More demand for rental lodging in Hua Hin

[Big Boy]

Let's hope so. These Hi Season farang renters are usually repeat business. Hopefully, Bangkok flooding won't happen again for a long time. Grabbing the quick buck could be short sighted.

[STEVE G]

I can't imagine many Thai renters turning away Thais flooded out of their homes in favour of Farang holiday-makers but surely it's not going to be for more than a couple of weeks or so anyway.

[Big Boy]

OK, but haven't I been reading something about minimum 3 month rentals? Or is that simply screwing their poor homeless countrymen even more?

[PeteC]

Those I've talked to in Bangkok, both Thai and farang, say that people are leaving before they really know what is going to happen. It's true that if you don't leave in time, you can't leave if the roads become impassable, and you're then stuck for the duration. Many who have fled over these special holiday days don't really know if their homes are flooded, or to what degree. It could only be nothing more than what happens normally during a heavy rain. Once these high tide days are over and the peak has past, and phone calls to neighbors who have stayed are made, reverse exodus. Pete

[dtaai-maai]

OK, but haven't I been reading something about minimum 3 month rentals? Or is that simply screwing their poor homeless countrymen even more?

No, I think that was a farang agency.

[STEVE G]

Yes, I can't see anyone agreeing to a three month rental unless their house is already flooded.

[Big Boy]

OK, I'll stand corrected then - maybe just wishful thinking by some people. However, I will say that when we rented at this time last year for a month, we had quite a few rejections because we wouldn't pay a minimum 3 months rental.

[Siani]

We rented last year for 3 months. It was an expensive property, we thought it had everything. The pool leaked, so had to be topped up each day, a nightmare, lost all the chemicals, pool man was there when we wanted to swim. Then they dug it up...then it still leaked...so wanted to dig it up again. We said leave it until after we left, too scared to swim then, in case the water was not safe. If I rent next time it will be a condo not a villa. I do think some of the rentals are really high for Thailand...but that is just my opinion of course. What the owners must remember is that if they go too high it may be cheaper for tourists to stay in a hotel.

[dozer]

OK, but haven't I been reading something about minimum 3 month rentals? Or is that simply screwing their poor homeless countrymen even more?

No, I think that was a farang agency.

Agents don't own the properties, so they are looking to make the most regardless. In our case we own all the properties, so we are very careful as to who we rent to.

[MrPlum]

We rented last year for 3 months. It was an expensive property, we thought it had everything. The pool leaked, so had to be topped up each day, a nightmare, lost all the chemicals, pool man was there when we wanted to swim. Then they dug it up...then it still leaked...so wanted to dig it up again. We said leave it until after we left, too scared to swim then, in case the water was not safe. If I rent next time it will be a condo not a villa. I do think some of the rentals are really high for Thailand...but that is just my opinion of course. What the owners must remember is that if they go too high it may be cheaper for tourists to stay in a hotel.

Hope you've now found something to your liking. Long term rentals can be significantly cheaper if you sign up for 2+ years.

All the available short term rentals where I am have been let to Bangkok residents fleeing the floods.

[dozer]

All our properties are one year rental right now. We have one guy who has been with us for 10 years plus, he rents for 12 months,but he only stays 6, November to September. He treats the house as if it was his own, he has developed the garden into on of the best small gardens in town. He called my wife last night to say he would not be coming back until early December and if it is needed to help victims of the flooding go ahead and use it. My wife is not keen, so she probably won't do it, but you have to admire the guys generosity.

[Super Joe]

OK, I'll stand corrected then - maybe just wishful thinking by some people. However, I will say that when we rented at this time last year for a month, we had quite a few rejections because we wouldn't pay a minimum 3 months rental.

That's right to a point BB, some owners stipulate long-term tenants only, ie: 3, 6 months etc. Some are happy with weekly lets as they obtain high rates mostly from tourists. As an indication of the extremes, we have two identical houses next door to each other, one we've let for 2 nights and would do just one night, the other a minimum of 3 months. It's just up to whatever suits the owners really, and location may help determine that... ie: whether the place attracts mostly tourists, mostly long-termer's, neither of these etc. Checking people in and out every few weeks, settling elec bills, damages deposits, cleaning up ready for next customers etc, can be a pain. We've maybe averaged 9'ish months occupancy, so not sure there's much if anything to gain from grabbing the higher tourist dollars!? Dozer's post above reinforces that view.

What the owners must remember is that if they go too high it may be cheaper for tourists to stay in a hotel.

