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As A Business Owner Are You Feeling That The Low Season Has Started?

Seringa

By Seringa
in Phuket

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stevenl Star Member

stevenl

Posted
Posted

This season seems to be quite strange. Already before songkran it was quiet for us, stayed that way for about 2 weeks, also not helped by the tsunami scare and earthquake, but now things are busier again, and it looks like for the next week it will stay that way. Vacations in some parts of Europe at the moment, so that may help and explain why the strange dip after eastern and the 'high' again right now.

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simon43 Star Member

simon43

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2 of my airport guesthouses are full - the 3rd is empty tonight :(. Gonna have to work a bit harder with the magic...

I've spoken to various taxi drivers and they are all moaning about the lack of tourists since the earthquakes

Simon

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Valentine Platinum Member

Valentine

Posted
Posted

I visited a small hotel in Patong yesterday, very close to the beach. They had no guests & were undertaking a bit of spring cleaning. Many had cancelled most likely because of the earthquake scaremongering. The owner said she will not go there today but stay home in Chalong & some of her friends had already left Phuket until doomsday was over.

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keestha Platinum Member

keestha

Posted
Posted

It did appear that the low season started in Karon/Kata on April 1st but, as stevenl has experienced, things picked up again.

Most bigger hotels use May 1st as the day they move to low season prices.

Likewise here in Khao Lak, I am experiencing the same fully unexpected upswing which started directly after Songkran.

By the way, the last 2 years it has become fairly busy in October, I guess people want to take advantage of low season flight and hotel prices, maybe wrongly assuming the wheather will already be nice.

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Ping Ruby Member

Ping

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Posted (edited)

Perhaps the upswing post Songkran may be in part due to the peak season prices some hotels have been charging during Songkran for the past few years? I had't noticed the upswing myself, but I don't get around the island all that much. Whatever the case, I'm told by business owners from the areas that I do visit that their business activities are now low season dead. Perhaps location is a factor?

E:Typo

Edited by Ping
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madmitch Platinum Member

madmitch

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Posted

Yes, it's an odd 'low' season.

One hotelier I know has taken his annual vacation back in Europe, and his poor wife is rushed off her feet with guests.

That really is so unthoughtful. He should have anticipated the rush of guests and cancelled his long-planned trip to England, where the weather has been awful for the past two weeks!

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woodyleonhard Advanced Member

woodyleonhard

Posted
Posted (edited)

We don't do much business with tourists, per se - our customers are mostly expats, Thais who like American food, or long-term visitors - but we've had an odd April. Very high at the beginning of the month, fell off the second week, very strong around Songkran, back down early this week, but roaring this weekend.

I don't get it, but that's how it tracks.

Edited by woodyleonhard
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mrireland Senior Member

mrireland

Posted
Posted

I loved Phuket last time i was here which was about 7-8 years ago, was my favourite place to visit, i moved to Chiang Mai end of last year and im spending a few weeks visiting other areas, while i was in Chiang Mai ive met a few people who said stay away for Phuket, some for other reasons but more because of the price of taxi/tuk tuk. I didnt pay much attention because it is a really beautiful place so thought it was your standard differing opinions.

After researching on the net a lot of people said its expensive in Patong and the beach in Karon is nicer, plan was to stay in Karon during the day and visit Patong 1-2 of the nights, taxi/songthaws are costing 400-500 to get from Karon to Patong, i dont mind paying it but i do feel a bit ripped off, maybe thats the going rate but back in Chiang Mai i would only pay 1/2 to 1/4 of that price for a similar distance and its probably more pride than anything. I guess you can expect to pay inflated rates in the hotspots but it doesnt inflate that much in the chiang Mai hotspots but there doesnt seem to be any haggling, even if you walk away they just laugh as they know there is none anywhere nearby, im left with the choice of wandering the streets for 10-20 mins looking for alternatives or pay the extra. Im with an older relative so thats not really an option, if its not essential i would completely avoid going to Patong and stay where i am but even in karon there charging silly amounts to get near the beach for a short distance. I stayed in Bangkok too and even though a bit expensive it was nothing on this level and i had Sky Train or i could work short distance and do more haggling.

Not trying to be negative, if we werent with an older relative id just rent a bike and stay in the centre of patong and this would be a non issue but without more easily accessible ways in and out of Phuket i guess people will be put off visiting as it can get expensive. Im planning to spend another couple of weeks travelling around after my relative returns home, was planning on coming back to Phuket and i might still do, it was 100% originally and now maybe 60 no /40 yes. So the main reason im posting is i really liked Phuket and id love to return but If more hotels/bars offered some sort of reduced transport it might help convince people like me to return again and again and also use your Bar/Hotel, Phuket is a beautiful place and i understand why its more expensive than areas like Chiang Mai but i really feel ripped off by songthaws and taxi's and before my visit i would highly recommend Phuket, i would still recommend it if someone asked me but i would warn stay in a central location or be prepared to be ripped off by taxis/songthaws. Hope this helps and doesnt come off as a rant or being negative, its more a "one mans perspective" of how i see Phuket.

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Shot Platinum Member

Shot

Posted
Posted

I loved Phuket last time i was here which was about 7-8 years ago, was my favourite place to visit, i moved to Chiang Mai end of last year and im spending a few weeks visiting other areas, while i was in Chiang Mai ive met a few people who said stay away for Phuket, some for other reasons but more because of the price of taxi/tuk tuk. I didnt pay much attention because it is a really beautiful place so thought it was your standard differing opinions.

