Some hotels full

[whitespider - RIP]

After reading and posting in the following thread I thought I would pass this info' on.

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/160400-is-there-a-russian-invasion-in-pattaya/page-2#entry2259668

 

Over the last 4 weeks we have run a fairly extensive "test" using the forums Agoda affiliate account. Before I continue I need to make 4 things clear.

 

1. I am NOT suggesting that you will not be able to "walk in" or book late. I am merely passing on the results that emerge from that test.

 

2. The test was run after the visitor numbers were released by TAT recently showing huge increases in visitor numbers recently and the huge increase they are predicting for 2014. The recent increases are factual - their 2014 predictions I will believe when I see them. However the FACT remains that visitor numbers are massively UP but these are predominantly Russian and Chinese visitors. This means we see a big DROP in room availability but at the same time fewer people in the bars.

 

3. Most of you know, but I will reiterate that we are paid commission when people book on Agoda (or several other online sites) if booked via a link or banner on PA. I make no excuses for this - without those booking there would be no forum anyway.

 

4. I have ONLY tested on Agoda - however it is (fairly) safe to say that the results would be "pro rata" across all booking options.

 

I have run checks across approx 60 hotels (using the most booked by members) and for each hotel checked approx 50 "dates" ranging from July 2013 to March 2014.

 

The results are that from July to end of October 40% of the dates we tried to book were "unavailable".

 

This increased to almost 60% between November 2013 and 1st March 2014.

 

These figures obviously vary from hotel to hotel. However if you wish to book any of the following hotels I strongly advise advanced booking and also booking in full. I do, of course, hope some will use Agoda (from our links) but it also applies equally to other booking options and direct. I am trying my best to list these in "order" but it is somewhat inexact. I did NOT check Bangkok or Phuket etc (yet).

 

This list is NOT exclusive these are simply the ones that had the lowest availability rates by some distance and many are frequently in our "top 10 booked by PA members list.

 

Page 10 - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/page_10_hotel.html?cid=1412148

 

August Suites - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/august_suites_pattaya.html?cid=1412148

April Suites - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/april_suites_pattaya.html?cid=1412148

Areca Lodge - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/areca_lodge_hotel.html?cid=1412148

Tim Boutique - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/tim_boutique_hotel.html?cid=1412148

 

Marriott Pattaya - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/pattaya_marriott_resort_spa.html?cid=1412148

Dusit D2 - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/dusit_d2_baraquda_pattaya_hotel.html?cid=1412148

At Mind - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/at_mind_serviced_residence.html?cid=1412148

LK Renaissance - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/lk_renaissance_hotel.html?cid=1412148

LK Empress - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/lk_the_empress.html?cid=1412148

LK Metropole - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/lk_metropole_hotel.html?cid=1412148

LK Royal Wing - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/lk_royal_wing_hotel.html?cid=1412148

LK Royal Suite - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/lk_royal_suite_hotel.html?CID=1412148

Sea Me Spring - http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/sea_me_spring_hotel.html?cid=1412148

View talay 6 - www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/pattaya/view_talay_condo_6_by_room_rental_service.html?cid=1412148

 

On a final note - but quite important

 

To those of you who DO book through Agoda, specifically to help with forum costs, a big thank you. HOWEVER - Agoda have removed the "repeat visitor" payments (we are not exactly sure when as they didnt notify us). Previously if you booked through Agoda you remained our "client" for future bookings. That is no longer the case so you need to book via a link or banner AGAIN for the forum to receive the credit.

[jocky king]

Thank heavens, I bought a condo.

[Scumbag]

Thank heavens, I bought a house.      

[jocky king]

Thank heavens, I bought a house.      

Ok you win smartarse...   

[robert69]

Thank heavens I own a cardboard box

 

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[jocky king]

Thank heavens I own a cardboard box

 

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Good one...

[AngleWong]

Thanks for this whitespider and for the explanations regarding where the increased visitors are coming from. I have found an increasing number of Indian tourists staying in bayview, which is why I don't go there now for exactly that reason and also they are starting to frequent the LK Empress which is where I now stay. But what I just don't understand is how they can afford to stay in either of these places. They literally don't have two baht to rub together and there are more of them per room than there is beds. I just can't for the life of me believe that they are paying the same rates as I am.

