Pattaya hotels surge as Hua Hin struggles for tourists
Last weekend, local travellers flocked to Pattaya in the aftermath of the earthquake, causing hotel occupancy rates to soar to full capacity. However, the impact of the quake had a very different effect on Hua Hin, where concerns over road safety led to a sharp decline in bookings.
“Travellers seeking refuge from the tremors in Bangkok drove a spike in bookings in Pattaya,” said Morrakot Kuldilok, president of the Eastern Chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
“On Friday, the day of the earthquake, and throughout the weekend, occupancy rates in many hotels surged from 70% to full capacity.”
Morrakot attributed the influx of visitors to two main factors: the earthquake itself and the Qingming Festival, when many Thai-Chinese families travel to visit their ancestors’ graves in the provinces.
With many locals seeking short-term escapes from Bangkok, Pattaya quickly became the go-to destination.
However, not all provinces shared Pattaya’s success. While Pattaya enjoyed a last-minute boom, Hua Hin struggled to attract the same crowds. According to Udom Srimahachota, Vice President of the THA’s Western Chapter, Hua Hin’s hotels reported an average occupancy rate of just 60% last weekend.
Udom pointed to safety concerns related to Rama II Road, a route notorious for ongoing construction and recent fatal accidents. Despite reassurances from the transport minister that the road was safe for use, many tourists remained hesitant to make the journey.
Additionally, the Dao Khanong expressway exit to Rama II Road is still being cleared of debris from a recent bridge collapse, resulting in bumper-to-bumper traffic and long delays on detour routes. This, Udom believes, deterred many domestic tourists from choosing Hua Hin as their destination.
Looking ahead to the Songkran festival, Udom expressed concern that the safety issues surrounding Rama II Road might lead domestic tourists to favour Pattaya and other eastern provinces over Hua Hin.
“We hope the government will address these concerns and assure tourists that travel will be safe and convenient during the Songkran period.”
On a brighter note, Pattaya is still expecting strong bookings for Songkran, with a projected 80% occupancy rate. Meanwhile, Hua Hin may attract some foreign visitors looking to avoid the chaos in Bangkok. However, Udom is cautious, urging the government to promote road safety and remote working to ease the travel burden, reported Bangkok Post.
THA also reviewed the broader impact of the earthquake on the hotel industry. Nationwide, 897 room cancellations were recorded as of March 30, alongside 59 early check-outs and 165 no-shows. In Bangkok alone, 406 cancellations were noted, further highlighting the ripple effect the earthquake had on tourism across Thailand.
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