Expectations High For Phuket's High Season

[george]

Expectations high for Phuket's high season

TAT South Region 4 office director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon.

PHUKET CITY: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that hotel occupancy rates in Phuket should hit 80 percent during the high season.

According to the new TAT South Region 4 office director Ms Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, Phuket hotel and tour operators say advance bookings are on the rise.

Occupancy rates should climb to 80 percent after the Christmas and New Year holidays, she said.

Phuket is ready to deal with increasing number of visitors, Ms Bangornrat added.

Tourists have a wide range of recreational activities to choose from, such as ‘adventure tourism’ and recreational diving. These will encourage tourists to stay in the region for longer, she was quoted as saying.

She was also quoted as saying tourists find it ‘convenient’ traveling around Phuket and other parts of Thailand’s Andaman coast region.

Phuket had 38,528 rooms in 639 accommodation establishments registered with the TAT in 2008.

-- NNT 2009-11-17

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[givenall]

Dream on, the prices are too high and they will be able to attract tourists unless make the rates more reasonable

[Kimera]

Im sorry I just dont see it happening, I have friends in the hotel trade and they predict nothing like the figures quoted

[KarenBravo]

The whole reason behind the TAT is to encourage tourism to Thailand.

They are "talking it up", in other words doing their job.

Do you really expect them to come out with doom and gloom? (even if it's true)

[animatic]

I am heading to Phuket tomorrow for work,

just because it IS picking up and people are hiring services they weren't recently.

There is guarded optimism, but people are preparing for it to up tick this season.

[simon43]

I flew to Phuket yesterday for a business meeting at the hotel that I own with my ex.

The hotel was fully booked at 2,000 baht a night (3 star guesthouse)

The business guy who was coming from Bangkok to meet me had to travel by bus (11 hours!) because all Phuket flights were fully booked.

I think bookings are looking ok for high season

Simon

[LaoPo]

It's 4,5 weeks to the start of Christmas/New Year Holidays....

People who are planning to go on long distance holidays should have booked by now, apart from some last minute travelers but they're mostly singles and young couples, not couples with children.

We'll see.

LaoPo

[tracer]

Im sorry I just dont see it happening, I have friends in the hotel trade and they predict nothing like the figures quoted

I agree with that as I know how busy its normally: I donot see a lot of tourists returning at present but who come back are the foreigners escaping the probably lousy winter at home...

[Somtamnication]

Tons of Korean tour companies have shut down and this week alone, 4 companies have not paid their staff for months and they are all going home. So, Koreans are not coming. They are going to Bali, actually.

I do not see many Chinese or Japanese tourists, either.

Must all be Europeans coming, I presume.

[rfukata]

I flew to Phuket yesterday for a business meeting at the hotel that I own with my ex.

The hotel was fully booked at 2,000 baht a night (3 star guesthouse)

The business guy who was coming from Bangkok to meet me had to travel by bus (11 hours!) because all Phuket flights were fully booked.

I think bookings are looking ok for high season

Simon

thank god you are fortunate.

-are all the airline(s) running in full air seat capacity? international & domestic? isn't domestic service minimized on seat capacity?

-how is the PAD movement and their plan to disrupt Thailand?

-how is the foreign currencies trading against the baht?

-who is the major pax visitors to Phuket? are they coming?

-did Phuket purge the 'goondog rogue jetski beachboy'

-ongoing conflict with neighboring Cambodia, is Thailand going to settle the problem by Dec.?

-unstable government (in views of foreigners)

-much more variables to add.

[Alwaysright]

It's 4,5 weeks to the start of Christmas/New Year Holidays....

People who are planning to go on long distance holidays should have booked by now, apart from some last minute travelers but they're mostly singles and young couples, not couples with children.

We'll see.

LaoPo

Why do I hear this Crapoola every year???

[robert00]

I can only say good luck to them, let's have a look at the end of December,

[zaxusa]

"She was also quoted as saying tourists find it ‘convenient’ traveling around Phuket and other parts of Thailand’s Andaman coast region."

Public Transportation in Phuket is horrible!! thanks to the tuk-tuk Mafia..

Police must have some involvement as well...

[ScubaBuddha]

Lets hope they don't do something stupid like go to war with Cambodia.

[Valentine]

I flew from Bangkok last night on a full 747. A couple of other airline filght numbers (ANA & OZ)were also listed on the same flight. There were quite a few Indians although when I got to Phuket I saw a sign for an Indian wedding group. There also quite afew Indians on my flight to Bangkok on Tuesday. This begs the question - why do many Indian guys have this perculiar shake of the head when talking?

[rohitsuk]

Isn't it significant that the only people talking it up are those in whose interest it is to talk it up ? Much like the Estate Agents when the market is at rock bottom, insisting that we are in, yet another, boom. No surprise really it is a well worn, if slightly pathetic, tactic.

However, for the sake of all those businesses in Phuket and their employees who depend on the tourist trade, let us hope that it is not entirely fantasy since self-destruction, despite the Thai propensity to peruse it, in is nobody's interest really.

[madmitch]

Isn't it significant that the only people talking it up are those in whose interest it is to talk it up ?

Maybe because they know more about it than those not involved?

Most guesthouse owners that I know say business is down and so are bookings but there is an element of cautious optimism that wasn't there a few weeks ago.

We're getting bookings and enquiries from Vietnam and Indonesia following the introduction of the new Air Asia flights. The Scandinavian charter flights are full and the services have now started with several flights arriving every week and they are offering last minute deals so late bookings are happening.

The cost of scheduled flights from Europe this winter are in general more expensive than in recent years and that may well have an adverse effect on tourist numbers.

