Billionaire hotel tycoon Bill Heinecke asks Thailand to charge foreigners more per room to aid industry’s economic recovery

[nigelforbes]

10 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Poor guy, perhaps he is down to his last Lamborghini.

How did he get to be so rich with such a dumb proposition? Inheritance?

He started Minor Corporation from scratch and grew it into a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate, his dad was a US service man stationed here.

[bbudd]

Ga ahead and raise your prices

We will never stay at them in the future

 

[jaywalker2]

9 hours ago, sscc said:

This man is American-Thai.   

 

But he made his money in Thailand and is well connected.

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, Tom89 said:

Which hotels does he own? I'll make a point of never staying there.

High-end hotels that are out of most of our budgets

 

https://www.minor.com/en/businesses/minor-hotels

 

The problem for hotels like this is not that there is a lack of tourists it is that there needs to be more people willing to pay his prices.

 

 

Really does not affect most of us here we will just book rooms through our Thai partners.

[mran66]

I don't understand why he just not add his prices then as he has full right to do so. No need to involve government. 

 

Amazing to see even American businessmen to start thinking like thai politician if long enough in Thailand. 

[Lacessit]

13 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

He started Minor Corporation from scratch and grew it into a multi-billion dollar global conglomerate, his dad was a US service man stationed here.

I suppose even very rich people make mistakes.

[XJPSX]

I suggest hotels concentrate on training staff better as the service in many hotels has slipped and esp on front desks when busy.

Obviously there are a lot of stresses out people that I see on both sides of checkin / checkouts. Once that is all sorted along with food and beverage I would happily pay and extra $8.

As usual, the good places prices correctly will be booked out and the remaining will struggle until we return to normal.

i much prefer to stay at independent hotels than the cookie cut chain groups, but that’s just me….so Bill probably won’t get any of my business.

[dadadede]

prices are provided by supply and demand.

When equilibrium is broken it will be finding a new one.

 

In my opinion prices have already being inflated and I am not sure how much an expensive Thailand is attractive at tourists eyes, considering that the service quality stays the one of a cheap destination. It actually worsen due to covid and people being fired.

 

This will benefit mainly expensive hotels where customers do not really care spending 8usd more per night, but it will be not great for hotel who target price-sensitive customers (which are the most in Thailand).

 

 

[brucegoniners]

How do you say f you in Thai?

[Paul Henry]

Just got back to Aus last night. Thai need to change the slogan "Land of Smiles" to "Land of the rip off". Alcohol, high season prices, air fares and the list goes on. Thailand needs to wake up to the competition that surrounds them at a much lower cost. The baht is still over valued. TAT can claim they have all these tourists visiting however a big percentage of these travellers are family returning to see relatives after the Covid disaster.

[kevmin13]

Minor International Pcl

 

gonna make sure I never use hotels run by this group.   Thanks to the article and this clown opening up his big greedy mouth.   He wouldn’t pass down the extra 300baht to his staff guaranteed.   That’s just extra money in his pocket

[SunsetT]

11 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

**** that.

**** him too!

[thailand49]

Another jackasses on the loose! 

Trying to get back into the graces of the Thais leaders after criticizing them for not opening earlier!  

[jayboy]

11 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

More proof, if any were needed, that in Thailand (as elsewhere) brains and excessive wealth do not necessarily go together.

You do not know the man.Heinecke is a highly intelligent operator though like many entrepreneurs of the highest rank he has no academic credentials to speak of.He has his faults (who doesn't?), the most conspicuous being his total adherence to the exclusion of other considerations to the fortunes of William Heinecke!

[Lacessit]

31 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There are many occasions in life, where a grand buffoon simply has to be ignored. This is one of those times. This guy is talking out of his a°°. What can one even say? Has he ever heard of supply and demand?

 

First the officials devastate the industry through cowardice and timidity. Now that demand has dropped alot, we should pay more? 

It does seem to reflect classic Thai thinking. When one has less customers, put the prices up to keep the bottom line the same.

I suspect many smaller businesses go down the tube with that kind of mindset, I doubt this guy will because of his financial mass.

I don't know if he has shareholders, I would not want to be one.

[Upthepotters]

Well I hope people boycott his Hotels brands ! 

Bill Heinecke is the chairman of Minor Hotels International, which owns and operates some 530 hotels in over 50 countries worldwide. The brands include Anantara, Avani, Tivoli, Oaks and NH Hotels.

[FinChin67]

For example this type of room that he offers needs more increase than a petty $8 to cover the costs? Just about 8k per night...

https://www.avanihotels.com/fr/riverside-bangkok/rooms/avani-panorama-river-view-junior-suite

 

Will never visit any of his brands again and it seems I did on few occasions before.

Edited November 10, 2022 by FinChin67
Boycot

[Renzo]

What a greedy, out-of-touch, self-serving asshat.... Thanks for the coverage. I'll be sure to avoid booking any of his properties on my next trip, to avoid race-based pricing tactics. This on the same day the government confirms a new 300 THB per visit for overseas travellers (Thai passport holders excluded). So a family of five from Australia, for example, will soon face a surcharge of $63 on top of all the other fees charged at airports and included in the ticket price.... 

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm….doubt whether this billionaire will get many new customers with this sort of attitude

 

[findlay13]

14 hours ago, pomchop said:

if you are a billionaire you can spend one dollar per second for 31 years....maybe mr billionaire should donate a few of his millions to assist the travel industry that was a big part of making him wealthy.

Yep maybe he could pay the 300baht?

 

3 hours ago, paul545 said:

Easy to find out which hotels and businesses he’s involved in. Google him and look at Wikipedia.

I shall do that and make sure I never stay at one of his hotels,not that he'll give a flying <deleted> but It'll make me feel better

[findlay13]

4 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm….doubt whether this billionaire will get many new customers with this sort of attitude

 

Let's hope not.

[Shocked farang]

14 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

Sad, he should know better than to propagate two tier pricing.

Really, it's do stupid to propose such a thing. Of course most foreigners can afford this but people (like me) hate to be discriminated on the basis of their nationality. Many times I go to an attraction like a national park or a water fall and when I find out that only farangs are charged, I lose interest on the spot. I refuse to pay, not because it's going to make a difference in my pocket but I just don't want to feed this absurd! 

[Lizzy Duang]

What an arrogant ... Please name all of his establishments so that we can boycott them.

[tomazbodner]

14 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

If I knew which hotels he's involved with, I would surely boycott them.

Minor Hotels is a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of over 75,000 rooms across more than 520 hotels, resorts and serviced suites under the Anantara, AVANI, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands.

 

Minor Food is one of Asia's largest casual dining and quick-service restaurant companies, operating over 2,410 outlets in 24 countries under The Pizza Company, The Coffee Club, Riverside, Thai Express, Benihana, Bonchon, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen and Burger King brands.

 

Minor Lifestyle is one of Thailand's largest distributors of lifestyle brands with over 390 points of sale, focusing primarily on fashion and lifestyle products. Its brands include Anello, BergHOFF, Bodum, Bossini, Charles & Keith, Esprit, Joseph Joseph, Radley, Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Minor Smart Kids.

[sqwakvfr]

Some of the hotels in Chiang Mai are going for $20 a night.  I am not in the hotel industry and will never become a billionaire and even I can say:  This is a stupid idea. 

[jayboy]

5 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Minor Hotels is a hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of over 75,000 rooms across more than 520 hotels, resorts and serviced suites under the Anantara, AVANI, Oaks, Tivoli, Elewana, NH Collection, NH, nhow, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands.

 

Minor Food is one of Asia's largest casual dining and quick-service restaurant companies, operating over 2,410 outlets in 24 countries under The Pizza Company, The Coffee Club, Riverside, Thai Express, Benihana, Bonchon, Swensen’s, Sizzler, Dairy Queen and Burger King brands.

 

Minor Lifestyle is one of Thailand's largest distributors of lifestyle brands with over 390 points of sale, focusing primarily on fashion and lifestyle products. Its brands include Anello, BergHOFF, Bodum, Bossini, Charles & Keith, Esprit, Joseph Joseph, Radley, Zwilling J.A. Henckels and Minor Smart Kids.

I'm not sure that a boycott by our merry band of brothers (let's admit it - not particularly upmarket) would have much effect on the Heinecke behemoth.

[Bangkok Barry]

A place I stay at in Bangkok has increased its room charge by 300% since August, so I think they've worked out how to help themselves without this guy's help. And perhaps this billionaire needs to be reminded that everyone, not just the hotel industry, is struggling with 'high inflation and rising costs of raw materials, wages, energy, and fuel prices'.

[mberbae]

Heinecke should stick to what he knows. Public Relations is NOT one of them.

EX PAts living here with Thai families for 20 years will be affected as well .'

They already are when going to National parks, museums or even the local zoo.

It's nothing but Pathetic greed.

[PremiumLane]

Here is an idea, how about we tax the f#^k out of billionaires so we can put that money towards the industry and other social schemes. 

[jayboy]

4 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

Here is an idea, how about we tax the f#^k out of billionaires so we can put that money towards the industry and other social schemes. 

That'll work,Why not drop a line to Prayuth.It's not as though Thai billionaires have any influence with this administration.