Have you ever seen Pattaya so empty of tourists?

[hellohello123]

Yes I have noticed many price increases for sure. Like a buffet I used to like went went up 25 percent since last month so I looked at it but they had stopped offering the main dish I used to go there for. Good move ... they got nada from me. Raise the price and offer less, good business IF you can get it.

Yes, I have noticed that prices are not going down. Very curious. The worldwide tendency to exercise the competitive edge seems to not exist here. Am I missing something? One would think you would be looking to fill up your restaurant, your rooms in your hotel, or your establishment with patrons. Half price drinks, discounts, etc? Raising prices when biz is low is insanity, and a complete lack of common sense and reason. Wait a minute, did I just describe planet Thailandia?

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Hi Mike

Actually the practice of raising prices under these circumstances is not as stupid as you may feel. Just because we in the West do something or think something, does not mean that people who don't do it lack common sense at all.

Our Western business practices of systematically cutting each others' throats in the bad times ensures one very likely outcome; the death of the businesses unless the bad times are very short indeed. There's only so far you can go when you're competing with the guy in the restaurant across the road with our Western attitude. I cut prices, then he cuts prices... then what? I cut them again and so does he? Finally, neither of us is making anything. It's just plain stupid, and definitely not what I'd consider common sense at all.

Here, they get together with the guy across the street and hike the prices and make other adjustments (perhaps staffing) that quite often means that they can both survive through these times. Additionally, when the bad times are over, the prices seldom return back to the way they were before (price cutting or price raising).

If you ask me, that's smart, and it's actually we Westerners who lack the common sense. These people have been trading for thousands of years in Asia, one of the toughest trading environments in the world.

Regards

Thaimlord.

I understand your explanation but still don't get it, and I've hears it Many times from different people

Firstlt money is important to Thais, so I can't imagine many of them would price collude with others and split the profits

Secondly, this price raising concept, if ten customers out of 100 bought a $1 for $2, that's 10 profit,

However if only 10 customer was walking about with a choice of 100 bars, wouldn't it be smarter to sell the beer for 1.5 so you can get all ten customers for $5 profit. Still a 50% drop in profits but it's still a profit since rent and wages are fixed, however raising the prices to $3 and getting one or no customers means a 80-100% drop in profits. Seems like a no brainer to me

It's like playing straight up on roulette, one in 36 will win big but once you calculate the number of losses, it's better to win small amounts on red/black

[slipperylobster]

Yes I have noticed many price increases for sure. Like a buffet I used to like went went up 25 percent since last month so I looked at it but they had stopped offering the main dish I used to go there for. Good move ... they got nada from me. Raise the price and offer less, good business IF you can get it.

Yes, I have noticed that prices are not going down. Very curious. The worldwide tendency to exercise the competitive edge seems to not exist here. Am I missing something? One would think you would be looking to fill up your restaurant, your rooms in your hotel, or your establishment with patrons. Half price drinks, discounts, etc? Raising prices when biz is low is insanity, and a complete lack of common sense and reason. Wait a minute, did I just describe planet Thailandia?

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

For example... A small hotel needs a receptionist, housekeeper, cook and waitress. At minimum wage it cost him 300 each, so thats 1200 baht. Not to mention utilities, stock, etc. Well, if he has only 2 customers paying 600 then he is just open for nothing. Why would he cut the price in half?

[Old Guy]

Same picture in Bangkok; I walked around Soi Cowboy just to have a drink and a chat with a nice girl (honestly !) but as soon as I found one and started, others came up and joined us. "Oh these are my friends, please buy them drinks too". Now I know I can refuse and say I am a one man/one girl chap, but the intimate atmosphere had gone. Only alternative is to buy her out and go to another bar/restaurant. So pay more in a less demand situation.

[lcp0761]

Re: bars being empty. Are the girls more hungry for the limited available dollars or do they have an attitude (i.e. supply of dollars vs demand of their services)?

[MonkeyLove]

Duh.....

Asianomics explained to the Universalist midle-class farang :

"When demand goes down....price should go down to exert a competitive edge in order to suck away the neighbour's market share".

This only works if the offer is atomised....if the Anti-Trust Euro commision is there watching.

