Hotels and shops in Bangkok plead for end to martial law

[Tokay]

My little hotels in Phuket are running around 95% occupancy right now (best buy on Booking dot com, Expedia etc), , whilst my Thai competitors are running at maybe 30%.  The simple reason is that in this very low season, I reduced my room rates and they increased theirs!  I'm getting punters through the doors who are buying food and drink and tours.... and they are getting nothing

 

Sometimes I don't understand Thai economics.....

 

Be careful, as you probably already know Thais hate to lose, especially to farang. Now you run the risk of violence against you or your hotel(s) catching on fire.  That's the Thai way.

[SteveFong]

I have had many dealings with hotels and service providers in Ao Nang, and its 100 percent true it has always relied on it high season and its astronomical peak season prices (Scandinavian clients) Its not unusual for high season prices to be 5x more than off season.

Just imagine trying to cost group tours on a yearly basis when regardless of giving them customers in low season they do this this,it becomes unworkable! 

 

Sadly as stated many resorts are left to in experienced staff during this  low season time, maintenance well ......

 

Economic reports from Germany today, the EU's largest real economy, are in decline,

 

the likelihood of Thailand suddenly becoming the receiver of large amounts of tourists from EU countries is diminishing,

 

with China also in a wait and see moment,

 

who will be the savior of Thai hospitality?

 

the best indicator of tourism is always the taxi's

 

canvass them, and you will get an accurate read on any pick up

 

there will be no high season this year as new people arent coming, and repeaters are fed up with Thainess

[apiwan]

T mobile put up everyone's bill in UK.

Because their profits were not as good as last year.
Even those in contract

Screw the few you have.

It's not thainess.

It's a global thing

[getthaid]

 

 

I'm sure all the affected hotels have raised their rates to offset the decline in guests. 'Thainess'

Last year we had some friends stay in a hotel in the middle of Chiang Mai at a cost of THB1250 in mid September.

Out of curiosity I just checked the prices for the same period this year.

THB2400!
 

From the OP: Properties in all major visitor destinations except Pattaya are busier this month.
Possibly because Chiang Mai still is a great tourist destination with no negative publicity.
 

70% occupation in Chiang Mai is complete and believe it or not Chiang Mai is also under the same military control as the rest of Thailand and was one of the last places to have the curfew lifted.
 
Every hotel here has rooms to spare. Tour guides I know have no clients.Restaurants that normally have even low season tourists are struggling.

I walked down Chang khlan last night. It was almost deserted. The sunday market is still jammers - but there are always very few round eyes there.

In kalare court more than half the lock-up shops Are closed. Same same downstairs in the night market across the street.

Anusarn had half of its restaurants with only a few patrons and the rest totally empty.

This weekend should be one of the busiest this side of new year.

anyone who thinks that chiang Mai is running at 70% occupancy is very far removed from reality.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[hawker9000]

...But due to "martial law"?

 

What's the beef with the junta exactly?.  What are they doing to cripple tourism precisely?  The immigration enforcement "crackdown" started before the takeover - no real reason to assume it'd be playing out any differently had the takeover not occurred, and no reason to assume it'd all snap back to the way it was if the army handed power back over to an elected government tomorrow.   There are no curfews anymore - none for some time now.  No prohibitions on travel within the country.  No restrictions on the tourist service industry.   No armed soldiers on every street corner.  No mass arrests.  No violence.  Certainly no civil unrest or confrontations between military & civilians taking place.  Stories of corruption, and tourist-facing officials taking advantage, are popping up - but that's always been the case (and usually just tolerated without comment, as some members like to remind us); and perhaps the army intends to deal with it when its number comes up.  Stuff in Phuket?  There's ALWAYS been stuff in Phuket!  It's a magnet for "stuff"...

 

So if it's not just the immigration kerfuffle, what is it about "martial law" that's driving tourists away?   If the heartburn is really with the immigration crackdown and its undeniable effects on tourism, IMO you should just say that, and give the "martial law" boogeyman thing a rest.

 

[rametindallas]

 

 

 

From the OP: Properties in all major visitor destinations except Pattaya are busier this month.
Possibly because Chiang Mai still is a great tourist destination with no negative publicity.
 

