Chaleena Princess Hotel

[Briggsy]

Here's a conversation I had today whilst booking a hotel room for a mate who's flying in.

At Chaleena Princess Hotel

Me: Have you got a room for one night tomorrow night?

Reception: Yes sir. Please write the name of the guest here and could you tell us what time he'll arrive.

I write " Danny Roberts - 5 pm"

Me: And the room is 479 Baht including breakfast?

Reception: No, it's 700 Baht.

Me: I notice your sign clearly states it's 479 Baht.

Reception: That is the price for Thai Nationals. Do you have a Thai ID card?

Me: Never mind.

I walk out.

The conversation was conducted in Thai.

Please bear in mind this is a hotel, not a National Park, nor a museum or a crocodile farm or a massage parlour or a short-time hotel but a regular mainstream hotel catering for both domestic and international tourists.

[gbt71fa]

...welcome to the third world....the service is either really crappy or the best in the world...welcome to thailand...

[Briggsy]

Don't you think it's weird that this policy is clearly spelled out by the receptionist?

[flightcrew1]

Don't you think it's weird that this policy is clearly spelled out by the receptionist?

Well at least they did not try to hide the fact that they had different charges by posting the sign in Thai with Thai prices as they do as many places such as Dream World, Ripleys and so on.

I would have walked out also though as things like this drive me nuts.

[tartempion]

Yep, the old now slightly refurbished Rex hotel at Sukhumvit 32 did the same trick a few years back: farang walk-in rate 800b, 10m long banderol outside on the street mentionning 500b...in thai numbers...

In 2007 they ask 1100b/night, breakfast included: there are plenty of more convenient places at that price bracket .

[Farma]

On the flip side a popular budget hotel I regularly stayed at on Sukhumvit 19 had a policy of not allowing Thais and people from certain countries to book rooms in their hotel.

My ex wife tried to book a number of times only to be told the hotel was full. I would call minutes later and be offered a choice of rooms.

When asked why my ex wife couldn’t book, reception explained they believed Thai’s would skip without paying or have too many people stay in the rooms and certain other nationalities upset their regular guests.

[Briggsy]

Don't you think it's weird that this policy is clearly spelled out by the receptionist?

Well at least they did not try to hide the fact that they had different charges by posting the sign in Thai with Thai prices as they do as many places such as Dream World, Ripleys and so on.

I would have walked out also though as things like this drive me nuts.

I'm with you on this one. I suppose there was a level of honesty there. I've been here over 10 years and I should be used to this particular downside but I felt offended for hours afterwards. What an easily-offended eejit I am.

To the other posters:

Thanks for your comments. I would not be surprised to see double-pricing happening in the Sukhumvit red-light areas but was surprised to find it outside these areas. Ah well, another brick in my tower of cynicism.

[Taijitu]

Chaleena Princess Hotel...on Ramkamhaeng Road? Your friend is lucky he didn't stay at this particular hotel. I booked in there once and I left in a hurry. The room was swarming with cockroaches and, when I pulled back the bedsheets, young cockroaches scurried everywhere. I did ask to change the room and the comment from the receptionist/cashier was that the vermin nested in every room in the hotel. I left with a refund which was given back grudgingly.

[colino]

Don't you think it's weird that this policy is clearly spelled out by the receptionist?

Well at least they did not try to hide the fact that they had different charges by posting the sign in Thai with Thai prices as they do as many places such as Dream World, Ripleys and so on.

I would have walked out also though as things like this drive me nuts.

but aleast at dream world if you show a thai bank card they charge you the same as a thai

[PattayaParent]

I've just been looking for a hotel in Bangkok on the Internet and came across the opposite situation, one website states that prices are for non residents of Thailand only and you cannot book with a Thai address. When 'phoning the hotels they charge higher prices than for the Internet booking.

[ClaytonSeymour]

On the flip side a popular budget hotel I regularly stayed at on Sukhumvit 19 had a policy of not allowing Thais and people from certain countries to book rooms in their hotel.

My ex wife tried to book a number of times only to be told the hotel was full. I would call minutes later and be offered a choice of rooms.

When asked why my ex wife couldn't book, reception explained they believed Thai's would skip without paying or have too many people stay in the rooms and certain other nationalities upset their regular guests.

If it's the hotel I'm thinking of my Wife has never had a problem booking for us; although she was once asked about the colour of my skin - I'm white so, we didn't have a problem.

Two or more tier pricing is very common in Thailand. If booking by the phone my Wife always asks if my nationality affects the price. What I've established is that generally, the following policies may, or may not be in place:

1) Price for Thai Nationals.

2) Price for Foreign Nationals.

3) Price for Thai Nationals accompanied by a Foreigner - some hotels have an in between price for this.

All the hotels that I've come across that permit us to pay the Thai price advise that my Wife checks in as the lead party or, the Foreigner price will be applied.