75% of all Shopping Centers in Thailand, belong to 2 famillies.....

and over the last 10years..where did you buy your smokes ?

7Eleven

You the temporary Pattayan (and anywhere else) might not realise it..but when you're buying chewing gum to an orphan in the street, there's still half of it that goes back to some guy in a necktie&suit on top of a shinny buidling in Chitlom.

And since these famillies control anything....then the LOGIC becomes that in oder to keep margins in a falling market...prices have to be risen.

You might as well hold God accountable for the Acts of God...lol

Prices goes up, services go down...but still high-end suckers are here to foot the bills.

isn't that the crowd TAT is interest in now-a-future ?

[OMGImInPattaya]

I think this topic needs to be debated at length so we can get an idea of what to expect.

Firstly prices have gone through the roof and that includes LT asking prices 1500 BF 4500 LT which I use as the economic cornerstone for Pattaya . . . It's almost cheaper in Europe now. When prices are even we can expect them to level out at the least.

Anyway I have a background in Economics so I was surprised then prices increased faster with decreasing demand

I believe this is why

Let's take the UK for example . . After recession hit In 2009 we saw inflation on goods and services go up to the highest level for many years. 6-7%

1. This is because people and business try to match falling demand with higher prices

2. this works for a short period as customers have savings and people will in turn continue to pay more to maintain there standard of living.

3. After some time people run out of money and only then stop buying.

4. Then one of 4 things tend to happen. Business aether go bust or drop there price to become competitive or the currency devalues. If the currency is pegged/ or a single money is used like in Europe and currency can't devalue the service quality reduces or prices fall which is more damaging.

Conclusion

I would expect that is this continues there may just be hope that we could return to a cheeper and less tourist saturated pattaya .... But then again who knows with Thailand it seems to have a mind of own.

Any thoughts?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes I have a thought

The bars cannot lower the price because they will go bust, there is not enough profit. The bars cannot increase the prices (like they did in the UK) because local people won’t pay it. But they can do something for FREE that will increase takings .Re learn the art of smiling and customer service. Most bars for me now are depressing irritable places. I would sack most staff in seconds.

My partner was verbally attacked for not making me buy THEM drinks. I was verbally attacked for refusing to pay 140 Baht for a 7 11 30 baht soft drink for my partner. I was told it was lady drink prices. But this is my partner not your staff member!!! I could go on with these stories .My point is Local people are important to keeping a place profitable, and local people get bored of the bad service miserable staff faces and people who play mobile instead of playing waitress.

I do go to family mart buy a couple of beers go down to a quiet part of the beech take some food and enjoy with my friends a long relax and a chat. The bars have to realize there are alternatives, we have choices, and we are not stupid. A smile and good customer service is free and very profitable

I stopped going to bars and gogos a decade ago...except ladyboy bars that is. Maybe you and your mates should give it a try...lots of big smiles, big breasts, and big...well, you know.

Edited June 30, 2014 by OMGImInPattaya

[Pralaad]

Few hours ago walked from 3 road to 2 road via Pattaya tai, past friendship and tuk com.

All cafe's empty, tuk com, almost empty, hardly any people on the street. Saw 2 foreigners on that entire stretch

I went to Friendship today after a few days in BKK, 1pm and it was very busy all the way down Tai and back upto Jomtien. Different times give different perceptions.

We must of been wearing different glasses, because at 1pm is when I was there it was empty, including friendship with 4 cashiers being open

[Loptr]

The only indicator of this Ive noticed is long lines of parked baht buses at 2nd road/Pattaya Tai & Pattaya Klang. Ive never seen so many lined up and parked for so long each day.

I noticed that too. It was quite a sight.

I avoid the queue at 2nd Road and Pattaya Tai like the plague due to the way they treat customers... We are paying customers, not cattle... Som nam na if you ask me...

[MonkeyLove]

plus Aut Ceasar Aut Nihil....

any human being on this planet only considers his prices to rise.

'til is "pigs and chicken back to ban-nok" tender loving care time.

eventually.

prices go down, look not good.

when the white man cuts log, winter going to be more cold.

and this is exacerbed (bated?) by their copycat mentality.

anything that rises they'll copy it and halve your market share...

anything that falls they'll short-sell it..and halve your market share.

when was the last time you saw "comon-sense" in Thailand ?

we are here,,because it's not like back there.

voila !

