Shocking Price Rises At Phoenix Golf Club Pattaya

[golfmadstudent]

In case any of you golfers out there are thinking of playing at Phoenix Golf Club Pattaya, you may be in for a shock with the new pricing structure of the new owners.

1. Weekday Round ....................................... Baht 2,500

2. Weekend / Holiday Round ...................... Baht 3,000

3. Compulsary 1 person cart ...................... Baht 600

4. Caddy Fee .................................................. Baht 350

For Members:

An Annual Fee of ........................................... Baht 24,000

A Doubling of the Baht 200 Fee to ..............Baht 400

This now makes Phoenix Golf Club the most expensive in the Pattaya. More even than the PGA Championship courses of Siam Country Club

and double the cost of quality courses in the area such as Rayong Green Valley.

Amazing !!!!!!!!!!

[scubascuba3]

Let's hope golfers vote with their feet otherwise other clubs might like the sound of it

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[Baboy]

Add to that a transfer fee of 200,000 baht on memberships. Yep two hundred thousand just for the transfer which goes to the club.

Just adds up to Phoenix wanting rid of all members .

Having to pay maintanance & green fees is beyond belief .

Who the hell will buy one of the memberships , no one me thinks.

Well done to the new owners you will get what you want. Animals to say the least.

[thinkingman]

I see wealthy people doing dumb stuff all the time, actually more in the US than Thailand.

This is one of the dumbest. It is generally accepted that the way to make more money is to keep your current customers and gain new ones.

This will run off the current customers as well as the new ones. Time will tell.

[glanville63]

The question posed was, what can legally be done to call to task these -------------- I daren't put the word I'm really thinking here.

[richard_smith237]

Friends and I sometimes visit Pattaya for a day of golf - something different from the Bkk golf course, a change is always good.

Not so at Phoenix - having been treated poorly on two separate occasions we voted with a our feet a few years ago, never wishing to spend our money at that course again...

There are plenty of other courses in the Kingdom who do welcome all guests, however, I got the impression that the attitude of Pheonix was 'give us your money and go home tourist'....

[bartpix]

I am really interested to see if this doubling of fees for a round of golf at Phoenix Golf Club has any effect on the regular players who support the clubs in the Pattaya area or if they are content to let it happen.

[johnsmith2]

I am really interested to see if this doubling of fees for a round of golf at Phoenix Golf Club has any effect on the regular players who support the clubs in the Pattaya area or if they are content to let it happen.

I was a regular player at this course, but at this price it is out of the question I will play there again.

Let's hope the new owners, who apparently have not the faintest idea about the business they got into, will see the light after a few very empty weeks at the course...

[David Barker]

Nobody yet metioned who the new owner is but seeing as I remember something on here about it being a man (well not realy) currently waiting in Dubai or wherever he may be at the moment nothing realy suprises me. Do you realy think when he returns he will want to play golf with the hoy paloy.

[dogpoo]

Do you think the new owner has any thought for the golfers who use the club at the moment, he is obviously trying to make the club exclusive, there are other clubs use them instead!!

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[impulse]

If I had billions of dollars, and I owned a golf course, maybe I'd only let my friends golf there on weekends and open it to the unwashed masses on weekdays just to make merit.

Kind of fits in with the zillions of kiosks scattered around Bangkok hi-so malls where I've never seen a customer. They look like hobbies for bored housewives, or fronts for money laundering.

But on a serious note, 100 rounds at 5000 baht brings in the same revenue as 400 rounds at 1250 baht, and leaves less wear and tear on the resource. We'll see how the formula works out.

[lovelaos]

I was going to play there again in 2 weeks. Not now...

I hope Pattaya courses don't go down the same road that Phukets courses went some years ago.

[Minpin]

The question posed was, what can legally be done to call to task these -------------- I daren't put the word I'm really thinking here.

A while ago a golf course in Bangkok changed owners. It was featured in the Thai press at the time.

They threw out all the existing members and offered a rejoining deal.

I have the article published in the newspapers from a lawyer regarding the legality of this, but it is in my other computer, will post later. And no you don't have any legal recourse according to the lawyer.

New owners don't have to honour previous comitments.

This happened perhaps 10 years ago so perhaps the law has changed thou I doubt it.

[Baboy]

Nobody yet metioned who the new owner is but seeing as I remember something on here about it being a man (well not realy) currently waiting in Dubai or wherever he may be at the moment nothing realy suprises me. Do you realy think when he returns he will want to play golf with the hoy paloy.

It wasn't he nor his group that purchased Phoenix, pity as they do know how to run golf courses. It has been bought by a woman that owns a course in Bang Na. She also owns a large steel company. Can't remember the course name but played it some years ago, in an industrial estate outside Bangkok. Wasn't impressed with it then.

[LarryBird]

The lousy thing is, it only makes other courses more crowded, and gives the potential for other courses to increase price.

[Minpin]

Unfortunately, as Larry states this price and member stratagey will be closely followed by the other courses in the area.

[bartpix]

At least the other clubs around Pattaya appear to have sense and are keeping their high season prices the same as last year or even less as Eastern Star have actually reduced their prices after midday for both weekdays and weekends.

I walked the 1st, 2nd and 9th holes of the newly opened Ocean course on Friday and found them to be unready for proper play with wide gaps between the resodding. I would say the course requires at least a month for settling and regrowth.

Edited November 3, 2013 by bartpix

[johninbkk]

The only difference in the Bkk situation below, maybe, is that Phoenix memberships hold company share certificates, unlike most memberships, just members. Therefore we all have voting rights on decisions such as price increases, etc, etc.

