Signs Of The Times.......

[Sir Burr]

1. Just got back from the Thai International ticketing office in town. I was the only customer.

2. Lots of commercial boats sitting all day at Ao Chalong.

3. Coaches and mini-buses lying idle at their depots.

Add your observations.

[traveldog]

yeah but not that slow.....bungalows in front all full...and Nai Harn beach is crowded....russians arriving by the score..maybe just a new years blip...but the roads are clogged worse than ever...surprised am I...

[steelepulse]

Kata has looked like the crowd of a February-March day, not a peak season day.  Tons of empty beach chairs everywhere.

[LivinginKata]

Today bumped into a couple I know that stay in kata for a few weeks each year. They had trouble finding a budget room for their son arriving today.

Walked along Chalong pier on Saturday & Sunday about 17.00 and I was amazed at the big number of people coming off dive boats and day boats. Although Monday was much quieter.

I think it's a mixed picture right now. After January 2009 I expect the true picture will emerge....

[stevenl]

Walked along Chalong pier on Saturday & Sunday about 17.00 and I was amazed at the big number of people coming off dive boats and day boats. Although Monday was much quieter.

At the pier at the moment (I am there nearly every morning) it looks like a normal high season, not any of the peak season days like it should be right now. I am expecting that next week things will look like any March/April day, and soon afterwards like any July/August day.

Hope I'm wrong though.

[1000baht]

Sure seems busy here for me in Rawai, roads are alot busier, and Nai Harn is quite crowded, seeing lots of tourits with the white skin turning into lobsters. But having talked with a couple of friends of mine who have been long time restraunt owners, it is down from previous years, but surprisingly not as much as they thought. I think LivinginKata said it right, wont know till the new year.

[fiddlehead]

I counted 80 yachts at Nai Harn the other day.

Last year, i counted 60 around New Years.

Chalong circle seems to have their normal high season problems (especially when the police direct traffic there)

[logbags]

Dropped my nephew off a few days ago and a full plane was going Thailand. Picked up the ball and chain coming from Phuket today and she said the plane was empty. Said everyone had 3 seats to sleep. A bit surprised......

Give it until Chinese New year and the end of the month when the credit card bill comes in, then it might get slower. Nobody I know has any money and everyone is crying poor. Everyone has stopped cutting their rubber trees as the price is so low it is not worth it.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

I washed my car in the quick wash after the Chalong circle going to Rawai, the guys working there told me they did not have much to do, before there was always Farang in rented car coming in, now not many they told me

[LivinLOS]

GBP under 50 to the baht right now... Money will be tight..

My feeling is its busy, but this peak 10 days are usually insanely busy, and those here are spending less.. Where it sits mid jan will be a easier barometer..

[khundon]

1. Just got back from the Thai International ticketing office in town. I was the only customer.

2. Lots of commercial boats sitting all day at Ao Chalong.

3. Coaches and mini-buses lying idle at their depots.

Add your observations.

Can't be as bad as when I flew back to Uk when the SARS thing was on. I was 1 of only 11 who took that BA 747 flight.

There were more staff than passengers.

I feel the Thai Holiday trade will come back, if a bit slowly but the government needs to get their act together and show the World that things are getting back to normal.

[DrDave]

Check out this picture of Patong Beach on Christmas day. It was about 11:00AM, and this section of beach in front of Patong Tower (roughly the center of the beach) was completely empty. Admittedly, the adjoining sections (different beach chair vendors) did have some customers. We walked the entire length of the beach, and I'd estimate that no more than 25-30% of the chairs were occupied.

[LivinLOS]

That could say something about numbers (I agree it does) however it could also say something about over supply..

However you slice it.. I think its batten down the hatches time for many tourist related businesses.. Global wealth is being wiped out, people are under pressure in the west (something modern Thailands tourist industry has never really seen) at the same time as EUR and GBP rates have crashed against the baht (while they engineer a peg to keep exporters in USD happy.. So the elite business owners who export do well, while the small mom and pop operators in toursim dont)..

At sub 50 baht to the pound and with lady drinks now routinely 180 baht up to 250 baht.. I think a lot of guys are going to be penny pinching.. In a year a LD has gone from being 2 GBP to being up to 5 GBP !! Phukets cheap and cheerful environment has changed, but the quality of experiences and services dont match the new higher end pricing. Just my feeling on the current climate.

[chickencurry]

Today bumped into a couple I know that stay in kata for a few weeks each year. They had trouble finding a budget room for their son arriving today.

Walked along Chalong pier on Saturday & Sunday about 17.00 and I was amazed at the big number of people coming off dive boats and day boats. Although Monday was much quieter.

I think it's a mixed picture right now. After January 2009 I expect the true picture will emerge....

Agree it's a mixed picture. Picked up a friend from the airport last Sunday coming from Helsinki. She said both flights to Phuket were completely full that day and another 2 flights Helsinki to Bangkok were completely full too. And yes lots of Russians about. 2009 will be interesting.