[garyinhuahin]

This my 11th year in Hua Hin. It's quiet this year compared to the last several. But the first couple years I was here, June thru October was truly dead and abandoned. This isn't like that. There are still people coming through.

[Thomas Hannah]

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Thai logic,,soon it will be so expencive,It will be the same in high season,,

Yes I have noticed many price increases for sure. Like a buffet I used to like went went up 25 percent since last month so I looked at it but they had stopped offering the main dish I used to go there for. Good move ... they got nada from me. Raise the price and offer less, good business IF you can get it.

[JesseFrank]

It's not only Pattaya, but Thailand as a whole the way it is now, and we all know why.

I have a house listed for sale on the internet, and in the last 3 months the ad would get on average 1200 Views a month and generate 2.4 responses a week.

Since 22 May the ad got 463 views and 2 responses.

[ggt]

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Forever like this would be perfect to help to teach the locals that they should respect (and admire <3 ) foreigners who stay here all year long... We should also be offered some wives or daughters to make sure that the locals love us :-)

What have you been smoking?

[Benmart]

Yes I have noticed many price increases for sure. Like a buffet I used to like went went up 25 percent since last month so I looked at it but they had stopped offering the main dish I used to go there for. Good move ... they got nada from me. Raise the price and offer less, good business IF you can get it.

I've got to eat and when the prices get too high, I vote with my feet. Most of the time I cook at home, but enjoy an outing occasionally.

[manhood]

Well what i always see when Pattaya gets quite with tourists....all the good restaurants providing a good service and a high quality of food for reasonable prices always have customers: many of the restaurants not value the permanent customers and dont even benefit them with a smile and best service! Now the feed back is harsh but fair!

[connda]

Chiang Mai is pretty much the same. Drove down Loi Kroi last night with my wife and even she made a comment about how few tourists are around. She said it's about the slowest she has every seen it. She should be happy she is a pampered house wife. lol

[sgtsabai]

A couple of local ladies just got back from 'holiday' in Pattaya. Said very, very quite. It seems that way many places and I don't think there is any one factor. I can't speak so much for Europeans and even though I haven't flown for years the airline prices from America had about doubled in the last 10-12 or so years. Hotel, drink, (the new tax on booze didn't help)food, bar fines, 'take out' prices have all gone up. Even up in Udon ladies are wanting 1500 baht long time and it appears at least up until just very recently there were plenty of overpaying lame dupes to pay it. Many of these prices not just for farangs but for Thais also. You should, or maybe not, hear my wife when she comes back from the market or Tesco/Big C etc. She pays attention to prices, is not high maintenance, a cheap Charlene in her own right and this has been going on for some time. Up here it is very quiet, ladies in the bars, no customers to speak of. There had been quite a few Japanese and Singapore men here. Gone now, probably at the least 50/50 visitor/ex-pat, if not more ex-pat. The Police/Military enforcing the actual bar closing times does not help the overall profit picture, especially for the farang bars. My understanding is midnight for farang bars, 0200 for Thai venues. Nong Khai has always had legal farang bar closing time of 0200 but there is strict enforcement of work permits, ID checks, as in Udon. Except for those with passports, the Lao ladies are gone, the Nong Khai bars are empty, no ladies=no customers. I just spent 2 nights up there and it was dead. Combine the inflation, the loss of many good paying jobs in the states, the drop in value of the USD, fear, throw in a few other variables we've got what we've got.

[score keeper]

hotel i am in has been mostly empty for most of the past year. it was lovely

now for the past monthish it is mostly full even a farang or two new.

difference from pattaya? hotel is located a hop step and jump from the border

[thailiketoo]

