News Forum - Tourism operators demand cheaper flights to Phuket

[Thaiger]

Phuket tourism operators are demanding that airlines cut ticket prices to make the island destination more financially attractive. As Chinese tourists are largely missing from the Phuket tourism market, operators are worried that travelling to the island is being seen as too expensive. According to The Bangkok Post, Chinese tourists accounted for 40 per cent of the Phuket tourism market before the pandemic. Now, as it struggles to bounce back post-Covid pandemic, local travellers are in focus on boosting Phuket’s economy. But, local travellers are viewed as not wanting to pay an arm and a leg to travel to the […]

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[Soidog]

In my view, it’s not the cost of flights that given Phuket the reputation it has. It’s all the other inflated prices that have surely got worse since Covid. 

[Loong]

  On 10/18/2022 at 5:29 AM, Soidog said:

In my view, it’s not the cost of flights that given Phuket the reputation it has. It’s all the other inflated prices that have surely got worse since Covid. 

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I totally agree with you.

I have never been to Phuket and do not intend to go anytime in the future. That is completely due to Phuket's reputation.
I expect that there are many like me as well as others who have been once and vowed never to go again.

[Lazarus]

  On 10/18/2022 at 4:49 AM, Thaiger said:

Phuket tourism operators are demanding that airlines cut ticket prices to make the island destination more financially attractive. As Chinese tourists are largely missing from the Phuket tourism market, operators are worried that travelling to the island is being seen as too expensive. According to The Bangkok Post, Chinese tourists accounted for 40 per cent of the Phuket tourism market before the pandemic. Now, as it struggles to bounce back post-Covid pandemic, local travellers are in focus on boosting Phuket’s economy. But, local travellers are viewed as not wanting to pay an arm and a leg to travel to the […]

The story Tourism operators demand cheaper flights to Phuket as seen on Thaiger News.

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They should be asking themselves whether or not those previous Chinese tourists are in any financial position to do anything. The Chinese middle and upper middle class have been financially devastated by CV and the collapse of their investments. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

  On 10/18/2022 at 5:47 AM, Loong said:

I totally agree with you.

I have never been to Phuket and do not intend to go anytime in the future. That is completely due to Phuket's reputation.
I expect that there are many like me as well as others who have been once and vowed never to go again.

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As long as you have your own transport, Phuket is fine. Not my favourite place in Thailand but not the worst either. It's okay for a few days change of scene. Can get very good value villa rentals because there are so many available

[Ramanathan.P]

If the tourism operators cut all their prices by half and not ripping the tourists, definitely there will be tourists inflow into the Island. No point in pointing one finger at the Airline industry where all the other fingers are pointing towards oneself. 

[Giltee]

  On 10/18/2022 at 5:47 AM, Loong said:

I totally agree with you.

I have never been to Phuket and do not intend to go anytime in the future. That is completely due to Phuket's reputation.
I expect that there are many like me as well as others who have been once and vowed never to go again.

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I have never wanted to go to Phuket. Too many ripoff artists. The taxi from the airport cost nearly as much as the airfare. Plenty of much better, cheaper places to go in Thailand

[Grumpish]

2000 baht one way for a BKK-HKT flight, 800 baht for a 30 minute taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. Food and hotels are at least as expensive as in Bangkok, often double the price of the same thing in many other areas - it is not the airlines that the tour operators should be looking at.

[Alavan]

Amazing people who say they never went (or will go) to Phuket but know everything is bad.
And here we go again... taxi price from airport to the Beach resorts on the South of the island cost 700-1000 Baht, but that is a ride of one hour or more, and they find that expensive.
And yes, there is a maffia from tuktuks, jet skis... so don't use them.
But the same problems you have everywhere in Thailand, and not only in Thailand.
Rent your own car in Phuket, and find places that serve good food at a reasonable price.

[Guest1]

  On 10/18/2022 at 9:53 AM, Alavan said:

Rent your own car in Phuket, and find places that serve good food at a reasonable price.

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But you limited yourself this way to either longer walking (to parking)  distances or to places with own parking ;-)

And to the "taxi" prices: 

Phuket Airport to Rawai, fixed 1000 Baht (in the night in can become up to 2000, sometimes ;-) about 50k. Meter taxis often refuse to use the meter. 

It may not be expensive, if you compare it to New York, London, ....

