Gazette Poll: Phuket has too many hotels

PHUKET: A clear majority of Phuket Gazette Online readers believe the island’s hotel industry is in a state of oversupply, the results of the newspaper’s latest poll reveal.

Overall, more than half of those taking part (58.9%) thought there were too many hotels in Phuket, compared to just 17.1% who thought there were not.

Almost a quarter of all those taking part (24%) answered “I don’t know”, however.

In a demographic breakdown, more than four-fifths of expat residents (81%) thought there are too many accommodation establishments on the island, compared to just 10% who held the opposite view. Only 9% said they didn’t know.

“I don’t know” was the most common reply (41%) among Thais taking part. Of those who did hold a definite view, those who thought the hotel industry was in a state of oversupply (33%), slightly outnumbered those who thought it was not (26%).

Even tourists and visitors to Phuket, those who stand to benefit the most from a hotel glut, thought there were too many hotels here.

Thirty-nine percent of tourists thought the situation was in a state of oversupply compared to just 23% who thought it was not. However, a large fraction of those who took part, 38%, said they did not know.

A total of 525 people took part in the two-week poll, which was launched on Christmas Day – the unofficial start of the peak season for tourism in Phuket.

To view the complete poll results click here.

To submit your own poll idea, email polls@phuketgazette.net.