Thailand hoteliers forced to sell up as COVID hits cashflow

[Mr Meeseeks]

14 hours ago, natway09 said:

The standard of  5 & 6 star hotels in Thailand is still exceptional value when compared to 

a similar standard in London & Australia (that have very few) of this calibre

You are talking a quarter to one third the price tag across the board & service is often still better in Thailand

Thailand has an army of very low paid virtual slaves to service your needs. Without them, it would not be able to compete. 

 

Problem is when exceptional service is required, such as sommeliers, silver service, etc. the skills are not available. 

 

As with everything here, it's done but only up to a point, then it goes into the 'too hard' basket. 

[Will B Good]

Disaster capitalists must rubbing their hands watching Thailand, maybe hanging back for another three or four months and then boom.

[spidermike007]

12 hours ago, jazzdog32095 said:

 

Cut my boy Tebow from the list of losers. Took Denver to the playoffs and won an exciting playoff game. The rest on the list you can throw in the dumpster of life.

Well, you have to admit Tebow was a major disappointment. Alot was hoped for, and expected of him, and a three year career was not one of them! Neither were a total of 2,422 yards, and a mere 17 touchdowns in his career. LOL. But, there was that one playoff game! 

[Nojohndoe]

21 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There are many issues affecting tourism. One is the worst possible tourism minister, that could be selected. How about just admitting that expectations for your performance as tourism minister were not met? You failed. You failed so spectacularly, that there are few comparisons to make. Phiphat is to tourism, what Tim Tebow and Ryan Leaf was to the NFL, Chris Washburn was to the NBA, Paulinho was to Tottenham, and Prayuth is to the office of PM. All dismal failures. All huge disappointments. All incapable of fulfilling hopes or expectations.

Tourism is not returning anytime soon. The average Thai seems to attribute this to Covid. And that is a significant factor. But, there were a dozen issues plaguing the industry long before covid reared it's ugly head, income was dropping dramatically, as the "number of arrivals" were up, pointing toward a dramatically lower quality of tourist, that Thailand was able to attract. The heavy hitters, and the wealthy tourists have found many other places that meet their need for a nice bottle of wine with dinner (that is not overpriced to a mind boggling degree), a sommelier at the hotel who knows their wine, reasonable luxury goods, so the wife can shop here while on vacation, law and order that addresses jet ski scammers, sewage being dumped into the ocean in resort areas, control over the taxi goons, and far better transportation options (high speed trains, helicopters available for transport, etc). And I am only getting started, as there were a dozen other things that needed to be addressed, and were not on any level, by anyone. 

They still have not learned much. This was a great learning opportunity for Phiphat, and the other goombahs. Obstacles and tragedies can be learning experiences, for mature men and women. And they can offer a path toward improvement, and progress. But, apparently that does not apply to these authorities and so called leaders. 

Phiphat (and Prayuth) you have made history. 100 years from now, in the hospitality industry classes at the university level, they will still be teaching about you, as the man who presided over the once great industry of tourism, the man who helped destroy the industry millions depended upon. They will talk about you when the students are visiting the hollowed out shells, of once formerly great hotels, as the man who helped precipitate the demise and decline of Thailand, from the tiger of SE Asia (and at one time the 21st largest economy in the world) to a whiny, sickly, skinny, disease infested alley cat, on it's last legs. And on par with Burundi, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Yemen, and Sierra Leone. 

 

 

But on the positive side there is um, er, ah ....... oops! sorry !

 

[toofarnorth]

12 hours ago, jazzdog32095 said:

 

Cut my boy Tebow from the list of losers. Took Denver to the playoffs and won an exciting playoff game. The rest on the list you can throw in the dumpster of life.

Is this American type football or golf ?  Never heard of either .................John Denver maybe.

[toofarnorth]

19 hours ago, John Drake said:

There certainly is a tendency on this topic for some to see the Chinese as an undifferentiated "yellow horde" who will buy up five star hotels and turn them into slaughter pits. What if something else takes place? What if the PRC Chinese do buy up a lot of hotels?  And what if they use them as the anchor end to bring in a new more upper class and sophisticated mainlander? I deal with many, many well educated professional Chinese who have come to Thailand and I like them. I would, for example, rather spend time with them than some of the more coarse Britpats and Amerexes I have had to deal with. The Chinese, in general, are smarter, more willing to adapt, and eager to learn than a lot of the hidebound Westerners who have set up shop here. Besides, Thailand is going to need them. In addition to the emptiness of immigration offices, abandoned condos, and fewer Western faces on the streets, just judging from Aseannow's postings, it seems there has been quite a culling of the existing expatriate herd. Lots of familiar names are gone for good, it seems. Add that into the ones that have moved back home and still post here in order to rationalize their decision to leave Thailand and there are just a lot fewer Western retirees here. Or so it seems to me. There is room for a certain class of Chinese to move in.

About 1 " above Chinese to move in.   I miss the grumpy old git , chap in a wheelchair. And I wish there was a way to only view comments/topics from folk living here .   A few weeks back was a comment ' Glad I don't live there anymore '.    Gets right on my noms.

[ourdon]

15 hours ago, John Drake said:

Actually that sounds rather tempting.

It is tempting, but it will never happen until the Thai people use their bum gun to wash the remains of the unelected government off the bottom of their sandals.

We can bitch but this has no place for the farang.  It's up to the Thais to develop their own country.  

[jazzdog32095]

23 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Well, you have to admit Tebow was a major disappointment. Alot was hoped for, and expected of him, and a three year career was not one of them! Neither were a total of 2,422 yards, and a mere 17 touchdowns in his career. LOL. But, there was that one playoff game! 

I lived 2 blocks from his family and grad of FSU. I can tell you for sure Tim had a stellar career at UF. As an FSU fan I wish you were right.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, jazzdog32095 said:

I lived 2 blocks from his family and grad of FSU. I can tell you for sure Tim had a stellar career at UF. As an FSU fan I wish you were right.

I was referring to his career, and prospects in the NFL. College does not last forever, unfortunately for some of these guys. And many a college star has disappointed at the professional level. 

[kingstonkid]

On 9/8/2021 at 7:48 PM, starky said:

The family that owns Patpong will never lose regardless of the circumstance. 

No but It will be interesting how long it stays as patpong.  Very few of the bars are making monkey and I do not think a lot of them will reopen.

 

They may start looking at redeveloping.

[starky]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

No but It will be interesting how long it stays as patpong.  Very few of the bars are making monkey and I do not think a lot of them will reopen.

 

They may start looking at redeveloping.

Well yes they may but someone would need immensely deep pockets to claim that little thoroughfare. I have no doubt they know what they are doing in regards to that land far more than me or you lol.

[Will B Good]

 "How did you go bankrupt?"

 

Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.". 

 

Apologies if already posted.