 

Surely good news though for those making constant enquiries about starting a guest house in the business forum.

[Scumbag]

They literally don't have two baht to rub together and there are more of them per room than there is beds. I just can't for the life of me believe that they are paying the same rates as I am.

 

According to TaT 'the  spending per head of Indian tourists is estimated around 5,281 baht per day, compared to 4,389  baht per day for general tourists' (source). Not all Indians are poor.

[AngleWong]

According to TaT 'the  spending per head of Indian tourists is estimated around 5,281 baht per day, compared to 4,389  baht per day for general tourists' (source). Not all Indians are poor.

That is shocking. I can only assume that because this is an average that there are a few very big spending Indians indeed. It was my experience at the Bayview hotel that they don't like to spend on a thing, using the swimming pool as a bath, I kid you not. Also general tourists, it would be hard to imagine just what that group might comprise of. But that said, I have certainly noticed an increase in what I would describe as white trash in Pattaya, probably bringing down the average.

[Jack_41]

Cheers for the info. I'll be sure to book via the link.

[FROST MEDIC999]

Thank heavens, I bought a condo.

Thank Heavens i know somebody who brought a Condo and will let me use it

 

Ghosty

[jocky king]

Thank Heavens i know somebody who brought a Condo and will let me use it

 

Ghosty

Anytime brother when there is no one there, at present there is two tenants renting at my 2 condos long term. When it is empty, you are always welcome . 

[izzyg]

Very strange.... I wonder if Agoda have changes something on available rooms. I'm looking at August Suites in August (!) and there seems not to be one single Deluxe room available for the entire August. Some days there are superior rooms available and some days there is not a single room of any type available.

 

I booked this late for my March trip and had no problem getting a Deluxe room at August Suites.Very surprising that there is a tourist invasion in the mid of low season. I have never seen many russians or chinese staying at August Suites either......

[Scumbag]

Very strange.... I wonder if Agoda have changes something on available rooms. I'm looking at August Suites in August (!) and there seems not to be one single Deluxe room available for the entire August. Some days there are superior rooms available and some days there is not a single room of any type available.

 

I booked this late for my March trip and had no problem getting a Deluxe room at August Suites.Very surprising that there is a tourist invasion in the mid of low season. I have never seen many russians or chinese staying at August Suites either......

I suspect that hotels do not make all their rooms available to Agoda. They would want to keep some so that they can sell them themselves and get more money for them.

[FTS]

I suspect that hotels do not make all their rooms available to Agoda. They would want to keep some so that they can sell them themselves and get more money for them.

 

You may also find many hotels are listed on Agoda and "sold out" but have plenty of rooms on other sites

[splitpin]

Try

 

http://www.hotelscombined.com/

 

 

Find better rates than Agoda, also they show full net price

[Zauberfee]

I really wonder why my previous post in this thread has been deleted

[hangama100]

China, Russia and India will be the fastest-growing markets for Thai tourism in 2014, according to the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT).
However, the three markets are mostly in the medium- and low-end segments.
To expand these markets, the TAT will try to attract medium- to high-end tourists as their economies have a
positive outlook, said Pongsathorn Kessasamli, deputy governor for policy and planning.
To boost the Chinese market, the TAT opened its fifth office in China in Guangzhou by the end of the year to
cover South China. The first four offices are in Beijing, Kunming, Shanghai, and Chengdu.
TAT expected the number of Chinese tourist arrivals to Thailand to reach 5.4 million in 2014, compared to the
projected 4 million this year.
The Guangzhou office will also cover Shenzhen. At present, per-capita revenue for Guangzhou people is on par
with that of Beijing and Shanghai, at around 100,000 yuan, while Shenzhen is 150,000 yuan.
For the Indian market, TAT projects the number of visitors from India will reach 1.3 million this year. The
spending per head of Indian tourists is estimated around 5,281 baht per day, compared to 4,389 baht per day for
general tourists.
Runjuan Tongrut, the TAT's director for North and East India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, said more than
half of India's population are under 25 years old. They will grow up and be a future tourism market.