A couple of local ladies just got back from 'holiday' in Pattaya. Said very, very quite. It seems that way many places and I don't think there is any one factor. I can't speak so much for Europeans and even though I haven't flown for years the airline prices from America had about doubled in the last 10-12 or so years. Hotel, drink, (the new tax on booze didn't help)food, bar fines, 'take out' prices have all gone up. Even up in Udon ladies are wanting 1500 baht long time and it appears at least up until just very recently there were plenty of overpaying lame dupes to pay it. Many of these prices not just for farangs but for Thais also. You should, or maybe not, hear my wife when she comes back from the market or Tesco/Big C etc. She pays attention to prices, is not high maintenance, a cheap Charlene in her own right and this has been going on for some time. Up here it is very quiet, ladies in the bars, no customers to speak of. There had been quite a few Japanese and Singapore men here. Gone now, probably at the least 50/50 visitor/ex-pat, if not more ex-pat. The Police/Military enforcing the actual bar closing times does not help the overall profit picture, especially for the farang bars. My understanding is midnight for farang bars, 0200 for Thai venues. Nong Khai has always had legal farang bar closing time of 0200 but there is strict enforcement of work permits, ID checks, as in Udon. Except for those with passports, the Lao ladies are gone, the Nong Khai bars are empty, no ladies=no customers. I just spent 2 nights up there and it was dead. Combine the inflation, the loss of many good paying jobs in the states, the drop in value of the USD, fear, throw in a few other variables we've got what we've got.

What loss of value? The USD has been around 32 baht for the past 4 years.

[Emster23]

My non scientific appraisal would say lowest in years and years regarding foreign tourists. Been coming back just a tad recently. Substantial increase in number of Thai tourists, and unlike those group package tours, actually spend money locally. Also, I don't think a tourist would cancel a visit to LOS because price of beer went up from $1.50 to $1.80....

[ukguyinthai]

The only indicator of this Ive noticed is long lines of parked baht buses at 2nd road/Pattaya Tai & Pattaya Klang. Ive never seen so many lined up and parked for so long each day.

Have you noticed the lack of tour buses parked at night and the fewer number of baht buses or tooting their horns for fares or motorbike taxis sitting around aimlessly waiting for a fare?

What about that for karma Taxi drivers sat on corners waiting for a customer’s

What did they do positively to promote tourism in Thailand? Why do to local guys only want to use trusted taxi guys. Does anyone know anyone who has not had a bad experience with these guys?

I think the reason Pattaya is quiet is a combination of many things, but for certain the taxi drivers have been a total pain for everyone. Not just to local people and tourists but to Thai people too.

[thailiketoo]

The only indicator of this Ive noticed is long lines of parked baht buses at 2nd road/Pattaya Tai & Pattaya Klang. Ive never seen so many lined up and parked for so long each day.

Have you noticed the lack of tour buses parked at night and the fewer number of baht buses or tooting their horns for fares or motorbike taxis sitting around aimlessly waiting for a fare?

What about that for karma Taxi drivers sat on corners waiting for a customer’s

What did they do positively to promote tourism in Thailand? Why do to local guys only want to use trusted taxi guys. Does anyone know anyone who has not had a bad experience with these guys?

I think the reason Pattaya is quiet is a combination of many things, but for certain the taxi drivers have been a total pain for everyone. Not just to local people and tourists but to Thai people too.

When did Pattaya get taxis? Do you mean Phuket?

[tropo]

This my 11th year in Hua Hin. It's quiet this year compared to the last several. But the first couple years I was here, June thru October was truly dead and abandoned. This isn't like that. There are still people coming through.

Which is surprising considering how weak the baht was back then.

[Naam]

Have you ever seen Pattaya so empty of tourists?

yes, it was november 1973

[Ulysses G.]

Long time and bar fine. Thought everyone would know that.

We forget because such topical discussion is discouraged by our thought minders

Now that I know what it means, if just the BF is 1,500 baht, no wonder I haven't been to Pattaya recently!

[ukguyinthai]

I think this topic needs to be debated at length so we can get an idea of what to expect.

Firstly prices have gone through the roof and that includes LT asking prices 1500 BF 4500 LT which I use as the economic cornerstone for Pattaya . . . It's almost cheaper in Europe now. When prices are even we can expect them to level out at the least.

Anyway I have a background in Economics so I was surprised then prices increased faster with decreasing demand

I believe this is why

Let's take the UK for example . . After recession hit In 2009 we saw inflation on goods and services go up to the highest level for many years. 6-7%

1. This is because people and business try to match falling demand with higher prices

2. this works for a short period as customers have savings and people will in turn continue to pay more to maintain there standard of living.

