No More Rainy Seasons In Phuket?

[geoffphuket]

Phuket Gazette

Monday, April 27, 2009

Tourism businesses urged to join Phuket re-branding launch

PHUKET, Thailand: A group of local hoteliers and businesses in Phuket have “cancelled” Low Season – April 15 through November 1 – and are renaming the period more appropriately as "Summer Season", to better reflect the fact that Phuket is one of the world’s top year-round vacation and second home destinations.

For further details about Summer in Phuket, visit www.summerinphuket.com

Tourism business operators in Phuket are urged to join the launch to discuss how their individual organizations can participate in the six-month campaign.

The "Summer in Phuket" rebranding exercise is born of the reality that changing weather patterns are helping Phuket to become one of the world's top year-round destinations. In recognition of this, a group of local residents, hotels and businesses have "canceled" low season and replaced it with "Summer Season".

[geoffphuket]

I'll miss the rainy season. I think a petition should be started to bring it back

[huggybear]

I'll miss the rainy season. I think a petition should be started to bring it back

I think it sounds bad to say "cancelled" anything considering the current travel climate..............

Red shirts, yellow shirts, blue shirts, shootings at politicians, now swine flu, geez all we need is another tsunami and for sure low season will be cancelled.

[katasyd]

It's so they can charge high season prices all year long.

[steelepulse]

If it says so on that website, it must be true.  Tourism officials would never mislead the public

[Valentine]

I know one of the guys involved in this & I believe there is a genuine concern out there to be pro active & help promote Phuket because many will be affected by the downturn which is shaping up to be the most serious we have faced. I realise some of you out there are happily retired & financially independent but for those of us who depend on business here to make a living the outlook is not pretty. To batten down the hatches & ride out the storm may be OK but the storm could be a long time blowing hence the reason to be pro active. Facetious comments may get a small chuckle but will not help although constructive comments will.

[Sir Burr]

Frankly, I think it is deceitful. Luring the tourist money in with what to anyone in the know is complete bullshit.

It's the rainy season and to call it summer is misleading at best and a complete falsehood at worst.

Attract business in honest ways. More special activities, special packages and discounts.

[Valentine]

Frankly, I think it is deceitful. Luring the tourist money in with what to anyone in the know is complete bullshit.

It's the rainy season and to call it summer is misleading at best and a complete falsehood at worst.

Attract business in honest ways. More special activities, special packages and discounts.

Check the website http://www.summerinphuket.com/summer-phuke...mer-season.html as there does not seem to be any intent to deceive as it points out the facts of monsoon.

[LivinginKata]

I know one of the guys involved in this & I believe there is a genuine concern out there to be pro active & help promote Phuket because many will be affected by the downturn which is shaping up to be the most serious we have faced. I realise some of you out there are happily retired & financially independent but for those of us who depend on business here to make a living the outlook is not pretty. To batten down the hatches & ride out the storm may be OK but the storm could be a long time blowing hence the reason to be pro active. Facetious comments may get a small chuckle but will not help although constructive comments will.

Completely agree with you. It's going to be rough year or so for all us small business owners. I fear many will not survive. Over the many years I have been living on Phuket Island I have heard that 'the bubble is about to burst' so many times, and it never happened .. yet. I now worry that now the bubble has burst for Phuket tourism and foreign residents.

[ozymandious]

I've always been a fan of "The Green season" over rainy or low season. But summer season just sounds a little bit more chipper.

anything to help Phuket out is good IMHO.

[Sir Burr]

The word "summer" implies no rain. The word "summer" implies days on the beach, when in fact, swimming is dangerous at this time of the year.

It's a con.

People keep complaining that Phuket is getting over-developed. Maybe this coming slump is just what Phuket needs. Maybe it will get Thais to appreciate the tourist dollar more and concentrate on good service instead of ripping tourists off.

I really, really hope the tuk-tuk drivers suffer.

Edited April 28, 2009 by Sir Burr

[ozymandious]

I really, really hope the tuk-tuk drivers suffer.

snicker snicker can't help but have a little chuckle at that

[robblok]

Its a con just like others have said. Summer is supposed to be without rain and you should be able to swim. The only reason they do it is to cheat tourists.

