Bangkok: Famous 5 star luxury hotel shuts and lays off staff

[CNXexpat]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They would receive no money

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Furthermore if they didn't show up when the crisis has eased that would count as dereliction of duty.

Wow, that sounds really unfair. What about the dereliction of duty to pay them if they expect something from them?

[Lacessit]

There's a 55 yo woman in my GF's village who was doing Thai massage in Bangkok at two of the hotels. She was told to go home, never even got a bus fare.

When I read the manager is saying failure to turn up after the crisis would be dereliction of duty, I'm wondering which is thicker - his hide, or an elephant.

Any sensible person would be looking for alternative employment. He's shown them no loyalty, but expects it?

[moe666]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

The tourism industry is teetering on the edge of a tragic drop, and has already been devastated by this highly destructive administration. This could crush millions of families dependent on tourism. 

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. Some of your officials even went as far as saying we prefer to have tourists that look more like us! And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but they have not forgotten what was done and said. What they have forgotten is the Thailand, as a tourist destination. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. But, will they return? Not like before. Not even close.

People have avery short memories they will be back, when they get some money

[blackcab]

A troll post has been removed.

[JCauto]

2 hours ago, Retarded said:

Decades old joke said if all Chinese poop on island of Japan, it would cover the entire island with that fertilizer. COVID proves it isn't a joke. 

Actually, that it wasn't funny in the slightest proves it isn't a joke.

[Walker88]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. But, will they return? Not like before. Not even close.

I'm one of those 'high spending tourists' I like Thailand and the Thai people. I've hit just about every tourist spot. I've indulged in far too many spicy foods and had to use gyms to keep the waist slim. I probably spend, including airfare, around $50,000 per year on maybe 3 SE Asia trips.

 

I'm not sure if I will come back, even if allowed. I also like Myanmar and Malaysia very much. I sometimes think Myanmar could roll out a new slogan to draw tourists:

 

"Come to Myanmar. We Actually Like You"

 

Bad short term decisions, with officials making comments driven by frustration or---yes---xenophobia, are not long term beneficial to a country whose GDP in 2019 had 17.7% attributable to tourism (officially, not counting gray market activities). Given the current worldwide climate of 'bring home the jobs and disrupted supply chains', it also is not wise to offend one's major export markets and sources of FDI.

[DPKANKAN]

3 hours ago, pj123 said:

The report quotes the hotel as stating that staff "would receive no money". But under Thai employment law 

"Employees with more than 120 days, but less than one year employment are entitled to severance pay equal to one month's salary. If employed more than one year, but less than three years, employees are entitled to severance pay equal to three months' salary." (https://www.thaistartup.com/references/severance-pay-rules.php)

Or is the hotel using some loophole to avoid severance pay by saying their jobs will be available again in three months?

Of course the latter!! Thai laws are not for the protection of workers rights, but to protect the owners wallets!! etc. etc.????????????????????????????????

[kingstonkid]

3 hours ago, pj123 said:

The report quotes the hotel as stating that staff "would receive no money". But under Thai employment law 

"Employees with more than 120 days, but less than one year employment are entitled to severance pay equal to one month's salary. If employed more than one year, but less than three years, employees are entitled to severance pay equal to three months' salary." (https://www.thaistartup.com/references/severance-pay-rules.php)

Or is the hotel using some loophole to avoid severance pay by saying their jobs will be available again in three months?

Severance is paid if an employee is terminated  No one was terminated just layed off

 

 

[poskat]

3 hours ago, Mistymilesdj said:

Make the rooms available to COVID-19 patients 

what covid patients? Thailand currently has 3,000 confirmed cases out of 65 million people. thats 46 per million people. The number of deaths is in the mid 50's which is less than 1 in a million people.

[madmen]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all. This is an emergency situation. It needs to be dealt with, and it needs a high degree of intelligence and competence. Not something Prayuth or Pipat possess. Someone else needs to handle this, and it needs to be handled yesterday!

 

The tourism industry is teetering on the edge of a tragic drop, and has already been devastated by this highly destructive administration. This could crush millions of families dependent on tourism. 

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. Some of your officials even went as far as saying we prefer to have tourists that look more like us! And now you want us to come back? Really? How soon you forget. Sorry, but they have not forgotten what was done and said. What they have forgotten is the Thailand, as a tourist destination. There are too many alternatives now, and they are not only trying harder, they actually have competent people in charge! Surprise!

