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by Michael Bridge

Seems the Thais have had enough of being in isolation for so long and are heading in their masses to the beaches for a well-deserved break.

Although hotels have upped their rates significantly, travellers are willing to pay these soaring prices. I suppose you cannot blame the hospitality industry for trying.

Phuket and Hua Hin still are showing vacancies however Pattaya’s top-end hotels are almost full as are hotels on the islands.

The mighty Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya with over six hundred rooms is sold out according to Agoda.com. There an average room during Songkran was shown at THB8,013 yet a week later it had dropped to THB3,852.

One luxury resort owner on the island of Koh Chang told me they were completed sold out for the next seven days.

 

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Assume that many of Koh Chang hotels are busy too, so let us hope the local ferries are prepared to work overtime to get the cars off the island at the end of the break. Otherwise, some may have to wait up to 9 hours to board a ferry!!!

Songkran in the past has meant a mass exodus abroad for many who do not enjoy the madness of water fights and crazy driving.

I am sure some will be heading for the airport, but with an expected Covid spike due after Songkran, many are not prepared to take the risk and will stay at home.

Therefore, expect the golf courses to be busier and those with kids will be heading for the water parks too.

Police leave has been canceled as they try to stop the madness on the roads at a time when it is the most dangerous time to drive. 

So perhaps the best bet is to fill the fridge up with alcohol and binge-watch on Netflix until next Monday.

Enjoy.

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2 hours ago, webfact said:

Although hotels have upped their rates significantly, travellers are willing to pay these soaring prices. I suppose you cannot blame the hospitality industry for trying.

You can blame them as its disgraceful. Hopefully intelligent people will remember and boycott the hotel in the future, as there are lots of choice around.

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Police leave has been canceled as they try to stop the madness on the roads at a time when it is the most dangerous time to drive. 

I think we all know how effective that will be. the stats are showing how ineffective this is having already with the death rate.

 

I wonder is this article hype or a genuine account of what is and will happen.

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

You can blame them as its disgraceful. Hopefully intelligent people will remember and boycott the hotel in the future, as there are lots of choice around.

 

I think we all know how effective that will be. the stats are showing how ineffective this is having already with the death rate.

 

I wonder is this article hype or a genuine account of what is and will happen.

Where in the world do resort prices stay the same or go down during a huge national holiday?  I dare you to name just one??? Really boycott hotels because they charge more!  LMAO

2 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

You can blame them as its disgraceful. Hopefully intelligent people will remember and boycott the hotel in the future, as there are lots of choice around.

 

I think we all know how effective that will be. the stats are showing how ineffective this is having already with the death rate.

 

I wonder is this article hype or a genuine account of what is and will happen.

Disgraceful!!?? When accommodation providers up their prices during high season. !!!?? Wow what world do you live in? 

I suppose I was to keep  prices at Covid times level.. 

Thank you so much!

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The mighty Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya with over six hundred rooms is sold out according to Agoda.com. There an average room during Songkran was shown at THB8,013 yet a week later it had dropped to THB3,852.

Usual gouging, but it seems some are earning enough to not mind.

Yes and the masses will be spreading Omicron 10 fold.

No intention of travelling anywhere during Thailands crazy season.

Could it be that Thais are using up their 40% government subsidy on hotel room rates which ends very soon?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Police leave has been canceled as they try to stop the madness on the roads at a time when it is the most dangerous time to drive. 

I tried to visit friends forty minutes away and gave up after an hour of going nowhere on the building site AKA Sukhumvit out of Pattaya.

   The Pattaya Beach hotels seem to be doing very well and it was nice to see lots of people on the beach yesterday late afternoon and into the evening.

On Tuesday 12, the day before Songkran commenced, I drove from North Bangkok to Nongkhai, there was very little traffic, in fact probably less than what I would consider normal. I was very surprised, I left at 10am and arrived in NK around 8.30pm, with breaks on the way? I did not expect this I was expecting to layover in Khon Kaen but it was not necessary.

When the hotel owners have cheap rates for low season i see no reason to put the prices up to at least get some income for when the rooms are empty.

 

As for me i like to go a week before songkran and travel back the day before songkran. 

 

Hotel prices went up from 3000 baht a night on the 12th to 4500 baht a night and prefer to be home for songkran with the car safely parked up and a few drinks with the extended family.

25 minutes ago, mikebell said:

I tried to visit friends forty minutes away and gave up after an hour of going nowhere on the building site AKA Sukhumvit out of Pattaya.

South or Northbound, or both?

I went to Koh Chang last week and the 2 hotels i stayed in were almost empty. I would never travel during Songkran week.

56 minutes ago, pattaya1234was said:

Could it be that Thais are using up their 40% government subsidy on hotel room rates which ends very soon?

Absolutely.. and good luck to them..

