bangkok tomorrow, but I'd rather not get on a plane full of people right now. 

 

Hotels only not take new booking. If you have a hotel you should be Ok.  Well, unless hotel just close.

 

Edit - sent you a message

so if ur staying in a hotel it wont close?
right, they will stay open for a few stuck tourists..  LOL

Recently the government in Phuket has announced that a small number of hotels will stay open where tourists can check in to those hotels.   I don't have a good link for this although I note that Richard Barrow has mentioned the hotel names on his facebook page (and I copy from that page)

     * Dara Hotel in Wichit (฿1,000)
     * The Throne in Sire (฿1,000)
     * The Tide Beachfront in Sire (฿1,000)
     * Patong Bay Hill in Kathu (฿650)
     * Naiyang Beach Hotel in Thalang (฿650-800)

I was curious, and I did find "Dara Hotel" and the "Tide Beachfront" on the web but I could not find the Throne.  I did not try to locate the others.  

 

i do note (having talked to some) that people who have condos/villas that are normally for rent for one month, might be a bit reluctant to rent such now, given the current government requirement for hotels to close.  Condos/villas are not hotels, but one can never be certain in these times how requirements will be interpreted.

 

Best of luck in your efforts.

2 hours ago, oldcpu said:

Recently the government in Phuket has announced that a small number of hotels will stay open where tourists can check in to those hotels.   I don't have a good link for this

I found a arguably "better" link/reference source for the open Hotels in Phuket allowed to stay open: 

https://thephuketnews.com/governor-exempts-five-hotels-to-receive-new-guests-75601.php

Thanks. I was able to find a residential apartment to rent for a month.