Sawadee Safe To Book?

[sleerchris]

Has anyone used sawadee to book hotels in KH? Good experience? Safe? Reliable?

Thanks very much for your input.

Chris

[george]

Yes, they are reliable. Thaivsia.com's own hotel booking are using their system: http://hotels.thaivisa.com

You could also try our other backend via Octopus Travel, http://hotel.thaivisa.com

Both works just fine.

[chelford67]

Has anyone used sawadee to book hotels in KH? Good experience? Safe? Reliable?

Yes they are reliable and helpful, but some of the phots of the resorts they use are either very old or have been doctored to make amenities look better or larger for instance . Especially swimming pools. We have used them twice and have been dissapointed when we arrived at the property and saw that there was not much resemblence to the pics on the website..... We would not use them again....although some of the reviews you can finding regarding the resorts can be very informative.

Good Luck

[bkkjames]

I can say from my own experience that they are safe to book with. I have used them more than 10 times and 3 of those were to book rooms in Samui.

I can't really speak about the photos other than to say if I find a hotel worth considering, I may go to the hotel's website to see if there is more updated information / photos.

Not to let these big internet booking sites off lightly, but I can imagine that they don't have the resources or time to travel around every resort in Thailand to update photos. Probably only do it once a year max. And I bet that most of the photos are supplied by the hotels directly to websites like Sawadee.

But back to the point, I have never had any negative issues using them for making my bookings once I have decided on the resort.

[Rinrada]

Just used them for the weekend for the Markland,Patti and no problems.

Also in the past to C.M.Hua Hin/C.A. and again spot on.

[sleerchris]

Thanks to all for you help!! Looking forward to our vacation!!

Chris

[flightcrew1]

I also have used before several times and never a problem with credit card or reservation not being there. I did have a problem with the properties not being what they seemed be from the pictures. Swimming pools, rooms and restaurants in the pictures are a bit misleading. But you take this chance when you book any property you are not sure of.

[Scottbiker1976]

I also have used before several times and never a problem with credit card or reservation not being there. I did have a problem with the properties not being what they seemed be from the pictures. Swimming pools, rooms and restaurants in the pictures are a bit misleading. But you take this chance when you book any property you are not sure of.

I have used Sawasdee last time when i was in thailand for 1 month and its very reliable, even if you have a problem, even through the phone they will help you immediately, also want to say that hotels2thailand.com is very good and very good rates too.

[Thai Bairn]

Sawasdee is fine - most of the sites like it and Hotel Thailand and Lost in Thailand that are actually based in Thailand give pretty reliable service.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

One thing to watch out for, is the currency in which they charge your card.

This is a new scam, excuse me, service offered by banks and businesses in Thailand/Spain etc

Instead of letting your bank/credit card company go to the trouble of working out the exchange rate, they happily do it for you on the spot, with their unfavourable exchange rates.

The point of this 'service', is that they are supposed to ASK you which currency that you would prefer.

They don't.

So, tell them beforehand.

[Rooo]

One thing to watch out for, is the currency in which they charge your card.

This is a new scam, excuse me, service offered by banks and businesses in Thailand/Spain etc

Instead of letting your bank/credit card company go to the trouble of working out the exchange rate, they happily do it for you on the spot, with their unfavourable exchange rates.

The point of this 'service', is that they are supposed to ASK you which currency that you would prefer.

They don't.

So, tell them beforehand.

Bangkok air did that to me. I paid by visa, got charged $AUS.They are supposed to give you the option.It's a deal with the banks to reduce their credit card charges.

So before you sign read it, it says that you have the option.

I know this is not relevant to booking through the net , but beware.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

My banking institution reimburses me with the difference between what the 'scam artist', sorry 'service' charged me and what I should have been charged.

As there are no foreign exchange fees attached to my account, the difference can be substantial.

I imagine they take the problem up with the bank or vendor.

In the case of Sawadee, maybe they thought I wouldn't notice.

When I pointed out that I have internet banking and that I could see the transaction was posted in my local currency, they tried to pass the buck, telling me that it was my bank who was charging the extra amount.

As a member of the only institution that DOESN'T charge any fees on foreign transactions, I knew that she was lying. Usually my statement will show the Thai baht amount, exchange rate(visa rate with no commission or charges) and then the amount in my home currency.

The Web Sawadee transaction only showed the amount in my home currency.

I sent an email to Sawadee asking why I was charged in a currency other than the one on my final invoice...no reply of course.

As mentioned before, no problem, my bank took care of it.

Watch out, it's becoming more prevalent. So insist beforehand on which currency you wish the transaction to be made if you are making an internet booking.

Another hassle, but that the way the world is going.

Mannaggia.

Rooo

Booking with Bangkok Airways is relevant to booking on the net, if you booked via their website.

Did you pay at one of their offices or at the airport?

If you booked via their website they won't have a leg to stand on, as there is nothing on the website to indicate the option of charging in your home currency.

