[AMcWhirter]

I thought this news would be of interest as I know quite a few of you visit Thailand.

The initial report two days ago by Bangkok Post suggested that foreigners pay more than Thai locals for their hotel accommodation.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2341012/govt-plans-to-charge-foreigners-more-than-thais-for-hotel-rooms

But today’s Bangkok Post reports that the govt’s plans have been derided by hoteliers.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2341872/hoteliers-deride-government-proposal-for-dual-pricing

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

[StephenLondon]

Baiyoke Tower tried this 20 years ago, figuring that tourists were wealthy enough to travel to Thailand they should pay more. I advised Mrs Baiyoke that the same logic should apply to Thai citizens overseas, if they are rich enough to travel they could pay more. She didn’t like that at all. So to access the then viewing deck in her building, one price was paid by all.

[cwoodward]

Yes about 20 years ago.
From memory the idea lasted a week or two.

It is a clumsy way to raise revenue and it won’t happen. The simple way is to raise an extra arrivals tax for 24 months.
They do desperately need funds and I suggest something like GBP30 for all adults over 18 -children and over seventies FOC
Some will moan but they will not stay away

[DannyBoy]

Quite common practice across India.

[christopheL]

Why do they don’t charge hotel rooms the same price as tourists have to pay when they book a hotel room in there own country ? This would be fair and would give them more revenues.

[Sanran]

Very common in Indonesia as well and it’s working in my opinion.

[TominScotland]

For me, the flaw in this proposal by the Thai Government is that hotel rooms are not fixed price commodities and are subject to huge variation in response to demand. If the differential pricing applies to ‘rack rates’ where they still exist, that is fine but relatively meaningless. As a Thai or a foreigner, I would still be able to obtain a better deal (if demand was flat) directly with the hotel or via a booking platform. If the objective here is to make hotel rooms more affodable to Thais, then another answer might be an hotels equivalent of Richi Sunaks’s dining out subsidy during the pandemic, available to Thai residents only. An arrivals tax for foreigners would benefit the Thai Government and not help local folk to afford hotel accommodattion.

[cwoodward]

Some above have quoted a similar system as proposed working well, perhaps but given the rampant corruption in the countries mentioned as well as in Thailand how much of the payments made reach the respective governments ? I would suggest very little which is just one of the reasons why the proposed system in Thailand is frankly a non-starter.

[MartynSinclair]

As Thailand comes out of the pandemic, hotel dual pricing has already existed, may be in a slightly different format. Locals (I believe defined as residents, including ex-pats) were / are able to access extremely favourable rates for hotels across Thailand, through a voucher system. This has provided support for the hotels in Thailand as well as giving them the opportunity to gear up and re open rooms. I know of many ex-pats who simply uprooted from BKK and moved to a beach resort for 4 – 6 weeks.

One of the unintended consequences of the voucher system was many locals and ex-pats, discovered executive lounges, hotel points and free flow alcohol and food. A cheap night out or weekend away was rocking up to a top end hotel and devouring lounge buffets and bottles of alcohol. I could be in an empty lounge at 2 minutes to 6 and then BAM as the clock strikes 6pm – it was like a swarm of piranha, the masses arrived. At 1 minute past 8, all was quiet again. The prices offered were very competitive and were far lower than I could obtain.

Did it bother me – absolutely NO!

I have now made 2 visits to Thailand since it has reopened and my 3rd is a couple of weeks away. You may read about the economic devastation Covid has caused, but to witness the effects first hand even within a business area of Bangkok was a truly humbling and sad (there by the grace of G-d go I).

So do I mind about locals getting an economic advantage in hotels over me. I will turn it around slightly and say as long as my business can sustain the costs of our BKK office and visits, I will continue to support a country, in what ever way I can, that has contributed to my income and livelihood for the past 20 years. Of course I hope the benefit goes to the right people and does not end up in the wrong hands.

In reality though, I am more worried about the increasing costs of airline tickets and challengea if travelling within Europe, over the question of whether I will be charged a few baht more for my hotel accommodation.

7 users thanked author for this post.

DerekVH, Paul, BPP, Tramor01, AMcWhirter, ASK1945, cwoodward

[stuartfrenchy]

As long as the proposed tax REALLY does benefit those that are below and just above the poverty line in Thailand. Unfortunately we all know that most of this tax revenue will find its way to the already ( for decades ) well greased linings of upper level government official’s pockets.

2 users thanked author for this post.

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[TerryMcManus24]

One option is to find yourself a Thai wife or trusted GF..and use the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) co-payment scheme. Looking at a short visit to Patty I noticed that the discount works out at approx 40% for Avani Hotels…..ie Royal Garden. Also sometimes works when showing my Thai ID (pink card) or Driving License…..สำหรับข้อมูลเท่านั้น

1 user thanked author for this post.

LuganoPirate

[LuganoPirate]

[postquote quote=1226891]

Great idea Terry, though Mrs. LP may not quite share the same sentiments 😉 😉

4 users thanked author for this post.

SimonRowberry, cwoodward, DerekVH, TerryMcManus24

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