After researching on the net a lot of people said its expensive in Patong and the beach in Karon is nicer, plan was to stay in Karon during the day and visit Patong 1-2 of the nights, taxi/songthaws are costing 400-500 to get from Karon to Patong, i dont mind paying it but i do feel a bit ripped off, maybe thats the going rate but back in Chiang Mai i would only pay 1/2 to 1/4 of that price for a similar distance and its probably more pride than anything. I guess you can expect to pay inflated rates in the hotspots but it doesnt inflate that much in the chiang Mai hotspots but there doesnt seem to be any haggling, even if you walk away they just laugh as they know there is none anywhere nearby, im left with the choice of wandering the streets for 10-20 mins looking for alternatives or pay the extra. Im with an older relative so thats not really an option, if its not essential i would completely avoid going to Patong and stay where i am but even in karon there charging silly amounts to get near the beach for a short distance. I stayed in Bangkok too and even though a bit expensive it was nothing on this level and i had Sky Train or i could work short distance and do more haggling.

Not trying to be negative, if we werent with an older relative id just rent a bike and stay in the centre of patong and this would be a non issue but without more easily accessible ways in and out of Phuket i guess people will be put off visiting as it can get expensive. Im planning to spend another couple of weeks travelling around after my relative returns home, was planning on coming back to Phuket and i might still do, it was 100% originally and now maybe 60 no /40 yes. So the main reason im posting is i really liked Phuket and id love to return but If more hotels/bars offered some sort of reduced transport it might help convince people like me to return again and again and also use your Bar/Hotel, Phuket is a beautiful place and i understand why its more expensive than areas like Chiang Mai but i really feel ripped off by songthaws and taxi's and before my visit i would highly recommend Phuket, i would still recommend it if someone asked me but i would warn stay in a central location or be prepared to be ripped off by taxis/songthaws. Hope this helps and doesnt come off as a rant or being negative, its more a "one mans perspective" of how i see Phuket.

Sorry, that is way long. Get it down to 100 words or less, and someone might read it. IMOwai.gif

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HongKongPhooey Silver Member

HongKongPhooey

Posted
Posted

One day you people will learn length is irrelevant (Enter penis joke here if must) What do you people do, pick up a book, read the first page and then throw it in the bin?

If you start reading a post and it interests you enough to keep reading then where's the relevance of length? I personally read it all and was happy to have done so, especially compared to some of the other tut on here. Some posts are only 2 lines long and I stop and move on after the first line because they've already bored the crap out of me. You can have good long posts and crap short ones, so why is the length worth mentioning?

Sorry, but either you guys aren't that bright or you have the attention span of a mosquito! Not to mention that by the time you have bothered to reply to the post saying that it was too long, you could have read most of it anyway.

TLTR my arse! More like TFSTR.

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maipompui Senior Member

maipompui

Posted
Posted (edited)

One day you people will learn length is irrelevant (Enter penis joke here if must) What do you people do, pick up a book, read the first page and then throw it in the bin?

If you start reading a post and it interests you enough to keep reading then where's the relevance of length? I personally read it all and was happy to have done so, especially compared to some of the other tut on here. Some posts are only 2 lines long and I stop and move on after the first line because they've already bored the crap out of me. You can have good long posts and crap short ones, so why is the length worth mentioning?

Sorry, but either you guys aren't that bright or you have the attention span of a mosquito! Not to mention that by the time you have bothered to reply to the post saying that it was too long, you could have read most of it anyway.

TLTR my arse! More like TFSTR.

Boy oh boy BTB, why do you feel the need to overwhelm near every thread and dictate to all and sundry, your POV..others have an opinion and are entitled to post whatever they desire...Give it a break man...bah.gifbah.gif

Edited by maipompui
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HongKongPhooey Silver Member

HongKongPhooey

Posted
Posted (edited)

Making a post to tell the world that you didn't read a post, that's not posting on a thread just for the sake of it I suppose? We'll all sleep better tonight knowing that will we?

Please explain the logic and how you aren't contradicting yourself when you say: "Others have an opinion and are entitled to post whatever they desire"

but then say I shouldn't post my opinion when I so desire? wacko.png

Aren't you defending other peoples right to do exactly what I've just done? They criticised the post for being too long, I criticised their post for being pointless, so what's the difference?

Edited by HongKongPhooey
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mrireland Senior Member

mrireland

Posted
Posted

Its a pity, ive made a couple of posts in the Phuket forum and Bangkok forums recently and ive gotten a lot more smart comments than ive had useful answers. This one didnt need a reply it was an FYI for people who have a business, free feedback from a possible customer if you like. Thankfully if you filter out those replies the information other posters give is pretty top notch and helpful. I hope we just leave it here and let the topic back on track, if my post continues to derail then please free to delete it.

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maipompui Senior Member

maipompui

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Posted

Making a post to tell the world that you didn't read a post, that's not posting on a thread just for the sake of it I suppose? We'll all sleep better tonight knowing that will we?

Please explain the logic and how you aren't contradicting yourself when you say: "Others have an opinion and are entitled to post whatever they desire"

but then say I shouldn't post my opinion when I so desire? wacko.png

Aren't you defending other peoples right to do exactly what I've just done? They criticised the post for being too long, I criticised their post for being pointless, so what's the difference?

Not the same as what i said..

the need to overwhelm near every thread and dictate to all and sundry,saai.gif

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