Tourism ministry dual pricing proposal for hotel rates

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Choices are getting limited, over 40 countries have tourist tax, some here in Asia.

Scotland and Wales have tourist tax proposals in the pipeline, way of the world, not just Thailand.

A tourist tax is understandable, and simply compensates for the cost associated with 'processing' tourists.  General public not in the tourist industry really shouldn't be paying for that, as not really profiting from, abet a bit more customers & tax base, if doing busing is tourist area.  

 

But rest of the country don't see the benefit.  Dual pricing is just wrong, and no justification for it.  Apparently will be the new normal, eventually ... as so many things are now.  

 

I like it myself.  Maybe the ding dong tourist will realize there are better place to holiday at.  Wife makes reservations, and easy enough to simply walk away if price changes when whitey is spotted.  Done it before in the past.

 

As with all of this new normal BS, you can cower & comply, or simply walk away and take you business elsewhere.  All easy enough.  Plenty of vendors that aren't A-holes.

 

Certainly nothing new, except now it may be govt endorsed & encouraged. That pretty sad & telling.  

 

 

[aussiexpat]

Hotels already run scams pre-covid so what's different 

 

I stayed 3 nights in Landmark Hotel Bangkok, they charged me US$ but only after they exchanged it at the Hotel US$ rate to baht (was about 30 instead of 35 on the street)

 

[So greatly inflated baht charged to my Aussie card]

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by aussiexpat

[Tony M]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

Why don't they just mind their own business and look at how best they can increase tourist numbers and leave the hotels to decide what they should charge, Jesus, do these clowns have to try and control everything, not that it effects me as I will have the wife book the hotel in her name (Thai).

Well, it wouldn't surprise me if the Thai Govt tries to put a stop to that too, the way this lot are going. They could always go down the Laos route of making it illegal for a Lao citizen and a non-Lao citizen to "co-habit" in Laos unless married (and they make getting married pretty difficult too). But this lot would probably make it illegal for a Thai to co-habit with a non-Thai even if they are married. 

 

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

A tourist tax is understandable, and simply compensates for the cost associated with 'processing' tourists.  General public not in the tourist industry really shouldn't be paying for that, as not really profiting from, abet a bit more customers & tax base, if doing busing is tourist area.  

 

But rest of the country don't see the benefit.  Dual pricing is just wrong, and no justification for it.  Apparently will be the new normal, eventually ... as so many things are now.  

 

I like it myself.  Maybe the ding dong tourist will realize there are better place to holiday at.  Wife makes reservations, and easy enough to simply walk away if price changes when whitey is spotted.  Done it before in the past.

 

As with all of this new normal BS, you can cower & comply, or simply walk away and take you business elsewhere.  All easy enough.  Plenty of vendors that aren't A-holes.

 

Certainly nothing new, except now it may be govt endorsed & encouraged. That pretty sad & telling.  

 

 

GF just read the story and said to me "No wonder folks are heading to Cambodia and Vietnam"

[phetphet]

Most people will look online and book whichever hotel fits their budget. So if they push the rates up, people will simply look for the best or cheaper deals. Hotels that will be empty because too expensive, will be forced to drop their rates.

 

Thais might get cheaper rates, but the mainstay for most of these hotels is international tourist. Upset them and they will go elsewhere.

 

If this gets in the western press: Foreigners must pay higher rates than thais for hotels, it will be looked at as discriminatory. They can't class this one along with the national park fee or tourist tax.

 

Thailand shoots itself in the foot once again.

 

Air B'n'B and the like must be rubbing their hands.

 

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by phetphet

[MrJ2U]

It won't work with the cutthroat hotel industry.   

 

Proposals like that makes one wonder how this government retains power?

 

Utter fools. 

[jacko45k]

Light blue touch paper and stand well back!

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Most people will look online and book whichever hotel fits their budget. So if they push the rates up, people will simply look for the best or cheaper deals. Hotels that will be empty because too expensive, will be forced to drop their rates.

