Is there a tourist slump in Hua Hin/Thailand?

[Korkenzieher]

The Pier restaurants seem to be quite busy too - or at least, they are much busier than the side streets. It seems to be mainly the bar districts which have been hit by any drop. Does anyone now how the resort market is holding up? In general, the HH hotel market seems pretty robust from what I can tell.

[Khundon1975]

According to relatives with businesses in HH they are packed out most days and at weekends are turning people away.
They expect this trend to continue, as more and more Asians and farangs, holiday in Hua Hin.
Being too busy, was the main reason we gave up our business there, we never had any time to ourselves and we were only open 6 days a week.

We visited Thailand a few weeks ago and did not even visit Hua Hin, because we knew it would be packed out with visitors, went North instead and really enjoyed ourselves.

[Korkenzieher]

Some things - some areas - seem surprisingly busy. But it is very uneven. Go to Cicada market, and it can be heaving, but the 3 or 4 cafe's there can be empty (the bars seem frequently pretty desolate). There's usually a few people in the Italian restaurant there - but not a soul in the others.

It just seems as though the demographic has changed dramatically. Of course, one of the underlying issues with that is the large number of businesses, principally bars & restaurants, which have been developed over the years tending to cater more or less exclusively to European guests. It is hard to see where the new style of visitor (as Khundon says, maybe increasingly Asian) is impacting that market. There's no great rise in alternatives, which should suggest that they are all using Thai places to eat - but I don't see them. How many people have sat in a Thai restaurant full of Japanese, Vietnamese, Malay? I cannot believe that receipts - cash over the counter - has not suffered as a result of the change.

[Khundon1975]

Korkenzieher When my wife started her business in HH back in 1999, she only wanted it to be a small, quiet coffee shop, all be it in a very good location.
She wasn't after large profits, just a business that would tick over and give her something to do and to employ a few staff.
Many of our customers back then were farang with Thais and other Asians, mainly the BKK set, making up the rest.
It was fine, until the Bangkok Post did a feature on her food and the venue, then business got crazy, with punters arriving by the coachload. Being packed out every day meant loads more staff etc and very little time off to enjoy ourselves.
I was on a retirement visa, so could not work in the business,(nor did I want to) so was left with nothing to do to keep busy. The business was taking over 300k on a long weekend but that meant her working dawn till dusk, which was not what we moved to Thailand for, so we gave the business to her relative and never looked back.
Now, the main group of customers are Thai/Chinese and other Asians, who come to HH for a week or weekend and who spend a lot of money. The amount of farang customers has dwindled to around 5% over the last few years but that was never a problem, as Asians always spent more.

The point is, that if you have a good business in a prime position then you will do well but all these new venues that have opened in the last few years such as Cicada market and the other themed markets are, mostly empty and mostly crap venues. I would not dream of setting up or buying a business in any of those places. Anyone doing so, is just wasting their money, IMHO. The market is flooded with so called upmarket venues and still they keep building them!!!

[PET]

Location, location, location is the issue - people just ignore it or forget it at their peril.

[Pleng]

There's no great rise in alternatives, which should suggest that they are all using Thai places to eat - but I don't see them. How many people have sat in a Thai restaurant full of Japanese, Vietnamese, Malay?

I live in an apartment, next to a busy Thai restaurant which is next to a hotel. The customers are mostly Thai but you normally have at least one table occupied by a Korean or Chinese group.

However I do feel that the majority of the 'new' tourists spend most their time eating in their hotel.

[oakdale160]

Many tourists buy take out food and alcohol at 7/11 and sit in their rooms, great vacation.

[Korkenzieher]

300k takings in a weekend for any business is pretty spectacular, Oakdale. I wouldn't think there are too many family scale businesses pulling anything like that. A Bintablock bar owner friend of mine would regularly only turn-over 60-70k a month 5 years ago or so. Enough for all the costs, his rent, and a living - but still pretty small beer! (sorry about that one...). High season takings may have been more than that - I am talking th rest of the time.

[Stargeezer]

Thank God there are lots of places in the world that are having their own problems and
want to get away to somewhere warm to hot for a break. Even with the Coup still going on, I would rather go to Thailand and enjoy somewhere like, Hua Hin, Phuket, or north in the hills, than to go to
some country that has crazies blowing themselves up almost daily.
I just hope that by late Fall in October, I will have enough money saved up for yet another
trip to Thailand! There may be a slump, but it won't affect my holidays, and I feel privileged every time
I can afford to escape the Canadian Winter.

[Big Boy]

I was looking yesterday to find a hotel for some friends who will be coming to Hua Hin over the Christmas period. I looked at 8 hotels, and 2 were already fully booked.

OK, a busy time of the year, but people are still coming.

[richard]

I was looking yesterday to find a hotel for some friends who will be coming to Hua Hin over the Christmas period. I looked at 8 hotels, and 2 were already fully booked.

OK, a busy time of the year, but people are still coming.

Likely be overseas agents block booking BB. Many hotels do deals in such a way and don't release rooms until closer to the booked time

[MrPlum]

I see quite a few new faces walking around Market Village and last night in the Hilton area. Yet, 'Market Town' in Market Village is in a coma, as are most massage shops. Vendors at Plearn Wan are idle and Cicada last weekend was virtually empty. You can hear the death rattle coming from Venezia and the floating markets. Good time to pick up a business cheaply!

Having said that, I recall May last year being quiet. June a little better, while the European holidays bring families in July. Thankfully the curfew has now ended, which should help.

[billy70]

May I ask if there's a predominant nationality of the European tourists in Hua Hin (e.g. some areas of Thailand appear to be popular with Brits, others with Swedes, etc). Neither hear nor there really, just wondering who I might find out on the golf courses.

[oakdale160]

Billy, there is a difference between Tourists , Long term winter stays and 'Most of the year' expats.
Anyway more or less Nov to april-- heavy Scandinavian presense, may to Oct, a mixture but heavy British presense.
Other posters agree?

[Korkenzieher]

I'd say there's recently been a significant rise in French and Norwegian and maybe a bit of a fall off in Brits and Germans over the last few years. Swedes seem to be there all the time. But the Winterer (of which I am one) market seems to be solidly northern European that's for sure.