Maybe better service and lower prices helps. But then again that never really happens.

[LivinLOS]

People keep complaining that Phuket is getting over-developed. Maybe this coming slump is just what Phuket needs. Maybe it will get Thais to appreciate the tourist dollar more and concentrate on good service instead of ripping tourists off.

OK.. Who is this impostor and what have you dont with the real Sir Burr..

[Sir Burr]

Yeah, yeah......I know.....it'll never happen.

What will happen is we will see all the bar and restaurant prices go up as the Thai business owners make a futile attempt to make the same money as previously, but, with fewer tourists.

Watch tuk-tuk prices go into four figures.

[Valentine]

Yeah, yeah......I know.....it'll never happen.

What will happen is we will see all the bar and restaurant prices go up as the Thai business owners make a futile attempt to make the same money as previously, but, with fewer tourists.

Watch tuk-tuk prices go into four figures.

I fear prices will go up across the board & have already seen a couple of examples with no real reason as inflation is quite low & high fuel prices cannot be used as an excuse anymore. As in Sir Burr's comment it possibly refelcts the mentality of not getting as much business therefore increase the price to make up for it rather than maintaining prices or even offering lower prices to keep existing clientele & draw in more. As some have suggested let's hope the tourist industry offer some genuine discounts & truly get behind the promotion. The tuk tuk crowd could truly give themselves & Phuket a much needed public relations boost by coming up with reasonable fares although the sun will likely burn out before that happens.

To any other posters please do not say it is a con. Check the website, there is no intent to deceive or hide the fact about monsoon rains. Anywhere in the world, summer does not necessarily mean no rain.

This is the time to cast out the cynical side of our nature & sincerely highlight the positive aspects of Phuket, of which there are many, otherwise why would we be here.

[Somtamnication]

Valentine, keeping your head in the sand is also doing the future incoming guests a disservice.

If the low/rainy season has NOT been canceled, then your friend has no Bhudda-given right to claim it as such, for monetary gain.

If there was a marketing campaign aimed at getting the tuk tuk mafia under tight control (metered, prices clearly visible), dangerous undercurrent warning flags not missing, double pricing, etc etc, then visitors could give Phuket a more serious try than that idiotic slogan your friend and his cronies came up with.

[BigSnake]

"No more Rainy Season", Hmmmmmm!! You can fool YOURSELF but you CAN'T fool Mother Nature. Nuff Said.

[LivinLOS]

Yeah, yeah......I know.....it'll never happen.

What will happen is we will see all the bar and restaurant prices go up as the Thai business owners make a futile attempt to make the same money as previously, but, with fewer tourists.

Watch tuk-tuk prices go into four figures.

I fear prices will go up across the board & have already seen a couple of examples with no real reason as inflation is quite low & high fuel prices cannot be used as an excuse anymore. As in Sir Burr's comment it possibly refelcts the mentality of not getting as much business therefore increase the price to make up for it rather than maintaining prices or even offering lower prices to keep existing clientele & draw in more.

The issue (and here I am possibly generalizing patong) is that landlords have set the bar very high on rents, so much so that there needs to be, not only solid trade, but assumed ever increasing prices and customer built into the biz plan simply to make key money.. With new beer bars in a complex away from Bangla asking over 3 mil for a little night time only beer bar, there is no way to make that pay without massively increased per unit pricing, especially when the foot traffic and spending patterns of the few true punters are going down. This is why theres place in patong charging 180 baht for a soda or OJ right now.

I think that especially among Thais theres no concept that theres a limit, they have been cheap, less cheap, etc and still had more and more punters, to them the appreciation of competitive destinations after the 15 year (credit fueled) boom or even that pricing here is now overtaking drink pricing in the west is not something they are aware of. Those of us that can see internationally can see that the greed of landlords has made operating a bar (or guesthouse or or or) a thin margin operation (well they always did but at least they were 'cheap' to visitors) and thats theres a limit to where they can price point a rough and ready party destination.

[waza]

Valentine, keeping your head in the sand is also doing the future incoming guests a disservice.

If the low/rainy season has NOT been canceled, then your friend has no Bhudda-given right to claim it as such, for monetary gain.

