Thailand’s quarantine hotels consider move to hybrid model
Hotels currently operating as alternative state quarantine facilities are considering moving to a hybrid model, as bookings drop ahead of Phuket’s re-opening. ASQ hotels say reduced demand means they may adopt a model whereby they accept both quarantining guests and regular guests from the second half of the year.
Prin Pathanatham from the ASQ-ALQ Club Thailand says bookings have started to drop following confirmation that Phuket’s “sandbox” re-opening would go ahead from July 1. Average occupancy in May had already dropped around 10% from April’s rate of 45 – 50%. Prin says hardly any hotels have received advance bookings after June 15, as people eye quarantine-free entry to Phuket.
“Revenue in the second half of this year will likely plunge once the re-opening plan moves forward. ASQ operators have to monitor the situation and re-evaluate their business models.”
Hotels hope to be operating a hybrid model during the last quarter of the year, with quarantine and non-quarantine operations split between buildings or floors. The focus will be on other services such as banqueting and conferences, as opposed to relying on room bookings.
According to a Bangkok Post report, around 5 – 10% of ASQ hotels are already running a hybrid operation, but how successful it is will depend on the reaction from local tourists and guests.
The ASQ-ALQ Club is also calling on the government to vaccinate 12,000 hotel employees at 147 ASQ properties in the central provinces of Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, and Pathum Thani.
Meanwhile, Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun from the Thai Hotels Association says herd immunity in Thailand remains a very distant goal and that the policy of state quarantine and alternative state quarantine should be prolonged for at least a year.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Why would anyone book an ASQ hotel now when the government keeps flip-flopping the quarantine days back to 15 days? You better wait out and book at the last minute, probably by then the ASQ will be again 10 +1 days or 7+1 days. Who knows. And, besides, Spain and others are now open, no hassle. I have been Pfizer’d and feel it’s total overkill to sit 15 days in ASQ where they cannot even take care of basic hygiene. And yeah, by the way, Thais can travel on the same plane with me to Thailand without any Covid certificate 🙁
You are wright
Once Phuket opens, ASQ hotel business will virtually ceased to exist. Can’t imagine why anyone would want to pay to be quarantine for 14 days instead of paying less to spend 7 days running around Phuket. I mean of course if you must visit.
I dought that tourists will come with the quarantine business and expensive insurance for covid many people in the EU are having their holidays in their own countries even with the good weather all over Europe
Traurig zu lesen noch ein Jahr warten
Madness!!!
It will break their hearts when quarantine ends.
Two weeks guaranteed occupancy, with all meals, at above normal rates – what a racket!
Not really sad to wait one more year. I like it with the beaches lacking the tattooed, ill-mannered western tourists, the loud and spitting Chinese tourists and the cheating Thai locals trying to sell anything not attached to the wall. It’s quiet and nice to be in Thailand now, although my family will now come to Europe to enjoy the summer.
I hope this lasts forever, Thailand is beautiful without the tourists, local or foreign.
@Abbabba – You mean all the tourists except you ?
Good to know that Thailand is dumping the ASQ business racket. Next, dump the insurance racket. Forget trying to make money out of misfortune and think instead about reputation and the new tourism you must build.
The government desperately needs to focus on two things. One is vaccinating its people – there is no greater priority than this. It is not done and the economy will miss the next high-season, further driving a desperate people into criminal and extremist ways.
The other priority must be to restore the country’s tourist assets and infrastructure ready for 2024. Thailand needs to forget the old tourism business and build a new one. It cannot expect to transfer over to the new model.
So as far as most observers and advisors can see, there is much work to do to get 90%+ inoculated, reinvent tourism for a new world tourism and restore trust and the reputation of a people.