 

Sorry to say, but the high spending tourists are lost for good. They WILL NOT come back to Thailand, for a dozen different reasons. And places like Pattaya, Phuket and Samui will continue to go downhill. So, the goons at the TAT continue to pursue ever higher numbers, regardless of the noxious air, unbelievable congestion on the roads, and woeful service at the airports, that this policy only exacerbates. But, will they return? Not like before. Not even close.

Bizarre post  sounds like your forcing your Chinese theory to fit. Tourism around the globe is destroyed and in fact when things fire up again whenever that might be its the Chinese that will save Thailand, a luxury many other tourists hot spots that rely on the white man don't have. It's the white man that won't be traveling for years! 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by madmen

[kingstonkid]

I may be wrong but I think that owners of small hotels will be able to weather this storm better than large hotels.  There is and will always be a market for low cost housing or apartments for people that work in the city but their family or home is up country.  If they are smart they will market to that crowd.

 

The larger hotels have more costs and a greater upkeep that they have to maintain.  You could ot market a room in the sheraton or Hyatt as an apartment at low cost.

 

Tourism is going to be slow and it will be interesting to see how the international brands decide which hotel they keep open and which they close.  Holiday inn has a lot of hotels in BKK and I am sure they will have to at one point or another make the necessary decision  as to how long they can run the hotels at a loss and which hotels they need to divest themselves of.    

 

The good news is that just like the stock market tourism will bounce back the only thing we do not know is what it will look like.

 

 

[Rimmer]

A baiting post has been removed:

 

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[OnTheGround]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese.

 

Westerners are not coming here anymore for a dozen very good reasons. You insulted us. You demeaned us. You accused us of being evil, and you accused us of being criminals. You mounted campaigns touting us as bad for the nation. You demonstrated deplorable amounts of racism and xenophobia, and fear of the outside world. Some of your officials even went as far as saying we prefer to have tourists that look more like us!

 

 

But, will they return? Not like before. Not even close.

 

Excellent post, and so far 23 likes, well deserved.

I agree in much, but I think Chinese will be back, and a few sex tourist, who are afraid to explore alternative destinations. Others have moved on, not to return.

Else I expect a horrible next 12+ months, where many hotels will close for good, and be bought up by chinese investors.

More tragic is that 10,000's of hotel staff will be without work, for a long time ahead. 

[Mark17AA]

I have gym membership there, an had email from them some 4 weeks back saying that they would be suspending operations until the end of June. I don't for a minute think this a permanent scenario, but will become survival of the fittest bank balance for sure. If you take the Marriott group hotels for Thailand right now at least 75% are closed, those that are open are catering for very small numbers of guests, recently stayed at the Orchid riverside and Westin on Suk, both had under 15 people staying.

[kingstonkid]

7 minutes ago, Mark17AA said:

I have gym membership there, an had email from them some 4 weeks back saying that they would be suspending operations until the end of June. I don't for a minute think this a permanent scenario, but will become survival of the fittest bank balance for sure. If you take the Marriott group hotels for Thailand right now at least 75% are closed, those that are open are catering for very small numbers of guests, recently stayed at the Orchid riverside and Westin on Suk, both had under 15 people staying.

So another reason for only suspendeding is that they do not have to reimburse any outstanding fees.  I wonder how many weddings and functions had been scheduled and paid for already?

[Logosone]

2 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

Here in Chiang Mai 80% of the Chinese came as individual travelers. They spent a lot of money and stayed often in 5* hotels. The market sellers are missing them most because they spent the most per person. More than every western "quality tourist". A friend owns a restaurant (he is not Chinese) and said that Chinese spent 800 Baht per person, western tourists 300 Baht. Guess who he misses more.

Very hard to believe, the Chinese are notorious for being tight with money.

 

I had Chinese clients and the only ones who always made a song and dance about invoices and retainers were the Chinese who have a reputation all over the world for being cheap.

 

Best clients were Americans, Japanese, Swiss and South Americans.

 

 

[Dap]

An incredibly cold and mercenary response to "valued"(?) personnel. 

[Andrew65]

3 hours ago, Ventenio said:

I swear I'm the only paying resident in my entire hotel.  not that big, maybe four floors.  i might give them an extra 500 or 1000 baht because they have a kid and sometimes a nice gesture goes a long way.  but i can only imagine the stress....... 

