Given the slow down in tourism lately the marketing folks there have come up with a catchy slogan:
" Get Your Baht to Thailand"

lol

Good one, Bill! Yes, Bangkok is pretty empty as far as tourists right now. But I understand that Phuket is going to do quite well over the holidays. Everyone with whom we talk is beginning to be more positive about the tourists coming back in January.

good thing you are from texas

We are in Phuket now for the holidays ( dogs and all ) and it is 'busy', I can't say less or the same, you can't count the tourists so it is not that easy to tell.
Jungeylon last evening was busy. Some say there are less tourists from Japan, Korea, Taiwan but plenty from Europe/Australia.
There are so many who come year after year, often same time, same hotel, they probably would not cancel. Also they would have booked months ago.

I think the telling time will be early New Year to see if people book for Feb-April period.

There was a poster along the Gold Coast some months back by Air Asia X promotion their flights from Gold Coast ( Coolangatta ) to KL to connect to Phuket.

I was promoting Phuket ( figure it out yourselves ) - only in Australia !

Bargains for the brave – Thailand slashes prices

Chris Haslam

Prices of holidays in Thailand are to be cut in a bid to restore confidence following recent political unrest. The number of visitors has fallen by an estimated 50% since the week-long protests that closed Bangkok’s airports, and Thailand’s tourism authority says the episode will cost the country 3m visitors this season. To entice travellers to return, hotels are offering rooms for as little as half the published price.

It remains to be seen, though, how many will be brave enough to take advantage of the offers. Hoteliers have expressed fears that supporters of the ousted prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, will cause yet more disruption, and the Thai ambassador, Kitti Wasinondh, was unable to rule out a repeat of the airport occupation. “Nobody can guarantee there will be no political tension,” he said. “But... it is my conviction the Thailand government will not let the Bangkok airports close again.”

Those who are willing to travel to Thailand should have no problem finding a bargain, said Chris Lee, of the long-haul specialist Travelmood. “The offers are flying in, no doubt about it,” he said. “Within the next week, both Thai Airways and EVA Air will be offering significant fare reductions to complement the great hotel deals coming up.”

Deals from Travelmood (0800 011 1945, www.travelmood.com ) include 10 nights for the price of five at the Regent Chalets, Cha-am, making a total of £699pp, including flights; and eight nights for the price of four at the four-star Cape Panwa hotel, in Phuket, now £799pp, including flights. The Four Seasons in Bangkok is offering every third night free, and the Centara Grand Beach Resort, in Ko Samui, has cut room rates from £205 to £146.

Related Links
The best last minute travel deals and bargains
Flight Centre (0870 499 0040, www.flightcentre.co.uk ) has 10 nights for the price of five at the Chedi Phuket: £1,355pp, including premium-economy flights. Trailfinders (0845 050 5871, www.trailfinders.com ) has eight nights for the price of four at the Evason Phuket: £889pp, including flights. And at the luxury end of the market, Carrier (0161 491 7630, www.carrier.co.uk ) has eight nights at the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi for £1,985pp, including flights, a saving of £1,590.




Have your say

I returned to Dubai on 21st December after enjoying a wonderful week in Bangkok. The new airport is awesome and traffice congestion is rare due to the small number of tourists. Prices in the shops and markets are low. Grab a cheap flight and book 5 star hotels real cheap on the net.

Barry Peile, Dubai, UAE

It's winter in Bangkok, the temperature is usually around 20 degrees Celsius in the morning, sunny but not-so-hot for almost all Europeans. For those who get bored with snowy lonely winter in Britain, it's time to pack your bags, take a flight to Suwannabhum and enjoy the best bargain ever.

Naris Waranawat, Bangkok, Thailand

As one who was stuck in Phuket trying to get to Cambodia for 6 days (never did make it) due to the politics of Thailand, I am one who will NEVER step foot on Thai soil again, not even to transit through the airport. I won't take the chance of a disruption like that happening again. Thia protesters got away with it once, what's to stop the Thais from doing it again. here in the US Thailand has gotten a very bad reputation.
I incurred an extra $1200 of expenses while stuck there and finally leaving from their "political unrest" and the travel insurance company AIG Travelguard will not pay my claim.

That's a pity for you Susie. I mean about you not going to Thailand again.

Susiesan:

So, youre gonna boycott Thailand cause of a bit of bother? Well, perhaps the rest of the world should boycott places like The US where terrorists blow up buildings and airplanes (what happened to Thailand is nothing compared to The US).
Maybe you forget that the whole of The US was closd off to the entire world due to Sept 11. Tourists to Thailand have never been targetted danger (unlike The US).

In the meantime, enjoy bargains at

http://www.tourismthailand.org/thailandsuperdeal/

Soon susiesan is going to turn into a bit of a pain on this particular topic. She's NEVER going to forget and she's NEVER going to forgive and she's NEVER going to let us forget about it either.

Then she's going to sue; first the insurance company, then the Thai government, then me [because I've written this] then His Majesty himself. Then she will kill and eat every third-born Thai child until her anger is satisfied.

There's only one positive to this: susie is NEVER going to visit Thailand again. It was almost worth closing down the airport just for that. Just you make sure you maintain that rage, susie - it's such an attractive quality.

Oh, come on Susie. Yes we know the protest caused you problems and we know it hit your wallet. Travelling rarely goes just exactly as we plan it. Sometimes little hiccups and sometimes major problems. I think most of us using this forum can recall occasions when 'the cr.. hit the fan'.
So just put it down to experience and move on.
I wish you good luck with your insurance claim.

Would you still consider flying into Thai aerospace or is that off limits too? You know, there's a little bit of Thailand inside your mind right now. Does that make you crazy?

We were in Manila on our last trip there when they had a minu coup attempt right down the block from where we were staying- a bit of an inconvenience for a day but then things returned to normal- hey &*!@ happens - its a part of life!