I had a chance last week to spend a few days in Bangkok. It was interesting to be able to check on tourist numbers there and compare opinions with those in Pattaya.
A visit to several watering holes: Golden Bar outside the Nana Hotel, Bully's, Gulliver's, Harry's off Soi 33, Christie's, Rembrandt both on Soi 33, Dubliner and Robin Hood on Sukhumvit- either side of 33 and a couple of those open-air bars at the entrance to Nana Plaza. The staff at pretty much all of these places reckoned that numbers were down not just now but for several months. No wonder so many places are for sale. I spoke to some acquaintances who work in the up-market hotel sector and they weren't positive either. The room rate at the Dynasty Grande was also 20% lower than on my last visit.
Additionally, the current demonstrations going on in Bangkok by PAD elements being broadcast worldwide will almost certainly impact on the upper end of the market and hit occupancy rates even further at that end of the tourist market.
It remains to be seen to what extent the budget end of the market will be affected even with slight easing of the cost of fuel and (at least in the case of THAI) a reduction on the fuel surcharge rate.
Wait and see as they say!
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