No room at the Inn - tourism dropoff my arse

[Bexar County Stud]

I'm a off-season kind of guy, I hate hordes and high prices, but I've got friends coming in, so what can I do?

This is painful. Looking around online, it seems damn near everyplace I want to go is booked solid. Even the local joints around my area, usually available this time of year are booked from now thru the 1st week of January.

I reckon once the 3rd, 4th and 5th options are exhausted, all that's left to do is show up and try to find something in person. A diaster, in other words.

Some of these places really take the piss. A place on Koh Chang listing their rooms at 57 bucks a night this week. For New Year's eve, the same joint is asking around $600!

High season sucks.

[kingwilly]

bring a blacket, sleep on da beach. rough it man, travel the way travel should be traveled, The Beach style.

[Camel Toe]

I live in a heavily touristed town. It's dead.

[mediamanbkk]

For New Year's eve, the same joint is asking around $600!

Its the "You must attend our crappy New Years Gala Dinner if you want to stay" scam.

[Bexar County Stud]

For New Year's eve, the same joint is asking around $600!

Its the "You must attend our crappy New Years Gala Dinner if you want to stay" scam.

I'm amazed at the prices. 300, 400, 500 bucks a night for Thailand. I think the most I've ever paid is around $125, and that's too much.

I guess folks will pay anything to escape the bitter cold.

[Rural Surin]

This whole high-season and low-season thing is just a scam invented by the airlines, travel agancies, and travel industry at large....and we buy into it.

[Bexar County Stud]

This whole high-season and low-season thing is just a scam invented by the airlines, travel agancies, and travel industry at large....and we buy into it.

Whatever the market will bear, I can't blame 'em for that. If you owned a hotel, you'd be doing the same thing, I know I would.

[blackgang]

the most I've ever paid is around $125, and that's too much

I don't know what you guys are talking about.
Maybe you are doing lke I do sometimes and just posting some over the top bullshit.
But I have not, in over 50 years fucking around here spent that much for a week, let alone for 1 nite.

[Bexar County Stud]

the most I've ever paid is around $125, and that's too much

I don't know what you guys are talking about.
Maybe you are doing lke I do sometimes and just posting some over the top bullshit.
But I have not, in over 50 years fucking around here spent that much for a week, let alone for 1 nite.

Most often I try to save money and take advantage of cheap prices in Thailand, but I also like to splash out with a bit of luxury on special occasions. Always doing the same thing is not very interesting in my opinion, but if it works for you, that's wonderful.

[mediamanbkk]

$125 a night should get you a fairly decent hotel in Thailand but not in the high season it seems. I would try calling rather than using their websites.

[Texpat]

They want to give the impression they're exclusive, and hoards are waiting in line to stay at their exotic, tropical resort.



Call them -- they'll likely try to squeeze you in -- but it might cost you a little extra.

[baldrick]

A place on Koh Chang listing their rooms at 57 bucks a night this week. For New Year's eve, the same joint is asking around $600!

is our member pickel on samet or chang ?

[Bexar County Stud]

Calling around Pattaya looking to rent a car as well. "No car until first week in January."

Nobody to blame but myself (actually my friends kinda sprung this on me last minute), but I think it just goes to show you that the news stories about a tourism disaster in Thailand were more than a bit overblown, if not completely wrong.

[mediamanbkk]

I do know that a lot of the small to medium rated hotels in Thailand are not on an an instant confirmation system online such as via Asia Rooms or Travelocity, therefore what they do is allocate a set number of rooms per night for internet bookings (by request booking) and fail to keep the actual status of rooms up to date. I take it you have rung around already.

[Marmite the Dog]

A lot of budget places seem to be doing quite well, as I guess people affected by weak currencies are tightening their belts, but the luxury places in Bangkok and Hua Hin are absolutely desperate and are laying of staff and closing restaurants.

For example, the Sofitel in Hua Hin reported an occupancy of 3 people in one room on one day last week. Time to put their prices up!

