Local travellers flocked to Pattaya last weekend to escape the earthquake impact, leading to full occupancy for most properties, but Hua Hin hoteliers failed to benefit from the exodus from Bangkok as people remain concerned about travel safety on Rama II Road.
Some hotels in Pattaya, Chon Buri and Si Racha recorded many last-minute bookings last Friday, the day of the quake, and on the weekend, with their occupancy rates rising from 70% to full, said Morrakot Kuldilok, president of the eastern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
She attributed the uptick in part to local residents escaping their homes in Bangkok, but other factors include the Qingming festival, when Thai-Chinese visit ancestors’ graves in the provinces.
Domestic guests travelled back to Bangkok for work on Monday, as some companies do not allow remote work, said Ms Morrakot.
She said some foreign travel agents, especially from the Asian market which is highly sensitive to negative news, have asked hotels to inspect their structures, after images of the collapsed State Audit Office building spread worldwide, despite it being the only building in Bangkok that collapsed.
The THA has told travel agents that Pattaya was not affected by the earthquake, and the city does not have as many high-rise buildings as Bangkok, said Ms Morrakot.
The mayor of Pattaya is scheduled to hold a press briefing on Friday on city safety following inspections by experts.
The earthquake should not hamper provincial tourism during Songkran as hotels are still receiving bookings, with the occupancy rate projected at 80% for the festive week, said Ms Morrakot.
Quieter in Hua Hin
Hotels in the beach resort towns of Hua Hin and Cha-am did not receive as many last-minute bookings from domestic tourists as Pattaya, said Udom Srimahachota, vice-president of THA’s western chapter.
He said the average occupancy in Hua Hin was 60% over the past weekend.
Mr Udom said some hotels reported cancellations from guests who feared visiting the city via Rama II Road, known for delayed construction and recent fatal accidents, as some viewed it as unsafe for travel following the earthquake, even though the transport minister announced that the road can be used as usual.
Another turn-off for travellers is that the Dao Khanong expressway exit to Rama II road is still being cleared of debris from a fatal bridge collapse last month. The resulting detour via Suksawat Road has created bumper-to-bumper congestion and lengthy delays.
Mr Udom said that in the coming weeks, Hua Hin could benefit from some groups of foreigners who might want to avoid Bangkok due to earthquake concerns and opt for provincial destinations instead.
However, he is still worried that during Songkran, some domestic tourists might avoid visiting Hua Hin due to concerns over Rama II Road and choose Pattaya and eastern provinces instead.
He said the government should allay concerns over road safety as well as assure convenient travel for tourists during the Songkran week.
While the new phase of the domestic travel co-payment scheme should help boost the sluggish economy and weak tourism confidence in the low season to some extent, the government should promote remote working policies among public organisations or encourage private companies to do so.
The THA studied the impact of last Friday’s earthquake on hotel bookings nationwide. As of March 30, of the 85 hotels surveyed, there were 897 room cancellations, 59 early check-outs and 165 no-show cases.
In 19 Bangkok hotels, there were 406 cancellations, 52 early check-outs and 118 no-shows.
