Hotels refuse to return deposit to cancelled tours

BANGKOK, 7 Feb 2014, (NNT) - A number of foreign tourists have filed complaints that hotels in Bangkok have refused to refund their deposits despite their cancellations of the rooms in the wake of the emergency decree imposition.

According to Sitdiwat Shewarattanaporn, President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the political turmoil and the imposition of the Internal Security Act in Bangkok have caused many prospective tourists to cancel their trips, resulting in huge losses to Small-and-Medium Enterprise tour operators.

The ongoing political crisis has driven away many foreign travelers, he said. Hotels in the capital are among the first businesses to feel the impact of the turmoil. While some hotels are willing to return the deposits, others are suggting that tour operators find another group of tourists to replace the one that has been cancelled.

Meanwhile, Mr. Surapong Techaruwijit of the Thai Hotel Association (THA) has acknowledged the issue, saying that the THA is ready to step in as a mediator between tour operators and member hotels. Deposits are usually required during the high season or long holidays, such as the Chinese New Year and Songkran, according to Surapong.

-- NNT 2014-02-07

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Who in Thailand cares ... after all .. all those pesky hotel guests are farang ...

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Doubt corruption's involved, just the usual 'We've had your money'

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Doubt corruption's involved, just the usual 'We've had your money'

Sure -but that in and of itself is a form of corruption. It's corrupt thinking. It's to do with greed and yes we have your money/ you are not getting it back. It's deviation from truth and honesty. It just goes to contribute to a foreign perspective of why Thailand it's failing right now.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Hub of Empty Promises.

Will this mean we can expect the insurance people to march on Bangkok next?

Hub of Empty Promises.

What have they promised?

Apart from not giving money back!

Hotel deposits for individual tourists are 1 night stay, so relatively small. Many hotels in th don,t take any. If cancellation is within 24h of arrival return of deposit can only be a gesture. As most people use cc for bookings, they are protected by cc terms.

Different story might be with agencies, according to contract.

Sounds like Thailand.

Businesses that plant bad feelings during these turbulent times, will reap the harvest of rejection once the crop rebounds.

Consumers have long memories of past experiences, both good and otherwise.

Happened to me too one time. Circumstances forced me to move out. Owner promised me my deposit back. I never got and only after I kept pestering him he was willing me to give half of my money back with some pathetic excuse that business was going so bad.

It gets annoying sometimes how everything in Thailand revolves around money.

Who in Thailand cares ... after all .. all those pesky hotel guests are farang ...

Actually it is preferred if they only send the money and don't come themself.

This is what hotels all over the world do in the same situation. It's not a thai "corruption" thing. Travel insurance, the credit card company, the travel agent, the tour operator and package holiday legislation may all be obliged to give you your cash back.

Businesses that plant bad feelings during these turbulent times, will reap the harvest of rejection once the crop rebounds.

Consumers have long memories of past experiences, both good and otherwise.

No they haven't.....2 month later the mob is booking what is 1 $ cheaper....

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Where is the corruption? People pay for bookings so that when they turn up, they know they have a room. Most hotels will give refunds, but will deduct an administration fee. That is the same all over the world.

"The ongoing political crisis has driven away many foreign travelers, he said. Hotels in the capital are among the first businesses to feel the impact of the turmoil."

What was the headline at 10.00am this morning???

oh yeah: Hotel business remains sound despite political protests

Seems to be a bit of a contradiction me thinks........

shows their stupidity really, refuse to refund their deposits and then they will be black banned by the travel agents/tourists and lose future possible earnings because of their bent way of thinking because these people will never go there again and bad mouth them to others. Refunds are supposed to be returned as long as you give them enough notice, usually 24 hours or more minimum but some thais jusr refuse to return money in any circumstances. This should be govt guaranteed as they are the ones that instigated the emergency decree in the first place.

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Where is the corruption? People pay for bookings so that when they turn up, they know they have a room. Most hotels will give refunds, but will deduct an administration fee. That is the same all over the world.

Lets have a think, shall we?

Let's say / pretend, I book a room and a TOUR in a hotel in BKK.

I pay deposit - ( as is standard practice all over the world) then suddenly BKK is plunged into political turmoil.

Me - being a foreigner and not resident in BKK and probably getting an albeit lop-sided view of what is going in BKK, might feel uneasy to say the least, about coming into BKK.

So I call up and cancel - not because I can't come because Aunt Mabel is having her 3rd wedding ceremony on the booked dates, or I changed my mind - but because I am afraid for myself and my family.

This is a unique situation which requires understanding from the hoteliers and management thereof.

Some hotels ARE returning deposits.

WHY?

Could it possibly be that they actually UNDERSTAND the reasons for a cancellation?

Or are they wrong to refund?

For some people - coming to Thailand is the holiday of a lifetime. They are not coming back year in and year out - and they may well never actually make it now due to the current situation.

If I was manager of a hotel in BKK - I would definitely try to help my potential clients and support them.

You however, might not.

Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Just don't apply for a job in one of my establishments!

The Hotels should sue the Govt.

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Where is the corruption? People pay for bookings so that when they turn up, they know they have a room. Most hotels will give refunds, but will deduct an administration fee. That is the same all over the world.

Lets have a think, shall we?