70% occupation in Chiang Mai is complete and believe it or not Chiang Mai is also under the same military control as the rest of Thailand and was one of the last places to have the curfew lifted.
 
Every hotel here has rooms to spare. Tour guides I know have no clients.Restaurants that normally have even low season tourists are struggling.

I walked down Chang khlan last night. It was almost deserted. The sunday market is still jammers - but there are always very few round eyes there.

In kalare court more than half the lock-up shops Are closed. Same same downstairs in the night market across the street.

Anusarn had half of its restaurants with only a few patrons and the rest totally empty.

This weekend should be one of the busiest this side of new year.

anyone who thinks that chiang Mai is running at 70% occupancy is very far removed from reality.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

Very sorry to hear that. I still haven't heard any bad publicity concerning CM and wonder why it's not doing better. Tourism numbers are not that far down from last year and I had read that many Chinese were coming to see where the popular Chinese movie was filmed. Lifting martial would be a good step though the damage from Suthep's protest, Yingluck's government declaring a 'State of Emergency', followed by a coup and martial law may have been the 'perfect storm' to really hurt tourism and all those whose business is related to tourism. 

 

On a side note, why is this weekend 'one of the busiest this side of new year'? I thought the high season would be during the cool/dry season and not the rainy season.

[Benmart]

I'm sure all the affected hotels have raised their rates to offset the decline in guests. 'Thainess'

Please provide some examples so I can warn my inbound friends to avoid them. Thanks.

[rametindallas]

 

I'm sure all the affected hotels have raised their rates to offset the decline in guests. 'Thainess'

Please provide some examples so I can warn my inbound friends to avoid them. Thanks.

 

Are you new to Thailand or don't read the forum much? Shirley, you can't be serious! Do you really think I have done a survey of ALL the affected hotels to see if, or how much, they have raised their rates? It was meant to poke fun at the way some Thai businesses think. Obviously, by the number of 'likes' my comment got, some of the members 'got' the joke.

Thick as a plank, much?

 

Just in case you were really serious, and since they are YOUR friends and not mine, why don't YOU find out the rates and warn your inbound friends (of which I'm sure you have many).

[getthaid]

[quote name="rametindallas" post="8236015" timestamp="1407892728"][quote name="getthaid" post="8235622" timestamp="1407879417"] [quote name="Thailand" post="8231713" timestamp="1407809721"] [quote name="rametindallas" post="8231670" timestamp="1407808927"][quote name="Thailand" post="8231576" timestamp="1407807310"] [/quote]From the OP: Properties in all major visitor destinations except Pattaya are busier this month.
Possibly because Chiang Mai still is a great tourist destination with no negative publicity.
 [/quote]70% occupation in Chiang Mai is complete and believe it or not Chiang Mai is also under the same military control as the rest of Thailand and was one of the last places to have the curfew lifted.
 
Every hotel here has rooms to spare. Tour guides I know have no clients.Restaurants that normally have even low season tourists are struggling.[/quote]
I walked down Chang khlan last night. It was almost deserted. The sunday market is still jammers - but there are always very few round eyes there.

In kalare court more than half the lock-up shops Are closed. Same same downstairs in the night market across the street.

Anusarn had half of its restaurants with only a few patrons and the rest totally empty.

This weekend should be one of the busiest this side of new year.

anyone who thinks that chiang Mai is running at 70% occupancy is very far removed from reality.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand
 [/quote]
Very sorry to hear that. I still haven't heard any bad publicity concerning CM and wonder why it's not doing better. Tourism numbers are not that far down from last year and I had read that many Chinese were coming to see where the popular Chinese movie was filmed. Lifting martial would be a good step though the damage from Suthep's protest, Yingluck's government declaring a 'State of Emergency', followed by a coup and martial law may have been the 'perfect storm' to really hurt tourism and all those whose business is related to tourism. 
 
On a side note, why is this weekend 'one of the busiest this side of new year'? I thought the high season would be during the cool/dry season and not the rainy season.[/quote]

HM Birthday. Coupled with Mothersday. And a long weekend.

Chiang Mai usually chockers this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[madmitch]

Perhaps that 80% occupancy in Samui and Phuket should read 80% of last year's occupancy rate. Or maybe there are only a very few hotels that make up the figures and they are filled with Chinese tour groups.

 

Whatever, the figure is a joke.

