More "FIT" tourists - so let's put the prices of hotels up!

[chrissables]

I am coming to the end of a three month motorbike ride around Vietnam.

The prices are cheaper and in tourist areas the service better. 

Their English language is either very bad or very good depending what area, the good better than in Thailand.

The national parks, tourist places are priced the same, no ten fold double pricing, with a few exceptions where it is free for locals.

Yesterday i took a cable car ride up a mountain. Entrance, buggy to the cable car, the ride up and return was less than entrance for non Thais to a Thai national park offering far less.

There are no stupid rules about what time you can buy a drink and relax. 

International food is far cheaper than Thailand, if that is your requirement. I would think due to less tax.

Thailand in my opinion should open it's eyes to what tourists look for and supply it. As any good business model would work. 

People will pay if that is the case. If not they will start or already are losing out to countries like Vietnam and Laos.

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by chrissables
missing word

[Thaidream]

Hotels around the World are way overpriced for what one is getting as a result of service and amenities. The hotel industry must think that all travelers are well healed and can afford the prices they are charging. Sorry- it doesn't wash. Most people want reasonably priced accommodations with decent service not 4 and 5 Star prices.

In regards to Western Pubs and other Western Fast food restaurants- I can tell you after decades in Thailand- it is the major reason people are avoiding Thailand as a destination. When people come to Thailand they want to see, feel and experience Thai culture.  If you want Western amenities stay home. As far as levels of business in these places- they are mostlylosing money. Why do you think every owner is trying to sell out and I know many of them. There are just too many. If there were a few as an oddity for Thai clientele- they would make money but in Bangkok having British and Irish pubs on every corner is  a losing proposition. The land prices alone are causing the owners to constantly raise rental on these places making prices rise more and more.  I can tell you many establishments that are reasonably priced and where one can have much more fun than Western oriented pubs. Withing 5 years mot of the Western Pubs will be gone along with Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza. Land prices alone will drive them all  out and Bangkok will revert back to what at one time made it a primary tourist attraction- it's called being Thai.

[Bantex]

When will they ever learn or is that totally impossible in Thailand.

I hope they price themselves out of the market and go bust, it's the only thing they understand.

[louse1953]

5 hours ago, bark said:

Nothing wrong with this.

Capitalist vs Communist which are you ?

Realist.

[Thaidream]

Phuket and now Bangkok have adopted the wrong model and it is killing business. The Western model doesn't work here and never will. Trying  to make Thailand look like  New York; London or Sydney will continue to drive business away to places like Vietnam; Laos and Cambodia. If you are going to spend money on 'the big ticket' you don't want to find New York at the other end. You want Asian and those things that make it exotic.  As I said, eventually the land prices and owners will force out most of the high end restaurants and Pubs but by that time most of the tourists will be gone. They will only return when Thailand becomes Thai again and the prices lowered .

Edited December 7, 2016 by Thaidream

[Americano555]

53 minutes ago, chrissables said:

I am coming to the end of a three month motorbike ride around Vietnam.

The prices are cheaper and in tourist areas the service better. 

Their English language is either very bad or very good depending what area, the good better than in Thailand.

The national parks, tourist places are priced the same, no ten fold double pricing, with a few exceptions where it is free for locals.

Yesterday i took a cable car ride up a mountain. Entrance, buggy to the cable car, the ride up and return was less than entrance for non Thais to a Thai national park offering far less.

There are no stupid rules about what time you can buy a drink and relax. 

International food is far cheaper than Thailand, if that is your requirement. I would think due to less tax.

Thailand in my opinion should open it's eyes to what tourists look for and supply it. As any good business model would work. 

People will pay if that is the case. If not they will start or already are losing out to countries like Vietnam and Laos.

 

Don't forget Malaysia........way cheaper.......money goes Waayyyy further......

[louse1953]

11 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Phuket and now Bangkok have adopted the wrong model and it is killing business. The Western model doesn't work here and never will. Trying  to make Thailand look like  New York; London or Sydney will continue to drive business away to places like Vietnam; Laos and Cambodia. If you are going to send money on 'the big ticket' you don't want to find New York at the other end. You want Asian and those things that make it exotic.  As I said, eventually the land prices and owners will force out most of the high end restaurants and Pubs but by that time ost of the tourists will be gone. They will only return when Thailand becomes Thai again and the prices lowered .

I don't get these theme pubs.Travel half way around the world to pay a lot more for the same grog as home.A mate once said to a bar owner"i am not here to make other farangs rich".I adopted his mantra and philosophy.

[nong38]

There are a number of factors at work here one of them is not taught anywhere, you either have it or you dont and Thais dont its called COMMON SENSE.

Everyday it is confirmed to me, often with a stupid look and smile which is supposed to make the actions acceptable. I am sure you can think of plenty of examples.

[Thaidream]

Common sense might mean going against the grain of what is expected and taught- that cannot happen in a place where confrontation and loss of face are avoided at all cost.