 

Thais might get cheaper rates, but the mainstay for most of these hotels is international tourist. Upset them and they will go elsewhere.

 

If this gets in the western press: Foreigners must pay higher rates than thais for hotels, it will be looked at as discriminatory. They can't class this one along with the national park fee or tourist tax.

 

Thailand shoots itself in the foot once again.

 

 

Already been shared to papers and media in the west. This story will be picked up by the MSM soon.

[Odin Norway]

4 hours ago, Baron Samedi said:

Discriminating against foreigners + rigging the free market economy.

If the do that, I will boycott the country and leave for another SE asian country.

I'm getting tired of that dual price BS.

Fxck'em.

Wont see you.No issues

 

[Odin Norway]

Why do people even bother to get upset.Book online and get the same rate ass all others.<deleted>

[sawadee1947]

Perfect Idea.

I suggest those pesty farangs should pay at least double maybe triple price......

Thailand to Thai only.....????????????

[inThailand]

I hope they raise hotel rates, and no one comes. Soom na na! 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Odin Norway said:

Why do people even bother to get upset.Book online and get the same rate ass all others.<deleted>

They better get their software sorted.... imagine turning up for a prepaid room to be told, oh velly sollly, this Thai only rate!

[nickmondo]

it wont happen, dont worry about it, ignore it.

what hotel owner wants to lose money when the farangs dont book?

but if Thailand does bring in ridiculous things like this........Philippines looking good.

The PH just needs to sort out its electrical system, internet and food.......then it would be number 1 option for me anyway

[renaissanc]

It's time for this government to be replaced by business people. Hotels make contracts with tour operators from Thailand and abroad. Rates are decided according to various factors, such as previous business levels, promised business, room allocations, etc. People also book with the large online companies, such as Agoda and TripAdvisor, which get special rates, and they couldn't apply the dual pricing system even if they wanted to. Few guests are walk-in guests with no reservation because online room rates are lower. The government hasn't a clue how the business works and its proposal will be ignored, indeed mocked and laughed at, for being so stupid, I think.

[DBath]

Yet another incentive laden  ‘winning play’ by Thailand’s tourism ministry - no doubt intended to deter vacationers from ever wanting to travel here.

Bravo, you geniuses you!

[ThailandRyan]

20 minutes ago, Odin Norway said:

Why do people even bother to get upset.Book online and get the same rate ass all others.<deleted>

Except once at your hotel they will be able to double the rates as the law will allow it to be so. Even if you pre-paid......

[ThailandRyan]

11 minutes ago, renaissanc said:

It's time for this government to be replaced by business people. Hotels make contracts with tour operators from Thailand and abroad. Rates are decided according to various factors, such as previous business levels, promised business, room allocations, etc. People also book with the large online companies, such as Agoda and TripAdvisor, which get special rates, and they couldn't apply the dual pricing system even if they wanted to. Few guests are walk-in guests with no reservation because online room rates are lower. The government hasn't a clue how the business works and its proposal will be ignored, indeed mocked and laughed at, for being so stupid, I think.

You forget that even if you have already paid prior to arrival you are in for a surprise ????.  If you decide to cancel and look elsewhere your prepaid is lost....Thailand the land of dual pricing, even for foreign residents considered just long term tourists.....

Edited July 7, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[DBath]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Foreign tourists may soon find Thailand a more expensive destination than in the past two years with the country now planning to raise hotel rates to pre-pandemic levels to support a faster recovery of the industry.

Apparently they forgot to consider ‘0’ as the variable for number of tourists in their equation when they performed their calculations. ????????????

[James105]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Except once at your hotel they will be able to double the rates as the law will allow it to be so. Even if you pre-paid......

I can't imagine Agoda et all would allow hotels to do that.   They would have to include it in the advertised (and guaranteed) price and that means getting Agoda et all to publish 2 different prices or check passports etc for anyone who books a hotel.  

