Phuket Hotel Occupancy In Massive Decline

[george]

Phuket hotel occupancy in "massive decline"

PHUKET: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand's deputy governor for marketing communications, Prakit Piriyakiet, has just completed an inspection of hotels and resorts in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak to shortlist properties for the annual Thailand Tourism Awards.

The trip revealed that there has been a massive decline in hotel occupancy in Phuket – currently at 40%, when it should be 70% at this time of year, he says.

Khao Lak and Krabi are being pounded even harder than Phuket, with occupancies now at 10% and 30%, respectively.

Bangkok, with many of its largest hotels located in the center of the protests, is "surviving with 10% occupancies,” Mr Prakit says.

But in better news for Phuket, TTR Weekly reports that Thailand's major travel associations are confident the Thailand Travel Mart can go ahead as scheduled, despite the extended state of emergency.

The show is scheduled for June 2-4, at Bangkok's Muang Thong Thani, with an anticipated turnout of 355 international buyers.

-- The Nation 2010-05-15

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[gotlost]

Gee and it takes a rocket scientist to figure out the problem.

[bartender100]

Same in Pattaya, you only have to look at the rates being offered on sites like latestays.

[geovalin]

Please share the good deals you hear about.

Any destination.

Do they discount also during week ends?

While the Thais are fighting each other, let's enjoy their wonderful hospitality.

[h90]

Same in Pattaya, you only have to look at the rates being offered on sites like latestays.

Just checked latestays and expensive as always (maybe a few % lower) and some hotels says still full for some days (even in Bangkok)

[mommysboy]

Thai tourism as we experience it is shattered and there is very little chance of recovery over the next decade. Tour operators who shape the market will not deal with Thailand, Europeans in particular have less spending money and currencies are still undergoing quite massive devaluations.

If you are in the game your only chance would be to cater to backpackers and sex tourists who are more resilient, or to the Asian market which will grow strongly once the violence stops. If you can it is better to relocate, Cambodia for example.

[dudemeister]

Less tourists = bump those prices up.

[jayjay0]

People will forget all about this current disturbance bad as it is. But they will not forget 250,000 tourists not allowed to leave the country. The yellow shirt legacy will out last the red shirt one.

It's just human nature.

[h90]

People will forget all about this current disturbance bad as it is. But they will not forget 250,000 tourists not allowed to leave the country. The yellow shirt legacy will out last the red shirt one.

It's just human nature.

The airport thing is already complete forgotten and so will this incident if Thailand does not change to a communist dictator country

[Tiger62]

H90 I am not sure because if the airport shutdown can be look like a kind of strike (as we used to have in europe ), the recents tragic events are seen like the war in bosnia and yougoslavia. There is a full coverage here in europe of what is happening in the streets of BKK. And i can tell you that tour operators are not and will not promote Thailand in the next few years. And i don't even speak about investors who are now flocking to Vietnam and neighbouring countries. Thai people and even some expats in this forum seems to think that whatever they do , tourists will be blind and just will come back in crowd when it will be finish in a bloodbath.

Forget it and be prepare for hartimes , now thailand is like the Philippines. The good thing is soon we will have "5 stars" hotels for very cheap but i think many will have to close.

[mickeymx]

Phuket made their Bed, now they can toss and turn in it. What tourists had to put up with over the years with tuk tuk's and jet ski's just to name a couple, i;m glad the tourist's have woken up, it was going to happen sooner or later.

[LuckyLew]

People will forget all about this current disturbance bad as it is. But they will not forget 250,000 tourists not allowed to leave the country. The yellow shirt legacy will out last the red shirt one.

It's just human nature.

Wow, you reds are everywhere ....

Gotta give you credit for being 100% brainwashed

[cardinalblue]

With all this "war" coverage involing genade rockets, live amminition and all the rest, still less than 50 lives...

It seems one market bomb in Iraq kill 60 or 70..And those happen at such frequency, we not evne think twice when we spend all of 20 seconds reading about another one..

Now how many people die on Thai roads during holidays and vacation times? Wasn't it over 50 a day during the recent Songran festival?

CB

[kokesaat]

"It seems one market bomb in Iraq kill 60 or 70"

Now we know why tourism in Iraq is way down!

[chalvy]

I've just been to Samui for 10 days, Pattaya for 4 days, Hua Hin for 4 days and on tuesday i'll be going to Chiang Mai for a week. Although numbers are down there is an air of normality in all of these places. In fact, tonight i'm off to a beach BBQ and while I expect some red/yellow conversation its doubtful it will turn into an argument or forceful discussion. All the thais I have spoken to about it are apologetic and don't really follow the political situation too closely. Most are Reds however they distance themselves from the current violence. Maybe this will change but for now I think comparisons to Iraq or Bosnia are a little over the top. 50 lives are 50 too many but it has to be seen for what it is-- nowhere near a Bosnia or Iraq type conflagration.