[joecoolfrog]

Anybody with half a brain can peruse a few sites and find a perfectly reasonable 3★ hotel in central Bangkok for 1500 baht or less. Of all the reasons I might see fit to perhaps criticise Thailand , the price of hotels would be way down the list.

[Saastrajaa]

2 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Hotels around the World are way overpriced for what one is getting as a result of service and amenities. The hotel industry must think that all travelers are well healed and can afford the prices they are charging. Sorry- it doesn't wash. Most people want reasonably priced accommodations with decent service not 4 and 5 Star prices.

In regards to Western Pubs and other Western Fast food restaurants- I can tell you after decades in Thailand- it is the major reason people are avoiding Thailand as a destination. When people come to Thailand they want to see, feel and experience Thai culture.  If you want Western amenities stay home. As far as levels of business in these places- they are mostlylosing money. Why do you think every owner is trying to sell out and I know many of them. There are just too many. If there were a few as an oddity for Thai clientele- they would make money but in Bangkok having British and Irish pubs on every corner is  a losing proposition. The land prices alone are causing the owners to constantly raise rental on these places making prices rise more and more.  I can tell you many establishments that are reasonably priced and where one can have much more fun than Western oriented pubs. Withing 5 years mot of the Western Pubs will be gone along with Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza. Land prices alone will drive them all  out and Bangkok will revert back to what at one time made it a primary tourist attraction- it's called being Thai.

 

You know, your kind of condescension, exoticization and essentializing of the Thai is just as bad in its own way as outright putting them down in a racist way (now, now...I didn't say you're racist or hate Thais...but I said what you're doing is just as bad, from a different angle).  

 

There IS no more "traditional Thailand," at least not the one you're romanticizing about.  Thais shop at Ikea, drink at Starbucks, and eat at KFC...in addition to listening to luk thung (a "tradition" that's only been around since the late 1950s, btw), eating Thai food, and being Buddhist.  They have modernized and globalized, for better or for worse.  Would you take that away from them?  

 

All I'm saying is, don't condescend to them by pretending that there's something called "traditional Thailand" that would be there in some [imaginary] pristine state if you could somehow strip away all the Western imports of the last 40 years.  That "traditional Thailand" you pine for is not coming back, deal with it.  In many ways, it never really existed, except in the dreams and skewed vision of orientalist Westerners.

[Thaidream]

How  wrong you are!  I first came to Thailand 50 years ago and I can assure you I am not condescending but understand Thailand well and how Thai people live and think.In addition, I speak Thai well and know exactly what they are saying in Thai which you will never know because Thais will not reveal themselves often to a Westerner. You may think Thai's love all the Western influence but I can tell you they do not like it and feel that it has destroyed much of Thai culture and Thai sensitivities.  No, I do not want to turn back the clock but I would like to see the Thai wealthy classes start to think about the preservation of Thai culture and not find more ways to  bring foreign influence into the country which most Thais will never accept.The last thing Bangkok needs are more over price Condo's and Malls.

All you have to do is visit the rural villages in every part of this country to see real Thai culture. You won't find this in the unhealthy Western dives that permeate Bangkok nor in Hooters or even in Ikea. The real Thailand is out there and I am predicting that as time marches on more and more Thais will reject the Westernism that is being forced on them by the wealthy land owners.

[FredNL]

It just has something to do with feet, a gun and bullets...

[performance]

I was in Australia and Thailand was on the news regarding the abduction of the US girl all confirmed and genuine. I not sure what there criteria of FIT tourist is lol. I doubt Thailand is on the top of any top families destination anymore. Besides that this chief Supawan is advising business owners to rob tourists effective immediately to make up for the failure of the current regime to provide any law reforms and real world punishments of criminals residing and born here. Namely uniformed crims. To ensure Thailands respect by reputable countries that seek investment and holiday opportunity.

I would say this chief has the brain size of a 1 Baht coin. But what else can you expect. Thailand has been in reverse gear for sometime.

[performance]

5 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

How  wrong you are!  I first came to Thailand 50 years ago and I can assure you I am not condescending but understand Thailand well and how Thai people live and think.In addition, I speak Thai well and know exactly what they are saying in Thai which you will never know because Thais will not reveal themselves often to a Westerner. You may think Thai's love all the Western influence but I can tell you they do not like it and feel that it has destroyed much of Thai culture and Thai sensitivities.  No, I do not want to turn back the clock but I would like to see the Thai wealthy classes start to think about the preservation of Thai culture and not find more ways to  bring foreign influence into the country which most Thais will never accept.The last thing Bangkok needs are more over price Condo's and Malls.

All you have to do is visit the rural villages in every part of this country to see real Thai culture. You won't find this in the unhealthy Western dives that permeate Bangkok nor in Hooters or even in Ikea. The real Thailand is out there and I am predicting that as time marches on more and more Thais will reject the Westernism that is being forced on them by the wealthy land owners.