[wileycoyote]

I think you did the best thing ,informing the Forum.

People can now vote with their feet.

One good report wins a customer for life, one bad report turns aways hundreds

Wiley Coyote

[samran]

Hotels in Thailand are a particularly mixed affair.

The bad ones will price more for farangs.

Other bad ones will flat out refuse Thai's to stay there. This is more common than you think.

Good ones will charge everyone the same rate - but lets not get confused here that people can and do take advantage of different deals...so even though you are staying the same night, you don't get the same price!!!

Other good ones (the best!! heheh) offer great deals for Thai residents (as opposed to simply Thai nationals!) This is very common in the low season to get local customers though the doors. Both ID cards and foreign passports with the correct visas work here. Many top class hotels make these offers, which can be great deals if you ask me....

[tw25rw]

Here's a conversation I had today whilst booking a hotel room for a mate who's flying in.

At Chaleena Princess Hotel

Me: Have you got a room for one night tomorrow night?

Reception: Yes sir. Please write the name of the guest here and could you tell us what time he'll arrive.

I write " Danny Roberts - 5 pm"

Me: And the room is 479 Baht including breakfast?

Reception: No, it's 700 Baht.

Me: I notice your sign clearly states it's 479 Baht.

Reception: That is the price for Thai Nationals. Do you have a Thai ID card?

Me: Never mind.

I walk out.

The conversation was conducted in Thai.

Please bear in mind this is a hotel, not a National Park, nor a museum or a crocodile farm or a massage parlour or a short-time hotel but a regular mainstream hotel catering for both domestic and international tourists.

You could put an entry on Tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g2...ss-Bangkok.html

There's already a bad review there.

[ClaytonSeymour]

Hotels in Thailand are a particularly mixed affair.

The bad ones will price more for farangs.

Other bad ones will flat out refuse Thai's to stay there. This is more common than you think.

Good ones will charge everyone the same rate - but lets not get confused here that people can and do take advantage of different deals...so even though you are staying the same night, you don't get the same price!!!

Other good ones (the best!! heheh) offer great deals for Thai residents (as opposed to simply Thai nationals!) This is very common in the low season to get local customers though the doors. Both ID cards and foreign passports with the correct visas work here. Many top class hotels make these offers, which can be great deals if you ask me....

How do they tell the difference between a national & a resident? Just check in with the ID card and you're classed as a resident - works for my Wife even though she's really the former, I believe one hotel actually told her about this when she called to make the reservation.

We've always found it cheaper to book the top class hotels via internet reservation web sites - though my Wife certainly gets some of the mid to low end hotels cheaper as a Thai resident, simply by phoning the hotel.

I wonder if/when Khun Thaksin returns they'll offer him the residents or nationals price?

[Briggsy]

[You could put an entry on Tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g2...ss-Bangkok.html

There's already a bad review there.

Done.

[tw25rw]

[You could put an entry on Tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g2...ss-Bangkok.html

There's already a bad review there.

Done.

Can take a few days to be approved, but I always rate my stays and always check on a place before booking.

[waveydavey]

Reminds me of the time my Thai girlfriend and I went to a provincial hotel. She went in to the reception to book the room whilst I was outside paying the taxi driver and unloading our luggage (that seems to be my role - ATM and sherpa....).

They told her the room was 400Bt. When I walked in there was general consternation and a quick conversation between the receptionists. They then told us 'sorry we made a mistake, the 400bt rooms are all occupied, we only have 600bt rooms left'.

Ever since then I always stay well out of the way until she's paid for the room and got the key.

[JonnyF]

I had the same thing at Chaleena Princess (Ladprao 122), but wasn't in the best of moods and decided to argue the point. After about 5 minutes of asking them for an explanation of why a "farang" (who is also working in Thailand) should have to pay more they started to look embarrassed and agreed to 479 but I am sure they put me in the worst room in the hotel. I decide to check out the next day and go elsewhere and they tried to rip me off again by over-charging for the things I'd had from the mini-bar in the room. Another 5 minutes of discussions and I got the correct amount of deposit back.

Horrible place - best avoided.

[chavy]

On the flip side a popular budget hotel I regularly stayed at on Sukhumvit 19 had a policy of not allowing Thais and people from certain countries to book rooms in their hotel.

My ex wife tried to book a number of times only to be told the hotel was full. I would call minutes later and be offered a choice of rooms.

When asked why my ex wife couldn't book, reception explained they believed Thai's would skip without paying or have too many people stay in the rooms and certain other nationalities upset their regular guests.

So there is justice...somewhere

[torrenova]

We had the Marriott up on this one a few years back for refusing to honour an advert in the Bangkok Post regarding some accommodation package. We just threatened to sue them in the UK and USA. Needless to say they backed down and offered us compensation.