Ms Rungjuan added that 94% of Indian tourists are smartphone users and can access mobile internet, so travel
agents can use the online channel to promote their tourism products.
Pasakorn Supannapan, director at the TAT's Moscow Office, said the Russian market showed the highest growth
in Europe. The arrivals of Russian tourists to Thailand will be more than 1.9 million next year.
To capture the high-end market in Russia, TAT should seriously promote honeymoon and wedding, medical and
wellness especially check-up services. It also plans to introduce Koh Samui as a honeymoon and wedding
destination

[izzyg]

Very strange.... I wonder if Agoda have changes something on available rooms. I'm looking at August Suites in August (!) and there seems not to be one single Deluxe room available for the entire August. Some days there are superior rooms available and some days there is not a single room of any type available.

 

I booked this late for my March trip and had no problem getting a Deluxe room at August Suites.Very surprising that there is a tourist invasion in the mid of low season. I have never seen many russians or chinese staying at August Suites either......

 

... and now when I checked again all three types of rooms (Superior, Deluxe and Executive) were available and I booked a Deluxe. Three days ago there was no rooms at all available.

[Klongwater]

You may also find many hotels are listed on Agoda and "sold out" but have plenty of rooms on other sites

I've noticed this too.

 

A friend tried to book the same hotel I was staying in,but got the "sold out" message on Agoda. I popped down to reception,and booked him a room on the spot....there was huge availability still.

[geezerrb]

I like many others have theories somewhat based from knowledge gleaned by contacts who are involved in the tourist industry, my own booking experiences and information posted here. It is the same with flights, its amazing how the cost can change despite all the experience of booking myself and the often good advice given on the forum. With the current gloom doom and despondency on the forum and perhaps igniting the "tourist" pressures created argument, Pattaya is getting booked up particularly for late November/early December, room choices down, some hotels "fully booked". Thank goodness my one experience of xmas/new year particularly in regard to attitude as well as cost has turned me into a low season veteran who gets a lot more for less.

[Luv2Phuket]

On a final note - but quite important

 

To those of you who DO book through Agoda, specifically to help with forum costs, a big thank you. HOWEVER - Agoda have removed the "repeat visitor" payments (we are not exactly sure when as they didnt notify us). Previously if you booked through Agoda you remained our "client" for future bookings. That is no longer the case so you need to book via a link or banner AGAIN for the forum to receive the credit.

 

Thanks for the info on this -- I was unaware, but will go through PA instead of the Agoda bookmark that I have used in the past.

 

I assume the rates are the same?

[Woofiee]

I have to post this large so people read it this time (I've posted it before) so…

 

These online booking services (hotels, airfare, etc) use cookies to track which hotels you view, for the period you're searching in and how many times your return.

 

Prices are often jiggered based on these cookies, so always keep a separate browser available (Firefox, Safari, Chrome, whatever) that you can clear ALL cookies from. Also use Flash-blocking and ad-blocking plugins so those don't track you across comparison sites too. 

 

A cleaned-out browser will often give you the best rates possible, so always: 

• Clear your cache
• Clear all cookies, including in Flash
• Clear the history
• Start fresh every time!

 

Ahem. Sorry for the shout, but it's the easiest way to do this and everyone seems to remain oblivious to tracking cookies. It's 2013 - time to be aware, guys!

[Muso]

Slightly off topic, I tried to book several hotels via Agoda for Jan-Feb, and none were available for my requested dates. I tracked 3 of my preferred ones down and sent e-mails direct to the hotels and what do ya know... all 3 had available rooms... Now booked...

[Ru4Real]

^^ What he said.

 

Also, worth looking at other countries versions of the same sites e.g. Expedia Brazil where selling the exact same Qantas flights a while back from Australia to Bkk return for less than you could get one way from the Aussie site.

 

EDIT: Damn, hate getting interrupted mid post and end up replying/referencing wrong post lol

 

"What he said" refers to tracking cookies bumping prices.