Pattaya Hotels Boom Amid Post-Quake Guest Surge as Hua Hin Falters

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Travel Weekly

 

A surge of local travellers fleeing Bangkok's recent earthquake filled Pattaya hotels to capacity, while Hua Hin accommodations reported underwhelming results. On the quake's day and the following weekend, Pattaya saw unexpected full occupancy as many opted for a last-minute escape from the capital.

 

In contrast, hotels in the typically bustling resorts of Hua Hin and Cha-am struggled, maintaining only 60% occupancy.

 

Morrakot Kuldilok, president of the Thai Hotels Association's Eastern Chapter, highlighted the Qingming festival and Bangkok evacuees as factors for Pattaya's full house.

 

Many Bangkok residents returned to the city for work by Monday, as remote working options remained limited. Despite structural safety concerns from foreign travel agents, especially after worldwide broadcast of the State Audit Office building's collapse, tourism in Pattaya remains optimistic heading into Songkran with an expected 80% occupancy rate.

 

 

 

In Hua Hin, fears over travel safety on Rama II Road, notorious for recent accidents and delays, deterred last-minute visitors fleeing Bangkok's tremors. Udom Srimahachota of THA’s Western Chapter expressed concerns over potential tourist diversion during Songkran due to road safety issues despite official reassurances.

 

The Dao Khanong expressway's ongoing debris clearance and congestion further intensified travel apprehensions.

 

While Hua Hin hopes to attract foreign tourists seeking refuge from the aftereffects in Bangkok, concerns linger. The government is encouraged to assure safe travel conditions and infrastructure improvements ahead of Songkran.

 

Recent THA data highlighted a total of 897 room cancellations across 85 surveyed hotels, with significant losses in Bangkok, indicating a broader impact on the hotel industry due to the quake's disruption.

 

Based on a story by Bangkok Post
 

-- 2025-04-04

 

 

[harleyclarkey]

The girls must be getting rightly juiced up....tons more business!!

But then will probably also come more than the usual punch ups. 

[kwan]

"Based on story by Bangkok Post" - yep - says it all. !

[Reddavy]

Complete BS. Pattaya is empty the bars and restaurants are very quiet. Today at my hotel i have the swimming pool to myself. At breakfast there is more staff than customers. 

[ChockyTheCat]

I don’t see tourism in Hua Hin picking up at all until those horrendous and dangerous road works on Rama 2 are finished ( if they ever get finished ) it’s disgusting how long it’s taking and the loss of life it’s caused, I absolutely dread driving that section of road and do everything I can to avoid it.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

A surge of local travellers fleeing Bangkok's recent earthquake filled Pattaya hotels to capacity, while Hua Hin accommodations reported underwhelming results. On the quake's day and the following weekend, Pattaya saw unexpected full occupancy as many opted for a last-minute escape from the capital.

Drove through Hua Hin on Wednesday morning, black as coal and thunder storms, with flooding everywhere.

[Guderian]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In Hua Hin, fears over travel safety on Rama II Road, notorious for recent accidents and delays, deterred last-minute visitors fleeing Bangkok's tremors.

 

You can just imagine it, driving along the 35 to head to Hua HIn - Phew! we've escaped the earthquake hazards! Only to be crushed underneath a falling crane or concrete beam.

[PomPolo]

Obviously all going to see the Russian Sea Porn Show

[Toby1947]

1 hour ago, Reddavy said:

Complete BS. Pattaya is empty the bars and restaurants are very quiet. Today at my hotel i have the swimming pool to myself. At breakfast there is more staff than customers. 

Spot on, same here the hotels are desperate 👍👍

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, ChockyTheCat said:

I don’t see tourism in Hua Hin picking up at all until those horrendous and dangerous road works on Rama 2 are finished ( if they ever get finished ) it’s disgusting how long it’s taking and the loss of life it’s caused, I absolutely dread driving that section of road and do everything I can to avoid it.

Driven through loads of times - you actually can by-pass them easily enough - just use Google maps.

[kwilco]

I suggested a few days back that Pattaya would have a boom in occupancy but the idea was derided.

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, ChockyTheCat said:

I don’t see tourism in Hua Hin picking up at all until those horrendous and dangerous road works on Rama 2 are finished ( if they ever get finished ) it’s disgusting how long it’s taking and the loss of life it’s caused, I absolutely dread driving that section of road and do everything I can to avoid it.

I drove it the other day no one was working on the construction.   It all looks to me to be 4 to 5 years from completion.   Terrible and dangerous. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, Reddavy said:

Complete BS. Pattaya is empty the bars and restaurants are very quiet. Today at my hotel i have the swimming pool to myself. At breakfast there is more staff than customers. 

Perhaps the other hotel guests are living on the fruits of love. No need for breakfast.

[Tiger1980]

2 hours ago, ChockyTheCat said:

I don’t see tourism in Hua Hin picking up at all until those horrendous and dangerous road works on Rama 2 are finished ( if they ever get finished ) it’s disgusting how long it’s taking and the loss of life it’s caused, I absolutely dread driving that section of road and do everything I can to avoid it.

 

I think the biggest problem for Hua Hin is the pollution and unfortunately I cannot see it improving.

