Hotels Are Reducing Their Prices

[Scott]

I am waiting for day they reduce the rates on short time rooms!

[dsfbrit]

samuibeachcomber, bkkjames - I think these are 2 good ideas - which I can combine. I will send some emails and if that is not too good then I will wait until I get there and walk into some places as well. I have hotels booked for 2 days anyway, one day in Chaweng and one day in Lamai, so can look at both resorts as well. See if its as 'dead' there as some people say before I commit to anything

mate, on thing to consider is your length of time on the island. If you are only going for a week, why would you want to waste alot of it running around looking for a slightly better deal.

if it were me, i would book 3 days in chaweng and 3 in lamai. Perhaps starting in Lamai and taking a trip one day to Chaweng to see if a) you like it better and the rate situation.

I have an open plane ticket, so if Koh Samui is as dead as the Koh Samui forum says it is I will go somewhere else. Maybe down to Phucket or over to Hua Hin. The trouble with booking more than one day is that I could end up wasting even more time - several days in fact - in an area I simply dont want to be in. If I like it there I may stay until the New Year.

I hate an empty resort. All the touts, taylors and bar girls are 'in your face' all the time as they haven't enough customers. I dont mind being bothered by screaming bar girls 'hello welcome' - but the other touts really get on my nerves!!

To date no replies from my emails AND the hotel I am staying in for the first night wants 400 Baht for the transfer from the airport. Hey I am no 'cheap charlie', but this is a rip-off and already I feel like missing out Koh Samui altogether and going straight to Hua Hin!!!

[dsfbrit]

the sandy spring hotel soi13 pattaya are not,this is the reply, I was thinking about a week from jan7

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your e-mail. Our deluxe rooms are available on period you

require. We also have extra charge 500 baht/room/night on 25th Dec. - 15th

Jan.'09 for peak period.

Please confirm your booking within 19th Dec. and provide your master or visa

card no. with expiry date for guarantee booking.

We're looking for your reply.

Best Regards,

Ms. Warin

Its a joke isn't it. I live in Pattaya and its absolutely dead here. I don't usually go in the bars in Pattaya, but some friends are here to stay and I took them to Walking Street. It was empty. Well when I say 'empty' I mean three of us could walk down the main road next to each other and not bump into other tourists. This was at about 9 PM.

The hotels must be really 'hurting', but they just dont seem to be able to respond. Compare that to the TravellInn (or was it Travelodge) in the UK. They just sent me an email asking me if I want to stay in a room in the UK in London for less than 20 pounds a night - usual price 69-80 pounds a night. I know this is a genuine offer as the last time I stayed in London I had to pay 69 pounds for a one night stay.

As you can see from the post above, I am having trouble getting a discount in Koh Samui. I have never tried to get a discount before, so maybe I am going about it the wrong way. However, I am very unimpressed with their attitude. They seem to think they can dictate room prices during this downturn. Maybe they can, but just for 'fun' I will see how much of a discount I can get.

edit:

The hotel I have reserved a room in for the first night - Chaweng Resort - has a rate of 1600 for the night I am staying - 20/12. The next day is the Peak season and goes up to 2800 baht. I have emailed and asked them what rate they will give me if I stay a few days more in the same room. I would think they could make an offer of around 2000-2400 baht if they really want the custom. I will let you know what they reply.

Edited December 19, 2008 by dsfbrit

[dsfbrit]

I got a reply from Chaweng Resort. The 'normal' hotel cost is 2800 baht and the 10-15 minute taxi transfer is 400 Baht. So they reduced the hotel by 100 baht - wow!!

Dear ****

The price for airport pick up is 400 bht per trip.

And extra night charge 2,700 bht.

Please confirm if you want to have an airport pick up service. Please also

advise your flight number as well.

Thanks & regards,

Pattaveena

[tracer]

Well I had a look around at hotels in Phuket, and note I donot need a hotel...

However I went a few days ago to Bangla Road where I was asked where I had been all the months (what else but a motor bike accident..). Anyway, in the day many bars empty . but I was told in the evening sometimes busy but quite obviously it depends on prices the bar handles. I see 1 chang going for 50-90 baht... Guess who gets the customers!

Now, it should be noted that some places have been closed as owners hadnt paid the rent... But in general all the cheaper ones were getting business but DONOT use a motor bike or car as police IS checking which means the visiting farang may get a bill of 20000-30000 for being drunk and driving... And the same was done during any days requiring a shutdown.

This is asuming anyone survives the trafic!

There are some guest houses but likely to many to really even advertise as I know a Dutch one which I think hasnt even got a website...

Anyway I will later when I return from Patong post address.etc

Note: traffic is crazy, drive carefull!!

[ThaiEye]

Travel agents and tourism officials expect bargain prices in coming months as Thailand scrambles to salvage its peak tourist season after anti-government protests shut the country's two main airports for a week and stranded thousands of visitors.

The Bangkok closures cost Thailand about $3.7 billion, and up to 2.3 million tourists may cancel plans to visit, according to reports.

Prakit Chinamourpong, president of the Thai Hotels Assn., called the turmoil economically worse than the 2004 tsunami that devastated Thai resorts. "We already have . . . hotel occupancies down from a usual high-season 90% to a mere 10% to 15%. Layoffs, or in many cases, shorter working hours have already been introduced," said Tom Bishop, owner of DTC Travel in Bangkok.

As the "Land of Smiles" struggles to rebound, Bishop and others said travelers might find some good discounts. Phornsiri Manoharn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, announced a plan for promotional campaigns.

Among recent deals on the tourism website, www.tourismthailand.org, were free second or third nights at hotels and special fares on Bangkok Airways.