[jonclark]

Lets hope it is true. I'm sure many people have lost their jobs or fear for their jobs and a boost in tourist numbers will hopefully make many people feel more secure and maybe put a few more smiles on the faces of everyone.

[Mattmatt]

My family of 5 have booked tickets to Phuket via AirAsia but have not yet booked hotels.

[PoorSucker]

They could rebrand it as "winter season".

[brahmburgers]

What are authorities doing to try and clean up the extortionists, such as the jetski guys and the cops who scam along with them?

Are authorities getting their house in order in regard off-shore excursions? Hearing stories like tour guides who tell their customers 'it's ok to swim to shore' ....and then turn a deaf ear if a swimmer is in dire straits, calling for assistance, ...does not give a good impression. That could be how the mysterious farang died (Mr. Green Jeans), found floating dead off a tourist island last spring. Are life jackets required on boat crossings? Also, continuing tales of taxi mafia don't help with tourist impressions. These, and other such things, often don't cost much money to improve. Instead, they take a commitment by island authorities and tangible fines/punishments for anyone breaking the rules, regardless of who they're connected with, or their flaccid grammar school excuses.

[JR Texas]

I flew to Phuket yesterday for a business meeting at the hotel that I own with my ex.

The hotel was fully booked at 2,000 baht a night (3 star guesthouse)

The business guy who was coming from Bangkok to meet me had to travel by bus (11 hours!) because all Phuket flights were fully booked.

I think bookings are looking ok for high season

Simon

You are always so optimistic..........I do remember you are a hotel owner (top end). I don't doubt what you said. It is not about Phuket, but it is likely related somehow.

My wife just got back from Koh Yao, between Phuket and Krabi. She said she saw two farangs the entire time she was there. She also said business was DEAD.

Maybe the "truth" is between extremes...........I believe Phuket will be hurting like the rest of Thailand.

[ballzafire]

Let's hope the weather improves...

Phuket Current Conditions:

http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/VTSP.html

[simon43]

JR Texas, actually, I don't think Koh Yao is ever busy, which is probably why the few tourists who go there choose to visit this island!

Yes I am optimistic, but I'm also happy that my hotel (half-share) is located where it is and not in somewhere like Patong, where hundreds of smaller guesthouses have to compete against each other. What may be a good season for me may not be so fruitful for others.

Simon

[Old Croc]

Simon, you always seem to come to these sort of threads to relate how your hotel is full.

As an (the?) airport hotel I guess you have a different clientel from others in the main tourist centres from which you are very distant. I presume you have a lot more short stay customers, people arriving on flights late or leaving early. I seem to remember you also cater for the disabled with special facilities.

Would your hotel be a good barometer to judge whether tourist numbers are up or down for the high season?

[animatic]

Just back from several days in Phuket and my two evenings of work were filled with people.

Traffic day and night was a gauntlet, and seemed like earlier memories there.

I am sure it is down from 3 years back, but no sense of gloom and doom from anyone I met.

Building has recommenced and people seemed optimistic.

Not a scientific survey, but my observations first had.

[simon43]

Old Croc, obviously my customer numbers are totally insignificant in the whole picture, but I have definitely noticed a change in the type of customer over the past 9 months. Whilst almost all customers are single-night stays (that hasn't changed), the % of Asian tourists (Indian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese) etc has increased significantly.

I shall have to dust off my Mandarin phrase book

Simon

[ScubaBuddha]

Just back from several days in Phuket and my two evenings of work were filled with people.

Traffic day and night was a gauntlet, and seemed like earlier memories there.

I am sure it is down from 3 years back, but no sense of gloom and doom from anyone I met.

Building has recommenced and people seemed optimistic.

Not a scientific survey, but my observations first had.

If your talking about Patong, or traffic near Chalong circle and Central, year for sure very busy, but talk to people outside Patong, like the Ricky who I think you know, and you'll get doom and gloom.

I know it's not Phuket, but I was in Krabi last week and the 12 or so room guesthouse had 3 or 4 rooms rented. Just my observations.

[animatic]

Just back from several days in Phuket and my two evenings of work were filled with people.

Traffic day and night was a gauntlet, and seemed like earlier memories there.

I am sure it is down from 3 years back, but no sense of gloom and doom from anyone I met.

Building has recommenced and people seemed optimistic.

Not a scientific survey, but my observations first had.

If your talking about Patong, or traffic near Chalong circle and Central, year for sure very busy, but talk to people outside Patong, like the Ricky who I think you know, and you'll get doom and gloom.

I know it's not Phuket, but I was in Krabi last week and the 12 or so room guesthouse had 3 or 4 rooms rented. Just my observations.

I just saw Ricky two days ago and gloom and doom didn't come up.

This month I have been in 2/3 of Phuket at all hours and it seemed

relatively like older memories. Of course room bookings can also be

watered down by even MORE rooms being built irrationally all over

the place there, and same for Samui.

In any case nice meeting you that evening. Hope things really do pick up.

[jocko]

Simon, you always seem to come to these sort of threads to relate how your hotel is full.

As an (the?) airport hotel I guess you have a different clientel from others in the main tourist centres from which you are very distant. I presume you have a lot more short stay customers, people arriving on flights late or leaving early. I seem to remember you also cater for the disabled with special facilities.

Would your hotel be a good barometer to judge whether tourist numbers are up or down for the high season?

After reading this forum for years i have joined today to give you my input on this subject.

I lease a small guesthse in Na Nai rd Patong and this is my 3rd high season coming up(Maybe the last) my booking's/ inquiry's are well down and the one's i have are short stays i know my prices are reasonable and we try to give a good service so it's got to be lack of satang.

Good luck to all in the same boat for the high saeson