Hotels In Hua Hin, Cha-Am Feel Impact: Thailand Flood

[webfact]

FLOODS

Hotels in Hua Hin, Cha-Am feel impact

Suchat Sritama

The Nation

The tourism business in Hua Hin/Cha-Am has crashed due to the possible closure of Rama II Road, the only thoroughfare to the South from Bangkok that remains free of flooding.

Andreas Pfister, general manager of the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, said yesterday that the area was very quiet now. Hotels are missing a lot of bookings, both foreign and domestic.

The weekend of October 22-23 was very busy as people deserted Bangkok for relatively safe Hua Hin, he said.

"Our occupancy jumped 40 per cent on top of what we had earlier. I believe this was a mix of guests who spend their weekends in Hua Hin and Cha-Am and those who escaped the flooding," he said.

After that weekend, business slowed down and hotels are reporting more empty rooms.

The InterContinental Hua Hin Resort now has a shorter international market in October while November is not too busy with international guests.

The hotel has informed its guests about the possibility of a roadblock and is giving them up-to-date information on their departures.

"Besides some delays, everyone could depart and arrive at the hotel without big problems.

"Thus, the impact on cancellations from the international sector was not so great, but more from domestic guests for leisure and business," he said.

The cancellations have cost millions of baht in lost revenue.

The hotel hopes that businesses that had cancelled out would reschedule their meetings after the flooding is under control and daily life gets back to normal.

The international news on the flooding was not very positive for Thailand. Many travel warnings have been issued.

It is important to get the word out that the main roads are getting cleared quickly and the international airport will not be affected, to bring international travel back on track, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-11-10

Related links:

Hua Hin info: http://huahin.thaivisa.com

Cha-am info: http://cha-am.thaivisa.com

[x5david]

In other words lie some more. There are no guarantees roads will be cleared quickly, in fact just the opposite has been the case. As for the airport, the water has yet to reach it so no guarantees there either.

[hhfarang]

If the hotels have so many empty rooms, where are all the evacuees from Bangkok staying. The town is more crowded than I've seen it in eight years. They must all own homes or condos or just stay in their cars driving the streets, which have bumper to bumper traffic now like Bangkok usually does.

[mdechgan]

I thought just last week every room was booked.

[CWMcMurray]

If the hotels have so many empty rooms, where are all the evacuees from Bangkok staying. The town is more crowded than I've seen it in eight years. They must all own homes or condos or just stay in their cars driving the streets, which have bumper to bumper traffic now like Bangkok usually does.

I would guess that they are staying in places with more reasonable rates that the 5 star InterContinental Hua Hin Resort . It is one thing to treat your self and your family fora weekend stay, but I am guessing that most (even those fairly well off) would have trouble paying their monthly rates....

[spermwhale]

In other words lie some more. There are no guarantees roads will be cleared quickly, in fact just the opposite has been the case. As for the airport, the water has yet to reach it so no guarantees there either.

Exactly. Lie some more and more and more. Public officials here are truly feckless

[devaram]

Does anyone know if the bus from chiangmai to hua hin would be affected by this road closure or could they bypass bangkok?

[sparebox2]

An opportunity is every crisis.

Someone could start a boat sevice on these routes:

BKK-ChaAm-HuaHin-Panburi

Rayong-Pattay-Chonburi-HuaHin

[sparebox2]

Does anyone know if the bus from chiangmai to hua hin would be affected by this road closure or could they bypass bangkok?

No. The bus can travel via Kanchanaburi, by-pass BKK all together.

[bruceeverett]

If the hotels have so many empty rooms, where are all the evacuees from Bangkok staying. The town is more crowded than I've seen it in eight years. They must all own homes or condos or just stay in their cars driving the streets, which have bumper to bumper traffic now like Bangkok usually does.

I would guess that they are staying in places with more reasonable rates that the 5 star InterContinental Hua Hin Resort . It is one thing to treat your self and your family fora weekend stay, but I am guessing that most (even those fairly well off) would have trouble paying their monthly rates....

Some resorts have taken in victims of the flood.

http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/visit/new-naturist-resort-thai-flood-victims-710738

[appleman_thai]

2 weeks ago I had an influx of inquiries to rent my beach villa in Cha-am.

Most were looking for 2 weeks to a month rental!

However, I had a long standing weekend booking for this weekend so I couldnt accept a long term booking! I wouldnt kick out someone who has booked in advance.

However, it seems it doesnt pay to be nice as the people just cancelled their weekend stay saying the wedding was moved to Pattaya as Rama 2 was flooded!

So now I have an empty villa and appears it will be difficult to get it rented out now according to this article....

I think if people are already in Cha-am then they are staying put..... others just leaving Bamgkok now are heading North or East....

Im up in Yasothon at the moment and all the local markets are packed - way more people than normal.... and its crazy to see the amount of taxis driving around!

[SantiSuk]

.........

Im up in Yasothon at the moment and all the local markets are packed - way more people than normal.... and its crazy to see the amount of taxis driving around!

Agreed. The local markets around us in SiSaket province are 50% more populated in the last week than normal. It's party time almost every night in our village. People who came back to the family home 'for a week' are beginning to realise they could be here a few weeks more. They've hit a lovely long dry and sunny spell too. I suspect a few who were close to the bread line in BKK will not bother going back.

Edited November 10, 2011 by SantiSuk