[Texpat]

Maybe the hotels and car rental places took vacations themselves (or let their staff go) because of low numbers.

[Happyman]

It must be localised - Phuket Town is like the land of the lost - absolutely empty - Takings at my local bar that relies on daytime tourist trade over the Xmas period / high season to carry it through for the rest of the year, are down 80 % !!
Bike and car hire places are selling off stock as well - some good bargains on bikes with low mileage ( they stocked up for the high season) - am looking at a Honda "Click" 2 months old with 300 km on the clock at the moment. 18,000baht below new price !!!

[Rural Surin]

It must be localised - Phuket Town is like the land of the lost - absolutely empty - Takings at my local bar that relies on daytime tourist trade over the Xmas period / high season to carry it through for the rest of the year, are down 80 % !!
Bike and car hire places are selling off stock as well - some good bargains on bikes with low mileage ( they stocked up for the high season) - am looking at a Honda "Click" 2 months old with 300 km on the clock at the moment. 18,000baht below new price !!!

....and when these business that depend on tourist and such, what is the first thing that they do when they find themselves in this perdicament? The raise all prices.

[pickel]

is our member pickel on samet or chang ?

I'm on Koh Chang. There are plenty of cheap places to stay here. If you want a nice resort with a swimming pool though, pretty much all of them have the stupid new years gala compulsory fee.

This whole high-season and low-season thing is just a scam invented by the airlines, travel agancies, and travel industry at large....and we buy into it.

If you believe that then you also believe they invented snow and rain.

[English Noodles]

If you believe that then you also believe they invented snow and rain.

I would green you but it will only turn out a greyish blue.

[Camel Toe]

Business on Samui as well, giving it away, that is if you can the find the shop's door unbolted.

[Happyman]

It must be localised - Phuket Town is like the land of the lost - absolutely empty - Takings at my local bar that relies on daytime tourist trade over the Xmas period / high season to carry it through for the rest of the year, are down 80 % !!
Bike and car hire places are selling off stock as well - some good bargains on bikes with low mileage ( they stocked up for the high season) - am looking at a Honda "Click" 2 months old with 300 km on the clock at the moment. 18,000baht below new price !!!

....and when these business that depend on tourist and such, what is the first thing that they do when they find themselves in this perdicament? The raise all prices.

Not in this case - happy hour has actually been extended !!!

[Up2U]

If your friends are looking for high-end accommodation, then they will have to pay the tarriff.

Cheap hotels or rooms-to-rent in Pattaya are available everywhere - and they'll lay out the red carpet for you (if they haven't sold it yet).

Try Soi 17 - many, many rooms to rent, or places like Liberty Mansion for more of a hotel deal. If you're into golf - Caddy Shack. All on-line.

[nidhogg]

CNN had a small item on this today. manager of plaza Anthanee (sp?) saying occupancy rates in some 5 Star hotels in single digits. Overall, looked like bangkok was dead, buisnesses relying on tourists reporting 25 to 50% of normal buisness traffic.

[DaffyDuck]

This is painful. Looking around online, it seems damn near everyplace I want to go is booked solid. Even the local joints around my area, usually available this time of year are booked from now thru the 1st week of January.

Online bookings may reflect that, even if the hotel ends up being empty -- a lot of people had vacations booked before the airport closure, which they rebooked to go elsewhere during that crisis -- none of these folks will book back to Thailand, after going through the hassles to change their vacations.

The problem, I speculate, is that most of the online bookings remain booked, as probably most people did not bother, or the systems did not allow, canceling the bookings.

Hence, many of these places may appear fully booked, but are realistically less than 5% booked - at least that's how it seems to appear in most major locations in Thailand at this point (Bangkok, Phuket, Samui, etc...)

It may just be that Pattaya is an exception (as it so often is), since it attracts mostly trailer trash from everywhere (i.e. a 'special' demographic of tourist) which might be less affected by this downturn - at least this very season. 6 months from now may be a different story.

Just something to consider.