By Dec. 5, all airlines had resumed operations at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and the number of flights was approaching the usual 547 per day, local media reported. Although a recent State Department travel alert urged Americans to avoid demonstrations, and political instability remained, the capital was calmer last week. "The positive is that while there was mass inconvenience during the demonstration, no tourists were hurt, and there was no vandalism or damage of any kind left by the demonstrators," Bishop said.

He added that he hoped would-be visitors would focus on Thailand's beaches, cultural sites, cuisine and golf courses rather than what he termed "a week of indecision."

n Charles McDermid

[londonthai]

as a website is large and almost impossible to find those deals there - here is a direct link to discounted accommodation http://www.tourismthailand.org/thailandsuperdeal/index.html

[spiderman2]

The hotels see the rooms full, Russians may still come, but....

I used to sell property in Bulgaria, Spain up until 18 months ago, and towards the beginning of this property crash all agents who were struggling used to tell me and the few prospective clients that the Russians were still coming and buying at full price without negotiating the smallest amount of discount, that Russians only bought the best 5 star places for cash.

Well property crashed and the few Russians that have money didnt save the day.

The Russian economy is on its ass at the moment, im guessing the Russians wont be saving Thailands tourist economy either.

As for Pattaya i went to 10 places looking for a room for a month and they were all booked out over xmas and new year, but like an earlier poster said it is dead here, id say 50% less people are here then last year.

[Rinrada]

Just checked with the old Dun 2 Wan in Chiang Mai for next Jolli in March and not only have the put UP their prices but they now want an extra 250 bt a day for breakis..................£5 for the burnt offerings......

Used to rave about it but looks like its bye Bye .....Pop gun mai..........and no krap....gorra luv 'em doncha....TITs

[cutter007]

Normally, I don't go anywhere for Christmas/new years in Thailand, everywhere is packed,

and completely overpriced.

But I thought this year, I might go for a trip seeing as how there must be deals to have with

10% - 30% occupancy rate.

But alas, this is Thailand, and they are going to stick to their ritualistic

habit of trying of try to charge 200% increases from the low season rate, for the Dec. 20 - Jan. 5th

period.

That is fine for them to do, it's their choice.

But did I not just read dozens of articles talking about stimulus

package for the Thai tourism industry, which of course will be funded by our taxes.

Here is an idea, why don't they try stimulating their own industry by waking up and getting with reality.

I would love to be in the tourism business, if you are a hotel, you can totally

disregard current supply and demand trends, keep your prices really high regardless of demand,

and then when you are going bankrupt because of an empty hotel,

ask the government for money and blame someone else,

looks like Thai hotel opperators have been studying GM and Fords business models.

I acutally laughed some girl off the phone, she was trying to charge $220 USD for some place in

Khao Yai. It wasn't anywhere close to 5 star, and the price during low season was $40.

The property market is going to crash next year, in Thai resort areas expecially,

I don't see how people can't see it, the prices are completely rediculous when you look at infrastructure

and other factors, not to mention the rate of price inflation. Land at some of these places went up 2000% in 5 years.

Asset bubble will collapse in these places, and add that on top of that revenue problems as well, 3rd quarter of 2009 will be fun to watch, I expect

hotel/guesthouse/tour operators to start dropping like flies.

Som nam na.

Watch out for the press and the government, they will do the standard two step and denie any problems with

economic fundamentals (includeing tourism) until they have to. Friend of mine already sat in on a meeting where the basic

theme that was known, but never said was, the condo project is never going to get built, the deposits have already been

spent, they are just waiting until everyone else pulls the same escape route, to declares it so they can fade into the crowd,

of bankrupt development projects.

This is a well known project that has been promoting in the papers, for over a year looking for buyers.

Remember '97, "no we won't float the baht, no seriously we won't float the baht, no floating not ever.........

oh yeah we decided to float it"

Edited December 22, 2008 by cutter007

[dsfbrit]

Cutter, tell me about it. I just got back from 2 days in Samui, 1 day Chaweng, then 1 day Lamai. I arrived on the 20th to stay at Chaweng Resort. On the 20th it was 1600 Baht, 21st it was 2700 Baht. There were plenty of rooms spare there, I asked what they would charge for the same room for me and my 2 friends arriving on Monday. They said 2700 Baht. No discount at all. I said are you full? They said no. I said why no discount then. He said his friend up the road had a hotel and he would give me a discount How odd.

I gave up and the next day moved onto the Am Samui Palace in Lamai. Hotel room 2200 Baht. Once again I said my 2 friends were arriving next day any discount. No discount - price 2200 Baht. They were not full at all.

They even wanted to charge 450 Baht for the 10/15 minute taxi transfer - normally this is 400 Baht. I told them the cab that picked me up the day before and took me to Chaweng (300 Baht) charged only 400 Baht. They said 450 Baht!

I really dont want to save 50 Baht on a cab fair. It was just their total denial that they should respond in any way at all to this obvious downturn that got up my nose!

I live in Pattaya and felt like a change and as 2 friends were arriving to see me I thought it would be nice to visit Koh Samui for the New Year etc.. instead of at my house in Pattaya.

I decided to vote with my feet and flew back to Pattaya today.

Both Chaweng and Lamai were dead. I speak Thai so was able to ask a lot of the locals how business was - they said it was very quiet.

I am not surprised when they market the place like this.

I know my action won't make any difference at all and I am sure lots of people will just put me down as a 'whinger'.

Anyway, I am now putting up the Xmas tree in the lounge. My friends arrive later today.

Merry Xmas to you all

Edited December 22, 2008 by dsfbrit

[Hairy]

I'm pretty sure some hotels ARE cutting rates. I checked internet prices on one, 2400 for peak season. Called just now and made a reservation for four nights at 1500.

[warfie]

The Rose of Suthep Home Stay is not cutting prices... no need... already good value...

shameless shameful self promotion...