Most Thais have never known anything but what they have been taught and made to do to survive. There under a revolving UFO and it is never going to change.The regime will confirm lol.

[Thaidream]

Thais do follow what they are taught but they are also taught that they are superior and that foreigners are a danger to Thainess. They are certainly not hostile to foreigners but they no longer think that foreigners know more than they do. The majority of Thais that go abroad want to return to Thailand because they do not care for 'foreign' ways of life.

[nausea]

It's a joke, tell me it's a joke. Nobody suggested this as a serious strategy, right. 

[Thaidream]

All you have to do is read Thai Visa comments regarding Thais and Thailand and you will understand why Thais have little respect for Westerners/ We are considered rude and without any culture.

[nausea]

I wouldn't say Thais don't understand us. I think they understand us very well. They know we're here for a reason.

[SunsetT]

.....Back to the sex tourists then.

[Rhys]

pssst  someone  tell the neighbors...

 

[annabel]

13 hours ago, DavidVincent said:

Didn't the say in the news there was a problem this year with tourism and money coming from them?

Less customers so let's raise the prices

Tipsily... typical.. Thai logic as usual  

[gdgbb]

10 hours ago, impulse said:

I'd support the price increase if (*) it meant the hotel and restaurant and business owners would invest at least some of the increase into the quality of the resource.  Like cleaning the beaches, fixing the open sewers that flow everywhere and improving safety on the roads and on their properties.

 

 

Why should hotel owners have to pay for beach cleaning, repairing 'open sewers' (where in Thailand are there open sewers?) and improving road safety?

[gdgbb]

9 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Thailand - especially Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya are in a constant declining tourist spiral. There are way too many hotels trying to entice a limited number of tourists. Raising prices is the worst thing one can do in a down market. They need better advertising and good marketing. ONe of the problems is that the powers to be are taking all the charm out of  the tourist areas. Not allowing the vendors to sell ; taking away all the beach chairs; and turning the hotels into chain hotels is turning off potential  visitors. In addition, bringing in more Western fast food outlets and the American bar chains-like  Hooters or British and Irish Pubs- is a symbol of continued decline. Why travel halfway around the World to eat fast food at Western restaurants; stay in Western themed hotels and God forbid- drink beer at Hooters. If I wanted all this I would have stayed in New York or London. They have literally killed the golden goose.

"They have literally killed the golden goose."    At least they've still got the goose that lays the golden eggs.

 

By the way, the authorities do nothing to alter ownership or branding of hotels, neither do they bring in western restaurants or bars or pubs and whether you patronise them or not is not something that is forced on anyone, it's an option.   Those private commercial operations actually cater for many more Thais than western tourists

[Elkski]

I'm surprised no one has brought up collusion or price fixing... how more blatant can it be? 

luckily I am sure many hotels wont raise prices and thus they will get more of the business.  Some people are creatures of habit but many more each day are using online booking and review sites. In the 
US I can usually get a hotel to match the price I find online but at least twice in Thailand I was forced to book on Agoda right in front of the Clerk at her urging to get the best price.  I'm sure Agoda gets some % so the hotels overall profit was lower... Maybe they never give the clerks any leeway to make decisions?  

[catman20]

20 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I thought the goose that lays the golden eggs,was a little ill

and not laying so many eggs now,it's common practice for

Thai's to rise prices of goods when sales are down,is this

what is happening here ?

regards Worgeordie

Yes

[catman20]

12 hours ago, sambum said:

Par for the course here, I'm afraid! A few years ago, there was a small complex of about a dozen bars in the tourist resort where I live. They were charging 100 baht for a beer whereas every other bar in the area was charging 65 - 70 baht. I enquired "Why do you charge so much?" The answer (at the time surprisingly, but now no surprise at all!) was "because we have no customers" So I said, "But if you put your prices down, you will have more customers!" And the answer was "But if we put our prices down, each customer will spend less" I just shook my head, finished my drink and walked away, and never went back. (Pointless saying that if you have no customers, you will have no income!) Needless to say, that little complex is no longer there! I believe the expression is "Som num na"? 

Where they will go wrong IS by uping The price 100% as this seems the norm here.

[DM07]

Have a guess, how many hotels in BKK lowered their rates or cancelled their minimum stay-policy, after it was announced, there will be no firework display on New Years Eve....


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[mercman24]

just got back from 4 days in Pattaya, i know its a booking ploy (our last room etc), 111 rooms. the hotel was devoid of any guests.the place was empty, so much for , high season is booming.

[darren84310]

16 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

I don't know whether you've ever seen the US TV series "Hotel Impossible" which is about an acknowledged expert advising struggling hotels.  Oh so frequently one of the major issues is that the hotels don't get their pricing right - usually charging far too little, and not raising enough at peak season.  So, yes, many hoteliers do need to be told to raise prices when appropriate, because they are generally rather clueless lacking commercial acumen.

I think even Thais are quite a bit smarter than your average Yank.