Let's say / pretend, I book a room and a TOUR in a hotel in BKK.

I pay deposit - ( as is standard practice all over the world) then suddenly BKK is plunged into political turmoil.

Me - being a foreigner and not resident in BKK and probably getting an albeit lop-sided view of what is going in BKK, might feel uneasy to say the least, about coming into BKK.

So I call up and cancel - not because I can't come because Aunt Mabel is having her 3rd wedding ceremony on the booked dates, or I changed my mind - but because I am afraid for myself and my family.

This is a unique situation which requires understanding from the hoteliers and management thereof.

Some hotels ARE returning deposits.

WHY?

Could it possibly be that they actually UNDERSTAND the reasons for a cancellation?

Or are they wrong to refund?

For some people - coming to Thailand is the holiday of a lifetime. They are not coming back year in and year out - and they may well never actually make it now due to the current situation.

If I was manager of a hotel in BKK - I would definitely try to help my potential clients and support them.

You however, might not.

Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Just don't apply for a job in one of my establishments!

That doesn't make it corruption.

If the hotels have cancellation policies then these should be adhered to. If not then they really shouldn't keep the money. I would understand if people just didn't show up, that is justifiable, but a cancellation more than 24 hours prior to arrival should see some money returned. Most hotels in the world will refund all monies over 72 hours prior.

Great! Hotels contributing to Thailand's image of being totally corrupt.

Where is the corruption? People pay for bookings so that when they turn up, they know they have a room. Most hotels will give refunds, but will deduct an administration fee. That is the same all over the world.

Lets have a think, shall we?

Let's say / pretend, I book a room and a TOUR in a hotel in BKK.

I pay deposit - ( as is standard practice all over the world) then suddenly BKK is plunged into political turmoil.

Me - being a foreigner and not resident in BKK and probably getting an albeit lop-sided view of what is going in BKK, might feel uneasy to say the least, about coming into BKK.

So I call up and cancel - not because I can't come because Aunt Mabel is having her 3rd wedding ceremony on the booked dates, or I changed my mind - but because I am afraid for myself and my family.

This is a unique situation which requires understanding from the hoteliers and management thereof.

Some hotels ARE returning deposits.

WHY?

Could it possibly be that they actually UNDERSTAND the reasons for a cancellation?

Or are they wrong to refund?

For some people - coming to Thailand is the holiday of a lifetime. They are not coming back year in and year out - and they may well never actually make it now due to the current situation.

If I was manager of a hotel in BKK - I would definitely try to help my potential clients and support them.

You however, might not.

Different strokes for different folks I guess!

Just don't apply for a job in one of my establishments!

That doesn't make it corruption.

I beg to differ.

As I stated in an earlier post in this thread - I think it CONTRIBUTES to peoples view of a corrupt Thailand - and I actually think that it IS a form of corruption.

Greed corrupts. This is to do with greed. Its a corrupt way of thinking. Its a deviation away from good values and appreciation of the plight of our fellow man.

Everything in Thailand is about the money money money - its disgusting, exhausting, draining, pitiful, tiring and reprehensible.

Because the system is corrupt - there's very little chance of anyone getting their money back - because they just don't give a toss.

This is a major weakness in Thai people and EXACTLY why the country is so completely and deeply screwed up now.

Here's a newsflash. IT WILL NEVER CHANGE. ITS IN THEIR DNA NOW AND HEAVEN HELP EVERY MAN WHO COMES WITH A COUNTRY MILE OF THAILAND.

The one unwritten but all-pervasive law of Thai economics is: once you've given up your money, never expect to get it back, whether deserved or not. Anyone doing business with Thailand must first swallow that bitter pill before proceeding...

I asked my translator app for the Thai for "farang want refund" and all I got was giggles.

Who in Thailand cares ... after all .. all those pesky hotel guests are farang ...

Actually, your comment is a bit behind the times.

The bulk of tourists now flooding Thailand come from Asian countries. Less than 30% of tourists in the "top ten" is comprised of "farang" countries.

Farangs don't call the shots anymore when it comes to tourism. Sorry to burst your ethnocentric bubble.

Source: Data from Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and sports

Honestly, bkk was plenty safe for tourist. I dont see why the tours cancelled.

Businesses that plant bad feelings during these turbulent times, will reap the harvest of rejection once the crop rebounds.

Consumers have long memories of past experiences, both good and otherwise.

While I don't disagree, you're forgetting PT Barnum's: "There's a sucker born every minute" (Yeah, I know he probably never said it)

Sure, they'll piss off a few people, maybe a few dozen. But that's pretty inconsequential when there's a pool of 24 million tourists, 99.999% of whom they didn't piss off. Besides, that's next year's problem.

Whereas, keeping the deposit may be the difference between being in business next week, or closing the doors and laying off staff.

The airport's open, the city is accessible, the hotel is holding a room for them, and a good time is being had by a lot of people.

I sympathize with the folks not getting their deposit back, but they read the terms and conditions, right?

should learn somthing about thai culture thai's never return deposits the word "deposit" does not mean the same thing that it does in the west

should learn somthing about thai culture thai's never return deposits the word "deposit" does not mean the same thing that it does in the west

Hear! Hear! Especially you/us house/apartment renters!