But for Thailand it is:

Suvarnaphumi Airport to National Stadium, 30k, not even 400 Baht (meter), include expressway fee

[Marc26]

  On 10/18/2022 at 10:12 AM, Guest1 said:

But you limited yourself this way to either longer walking (to parking)  distances or to places with own parking ;-)

And to the "taxi" prices: 

Phuket Airport to Rawai, fixed 1000 Baht (in the night in can become up to 2000, sometimes ;-) about 50k. Meter taxis often refuse to use the meter. 

It may not be expensive, if you compare it to New York, London, ....

But for Thailand it is:

Suvarnaphumi Airport to National Stadium, 30k, not even 400 Baht (meter), include expressway fee

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You mention Rawai

There are 100's of places all around Rawai that aren't expensive at all

Similar pricing to anywhere I've been all over Thailand, including local Thai areas

[Pinga]

Airfare is the least of Phuket's problems. Overpriced taxis, scam tuktuks, and inflated prices in general is what makes tourist stay away and not want to come back. Let's just compare:

BKK-airport taxi about 300-500 baht, Phuket airport to Patong 700-1000 baht.

Flag taxi inside Bangkok meter or fixed 100 baht. Patong 200 baht and up. Tuktuks can find 200 if you persist, but they try to scam 300-500 from tourists when they can.

Bottle service in Bangkok - can keep bottle for 1 month. Patong? 3 days (what a joke!)

Bangkok clubs - designated smoking and non-smoking rooms, no shishas. Patong - shishas on every other table, smoking everywhere in your face the whole night, literally like hanging out in a chimney.

The bottom line is that Phuket operators don't care about anything or anyone except money, and it shows. Tourists can feel it and see it everywhere they go and anything they do there. It's a beautiful place that could've been so much better if it wasn't for the constant greed being rubbed in your face.

[LuckyStrike]

Flights to Phuket are pretty reasonable. Samui is a different story due to Bangkok air owning the airport.

The Smart bus is running again in Phuket. 100 baht

"We Start the route at Phuket Airport to Thalang , Cherngtalay , Laguna , Surin , Kamala , Patong , Karon , Kata , Phromthep cape and Rawai."

https://phuketsmartbus.com/phuket-smart-bus-eng/

[Alavan]

  On 10/18/2022 at 10:12 AM, Guest1 said:

But you limited yourself this way to either longer walking (to parking)  distances or to places with own parking ;-)

And to the "taxi" prices: 

Phuket Airport to Rawai, fixed 1000 Baht (in the night in can become up to 2000, sometimes ;-) about 50k. Meter taxis often refuse to use the meter. 

It may not be expensive, if you compare it to New York, London, ....

But for Thailand it is:

Suvarnaphumi Airport to National Stadium, 30k, not even 400 Baht (meter), include expressway fee

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A lot of places have their own parking space, or it is easy to park near the resto on the street.
And even in Patong (for the few times I go there) I know where to find parking space. Some free, for some you have to pay.
Rawai is how many km from the airport? And how long does the drive take? I know taxi's can sometimes ask crazy prizes, but drives to or from the airport are not exagerately prized.
 

[Marc26]

  On 10/18/2022 at 4:18 PM, Pinga said:

Airfare is the least of Phuket's problems. Overpriced taxis, scam tuktuks, and inflated prices in general is what makes tourist stay away and not want to come back. Let's just compare:

BKK-airport taxi about 300-500 baht, Phuket airport to Patong 700-1000 baht.

Flag taxi inside Bangkok meter or fixed 100 baht. Patong 200 baht and up. Tuktuks can find 200 if you persist, but they try to scam 300-500 from tourists when they can.

Bottle service in Bangkok - can keep bottle for 1 month. Patong? 3 days (what a joke!)

Bangkok clubs - designated smoking and non-smoking rooms, no shishas. Patong - shishas on every other table, smoking everywhere in your face the whole night, literally like hanging out in a chimney.

The bottom line is that Phuket operators don't care about anything or anyone except money, and it shows. Tourists can feel it and see it everywhere they go and anything they do there. It's a beautiful place that could've been so much better if it wasn't for the constant greed being rubbed in your face.

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Do you think your average tourist is comparing a 500 baht ride to a 700 baht ride?

