Thailand hotel prices and availability post-covid

[Big Boy]

A new yardstick for me because I haven't been anywhere since the start of Covid other than day trips. As some of you will have read on the Koh Samui thread, I've been booking hotels for next month. Whilst considering my options, 5 hotels sold out. I travel on a Monday, so it shouldn't be weekend domestic travel. That aside, I'm not travelling for a month.

[hhinner]

A new yardstick for me because I haven't been anywhere since the start of Covid other than day trips. As some of you will have read on the Koh Samui thread, I've been booking hotels for next month. Whilst considering my options, 5 hotels sold out. I travel on a Monday, so it shouldn't be weekend domestic travel. That aside, I'm not travelling for a month.

Just curious. Were the 5 hotels really sold out or only sold out on Agoda or booking.com or other booking site? If really sold out then it seems things may be looking up. We're thinking of a short trip in August (avoiding week of 12th) and were sort of hoping hotels would still be not very busy.

[Big Boy]

One was definitely sold out on it's own web page as well. The others were Agoda - I went back in later, and they still showed no availability for my dates. Yes, I'll be away on the the 12th - the dates fit my schedule well. I was just putting it down to European school holidays though.

[buksida]

Agoda and the big booking sites have reduced the number of rooms they pre-book so their availability is severely limited (hence the often "sold out" or "last room" messages). When we see that, we usually call the hotel directly to find out they have plenty of rooms (though this long weekend will be busy with the Bangkok exodus). I've actually given up using Agoda for that reason.

[Big Boy]

If that is the case, it is bad news for many hotels then, although, the less popular hotels will probably benefit greatly. For me alone, 5 hotels have lost my business for that week i.e. having been out of the hotel game since Covid, I wasn't aware of this new restricted service.

When you call the hotels direct, do you still get the same rates? I've known several people in the past (pre-Covid) who have been hit with higher rates going direct to the hotel, and they've had to go online to benefit from the cheaper rate.

[buksida]

We used to often get a better rate because its a Thai calling (my Mrs). I'm not talking about 5* places here though, we generally go mid-range. I think that cheaper online deal was before Covid - everything has changed now on the accommodation front and unless all of Bangkok is travelling, hotel rooms should be plentiful and well priced everywhere (or unless they've taken up the govt double charging farangs policy).

[Big Boy]

Well, if Samui is a success, I'll be doing a few short trips, so I'll definitely check on Agoda, but try direct first.

Is there anything Covid hasn't cocked up?

I guess this yardstick needs to go in the bin.

[hhinner]

^^ Agree with buksida's last 2 posts.

[Dannie Boy]

Just out of interest I put in some notional dates to book a hotel in Koh Samui in August - one using my normal UK IP address, the other using a VPN set to Thailand and the same packages were cheaper using the VPN searches, so that’s worth remembering when you want to book a vacation.

[caller]

I experienced this issue with Agoda in Korat, just before or after Songkran. Booked the usual place for just 2 nights and was surprised to see it was nearly sold out. I put it down to Songkran. Its a condo place, so doesn't really have the feel or facilities of a hotel. The test on how busy it is, is how busy the car park is, and that remained almost empty for the two nights we were there.

As for Samui (and Phuket), even without the Agoda booking issues, I would expect these places to be busier than other Thai tourist areas.

[pitsch]

What bothers me about agoda is that you can book in 10 different ways (directly, via discount emails, via Google maps, via tripadvisor and many other booking platforms and you can see 10 different prices. Most of the time booking via Google maps is the cheapest, often by a very significant amount.

[handdrummer]

Always have your Thai wife or girlfriend call the hotel and they will get the Thai rates. Or, you could have her look at the booking sites in Thai and see if the rates are different than the ones in English.

Always remember, that if something is simple and easy, Thais will make it complicated and difficult.

[caller]

I still remember a few years back walking into what was our regular hotel in Bkk, when the other half had to work there, this time at extremely short notice due to unforeseen circumstances, hence no advance booking. Thinking that, as regulars, we would get a better deal, only for the lady on reception, who knew us, apologising as they had no discretion to alter the set walk in rate, which was far more expensive than on-line. She suggested we book on-line there and then to get a much better deal, which is what we did.

[buksida]

Thais do most of their business on Facebook and Line and there are often better deals for hotels there - thats how the mrs finds them. Agoda in Thailand no longer serves its purpose IMO.

[Gregjam]

I recently stayed at a more expensive hotel in Chiangmai and while their own website showed full I was able to book using Agoda contrary to what others are finding.
It seems that as has been said, check all options including phoning direct and using a vpn to check locally or from abroad.