 

in another hotel, i remember the owner would be super depressed if their place wasn't full.  now it must be numbing......

 

this is obviously not just a Thailand thing.....every hotel in the world.  soooo crazy.  

An old friend lives in a 50 room hotel just up the road from the Sheraton, he and an American are now the only two residents. I left there a month ago and it was down to 5 then.

The economies of countries like Spain & Greece are to be further destroyed by the decimation of their tourism industries, very sad.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Andrew65

[Brigand]

Quote

A letter to staff signed by general manager Richard Coleman and an HR manager said that staff were temporarily no longer required. 

 

They would receive no money though they might qualify for the government's 15,000 baht social security handouts over the next three months.

 

Furthermore if they didn't show up when the crisis has eased that would count as dereliction of duty.

 

They were told to look after themselves and thanked for their understanding. 

OK, so let's put this in a more clear way for everyone. You are not needed and will get nothing from us plus if you have a problem with that then go whine to the government. On top of that, if you don't show up at a moment's notice when this is all done, so we don't have any drama on the recruiting front, then you are formally canned (which you are basically now) but we need to give you a chance to bend over and be good peons whilst we aim for max penetration. As an aside after all of this, then fend for yourselves and thanks for understanding that we don't give a toss about any of you.

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

They would receive no money though they might qualify for the government's 15,000 baht social security handouts over the next three months.

 

Furthermore if they didn't show up when the crisis has eased that would count as dereliction of duty.

Nice to have such a sensitive and compassionate employer in times of trouble..

[OneMoreFarang]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

general manager Richard Coleman

It seems whoever wrote that article was not even able to look up the name of the GM on the internet.

 

The Sheraton Sukhumvit is already closed since more than a month because they had no guests anymore. Why would anybody blame a hotel for closing when it's empty? That does not make any sense.

 

Maybe before you publish misinformation like that talk to the GM, Richard Chapman.

Edited May 5, 2020 by OneMoreFarang

[jaf3]

they had the best jazz club in town - hopefully back soon

[CNXexpat]

45 minutes ago, Logosone said:

were the Chinese who have a reputation all over the world for being cheap

Oh, that´s the reason why they buy so much in famous brand stores in Europe and the US.

 

In Chiang Mai the 5* hotels like the Le Meridien, Shangri La, Four Seasons, etc. are full of Chinese (in normal times) - and they pay the regular prices.  

 

But perhaps you have different experiences than all other business people I know who have contact with Chinese.  

[OneMoreFarang]

59 minutes ago, Dap said:

An incredibly cold and mercenary response to "valued"(?) personnel. 

Do you believe everything you read somewhere?

TV published what Sanook published. And nobody checked even a little of what they published. Sad.

Edited May 5, 2020 by OneMoreFarang

[Tropposurfer]

4 hours ago, Artisi said:

Do you feel sorry for them? 

I don't, screwing the staff at every turn - - let the share-holders dig into their huge profits generated off the backs of their employees. 

I agree with you entirely Artisi ... but I have a feeling I will see a porker fly by my condo window before that happens.

[Artisi]

4 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

I agree with you entirely Artisi ... but I have a feeling I will see a porker fly by my condo window before that happens.

It wouldn't even be given the slightest passing thought.... 

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, pj123 said:

The report quotes the hotel as stating that staff "would receive no money". But under Thai employment law 

"Employees with more than 120 days, but less than one year employment are entitled to severance pay equal to one month's salary. If employed more than one year, but less than three years, employees are entitled to severance pay equal to three months' salary." (https://www.thaistartup.com/references/severance-pay-rules.php)

Or is the hotel using some loophole to avoid severance pay by saying their jobs will be available again in three months?

Yes.

[Bob A Kneale]

6 hours ago, BobbyL said:

A sign of things to come in that area I reckon. Far too many new hotels like the Hyatt and many others being built on that same stretch of Sukhumvit from Nana to Asoke. They will be hemorrhaging money from now on. 

Ya think?  That's a revelation.

[Bob A Kneale]

6 hours ago, Mistymilesdj said:

Make the rooms available to COVID-19 patients 

There's no need to, Bangkok has plenty of hospital accommodation.

[Bob A Kneale]

Regarding the "dereliction of duty" comment that is attracting so much derision here, it should be remembered that the letter to the employees was written in Thai and what is stated in the OP is just someones translation of it with no guarantee of it's accuracy.