If there was a marketing campaign aimed at getting the tuk tuk mafia under tight control (metered, prices clearly visible), dangerous undercurrent warning flags not missing, double pricing, etc etc, then visitors could give Phuket a more serious try than that idiotic slogan your friend and his cronies came up with.

Soooooooooo true

[osmar]

If you note; this idea to rebrand started with the property developer/real-estate area of Phuket buisness. Of course it is deceitful but that is normal for this type of person. Make a quick buck, spoil the island with ugly concrete blocks, bring the islands infrastructure to breaking point and then take the profits with them back to their countries of origin. They then try to salve their consciences by saying their giving jobs to the local community. Curiously low season and drop in tourist numbers is not a concern with local Thai newspapers only Engish languag newspapers for "farangs" whose advertising in the main comes from - gues who - property developers.

[geriatrickid]

I don't think that the way to deal with the bugs and rain is to create a false impression. Rather, the tourist trade needs to adapt and understand that it is not providing the goods and services people want. If people aren't coming then it has something to do with what's available and the pricing. Changing the name of the season is denial at its finest.

I don't buy the season excuse. Plenty of tourist destinations prosper despite crappy climates. Need an example? Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America at 400 years and it's a miserable place to go in the winter. Bitterly cold and yet they came up with a winter carnival, an ice hotel, ice boat races and all sorts of outdoor activities that draw hundreds of thousands of tourists from the USA, EU and even Mexico at a time of year when people don't travel. The prices are crazy, yet that economic backwater of a province of only 7 million draws in almost the the same amount of tourist related economic benefits as Thailand. (Tourism brings in between C$8b and C$9billion of economic benefits in any given year to Quebec.) I don't buy the proximity issue. It's often cheaper for someone in the EU to fly to Thailand than it is to Canada. Thailand doesn't even have a proper tourism plan. Lots of slogans and empty words. With all that Thailand can offer, there is no excuse. It's greatest asset are its people and yet they are ignored in every tourism strategy.

Thailand has some of the most pathetic unimaginative inept hospitality tradespeople I have seen. There is no difference between farang and local in that aspect. I don't know why foreigners in this business suddenly morph into incompetent twits as soon as they get to Thailand, but they often do.

Where I've seen great success in Thailand are at Compass Hospitality properties or large chain brands where the pricing and services are tuned to meet their niche, where management is always present and ready to help and where there is an investment in staff training. How many of the struggling hotels do that?

If some of the smaller hotels go under, then perhaps it is the best thing to happen. How many of the people running these smaller places even have training in the hospitality business or possess even basic business skills. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but have a look at some of the knuckleads. Why did they get into the business in the first place? So many of them probably would have been more successful if they had stayed in their trades as truck drivers or labourers. Running a hotel is hard work and requires constant supervision and the support and training of staff. I bet you anything that the places that will survive are the ones where the owners had a real business plan ,did their due diligence before investing, invested in upkeep, and ran a proper hospitality establishment.

[LivinginKata]

The past few days have been beautiful, so we can have very good weather during the rainy season. But I agree that tourists should be made aware of the dangers when swimming off the beaches.

[Sir Burr]

The past few days have been beautiful, so we can have very good weather during the rainy season. But I agree that tourists should be made aware of the dangers when swimming off the beaches.

Errrrm.......we aren't officially in rainy season, yet. It starts on the 1st May.

Wait until late August through to the end of October and see if "Summer Season" is an apt name.

I also feel that these people that are trying to "rebrand" the rainy season are under-estimating the savvyness of your average tourist.

Everyone knows that "Google is their friend". Not hard to find out what the weather is doing and the historical data in Phuket.

Those that do will laugh their <deleted> off at "Summer Season", or, feel agrieved.

[fiddlehead]

The past few days have been beautiful, so we can have very good weather during the rainy season. But I agree that tourists should be made aware of the dangers when swimming off the beaches.

Interesting.

Yesterday, i went to the beach at Nai Harn.

There were virtually no waves. Maybe knee high waves at best.

Yet, red flags were out.

How is anyone supposed to respect the red flags when they are kept up for 6 months at a time?

it isn't always dangerous to swim.

Also, the Bang Wad dam looks very low. Rainy season is necessary.