[Jdiddy]

 

I walked down Chang khlan last night. It was almost deserted. The sunday market is still jammers - but there are always very few round eyes there.

In kalare court more than half the lock-up shops Are closed. Same same downstairs in the night market across the street.

Anusarn had half of its restaurants with only a few patrons and the rest totally empty.

This weekend should be one of the busiest this side of new year.

anyone who thinks that chiang Mai is running at 70% occupancy is very far removed from reality.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

 

Chang Khlan the one with establishments along it with a bunch of rentagirls sitting around at the entrance on their phones, looking bored out of their minds?

 

Yeah seems pretty quiet along there, seems like plenty of round-eyed activity around east gate and old city though

[bendejo]

Vacationers usually plan their trips months in advance, ensuring they can get time off the job etc before making bookings.

Once all the plans are in place, monies paid out etc even if there is some sort of problem most people would probably say "Well, it's all paid for, may as well go" short of there being an outright chance of violence, airports closed, etc.  I would guess most of the tourists here now had their trips in place before the coup.  I would doubt many people have since then made plans for the coming Thai high season.  I agree this will be a record low season if Thailand doesn't get it's happy face back on.  And if it is as bad as all that TAT will have some figures otherwise, regardless.

 

 

[gemini81]

You get the government you deserve.

 

Try telling that to Judaists in Isreal, or those of us who didn't vote for Obama...or even those unfortunate enough to be born into a north korean family!

[simon43]

or your hotel(s) catching on fire.

 

Unlikely since it's made of concrete :)

 

My family have done this hotel business in the area for more than 10 years - we get on fine with the other hotels, so I don't expect to get my legs broken....

[Prbkk]

My little hotels in Phuket are running around 95% occupancy right now (best buy on Booking dot com, Expedia etc), , whilst my Thai competitors are running at maybe 30%.  The simple reason is that in this very low season, I reduced my room rates and they increased theirs!  I'm getting punters through the doors who are buying food and drink and tours.... and they are getting nothing
 
Sometimes I don't understand Thai economics.....

Good strategy but the big players in Bangkok have done the same: really, these rates have not been so low in about 20 years and they are still struggling with low occupancy . I guess their stragetgy is to try to ride it out, keep rates low, staff employed, restaurants open and hope it will pick up in October.
TAT is dreaming is they believe that "Amazing Thailand Sale" is going to draw tourists: There is NOTHING in those mega malls that can't be had cheaper elsewhere. They copied the idea from Singapore but in that case it was a genuine sale, heavily subscribed by retailers and it worked. In Thailand, at least in Bangkok, it's a sale in name only.

[Jim walker]

No keep the martial law that’s one of the best ways to keep these irritating foreigners away from our Thailand with all their dirty littering habits rubbish dropped at the base of every tree and causing all this pollution in our normally spotless fresh Bangkok.  

[Tompa]

We went to Koh Chang during the long weekend and the place was almost deserted. Normally it's packed during long weekends (even in low season) but not this time. Lots of restaurants/shops/bars closed down and others completely empty.

[ginjag]

 

 

I'm sure all the affected hotels have raised their rates to offset the decline in guests. 'Thainess'

Please provide some examples so I can warn my inbound friends to avoid them. Thanks.

 

Are you new to Thailand or don't read the forum much? Shirley, you can't be serious! Do you really think I have done a survey of ALL the affected hotels to see if, or how much, they have raised their rates? It was meant to poke fun at the way some Thai businesses think. Obviously, by the number of 'likes' my comment got, some of the members 'got' the joke.

Thick as a plank, much?

 

Just in case you were really serious, and since they are YOUR friends and not mine, why don't YOU find out the rates and warn your inbound friends (of which I'm sure you have many).

 

 

Sorry you will have to excuse my sense of humour, but how do you know Benmarts name is Shirley ??? 

[3NUMBAS]

on application for insurance they get a stiff reminder that all is not back to normal ,juntas make people nervous for some reason

[ginjag]

on application for insurance they get a stiff reminder that all is not back to normal ,juntas make people nervous for some reason

 

Are they making you nervous for any reason--the army are making PEOPLE nervous ???   sorry but even in the red strong hold that was, people are not at all nervous, in fact they are more relaxed than they have been in years.