1 hour ago, pattaya1234was said:

Could it be that Thais are using up their 40% government subsidy on hotel room rates which ends very soon?

You are correct. Large numbers are using the 40% discount scheme.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Seems the Thais have had enough of being in isolation for so long and are heading in their masses to the beaches for a well-deserved break.

The Thais have been in isolation?!!  Where does this guy live?

7 hours ago, webfact said:

...they try to stop the madness on the roads at a time when it is the most dangerous time to drive. 

Anyone up for crowd-funding some writing lessons for Mr Bridge?

Rates are always up for Songkran.  Good hotels like the Marriott or Hilton Hua Hin were booked solid a month ago.

 

The government's subsidy (40%) is the main reason.

 

I can't wait for that to end.

 

Prices will stabalize.

 

 

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

Anyone up for crowd-funding some writing lessons for Mr Bridge?

Is this guy Rooster's replacement? Not an improvement.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Although hotels have upped their rates significantly, travellers are willing to pay these soaring prices. I suppose you cannot blame the hospitality industry for trying.

Funny. Because it will be exactly these same hotels which in a week's time will be woefully empty again and drop their prices by 70% or more, moaning endlessly how dismal business is.

 

And of course you can blame the hospitality industry for their rollercoaster pricing strategy. There is absolutely no reason why the same hotel room should cost 8,000+ baht today and only 3,000+ next week. it's the same room, the same overhead.

 

Just imagine you went to a restaurant during a public holiday that asks 1,500 baht for the same set meal for which you had only paid 499 baht two days earlier. Would you feel cheated? I would.

 

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

I went to Koh Chang last week and the 2 hotels i stayed in were almost empty. I would never travel during Songkran week.

How was Koh Chang as we are going to go in a few months ?

 

1 hour ago, kwak250 said:

How was Koh Chang as we are going to go in a few months ?

 

Friend of mine is there now and says it is surprisingly quiet. He sent me this photo, which makes me laugh. A lot. What's wrong with these people? 

 

 

 

 

On 4/14/2022 at 8:45 AM, jacko45k said:

South or Northbound, or both?

I was going to Bang Sare, so Southbound; I used Rot Fai to its end.  I joined Suk & slowly got to new motorway just before Ban Amphur then nothing moved.

On 4/14/2022 at 8:47 AM, Henryford said:

I went to Koh Chang last week and the 2 hotels i stayed in were almost empty. I would never travel during Songkran week.

Same for me i left last week joint was deserted also stayed i  2 hotels almost completely empty.

On 4/14/2022 at 11:22 AM, Misterwhisper said:

Funny. Because it will be exactly these same hotels which in a week's time will be woefully empty again and drop their prices by 70% or more, moaning endlessly how dismal business is.

 

And of course you can blame the hospitality industry for their rollercoaster pricing strategy. There is absolutely no reason why the same hotel room should cost 8,000+ baht today and only 3,000+ next week. it's the same room, the same overhead.

 

Just imagine you went to a restaurant during a public holiday that asks 1,500 baht for the same set meal for which you had only paid 499 baht two days earlier. Would you feel cheated? I would.

 

Which part of ‘supply and demand' do you struggle to understand? Or that it applies to most things from air fares to oil and gas ? ???? 

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

I was going to Bang Sare, so Southbound; I used Rot Fai to its end.  I joined Suk & slowly got to new motorway just before Ban Amphur then nothing moved.

Yes I was going to suggest the Railway Line Bypass..... Sukhumvit is slow going normal times.

"The mighty Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya with over six hundred rooms is sold out according to Agoda.com"

Never believe this!It is the oldest trick used by OTA's since time began....it says this because the hotel has taken "off sales" and is selling direct... or Agoda switch sell which again is the oldest trick these people play..

That said our area had its best ever season so far.. Good Morning!

3 hours ago, hashmodha said:

"The mighty Centara Grand Mirage Resort Pattaya with over six hundred rooms is sold out according to Agoda.com"

Never believe this!It is the oldest trick used by OTA's since time began....it says this because the hotel has taken "off sales" and is selling direct... or Agoda switch sell which again is the oldest trick these people play..

That said our area had its best ever season so far.. Good Morning!

Exactly. Completely garbage story. What poor reporting. Hotels do not have the staff to cope with that spike anyway right now. After this mini break, everyone will go back to life support.

On 4/14/2022 at 8:20 AM, newnative said:

   The Pattaya Beach hotels seem to be doing very well and it was nice to see lots of people on the beach yesterday late afternoon and into the evening.

Lots of day visitors along the beach especially the pickup crowd. But the North end is not that busy at all.  Dusit Thani, Ozo are very unoccupied compared to months ago.  So the middle upper classes are not in the North end at all.  Maybe staying in a 5 star and looking at this sh*tshow of a never ending jetty project has something to do with it: