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

[JCauto]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:37 AM, nigelforbes said:

You need to do some reading and learn about Bill Henecke.

 

He started off with nothing and built a multi billion dollar global conglomerate, from scratch. He relinquished his US citizenship and became a Thai national. What he did, his efforts, were remarkable, he is however sadly wrong on this particular point.

Practically nobody starts with nothing who became a billionaire. His father was a diplomat working in the foreign service, his mother a correspondent for Time Magazine, they were on full international salaries and bennies. He went to International Schools as a kid growing up in Bangkok. 

I respect that he was able to build his business through his efforts although I know none of the particulars other than his abysmal products in the pizza industry and what I've read on this thread. But any international school kid gets a leg up from the cradle. I gave the same advantage to my kids, nothing wrong with that at all, it's what most parents who can do would do. If they start a business, as no doubt with Bill I'll give my kids a hand as I will when they want to buy their house. That's something I can do but not everyone else can, hence it is privilege. I assess character more by how they treat others, particularly those who live ordinary or poor lives. Often these people haven't any understanding of the day-to-day issues of the majority of the population because they don't experience how expensive it is to be poor for example, or how hard it is for someone in the middle class to save for that honeymoon or dream vacation to Thailand.

[Orinoco]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

if $8.00 make or breaks then one should not be going on international holidays.

Best post this week. .

 

 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

On 11/10/2022 at 3:00 PM, d2b2 said:

 

Is he Thai, really? Is he American, really? is he a billionaire, doubtful. It is certain his daddy left him well off, with a chain of hotels. Self made man? Not a bit.
 

He is a naturalized Thai. He relinquished his US citizenship in the 1990s. His father worked for the US government and was not wealthy.

 

Whatever is actual wealth is, it is self-made. Forbes has him on its list of 50 wealthiest Thais and estimates his wealth at USD1.4 billion.

 

 

[bang saen guy]

The guy certainly has a right to ask whatever he wants for a night in any of his hotels. What I do not like is him asking the govt to raise the price of all hotels so he does not appear greedy. Free enterprise works

[rudi49jr]

30 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Bill will not loose any sleep over your choice to stay at home.

I never said he would, and I don’t expect he will. People usually do not become billionaires by giving a toss about anyone but themselves.

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

I never said he would, and I don’t expect he will. People usually do not become billionaires by giving a toss about anyone but themselves.

And yet many feel they must <deleted> and moan about their decisions.

[rudi49jr]

18 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

And yet many feel they must <deleted> and moan about their decisions.

Why shouldn’t they complain about their decisions? I just said that people usually don’t become billionaires by giving a toss about anyone but themselves. In my opinion, this is just another example of a selfish and greedy billionaire who wants more and more and more money, just because he can. I find that quite despicable. 

[geisha]

On 11/10/2022 at 9:33 AM, madmitch said:

$8 isn't much if you're booking a five star hotel but it is if you're booking a smaller hotel. 

 

Let him put 300 baht on his prices and let other hotels decide whether or not to follow suit.

That’s why I ended with “ this class of hotels”.There are thousand of hotels in Thailand that do not belong to the group. Most of them independent.

[geisha]

On 11/10/2022 at 10:01 AM, Sparktrader said:

I moved hotel over 330 baht.

Up to you, it’s your choice. 

[Sparktrader]

7 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

if $8.00 make or breaks then one should not be going on international holidays.

Which tourists are staying for 1 night only?  55555

 

80 nights times $8 is $640

 

A 500 baht room goes to 800 baht, 60% price increase! 60% inflation 5555

 

This is a crazy idea. It actually hammers low end places not his.

 

Backpackers go elsewhere. Budget tourists go to Cambodia instead.

 

For it to make sense it would have to be percentage based. Make it 20% hotel levy for 12 months.

 

500 to 600

 

1000 to 1200

 

3000 to 3600

 

4000 to 4800

 

 

 

Oh wait that hurts his hotels too much lol

 

He wont want that!

 

 

[Sparktrader]

3 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Best post this week. .

 

 

Best post for poor math? 5555

[blueCloud888]

He's trolling...mods here should've removed him .

[monkfish]

Last time I order a Pizza from his company that's for sure.

[monkfish]

He might only have a Thai Passport but he still looks like a Farang haha!

 

 

 

[todlad]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the two tier pricing policy in Thailand is divisive but the cost differentials at the places I visit are relatively small and, in many cases, the cashier treats me as Thai equivalent when I am with my Thai family.

As for this, though, forget it. If it happens, there may be nothing we can do but watch out for influencers with a vested interest. There are companies that I refuse to patronise when I feel their behaviour does not match my ethical or business compass.

On the other hand, when we stayed overnight in Bangkok a few weeks ago we were faced with dual pricing at the hotel. Mrs T called them and made the booking and the staff were very helpful and understanding over their dual pricing policy and she got Thai rates.

Covid-19 has hit the world very hard but in the same way that this chap wants me to help him out, there was no one around to help those of us whose incomes dropped massively in 2020 and even into 2021.

[Harveyboy]

On 11/9/2022 at 6:48 PM, josephbloggs said:

Agree,  Supply and demand. There is absolutely nothing stopping him from putting up his prices by 300 baht a night. If others chose not to it is up to them - you can't force that on the entire industry.

He just lost a lot of my respect with this request.

yep do this .Thailand's tourism would be finished..Laos.. Vietnam.. Cambodia.. Myanmar..all looking attractive cost wise ..

[Pattaya Spotter]

On 11/9/2022 at 2:33 AM, snoop1130 said:

American-Thai billionaire

Shouldn't it be "Thai-American billionaire" as he is a Thai citizen ???? 

[geisha]

On 11/11/2022 at 5:18 PM, monkfish said:

Last time I order a Pizza from his company that's for sure.

If you’re looking for a great pizza, you’re looking at the wrong country!

[Ralf001]

On 11/12/2022 at 12:36 AM, monkfish said:

He might only have a Thai Passport but he still looks like a Farang haha!

 

 

 

And ?

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

If you’re looking for a great pizza, you’re looking at the wrong country!

Great Pizza does exist in Thailand, just not at big box franchise stores.

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

yep do this .Thailand's tourism would be finished..Laos.. Vietnam.. Cambodia.. Myanmar..all looking attractive cost wise ..

I really don't see how Cambodia, Myanmar and even Laos (great beaches haha)  are attractive, so far behind in development. Vietnam, yes is looking good.  

[Harveyboy]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I really don't see how Cambodia, Myanmar and even Laos (great beaches haha)  are attractive, so far behind in development. Vietnam, yes is looking good.  

hi mate just going by things a lot of my mates have said ..single blokes who tend to travel a lot more than I do ..just thinks like less hoops to jump thru and less officialdom..also prices ..just passing on what I've been told I'm here for the long haul..

[stupidfarang]

Dairy Queen prices going up for tourists?

On 11/9/2022 at 6:47 PM, soi3eddie said:

If Mr Heinecke thinks that hotels need to charge more then surely they will. Hotel pricing is driven by costs and the market (supply/demand). No artificial support needed to generate more profits for him! Is he saying publicly that there should be dual pricing for foreigners? This is just plain wrong and will backfire on him and the country if they pander to his greedy non-sense. Especially when everything needs to be done to attract travellers in this recession. If I knew which hotels he's involved with, I would surely boycott them.

 

Here is the list of hotels he owns 

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

 

List of food outlets he owns

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

 

List of lifestyle brands he sells 

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

 

 

[d2b2]

On 11/11/2022 at 6:39 PM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

He is a naturalized Thai. He relinquished his US citizenship in the 1990s. His father worked for the US government and was not wealthy.

 

Whatever is actual wealth is, it is self-made. Forbes has him on its list of 50 wealthiest Thais and estimates his wealth at USD1.4 billion.

 

 

Forbes has Trump on that list too. Self made? Nope! Self made up? Maybe

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

5 minutes ago, d2b2 said:

Forbes has Trump on that list too. Self made? Nope! Self made up? Maybe

 

Who is this person "Trump" ?

What is his first name , as I want to do a websearch and find out who he is 

[Burma Bill]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:33 PM, snoop1130 said:

to charge international tourists an extra 300 baht (US$8) per room per night

I have just returned to Cambodia (16/11/22) from a short holiday in Chiang Mai and the hotel where I always stayed in pre-pandemic days is till open and has REDUCED prices for all visitors to help rebuild finances. The same Thai owner now offers rooms that were 840 baht per night, for a bargain 690 baht, still including breakfast! Excellent value, very busy and not "money grabbing"

[todlad]

Good to see Burma Bill's contribution.

 

My beef with big rip off idea is that I would like better service for my bigger contribution. Pie in the sky, do you think?

[ExpatOilWorker]

On 11/10/2022 at 6:58 AM, nigelforbes said:

Soooo,

 

a 300 baht per night tax on hotel rooms for foreigners,

a 300 baht tourist tax to enter the country,

a 150%-300% uplift on medical charges for foreigners,

a 500% uplift on entry fees for foreigners into national parks,

 

How long I wonder before Noi on Beach Road starts consulting her GDP tables and demands a surcharge based on country of origin! In fact that already happens with the Japanese does it not.

+150 baht banking fee for using your foreign ATM card.

[StayinThailand2much]

On 11/9/2022 at 9:16 PM, ThailandRyan said:

He wants another couple of billion in his pocket it seems.

How about charging those billionaires, who got rich in Thailand, higher income and other taxes for the benefit of Thailand?

[StayinThailand2much]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:21 PM, LomSak27 said:

A man who knows what he has to say and who to say it to. It does not matter if it sounds ridiculous or not. After all this is the man who took his 116 Pizza Hut restaurants and rebranded them overnight into The Pizza Company after a "dispute" with the parent company.  Not easy and according to some, the real reason he eventually renounced  US citizenship and became a citizen of Thailand. 

I never liked his pizza. And now I have a good reason to avoid staying at his hotels...