 

Whoever thought up this daft idea didn't really think it though.    

[ardsong]

On 7/7/2022 at 4:07 AM, Baron Samedi said:

...

If the do that, I will boycott the country and leave for another SE asian country.

...

<deleted>'em.

bye, bye baron, hope You live up to your promise and will not disturb me (and others) with your posts any more; like many of the other said-"would-leavers" have not left, broken their promise and are still bothering me. 

[4MyEgo]

33 minutes ago, Tony M said:

But this lot would probably make it illegal for a Thai to co-habit with a non-Thai even if they are married. 

It's already started, have a neighbour (Thai) who married a Laos girl 15 plus years ago, she has to go to immigration every month and pay 1,900 to be able to stay, used to be free, just go over the border and back same day before.

[thailand49]

What has been " scrape " is the brain of many of these leaders it is like road deaths fighting every inch to see who can kill themselves first. What stupid thing leaders can come up with each morning to top each other to win stupidity of the day. 

Is it a democracy or communism?  I thought it was a free market dictating to hotel what they should charge let turn the table and dictate how much these leaders are worth in pay?  

Brain dead should get NOTHING! 

Boycott Thailand!!! 

Land of Stupidity Lead by Stupidity Leaders! 

Boycott go anywhere but here post pandemic!????

[KhunLA]

40 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

 "No wonder folks are heading to Cambodia and Vietnam"

Been following Paddy Doyle (YT) adventures in Nan ... looking quite nice, and plenty of tourist/groups in the latest vid.

 

Just started the series, and first 4 suck, rain, landslides, flat tires, sorting his scooter.   Then he got out into the countryside....WOW, lovely place.

Latest 4 are quite nice: 

https://www.youtube.com/c/PaddyDoyleYT/videos

 

Infrastructure leaves a bit to be desire, but the rest, I can see the appeal.

 

Buddy, ex-regular visitor here, loved Cambo & PI.  He won't return to Thailand, although last visit, just prior to covid, he did enjoy Hua Hin, as his regular port of call was Patts, 30 yrs running.

Edited July 7, 2022 by KhunLA

[Train]

Talk about dropping a nuclear bomb on tourism!  Duel pricing has already been a heated topic but for the most part is restricted to national parks and monuments.   A swallowable bill in the guise that these areas can be better maintained and preserved.  But hotels!  Want to watch tourist numbers go flat!  Let market forces dictate pricing. The basic economic model of supply and demand will see pricing go back to the state it was.  If Thailand hopes to lure high quality tourists and shed its image as a cheap holiday destination it should focus its attention in getting the s*** out of the system. Start with Taxi mafias, police issuing b******* tickets and a behavioral modification to its tourist service industry employees to provide world-class service to foreign guests.  Or just hand everybody walking off an aircraft a bag of Thai weed and all will be good man!

[sanuk711]

The next best thing to click bait-- from a source we are told we are not allowed to quote from.

 

rule 10  Refr.ain from quoting or linking to the Bangkok Post or Pattaya Mail

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Even if you pre-paid......

Something we never do, JIC.   Wifey will need to ask now, and yet another question:

Dog

Parking on site

Brekkie - no want, is it mandatory

Whitey surcharge ????

[dj230]

Don’t they already do this? 
 

[tomazbodner]

4 hours ago, Baron Samedi said:

Discriminating against foreigners + rigging the free market economy.

If the do that, I will boycott the country and leave for another SE asian country.

I'm getting tired of that dual price BS.

Fxck'em.

Unless you would boycott leaving due to double pricing and discrimination on the transport out of Thailand?

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, harrycallahan said:

Why stop at dual? They need passports to travel so they can price it - anything - based on the GDP of the customer's country. Not so good for Singaporeans, but great for Burundians. 

Or link to current daily currency exchange rate. However, a floor rate would be established to rate slways remain favorable to Thailand.