Hotel tycoon wants to charge tourists more

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

Bill Heinecke, the Thai-American chairman of Minor International Pcl that runs more than 500 hotels worldwide, wants Thailand to allow hotels to charge international tourists a surcharge of 300 baht (US$8) per room night to fund the industry’s post-Covid-19 pandemic recovery. 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2433012/hotel-tycoon-wants-to-charge-tourists-more-to-fund-recovery
 

[Olddaddy]

Thai hotels are very cheap compared to other Asian countries.

In the Philippines I was surprised to be paying most times double compared to Thailand.

Look at Manila hotel rates compared to Bangkok.😳😳

 

[BiggusDikkus]

4 hours ago, reader said:

wants Thailand to allow hotels to charge international tourists a surcharge of 300 baht (US$8) per room night

This is infuriating. Corporations now think they have the right to tax us. Fuck Bill Heinecke. I will never again stay at an Avani, Anantara or any other of his shitty hotels.

[fedssocr]

7 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Thai hotels are very cheap compared to other Asian countries.

In the Philippines I was surprised to be paying most times double compared to Thailand.

Look at Manila hotel rates compared to Bangkok.😳😳

 

There's such a huge oversupply of hotels in Thailand that it helps keep prices down. Bangkok has so many very nice hotels that are not all part of the big international chains.

[iendo]

Quote

As tourist arrivals will only gradually return to pre-Covid levels, Thailand has said it will focus on extracting more from each visitor.

I guess this sums it up.  🤑

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2433012/hotel-tycoon-wants-to-charge-tourists-more-to-fund-recovery

[dscrtsldnbi]

While US$8/night extra might not seem too taxing for a lot of tourists, there are two issues with this. Firstly, there is no guarantee that the monies collected will indeed go to the industry. Secondly, many tourists will say that taxes of this nature look, feel and actually are rather petty and mean, leaving some unpleasant aftertaste in their mouth. So, instead of helping the industry, the tax will actually achieve exactly the opposite.

[PeterRS]

15 hours ago, BiggusDikkus said:

This is infuriating. Corporations now think they have the right to tax us. Fuck Bill Heinecke. I will never again stay at an Avani, Anantara or any other of his shitty hotels.

With respect, that's a dumb comment. I suppose you haven't noticed the disastrous times the hotel industry in much of the world have faced over nearly 3 years now. I have a friend who has been lucky to remain employed in Thailand but on a much reduced salary. He despairs that so many of his friends lost their jobs as hotels either shut or tried to stay open with very few visitors. I also have a friend in Vietnam who lost his great job at a Six Senses Resort for two years and worked on his parents farm. I'll happily pay a little bit more to help keep them and other staff in work and hotels back into profit. I frankly doubt if anyone is remotely concerned if @BiggusDikkus stays at a Bill Heineke or any other hotel again.

7 hours ago, dscrtsldnbi said:

many tourists will say that taxes of this nature look, feel and actually are rather petty and mean, leaving some unpleasant aftertaste in their mouth. So, instead of helping the industry, the tax will actually achieve exactly the opposite.

Another silly comment given what the world has gone through over three years. No one has to stay at any Bill Heineke Hotel - or any hotel that has surcharges. There are so many of them around.  If you think you're going to be left with a bad taste in your mouth, don't stay! It's perfectly simple.

I wonder if @dscrtsldnbi and @BiggusDikkus take a similar view of the surcharges which have piled up and will continue to pile up in the airline industry as it tries to recoup its massive losses. Given their views, I suppose they will just decide not to travel. Then of course they won't have to stay in any hotels! 🤣🤣

[BiggusDikkus]

57 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

I suppose you haven't noticed the disastrous times the hotel industry in much of the world have faced

I have noticed. I spent the first two years sending money to family members and friends who lost their incomes. Yet no one is calling to socialize their losses with a special tax on a certain industry's customers. This is absolutely galling. Billionaire hotel chain owners do not socialize their profits in good times yet feel entitled to having the government help them socialize their losses in bad times.

