Decreasing number of tourists?

[sandman67]

read an article that 15 people have died as a result of the cold snap, including some poor old lass who died of exposure last night.

The article also said that hotels in Chang Mai are running at 40% occupancy at the moment....

hmmmm.....a not so high season then.....

[redzonerocker]

when i was up that way, they were wearing jumpers & gloves, complaining about the cold of an evening when it was 17/18 degrees

can't think what they are gonna make of frosty mornings & snow

[STEVE G]

Chiang Mai - Frozen dew happened on the Doi Inthanon Mountain early Tuesday morning, a park official said.

Thitipat Phoraksa, assistant chief of the Doi Inthanon Park, said it was the second consecutive morning that frozen dew happened.

He said mercury on the mountain dropped to 6 Celsius degree in the morning.

The Nation

[chelsea]

Have a good friend who lives in Chiang Mai and she has been saying how cold it is (especially in the morning) for the last two weeks. Did not hear about the frost though, but will check it out.

[margaretcarnes]

Sandman - Thai people don't always die of the cold, but because they don't understand how to keep warm safely!
December/Jan 1999/2000 were also very cold up north with temps down to about 2 degrees C nighttime. (It was pretty chilly in HH as well, with one Thai lady parading a rather nice long mink coat.)
Anyway, it was fumes from dodgy heating appliances and lack of proper ventilation which caused most deaths as I recall.

Beginning to wonder if it was wise to book a flight to Chiang Mai this weekend - but still warmer than London eh?

[buksida]

Not sure how lack of tourists in Hua Hin turned into average seasonal temperatures 25 meters above sea level and depth and consistency of snow in the north ...

Yes there are less tourists in Hua Hin than this time last year, but we probably said that last year too!

[Guess]

Yes there are less tourists in Hua Hin than this time last year, but we probably said that last year too!

Yes, and projections were making the same statements long before the credit crunch story really took hold.

I can't see the new US government having the slightest effect in HH. HH is Euroland with a fair few Canadians and Australians.

Next year maybe.

I hear that ski resorts are being built in Chiang Mai. That should boost tourism.

[BaaBaa.]

I hear that ski resorts are being built in Chiang Mai. That should boost tourism.

Excellent!

I heard there is going to be a Discount package for that and Disney Hua Hin.

[hhfarang]

Saying all that...it snowed in Chang Mai last night

I can believe it. We just got back from a week on the Mekong in Issan. It felt like it was getting down to near freezing temperatures at night there. During the sunny afternoons it must have been around 20 degrees.

If you've read my rants about the (hot) weather here you'll know that I absolutely loved every minute of it. I was running around in shorts and T-shirts while the locals had on what looked like hooded ski jackets!

I tried to soak up enough cold to last me a while. It was the first week in over four years here that I didn't sweat a drop!

If I can sell the house here, we are going to build up there and maybe keep a condo here or in Bangkok for when we want some civilization. I will definitely spend winters up there shivering and loving it!

[Cowtown Comedy]

Agree with you HH...
I love the weather night now...

[STEVE G]

If you've read my rants about the (hot) weather here you'll know that I absolutely loved every minute of it. I was running around in shorts and T-shirts while the locals had on what looked like hooded ski jackets!

Just last night my partner was telling me over the phone that she had bought her son what sounded to me like a ski jacket!

[caller]

Back to topic - but not Hua Hin - if you wondered what happened to the stories of farangs falling from high rises, this one being in Phuket, well, from 5 stories anyway, for which there seems no logical explanation, or what he was even doing in the place he 'fell' from?

Well they end up as front page news in local papers here in the UK. The guy was only 19 and played in a local band. The local Informer reports, "The local police are nor speculating on the cause of the fall, but are investigating."

The article, without formally doing so, asks lots of questions and provides no answers.

[usual suspect]

I noticed LAST YEAR that Xmas-time and the weeks just before & after were definatly quieter. Some bars down Bintabaat were all shut-up by midnight on Xmas eve & Xmas day!
I heard alot of talk of people not coming again for Xmas/N.Year cos of that session of bar-closing last year for the election..what a farce eh?
( A couple I know came for 2 weeks and could not drink,even in their hotel for 7 nights out of 14).
What is the format for this festive period?
I heard a rumour that more elections were taking place...?
Has anyone heard anything?

[Super Joe]

Christmas and New Year aside, isn't it funny when during these alcohol bans its like life is on hold and we're not sure how we'll possibly survive the 24/48 hour period. I'm the same so not having a dig.
We can go away without the missus and kids for a week no problem but a night without bars being open and we're jibbering wrecks
At least it proves our priorities are intact.

Back to topic, I fear its going to be quiet for a good couple of years until the global credit crisis is over, long haul vacations are the sort of luxuries that will be first to go for your average tourists, ie: not regular Thailand visitors of old.
Then the 20%'ish hit in the exchange rate justs ads to it.

SJ

[johnnyk]

Agree with SJ, a trip abroad is discretionary spending and will be one of the first things put on hold IMO. Many people may be trying to bank money or pay down debt what with jobs at risk and so forth.
I'm thinking it will be a lean season for many tourist-dependent enterprises. This does not automatically mean prices will go down.
If Thai logic prevails they will go up to compensate for the shortfall!