[riverhigh]

Just a temporary situation, for the most part life iin Bangkok is getting back to normal. People returning to their  apartments and condos wit minor repairs. Soon it will be all forgoten.

[factual monk]

More hotel rooms booked... more the boom boom ... 💸 💰 🤑 

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Reddavy said:

Complete BS. Pattaya is empty the bars and restaurants are very quiet. Today at my hotel i have the swimming pool to myself. At breakfast there is more staff than customers. 

It is media sensationalism but has some substance. I have been coming down to Pattaya regularly since New Year and throughout that time it has been fairly difficult to get where you want, particularly at the low end of the scale.  Last week when we booked for this week,  before the quake, many were full up or down to  last room. If you were ok with 2K+ then a lot more choice but we don't want to pay that just to avoid driving home.

With Pattaya already fairly busy,  wouldn't have taken many to fill up one accommodation segment and provide an excuse for a distorted headline.

[JimHuaHin]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Drove through Hua Hin on Wednesday morning, black as coal and thunder storms, with flooding everywhere.

Flooding everywhere in Hua Hin on Wednesday morning?  What time?  And do you mean downtown Hua Hin, Hua Hin city and/or Hua Hin district?

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

I suggested a few days back that Pattaya would have a boom in occupancy but the idea was derided.

There is always a knee jerk reaction to be anticipated.

i was here during the tsunami, Pattaya filled up overnight.

[norsurin]

Hotel bookings going down 25% in Thailand overall People afraid their safety.

[ExpatInCM]

"The girls must be getting rightly juiced up....tons more business!!

But then will probably also come more than the usual punch ups. "

 

Again and again, such extremely immature replies from clown expats who are still just very immature adolescents mascarading to be in adulthood.   But in fact they are now living in Thailand and for some bizarre reason feel it necessary and empowered to mock and laugh at human tragedy and Thailand's serious earthquake issue's aftermath.  

 

There is a HORRIFiC human tragedy unfolding with tremendous loss of life. But clown expats like this one only want to make adolescent school boy (12 to 13 years of age) comments about prostitutes --- who are not even part of the story or the tragedy.

 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Flooding everywhere in Hua Hin on Wednesday morning?  What time?  And do you mean downtown Hua Hin, Hua Hin city and/or Hua Hin district?

I was in Pranburi where it started around 10am, heading towards Hua HIn, mostly the southern side.

Visibility on the roads was down to 100 metres in places

[wavodavo]

9 hours ago, ExpatInCM said:

"The girls must be getting rightly juiced up....tons more business!!

But then will probably also come more than the usual punch ups. "

 

Again and again, such extremely immature replies from clown expats who are still just very immature adolescents mascarading to be in adulthood.   But in fact they are now living in Thailand and for some bizarre reason feel it necessary and empowered to mock and laugh at human tragedy and Thailand's serious earthquake issue's aftermath.  

 

There is a HORRIFiC human tragedy unfolding with tremendous loss of life. But clown expats like this one only want to make adolescent school boy (12 to 13 years of age) comments about prostitutes --- who are not even part of the story or the tragedy.

 

Expat I have never heard such WOKE.. WOKE-ISM in all my 70 years. You should try and think about what you are going to say before you hit the keyboard old fella .

[Grumpy one]

18 hours ago, Toby1947 said:

Spot on, same here the hotels are desperate 👍👍

But they won't lower their prices to encourage more guests

[KhunBENQ]

Really?

A basic 3 star hotel, one room category full on one day.

Checked some other places on booking.com and no problem.

Songkran might be a bit fuller?

[Jumbo1968]

On 4/4/2025 at 1:23 PM, Reddavy said:

Complete BS. Pattaya is empty the bars and restaurants are very quiet. Today at my hotel i have the swimming pool to myself. At breakfast there is more staff than customers. 

Pattaya is busy but not with the type of tourists who frequent bars, it would be hard to notice as there are so many bars now.

[pomchop]

Over the past couple of weeks there has been a noticable decline in snow birds and two week millionaires in pattaya.  It is by no means a ghost town but it certainly is not nearly as busy as few weeks ago.  Actually quite pleasant without so many people. I am not believing that the hotels are all full. Pick your dates go to agoda all sorts of rooms available...maybe not counting the upcoming song kran days.

[Patong2021]

On 4/4/2025 at 3:00 AM, hotchilli said:

Drove through Hua Hin on Wednesday morning, black as coal and thunder storms, with flooding everywhere.

 

I have never seen  erosion at the high tide mark of the kind I saw this week. And I never saw a heavy rainstrom like this before at this time of year. The only good thing is that the wind has been blowing to the north all week, so the air pollution has been reduced.

[Patong2021]

8 hours ago, Grumpy one said:

But they won't lower their prices to encourage more guests

 

I think alot depends on when you book. Last minute  bookings are always more expensive.

 

Yes, Huua Hin is less full than a couple weeks ago, but this is the quiet before the Hua Hin  influx.It is still busier than this time last year.  I expect the same can be said about Pattaya

[Stargeezr]

Remember that it is April, one of the hotte4st months in Thailand, the Winter high season is over folks.

  Only the expats and retired people around the world travel when schools are also back in session.

  TAT will not do any reminder of these facts for you, either.