3. After some time people run out of money and only then stop buying.

4. Then one of 4 things tend to happen. Business aether go bust or drop there price to become competitive or the currency devalues. If the currency is pegged/ or a single money is used like in Europe and currency can't devalue the service quality reduces or prices fall which is more damaging.

Conclusion

I would expect that is this continues there may just be hope that we could return to a cheeper and less tourist saturated pattaya .... But then again who knows with Thailand it seems to have a mind of own.

Any thoughts?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes I have a thought

The bars cannot lower the price because they will go bust, there is not enough profit. The bars cannot increase the prices (like they did in the UK) because local people won’t pay it. But they can do something for FREE that will increase takings .Re learn the art of smiling and customer service. Most bars for me now are depressing irritable places. I would sack most staff in seconds.

My partner was verbally attacked for not making me buy THEM drinks. I was verbally attacked for refusing to pay 140 Baht for a 7 11 30 baht soft drink for my partner. I was told it was lady drink prices. But this is my partner not your staff member!!! I could go on with these stories .My point is Local people are important to keeping a place profitable, and local people get bored of the bad service miserable staff faces and people who play mobile instead of playing waitress.

I do go to family mart buy a couple of beers go down to a quiet part of the beech take some food and enjoy with my friends a long relax and a chat. The bars have to realize there are alternatives, we have choices, and we are not stupid. A smile and good customer service is free and very profitable

I stopped going to bars and gogos a decade ago...except ladyboy bars that is. Maybe you and your mates should give it a try...lots of big smiles, big breasts, and big...well, you know.

Yes got to agree some of the best customer service and the biggest smiles were from lady boy bars. Even when I explained I’m here with my mates and I don’t want a guy to play with me, they were still a good laugh. Shame some of the other bars cannot learn.

[Robert2006]

Yes I have noticed many price increases for sure. Like a buffet I used to like went went up 25 percent since last month so I looked at it but they had stopped offering the main dish I used to go there for. Good move ... they got nada from me. Raise the price and offer less, good business IF you can get it.

Yes, I have noticed that prices are not going down. Very curious. The worldwide tendency to exercise the competitive edge seems to not exist here. Am I missing something? One would think you would be looking to fill up your restaurant, your rooms in your hotel, or your establishment with patrons. Half price drinks, discounts, etc? Raising prices when biz is low is insanity, and a complete lack of common sense and reason. Wait a minute, did I just describe planet Thailandia?

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Hi Mike

Actually the practice of raising prices under these circumstances is not as stupid as you may feel. Just because we in the West do something or think something, does not mean that people who don't do it lack common sense at all.

Our Western business practices of systematically cutting each others' throats in the bad times ensures one very likely outcome; the death of the businesses unless the bad times are very short indeed. There's only so far you can go when you're competing with the guy in the restaurant across the road with our Western attitude. I cut prices, then he cuts prices... then what? I cut them again and so does he? Finally, neither of us is making anything. It's just plain stupid, and definitely not what I'd consider common sense at all.

Here, they get together with the guy across the street and hike the prices and make other adjustments (perhaps staffing) that quite often means that they can both survive through these times. Additionally, when the bad times are over, the prices seldom return back to the way they were before (price cutting or price raising).

If you ask me, that's smart, and it's actually we Westerners who lack the common sense. These people have been trading for thousands of years in Asia, one of the toughest trading environments in the world.

Regards

Thaimlord.

Most of the people I know and myself included would not return to an establishment that increased their prices. If you go back to a place like that you’re just hurting yourself.

I don’t see what you find so great about Asian business located in Pattaya, their mostly dirty hole in the walls, dumpy in appearance with marginally trained unsophisticated employees. Western business operate at a higher level in every way, one of those places wouldn’t last a month in the west.

[Greg Nixon]

Boo hoo hoo.

Would like to see sex tourism closed down permanently.

[thailiketoo]

Boo hoo hoo.

Would like to see sex tourism closed down permanently.

Millions of Thai people depend on the money generated from tourism in Pattaya; men, women and children. No income and they would go hungry. Pillage the countryside and occupy and burn Bangkok. Is that what you want?

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed:

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