That's an interesting one Siani, and I agree about owners setting the prices too high, but think this is more from a perception viewpoint than an actual calculation of hotels being cheaper, in many cases. Obviously this varies depending on properties, but we have rarely had just the one couple stay in ours (modest 3/4 bed single floor), it's almost always two families, with kids, including teenage kids. So they would require 2 or 3 hotel rooms at maybe 1,500-2,000 Baht/night, in a decent 3* hotel with pool. Using 1,500 Baht they're paying out 90k if 2 rooms, 135k if 3 rooms. So the typical 'farang-style' 3/4 bed pool villas of recent year, within a few kms of the beach/town at 40-60k/month, provide good value on the face of it. Even if that is OTT to us. Also it's not uncommon to have 7 or 8 people book in, so they're maybe paying just 250 Baht/night each.


SJ

[Nereus]

City folk flee to nearby resort towns to escape crisis

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... ape-crisis


Mass Bangkok exodus descends on Pattaya, Hua Hin

Thousands of people have fled Bangkok as floodwaters inch closer to the heart of the city.

Popular destinations within a few hours' drive from the capital, including Pattaya, Bang Saen, Khao Yai, Amphawa, Cha-am and Hua Hin, have been receiving a massive exodus as many Bangkokians choose to evacuate the city.

Pol Lt Col Kongkrit Tangboonchu, 50, of the Crime Suppression Division, said he had paid 28,000 baht to rent a house in Hua Hin for a month for his family of six, plus their five dogs and three cats.

"I decided to bring my family out in advance. If we stayed, we would not be able to go anywhere and might end up a burden to others.

"I have returned to work and will visit my family when I am off duty," he said.

He said he had chosen Hua Hin so his children could enjoy the beach.

Pol Lt Col Kongkrit has two houses in Bangkok _ in Don Muang and Bang Khen districts _ and another in Pathum Thani which he believes will eventually be flooded. Even if the houses are not flooded, his family would have to suffer transport problems and scarcity of food and drinking water. He thinks he made the right decision to leave Bangkok early.

Other popular destinations are Amphawa district of Samut Songkhram province, which is only an hour away from Bangkok, Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima, Pattaya and Bang Saen in Chon Buri and Cha-am in Phetchaburi.

Some resorts have cut their room rates by 50-70% to help flood-affected people. However, discounts are expected to be short-lived as the high season will kick in next month.

In Pattaya, about 80% of hotel rooms are occupied by tourists from Russia and Europe, leaving only a few for flood refugees.

Patcharin Sawetrat, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Pattaya office, said most hotels were reporting occupancy rates of 85% or higher.For the 1,000 or so rooms still unoccupied, hotels have agreed to TAT's request that they cut rates by 50-70% to enable people from Bangkok to stay from two weeks to one month.

Mrs Patcharin said there were still rooms available at condominiums, rental houses, serviced apartments and guesthouses in Pattaya. However, most prefer to lease their rooms out on a monthly or yearly contract, while the majority of flood refugees want to stay for shorter periods.

Oranuj Attanurak, a 57-year-old businesswoman, and her family rented three rooms on Khao Sammuk mountain in Bang Saen. She said rented rooms were scarce there. Most were snapped up a few days ago and monthly rents are as high as 7,000 baht. She said rooms near Bang Saen beach were all taken.

"My family came here last weekend. We found Bang Saen packed with vehicles from Bangkok," she said.

"More cars keep arriving. Now there will likely not be any vacant rooms left, even daily rented rooms."

Wuthichart Kalayanamit, president of state-owned Transport Co, said his agency had increased the daily trips of inter-provincial buses leaving Bangkok from 3,000 to 4,000 to serve about 200,000 travellers per day during the special long holiday from Thursday to Monday.

He said bus terminals in Bangkok were crowded because of the mass exodus. He warned travellers to be aware they may reach their destinations at least five hours later than usual because buses had to make detours to avoid flooded routes. He hoped the increased trips could keep up with demand from people who wanted to escape the capital.

[STEVE G]

He called my wife last night to say he would not be coming back until early December and if it is needed to help victims of the flooding go ahead and use it. My wife is not keen, so she probably won't do it, but you have to admire the guys generosity.

Yes, it's good to see that not everyone is being selfish in these times of burden.

[STEVE G]

Apparently the complex of Thai owned rented houses where I live in the north of Hua Hin, which was half empty when I was there last month, has completely filled up over the last two days, one month minimum rent and same prices as usual.
One thing that you have to be aware of is that whilst the centre of Bangkok hasn't flooded too much, the vast majority of the population lives in the outer suburbs, many of which are two meters deep in water with no relieve in sight for several weeks.