pAs the global economic downturn takes hold in Thailand, upscale hotels on a href=”http://1stopthailand.com/koh-samui”Koh Samui/a, the popular resort island located off the country’s southern coast, have cut their room rates by as much as 50 per cent in some instances, according to the chairman of Koh Samui’s Tourism Promotion Association, Senee Phuwasethavorn. /p
pFour- and five-star hotels on the island have slashed their room rates from Bt10,000-15,000 per day to as low as Bt5,000, the association chairman said. /p
pRates at two- and three-star hotels have also been reduced, and are now averaging Bt2,000-3,000 per day, making them quite affordable for domestic tourists, he added. /p
pHoteliers on Koh Samui find themselves in “cutthroat” competition, being forced to slash room rates just to stay in business as the economic slump continues to impact tourism in Thailand, Senee noted. /p
pHe commented that hotel operators have not made staff redundant, but have cut all unnecessary expenditures. /p
pThe number of tourists visiting Koh Samui in 2009 is expected to drop by 20-30 per cent over last year, when approximately 1.1 million tourists visited the popular resort. Domestic tourists constituted 60 per cent of this number, and the remaining 40 per cent came from abroad. /p