Pattaya hotels see surge in local guests following quake

Local travellers flocked to Pattaya during the past weekend to escape earth-quake impact, leading to full occupancies for hotels there, but Hua Hin hoteliers failed to reap the benefit as people were concerned about travel safety on Rama II Road.

- MOLPASORN SHOWWONG

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the eastern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said some hotels in Pattaya, Chon Buri and Si Racha recorded many last-minute bookings on Friday and the weekend, with their occupancy rates rising from 70% to full.

She said a portion of the uptick could be locals escaping their homes in Bangkok, but other factors include the Qing Ming festival, where Thai-Chinese visit ancestral tombs in the province.

Domestic guests travelled back to Bangkok for work on Monday, as some companies do not allow remote work, said Ms Marrakot.

She said some foreign travel agents, especially from the Asian market which is highly sensitive to negative news, have asked hotels to inspect their structures after images of the collapsed State Audit Office building went worldwide, despite being the only building in Bangkok that collapsed.

The THA told travel agents Pattaya was not affected by the earthquake, and the city does not have as many high-rise buildings as Bangkok, said Ms Marrakot.