[BiggusDikkus]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

Another silly comment given what the world has gone through over three years. No one has to stay at any Bill Heineke Hotel - or any hotel that has surcharges. There are so many of them around.  If you think you're going to be left with a bad taste in your mouth, don't stay! It's perfectly simple.

Are you an idiot or just pretending to be one? If Bill Heineke has his way, every hotel would have no choice but to add these charges. Of course the hotels could charge more without a government mandate, though those that do would chase many of their customers to hotels not charging such a fee. By getting the government to mandate this tax, Heineke is ensuring he won't have to compete on price; all hotels would charge the fee, and the only choice tourists would have would be to go to another country.

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, BiggusDikkus said:

I have noticed. I spent the first two years sending money to family members and friends who lost their incomes. Yet no one is calling to socialize their losses with a special tax on a certain industry's customers. This is absolutely galling. Billionaire hotel chain owners do not socialize their profits in good times yet feel entitled to having the government help them socialize their losses in bad times.

Very good point SIR !

And as pointed above no guarantee that surcharge will be spent as advertised. If Bill wants to charge that extra he can feel free to without asking government to mandate it. What,s next ? Bar owners asking to mandate 100 baht surcharge to every off fee? 

[Patanawet]

Bill Heinecke ----- no need to say more !!!!!

[reader]

If this Heineken wants to squeeze more profits out of his empire, let him raise rates just as airlines have raised fares. If consumers are willing to pay his rates, that’s free enterprise. But he’s looking for a “beard” in the form of a government mandate. 

The Thailand unemployment rate fell to 1.37% in the second quarter of the year. The country can not even attract sufficient foreign workers for its burgeoning construction or food processing industries. There was a recent article that the hospitality industry was having problems attracting service workers. Doesn’t sound like it needs government intervention to me.

[TotallyOz]

Personal attacks are not accepted and will result in a ban. Only warning!

[PeterRS]

21 hours ago, BiggusDikkus said:

Are you an idiot or just pretending to be one?

Neither! I have views on several topics including this one.

[ChristianPFC]

A brain fart! How to implement the plan, collect and distribute the money?

I would say (expletive deleted) and go elsewhere, and many others probably too. The overall effect might be less tourist money spent in Thailand.

Every person and every industry is affected by Covid, but I think this proposal does not help.

I certainly did my share by sending some money to friends and by staying one year in hotels in Cambodia.

[pong2]

So just returned back to BKK -since some nearly 1000 days missing- and a quick round here where I stay-quite far from Silom-it seems many of the higher bracket/chain hotels have closed (even an Ibis) and some seem even have gone the path of so many Thai real estate- just let it rot away-other seem to be maintained for future better times.

The tipical mom+pop/family places seem to have stayed open- the family lives there anyway.

Also notable that an awful lot of 7s have closed. HIghest nr here is now in the 17xxx range, but I guess some 5-7.000 must by now have closed.

The grateful granny who still runs a ´streetfood'place where I used to eat every 2nd day or so even recognised me -she had not even raised prices (or perhaps the trouble to have print new menu´s was too big) and on top of thus very cheap prices she gave me a 5 bt discount-cannot really understand why. I sometimes take some special food items for them-and the place I stay- but as I had no idea who would still be there or not, this time not. Flew EK=emirates, thus change Dubai, both AB380=the large doubledeck, both 100% full and not the best flite I ever had (noisy screaming kids). But sat in the Raillink within 60 mins after deplaning-fast-track/senior immi, then longer wait for luggage-but pretty soon after the bisn/priority container was emptied.

Also strange: in the bottom with Raillink of Swampy the Thai Farmers bank=Kasikorn had the very best rate-the exchanges are furthest away from entry, behind loads of fone/SIM and CF-shops and msg-shops. That was becse they gave the highest rate for all notes-the others a little less for smaller notes (which I had).

BUT on exit at RailLINk at Phayathai I noted there is also a SuperRich there-and gave 15 satang more as in airport.

And no- I will not report any ´adventure´ in this trip till its well finished.