No, only whiny expats 

And I must be a huge pushover because I've never felt ripped off once in almost 20 years going to Phuket

Then again, I'm not one to worry if a 40min taxi ride is 500 or 700 baht

The taxi mafia critique is valid for sure 

[MrStretch]

I absolutely love the Thai mentality when it comes to prices and business.  "Government, make it cheaper!"

Why isn't basic economics taught in schools?

[Faz]

A post not in English and replies have been removed.

Moderator.

[Pinga]

  On 10/18/2022 at 9:55 PM, Marc26 said:

Do you think your average tourist is comparing a 500 baht ride to a 700 baht ride?

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The point isn't just the airport ride - the point is that *everything* is more expensive in Phuket, and for no reason other than greed and opportunism. Even "regular" tourists notice when their daily expenses in Bangkok or Pattaya are half of what they pay in Phuket.

[Marc26]

  On 10/20/2022 at 5:30 PM, Pinga said:

The point isn't just the airport ride - the point is that *everything* is more expensive in Phuket, and for no reason other than greed and opportunism. Even "regular" tourists notice when their daily expenses in Bangkok or Pattaya are half of what they pay in Phuket.

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That simply isn't true..........

And I frequent Bangkok and Phuket(I rarely go to that shithole Pattaya) and no Phuket prices aren't double what Bangkok is.

I go to the beach every day in Kamala and drink 50 baht bottles of Henieken

They go up to the exorbitant price of 100 baht after Happy Hour

Most street food or small restaurants we eat at are either the same price as BKK

Most pub type places, same price

Most higher end restaurants............same price

Hotels, prices pretty similar in all ranges

People just repeat the same false forum lore over and over........

Now I totally agree that the two main negatives about Phuket is the taxi mafia and police stops

And those are pretty big negatives, for sure

[Pinga]

  On 10/20/2022 at 5:43 PM, Marc26 said:

in Kamala

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There you go. We are talking about *tourists*, and the grand majority of tourists go to Patong where the prices are higher. I've lived in both Patong and Bangkok for a long time, and the difference in expenses is massive. Including bottle costs, transportation, and tips, on average I spend about 4k in Bangkok for a night out, in Patong 7-8k as a minimum - sometimes more.  The prices are not double in themselves (just slightly higher), but policies like keeping the bottle for only 3 days and requiring you to buy a new bottle every night to get a table artificially increase spend. In Bangkok there's plenty of venues that don't enforce such greedy policies, in Patong, I can't think of one.

[Marc26]

  On 10/21/2022 at 11:15 AM, Pinga said:

There you go. We are talking about *tourists*, and the grand majority of tourists go to Patong where the prices are higher. I've lived in both Patong and Bangkok for a long time, and the difference in expenses is massive. Including bottle costs, transportation, and tips, on average I spend about 4k in Bangkok for a night out, in Patong 7-8k as a minimum - sometimes more.  The prices are not double in themselves (just slightly higher), but policies like keeping the bottle for only 3 days and requiring you to buy a new bottle every night to get a table artificially increase spend. In Bangkok there's plenty of venues that don't enforce such greedy policies, in Patong, I can't think of one.

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Not all tourists go out in Patong 

And there are plenty of tourists all over Phuket

As for Patong

Yes it is extremely expensive to go out there 

My wife rooks me into buying lady drinks for any girl that doesn't have someone buying her drinks because she feels bad

And it is expensive 

Was even when I started going to Thailand 20 years ago 

I will absolutely agree with you on that

But even Patong outside of going out on Bangla, prices aren't all that much different for restaurants and such

[charles]

not just cheaper airline tickets, how about the taxi mafia , remember the stories of people coming down from Bangkok  & paying more for a taxi to Chalong or Rawai  than they did for airline tickets 

[Marc26]

  On 10/21/2022 at 3:26 PM, charles said:

not just cheaper airline tickets, how about the taxi mafia , remember the stories of people coming down from Bangkok  & paying more for a taxi to Chalong or Rawai  than they did for airline tickets 

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You guys are just cheap, plain and simple

A taxi to Rawai is close to 50mins and it's 900 baht

With the car having not a good chance of getting a trip back to the airport

So that is 2 hours out of the car's day

What would you expect to pay?

A taxi from BKK to the city is half of that time and a little less than half of the fare in Phuket

Now there is taxi mafia issues on Phuket

There should be proper buses around the island(which they have been getting more and more) and the prices in town should be cheaper

But a 50min ride costs money..........you guys just are cheap