5-star hotels squeeze small operators with discounts

A stunning plunge in international visitors during the pandemic has been a disaster for Thailand’s tourism industry, decimating the ranks of small operators and leaving the landscape dominated by luxury hotels.

“Most hotels in key tourist destinations, such as Phuket and Samui, have been hit hardest, with some 80% of those hotels remaining closed since the first lockdown last year,” Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. About half of workers in the economically critical sector have lost their jobs, she said.

Hotels have been forced to compete…