[ironhut]

With all this "war" coverage involing genade rockets, live amminition and all the rest, still less than 50 lives...

It seems one market bomb in Iraq kill 60 or 70..And those happen at such frequency, we not evne think twice when we spend all of 20 seconds reading about another one..

Now how many people die on Thai roads during holidays and vacation times? Wasn't it over 50 a day during the recent Songran festival?

CB

More like 450 over the Songkran festival week,...but that is another topic.

Irrespective of whether the number dead is or is not as many as with other disasters/events, it's still a horrible and dire situation in Bangkok. Even if the loss of life is kept somewhat minimized, the negative effect upon millions of lives in and around Bangkok will be overwhelming for the next decade.

Tourism has been basically wiped out as investors are pulling to adjacent countries. Thais will pay dearly in the end even though most have done nothing wrong.

Thailand and its people are wonderful...very unfortunate what a huge blemish this continues to be (and it's not going away anytime soon in the minds of international tourists/investors).

[ESB7]

With all this "war" coverage involing genade rockets, live amminition and all the rest, still less than 50 lives...

It seems one market bomb in Iraq kill 60 or 70..And those happen at such frequency, we not evne think twice when we spend all of 20 seconds reading about another one..

Now how many people die on Thai roads during holidays and vacation times? Wasn't it over 50 a day during the recent Songran festival?

CB

Since when was Iraq a tourist detination with dwindling hotel occupancy

[chuppachops]

imho people love Thailand and Phuket and will always want to come here, Phuket in particular has proved to be very resiliant to nasty things happening which we would think could ruin tourism here.

Even right now with all this stuff happening the tourists are coming every week, fair enough not in their droves but still a decent amount. Fingers crossed all of this passes soon which i cant see myself.

Also Why the hel_l are they building more and more hotels every wek when they cant fill the old ones? shirley this must affect thee statistics of 40%..

Edited May 15, 2010 by chuppachops

[gemini81]

Phuket made their Bed, now they can toss and turn in it. What tourists had to put up with over the years with tuk tuk's and jet ski's just to name a couple, i;m glad the tourist's have woken up, it was going to happen sooner or later.

you took the words from my mouth. the place has earned a reputation that precedes it, and most ex pats know lots of other cool beautiful places to go travel within thailand. tons of beaches and b_tches around!

[tfc]

I've a friend staying in a 30 room hotel and apparently he's the only one staying there. Another couple I met are in another place and again, the only ones staying there and soon to move into the place I'm at. The place I'm at is almost full mainly because the owner is willingly to lower his prices to attract new customers.

[asiawatcher]

People will forget all about this current disturbance bad as it is. But they will not forget 250,000 tourists not allowed to leave the country. The yellow shirt legacy will out last the red shirt one.

It's just human nature.

Yellow shirts? Its forgotten already - this is the second round of violence from these red shirts within two years and each time has been massive destruction of public and private property including Pattaya and Bangkok, burnt buses, deaths, gas cylinders being set with fuel drums - what? Against a bunch of singers on a stage and non violent? No - think you are a bit misguided there old boy!

[dudemeister]

I've a friend staying in a 30 room hotel and apparently he's the only one staying there. Another couple I met are in another place and again, the only ones staying there and soon to move into the place I'm at. The place I'm at is almost full mainly because the owner is willingly to lower his prices to attract new customers.

What! Lowering the prices to attract the customers, causing the competition to follow and undercut even more - but TIT - I bet some of the other local hoteliers will not take kindly to such sensible economic practices!

[bartender100]

Same in Pattaya, you only have to look at the rates being offered on sites like latestays.

Just checked latestays and expensive as always (maybe a few % lower) and some hotels says still full for some days (even in Bangkok)

I have never seen the KL group in Pattaya offering rooms this cheap

[up-country_sinclair]

My wife and I are going to Phuket for a short holiday in July ( FYI, 4 day weekend at the end of the month!), and the rates at most of the hotels we've looked at are still at their regular price.

[thaibeachlovers]

Thai tourism as we experience it is shattered and there is very little chance of recovery over the next decade. Tour operators who shape the market will not deal with Thailand, Europeans in particular have less spending money and currencies are still undergoing quite massive devaluations.

If you are in the game your only chance would be to cater to backpackers and sex tourists who are more resilient, or to the Asian market which will grow strongly once the violence stops. If you can it is better to relocate, Cambodia for example.

Reference your second category of resiliant tourists, it's a foolish person who thinks your average family/ package tourist will continue to pay good money to visit an increasingly expensive country with poor infrastructure and no "smiles", whilst given cheap lodgings, bars and willing bar girls, nothing is going to stop mongers coming.

[thaibeachlovers]

My wife and I are going to Phuket for a short holiday in July ( FYI, 4 day weekend at the end of the month!), and the rates at most of the hotels we've looked at are still at their regular price.

While internet prices will remain the same, walk in rates will almost certainly be cut at lower end hotels. In July, there is no need to pre book, in my experience.