Best way to approach the carnage, there are plenty of other courses, also why not book a tee time, and no show......

Obviously I'm really pissed. I suggest seek corporate law advice on the voting veto they committed in altering company business.

A while ago a golf course in Bangkok changed owners. It was featured in the Thai press at the time.

They threw out all the existing members and offered a rejoining deal.

I have the article published in the newspapers from a lawyer regarding the legality of this, but it is in my other computer, will post later. And no you don't have any legal recourse according to the lawyer.

New owners don't have to honour previous comitments.

This happened perhaps 10 years ago so perhaps the law has changed thou I doubt it.

[wotaplonker]

well im coming to Pattaya in 3 weeks for several rounds of golf, so Phoenix wont be on the tour!

[glanville63]

They are now asking the members to pay an annual fee of 24,000 baht by the end of December. How do we know they won't take the money and not honour the agreement. They don't sound like very honourable people that we are dealing with here.

Edited November 3, 2013 by glanville63

[golfmadstudent]

For members if you play twice a week for 52 weeks a year the cost would be Baht 1,580 per round without a tip for the caddy.

For non-members a weekday round will set you back Baht 3,450 without a tip for the caddy.

Interesting that the female decision maker at Phoenix is a steel company magnate while her husband is a commissioner of the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)

[glanville63]

I've heard that there is an office in Chonburi that deals with consumer complaints. If enough of us ask them for assistance re this rip-off, we might be taken seriously.

[choevy]

They are now asking the members to pay an annual fee of 24,000 baht by the end of December. How do we know they won't take the money and not honour the agreement. They don't sound like very honourable people that we are dealing with here.

Add insult to injury, its no longer a lifetime membership. The membership is good for 25 years. I bought my membership at Phoenix last year and they completely throw out the terms and conditions out the door. My wife is translating the member newsletter stating the new new rules and regulations and I seriously thought she was just screwing with me. She also informs me that one of the primary investor is Thaksin's wife. REALLY? BLEEEEP ME.

[choevy]

I've heard that there is an office in Chonburi that deals with consumer complaints. If enough of us ask them for assistance re this rip-off, we might be taken seriously.

Glanville63, I'd be interested in this information if you can get it. I'd like to gather a list of existing members who also share the same concerns to lodge a formal complaint. Only vehicle to reach out to existing Phoenix members is this forum and I'd like to give it a shot.

I've wasted enough time complaining to my mates ;-)

[glanville63]

There is actually a consumer complaints office in north Pattaya Road opposite Tesco Lotus. My friend had some trouble with Phoenix when they were owned by Siam Commercial Bank and they brought pressure to bear on them because they were giving Thailand a bad name. They sorted it for him. Our Phoenix Members Action Group have now opened a forum site on Facebook so if you would like to air your views leave a posting on

https://www.facebook.com/PhoenixGolfMembersActionGroup

[Minpin]

The only difference in the Bkk situation below, maybe, is that Phoenix memberships hold company share certificates, unlike most memberships, just members. Therefore we all have voting rights on decisions such as price increases, etc, etc.

Best way to approach the carnage, there are plenty of other courses, also why not book a tee time, and no show......

Obviously I'm really pissed. I suggest seek corporate law advice on the voting veto they committed in altering company business

If I was a shareholder I would first look at the contract you signed, presumably in your native laguage so no confusion on wording, and how the word shareholder is defined. Perhaps the owner has bought 51% of the shares? If so what can be done?

If an SET listed company lots of info online.

My membership at another club is also a shareholding membership and it clearly states one's rights involving selling, change of ownership etc. but is owned by a SET listed company.

Is the 24000 baht a year and 400 baht a round correct. If so that is expensive.

My club is an annual fee or 400 baht a round for members.

.

[tode66]

http://phoenixmembers.net/info/news.php

[Jai Dee]

I too am a member and having just returned from holidays in Oz to see this letter in the mail from Phoenix GC is outrageous.

I have several friends who bought our lifetime memberships at the same time, so will contact them to look into options.

[bartpix]

I went to my lawyer today with my share certificate, transfer document and the 6 page letter from Phoenix detailing the changes they were initiating. Having read above she noted there was no mention of change of Directors and asked if I had received minutes of meeting 1 or meeting 2 as they are obliged by law to provide.

Lacking this information we headed to the DBD office in Banglamung ( the Thai equivalent of “The Companies Office” ). Here after purchasing 225 photocopies of the share register, we were able to establish the following:

1. Phoenix Golf & Country Club Pattaya Co. Ltd. Was registered on March 19, 2511 (1968)
2. Total shareholders ……… 1252
3. Thai shareholders ……… 697
4. Foreign shareholders …… 555
5. The change of Directors occurred on 23 September 2556 (2013)
6. There are four Directors: (Phonetic spelling direct from written Thai) Mrs. Janya Sawangjit Mrs. Somsri Charoensiriwat Miss Rattana Tripipatkhun Mr. Tongchai Tripipatkhun

1. Also got a copy of shareholders rights in Thailand which will take a bit of translating.

By law we (the shareholders) should have received minutes from these meetings to make us aware of intended changes but we ALL as members can go into the registered office of Phoenix Golf & Country Club Pattaya Co. Ltd. now transferred to the clubhouse and demand a copy.

Success doesn't come easy (Anon)

[Jai Dee]

Nice work bartpix.

Unfortunately I'm off to Singapore tomorrow then Indonesia for work, but I'd encourage other members who do have time available to do similar.

With the ratio of foreign shareholders to Thai shareholders perhaps there's grounds for issuing minutes (and other correspondence) in English too...

Although I note with irony the number of foreign shareholders is 555...