[1000baht]

Check out this picture of Patong Beach on Christmas day. It was about 11:00AM, and this section of beach in front of Patong Tower (roughly the center of the beach) was completely empty. Admittedly, the adjoining sections (different beach chair vendors) did have some customers. We walked the entire length of the beach, and I'd estimate that no more than 25-30% of the chairs were occupied.

I noticed the same on the Kata Beach a few days ago, But I really dont enjoy Patong beach, full of hawkers, Jet skis, and the beach really isnt the best on phuket I find. I find it even busier at Nai Harn then last year, then again, these 2 weeks are always Hectic.

[geriatrickid]

http://phuketwan.com/jobs/phuket-resorts-s...-jobs-pay-half/

Up to December 2, 519 resorts and other businesses around Thailand had laid off 44,797 workers, she said. Khun Sasiwan said the Employment Department was anticipating another 200 firms would lay off about 83,000 workers early in the new year.

Other experts have advised Phuket's workforce to curtail unnecessary spending and to avoid getting into debt now.

A sheer cliff face abyss of virtually no forward bookings is expected on the island from March onwards as the world slips towards a global recession. Remarkably, other destinations in Thailand are even worse off now and will be worse off than Phuket when the full effects of the crisis strike home in 2009

[keestha]

Khao Lak: Till December 8 quite busy, and then all of a sudden very few people around, it looked like low season. In my resort hardly any walk in guests turned up, though being the least expensive place close to the beach it has a very strong selling point. Since December 20 it is quite busy again, but I am prepared to plunge into the abyss again after January 10 or so.

Edited December 31, 2008 by keestha

[Lancelot]

Pattaya seems to be holding up OK, but just OK.My hunch is that after mid January Pattaya will be slower.

Stocks tanked in October, now unemployment is rising and fewer people will have the money for International travel...

[LivinginKata]

Walked along Kata beach about 16.00 today. Busier than I expected. Not exactly peak busy, but not bad at all. Would guess at least 75% chairs in use. And plenty plenty private boats anchored in the bay. Almost as many as King's Cup week. Some folks not stuck for money.

[1000baht]

I think we all seem to say " its busy, lots of people here today" very quickly, as most of us live here full time and are used to low season more so then high, i feel that way anyways. Just a thought.

[steelepulse]

Everything I've seen looks like high season, but not peak season.  That's approximately a 20% difference.

[logbags]

Yesterday I spoke to a friend who is long time in tourism and airlines. He has just started working for a big international company and is based in Bangkok. He was here for a short break and he said Phuket hotels were crying out for future bookings as they have few it seems.

He said he was lucky as his company dealt with Vietnam and Cambodia tourism and I got the impression he felt that was doing a bit better than places like Phuket. I feel over supply, the reduction in currency value against the baht and the perception Phuket has become too "westernized" are all big points.

Someone mentioned malls and it is becoming like you have the same type of places worldwide with the same franchises everywhere. If you go somewhere and it is exactly like where you come from, then why go? The idea is to see and experience something different isn't it? Speaking to a lot of people I see, a lot say "I am way over Thailand" and they are looking at anywhere else a little bit more undeveloped and natural if such places still exist.

There is also this perception Thailand just cannot get its shit together and just continually makes excuses for its police, politicians and officials who basically plunder the public purse. The coming meltdown in the end will be good as only those who offer value, service and honest deals will survive. All the "quick baht merchants" will not survive in a tight market.

[dave2]

logbags.

quote ..... Speaking to a lot of people I see, a lot say "I am way over Thailand" and they are looking at anywhere else a little bit more undeveloped and natural if such places still exist.

try sihanoukville cambodia ...nice beaches , no malls , no 7 elevens , no chocolate ( well i couldnt find any ! ) and 3 to 5 dollar daily rooms or 50 to 100 dollars a month .

go there .... enjoy ..... dave2

[logbags]

logbags.

quote ..... Speaking to a lot of people I see, a lot say "I am way over Thailand" and they are looking at anywhere else a little bit more undeveloped and natural if such places still exist.

try sihanoukville cambodia ...nice beaches , no malls , no 7 elevens , no chocolate ( well i couldnt find any ! ) and 3 to 5 dollar daily rooms or 50 to 100 dollars a month .

go there .... enjoy ..... dave2

I often think of heading to Cambodia but I have a lot of friends in Phuket and none in Cambodia. It's very tempting to just forget Phuket and move on somewhere else but I remember going from the Phuket to Samui in '85. Never liked Samui that much and have never been back. Went to Pattaya and loved the nightlife but never felt 100% safe as it had that big city feel to it. Certainly much cheaper then Phuket I found. Been to everywhere in Thailand, loved the North but have not been back since the late 80's. Isarn is ok but not much to do and no beaches. Have not been to Bangkok for a long long time so most of my time is either in Nakhon Sri or Phuket for the last 10 years.

I live very well in Phuket and still go to the mom and pop type of store if possible. The number of 7 elevens and famly marts in Patong is a joke..........