Are There Many Genuine Farang Tourists In Phuket?

[Ulysses G.]

I've been to Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Pattaya in the last few weeks and seen with my own eyes that Western tourism is down drastically. What is the situation in Phuket" Anyone visiting that is actually spending money?

[Zpete]

will be in Chalong next week, spending dosh over 4 nites, 2nd time in a month.

Big roller am I .........hahaha

[simon43]

On Thursday night there were many American sailors in town and Patong was very busy. I could hear the bar-bells ringing every few minutes. So some businesses were making good money. After work, I sat at a bar for about 20 minutes with 1 beer, but was offered 3 more free drinks due to the 'buy everyone drinks' bell-ringing! Seems a great way for a poor 'farang' like me to get free drinks....

Simon

[TJAN]

have a nice holliday spete.

[TJAN]

I mean ZPETE.

[mekka]

Bangla was the busiest ive seen it in a long time last night, Tiger maxed out aswell as hollywoods.

[LivinLOS]

Bangla was the busiest ive seen it in a long time last night, Tiger maxed out aswell as hollywoods.

Halloween party tho.. Not really a fair 'normal' night..

[alanmorison]

I hate to be accused of pushing my own website, but I will because it is relevant, so all you cynics, please blaze away . . . . Phuketwan has all you need to know about visitors on Phuket and the future of the Phuket economy this high season and in 2009. The island is doing better than other parts of Thailand, perhaps because it has had to overcome so many crises since 2004. However, package tours diminish the benefits to the local community. Something needs to be done about that . . . there's also the very real biological crisis brought on with the discovery of box jellyfish on the east coast. But when all is said and done, Phuket and the Andaman remains a great destination, any time of the year. Two US warships were in port for a few days and an Australian and an Indian navy warship arrive on Monday. If you want more, try phuketwan.

[damian]

Just finished looking after some distant cousins (family of 8) up for a holiday from Oz - first time to Thailand.

They have spent every cent they had allocated for the holiday and then some. Took in all the usuals, island tours elephant trekking etc etc and spent up big on the replica T-shirts, shoes and other assorted items and tourist trinkets.

Even though the weather was a bit cr*ppy they revelled in the atmosphere of Patong, loved the Wat's and Big Buddah, the beaches and countryside and simply adored the vast array of restaurants and food. For me it was a much needed reminder of the good things we have at our disposal and the reasons why we chose to live here.

So I guess there are some genuine farang tourists.

[geriatrickid]

Walked up Bangla last few nights. Not dead, but none of the bustle I saw this time last year.

There will always be tourists and quite a few will spend. What we are seeing now I think, is the loss of the low end junketeers.

I've been by the Merlin & Holiday Inn on beach Rd and they are not busy. These are good hotels and not the most expensive like a Dusit. I've been by the Patong Beach Resort which has always had a good business catering to the junket types that want to stay at a Resort (even though it isn't). The place is dead quiet, with maybe 3 people by the pool. This time last year it was full. I think this is going to be a bad year - the year people didn't come.

[chiang mai]

There is a steady flow of tourists, not a flood, just a steady flow, they've all come to spend money. Why, it's just like a breath of fresh air after the low season!

[huggybear]

Walked up Bangla last few nights. Not dead, but none of the bustle I saw this time last year.

There will always be tourists and quite a few will spend. What we are seeing now I think, is the loss of the low end junketeers.

I've been by the Merlin & Holiday Inn on beach Rd and they are not busy. These are good hotels and not the most expensive like a Dusit. I've been by the Patong Beach Resort which has always had a good business catering to the junket types that want to stay at a Resort (even though it isn't). The place is dead quiet, with maybe 3 people by the pool. This time last year it was full. I think this is going to be a bad year - the year people didn't come.

my sales numbers for October were just above last years (I cater to the tourist market so am a good indicator), but I got a 200,000thb boost from Koh Lanta.

It's not all gloom and doom, things are starting to round into shape.

[geriatrickid]

Huggles, I hope you are right. I'm bummed out and that's probably, colouring my views. My currency has taken a 25% nosedive against the baht. I was expecting my friend to come visit me for a weekend and she said, she has to delay because her own money situation is tight. She's paid in sterling I think and has had her BKK living expenses increase. I suppose on the upside I just saved a bundle on not having to wine and dine the orchid of my heart.

A couple of my friends work in the hotel sector (Thais at low level mgmt. positions) and they say slow but steady. I leave soon for a month and can't wait to go if only to stem the bleeding finance wise. I do note that the condo where I stay has lots of short term rentals and they are running about 20% vacancy for Xmas. Last year was 100% occupancy.

As an aside, anyone else notice the trend to lon g term more profitab;le/stable type of tenants on Bangla, like the Starbucks, McD's and the KFC? The small shops went bye bye.

Also, how is that Marriott coming along across from the Holiday Inn? It looks great and they did a good job in the past year, but will it miss xmas season?

[huggybear]

My currency has taken a 25% nosedive against the baht.

Also, how is that Marriott coming along across from the Holiday Inn? It looks great and they did a good job in the past year, but will it miss xmas season?

Sorry to hear about your curency dilemma, as a side note; through this global economic crises I find it interesting that the US dollar has maintained strength...............

That new Marriott, the building it is taking over is cursed. Bad Feng Shui, just faces the wrong way. Nothing has ever succeeded there (other than Legionnaires) and I doubt anything ever will.