[huggybear]

The past few days have been beautiful, so we can have very good weather during the rainy season. But I agree that tourists should be made aware of the dangers when swimming off the beaches.

Interesting.

Yesterday, i went to the beach at Nai Harn.

There were virtually no waves. Maybe knee high waves at best.

Yet, red flags were out.

How is anyone supposed to respect the red flags when they are kept up for 6 months at a time?

it isn't always dangerous to swim.

Also, the Bang Wad dam looks very low. Rainy season is necessary.

We've had this discussion before. It's because the lifeguards themselves cannot swim, so the best way for them not having to go in the water is keeping other people from going in.

I generally play "lifeguard" when down at Nai Hairn on my weekends. I watch the rip currents and can tell in advance when there might be trouble. About three weeks ago advised some honeymooners to get out of the current they were in, they seemed pretty happy that I saw what was up, gave me a smile and a wave once they had their feet on the sand.

So if you see a guy in long trunks and a funny hat giving you the o.k. sign from the beach, give me an o.k. back if you are.

(sorry, a bit off topic)

[Sir Burr]

From their website:-

"September and October is usually the wettest months and the weather can set in for 4 or 5 days. Each monsoon season (about 6 months) probably only has about 30 days of truly rainy days and it normally falls in blocks, so chances of great weather is actually high".

They fail to mention all those days that are overcast and gloomy with no sun. Hardly conjours up a picture of summer, does it?

[steelepulse]

>>The issue (and here I am possibly generalizing patong) is that landlords have set the bar very high on rents, so much so that there needs to be, not only solid trade, but assumed ever increasing prices and customer built into the biz plan simply to make key money.. With new beer bars in a complex away from Bangla asking over 3 mil for a little night time only beer bar, there is no way to make that pay without massively increased per unit pricing, especially when the foot traffic and spending patterns of the few true punters are going down.

It would be nice if the number of new punters arriving with fistfulls of Euros decided not to buy a bar and over time force the landlords to lower rents and key money. With prices as high as they are, a bars and guesthouses just can't be economically viable in the long term.  How many bars do you see available for sale or abandoned these days?

[JetsetBkk]

I like this bit from the wb site:

Summer Season

This website is dedicated to Summer Season, a quiet time of the year but also a time that is often considered by old Phuket Hands to be the best time of the year.

And why is that, do you think? Because there aren't any f****** tourists!

[Valentine]

Valentine, keeping your head in the sand is also doing the future incoming guests a disservice.

If the low/rainy season has NOT been canceled, then your friend has no Bhudda-given right to claim it as such, for monetary gain.

If there was a marketing campaign aimed at getting the tuk tuk mafia under tight control (metered, prices clearly visible), dangerous undercurrent warning flags not missing, double pricing, etc etc, then visitors could give Phuket a more serious try than that idiotic slogan your friend and his cronies came up with.

Even though I generally have no use for tuk tuks & see the tuk tuk mafia as a major negative aspect, along with double pricing, making guests pay for Xmas dinner whether they want it or not, this list could go on & on. Here is a copy of my post to the travel forum.

Phi Phi Family ferry's schedule, which I used yesterday, leaves Phuket at 8.30am & returns from Phi Phi at 2.30pm. I undertsand this is the cheapest option & I paid 150 Baht, at the pier, going out as my foreman bought the tickets. Coming back I was spotted by the ticket seller & had to pay 300 Baht, the reason being that all tourists pay this price. When I stated I was there to work & showed him my work permit the reasoning changed to "I don't care, you are not Thai".

Despite the negatives there has to be many more positives which is why we are here? Although I thought their slogan was a little weird, I am not a marketing person, but what I can see is that there are people who are trying to highlight the positive aspects of Phuket come rain or shine & I repeat their website does not try to hide the fact of monsoon rains.

Some people seem to think the recession will bring the local business owners to their senses. No it will not, but it will inflict a lot of misery. The bar landlords, hotel owners, big business operators may see their extravagant lifestyle slightly affected but for the rest of us it is a serious prospect. I have a fairly meagre lifestyle & have to find more ways to trim it which affects my family & others whom I normally do business with. So far our business is still running & have not had to lay anyone off but if I did then the trickle down effect is compunded which if multiplied by countless others one can begin to see the magnitude of the problem.