Edited January 28, 2006 by Jiu-Jitsu

[Rooo]

Jiu,

I booked at the airport,but when i looked at the visa receipt when I got home, It clearly states that I was offered the option of currency which I wasn't.So it was a sly move on their behalf,as I understand from other vendors,many are now just charging YOUR CURRENCY as it saves them on charges.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Seems to be catching on in Samui....

Maybe I'll start naming and shaming.

It's not that I begrudge them making a deal to save themselves some cash.

It the fact that they are required to inform you that you have a choice, before signing.

In addition, some of the characters are charging you 3 - 4% extra for CC use anyway. Decidedly underhand.

[AsiaWolfie]

the "sawadee" website does actually not have its own hotel booking system, the booking will be executed by the "r24.org" company, which has a German management, but has indeed gained a very good reputation allover the years. its actually an affiliate system, so, even u book from many other Thai-related websites, u will end up with the "r24.org" company.....

as for the currency-scam, some websites will accept to charge u in baht, if u prefer that, for example passionasia (if u talk to the live agent when making a booking).

[Jiu-Jitsu]

AsiaWolfie

The name on the receipt was Web Sawadee plc, the name on my credit card statement is Web Sawadee plc. The price on the site is quoted in Baht, the price on the receipt they supplied to me was in Thai Baht. Their booking fee is quoted in Thai Baht.

Therefore I expect them to charge me the figure on the invoice that they supply to me.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO NEED for them to try to scam me by, in collusion with a local bank, pretend to do me a favour by exchanging the Thai baht for my home currency at an unfavourable rate(at least 4% off mid market rate) and then charging the now increased amount to my credit card in my home currency. Voila! Added another 4% to the price in the pretence of helping you. Most people won't even know the scam has taken place, so the vendor and the bank are laughing.

I've seen the literature that they give to the vendors just in case the customer kicks up a fuss.

They say the advantage is that you know what you will be charged in your own currency now and therefore will not be exposed to fluctuating exchange rates.

Huh? What? Has ANYONE got a credit card company that waits days or months before crediting a transaction to your account? Of course not.

So notwithstanding a huge overnight financial crisis in Thailand, it's a USELESS service, designed SOLELY to take more money out of your pocket.

If they really wanted to offer you a good service, the exchange rate offered would be attractive. it isn't.

I don't know of a single person who has been informed prior to signing, that they have not only charged you for the product or service you have purchased, but taken it upon themselves to do a currency exchange on your behalf.

Worse still are the one who do it online and hope that you don't notice it.

This annoys me much in the same way as restaurants that add a 12.5% OPTIONAL service charge to your bill and then bring you a credit card slip with tip/gratuity line under the total amount.

Are they thinking that you would think the service so good, that you would wish to tip them over and above the 12.5% already taken or is it just an underhand scam designed to make people add another tip, not realising that they've already given 12.5%?

You know what I think.

[AsiaWolfie]

all I can say is, that they use the "r24.org" database, prices, and booking system. but as I dont use the r24.org booking system myself (other online-hotel-brokers are cheaper, better and have a livechat support where u can easily boom for the same day), I can not say much about their business policy, I only know about the r24.org thing.... though sawadee is getting very good reviews from customers.... but thanks god there are plenty of options to book rooms... I hope u may have a better experience next time u book something online...

[Jiu-Jitsu]

It's little to do with my experience. The thread is about using Sawadee to book accommodation, so I'm replying to the original question.

Yes, they are reliable, but watch out for the aforementioned underhand practice.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

I have noted that they have now included, in very small print on the final payment page, a note indicating that they will charge you in your home currency.

They make no mention of the poor exchange rate utilised that adds another 4% to your transaction.

In addition, another booking fee is payable that wasn't mentioned at the beginning of the transaction.

Dodgy.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

As far as I'm concerned Web Sawadee and R24 are one and the same.

I remember them being based on Samui; http://www.isamui.com/

More and more vendors on Samui are being encouraged to charge their customers in their home currency, so that the vendor and the local bank can share the extra profit carved out of the extra 3 or 4% that they charge you for the currency conversion.

Nasty.

[Fufu]

Has anyone used sawadee to book hotels in KH? Good experience? Safe? Reliable?

Thanks very much for your input.

Chris

I used a few times, the service was ok.

However, if the hotel fail to deliver the service, they will not help you.

I booked recently for a hotel in Phuket + transfer from airport to the hotel. The plane was late and they didn't pick me up at the airport.

I have prepaid the transfer to them. I complained to the sawadee.com and they just said it was because my plane was being late.

Generally,

- Now, they charge you full amount at the booking time. Before, they would charge the first night and you would pay the rest to the hotel during the stay or at arrival.

- They credit credit is charged is your own currency and not in Thai bath (they show the prices in THB and they didn't say they will charge in your currency). In my case, it resulted a nearly 11% commission charge to sawadee.com.

- They now charge 100 THB for the booking. The charge shows only on the web page where you enter your credit card details.

- They took a huge mark up on transfer (400 THB in my case)

- At least some hotels reviews and all the reservation service reviews on their website are censored if you give a bad comment. For example, they say there are 30 reviews on that particular hotel but when you read the reviews, you find that there is only 8 reviews viewable.

I used them 6 times in the last 2 years but next time i will not use them.