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Paris Hilton's Phuket New Year Party: A Seriously Bad Idea for Tourism
By Alan Morison Thursday, November 1, 2012
PHUKET: Five-star resorts in the vicinity of the proposed two-day Paris Hilton New Year beach party at Surin fear that the event will cost Phuket its reputation for ''quality'' tourism forever.
Phuket's peak season between Christmas and New Year is usually booked solid at all top Phuket resorts, with the highest room rates of the year being paid.
Now there's the prospect of these guests sharing Surin with as many as 50,000 people enjoying an electronic music festival on the beach where families usually swim.
This thought will fill resort managers - and many regular guests - with horror.
The oganisers of the event, who operate from Bangkok, suggest the proposal for the two-day party was a Bangkok idea to ''use Phuket'' to generate maximum income for the government.
However, the party is likely to destroy forever the image of Phuket as the perfect place for well-heeled families to relax between Christmas and New Year.
The bid to hold the beach party in Surin, with its reputation for five-star customers, appears to show a complete lack of understanding of how the Phuket tourism industry works.
Nobody who knows anything about Phuket tourism would contemplate holding or supporting such an event at that time of the year.
If the event goes ahead, Phuket can probably kiss goodbye to European and Australian families who have made Phuket their regular hoiday destination in peak season for years.
They will be replaced for a couple of days by techno-loving singles with a liking for long, loud booze-filled dance sessions. And the families won't come back.
Phuketwan has learned organisers say that former Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Vice Governor Dr Sommai Preechasin were told about the plan in August.
We have seen letters from the Tourism Authority of Thailand dated October 17 and the Tourist Council of Thailand dated October 16, supporting the event.
As anyone who knows anything about tourism on Phuket could have told them, to hold such an event at Surin beach at that time of year is a very bad idea.
Nobody in authority in Bangkok or Phuket seems to have had the courage to speak up.
Now the whole affair, with Bangkok imposing its seriously bad idea on Phuket, is destined to have a sad and sorry outcome.
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Comments
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What a load of Buffalo Dung, Those complaining see the world outside their bubble as half empty not half full and who are they to demand to know all the actions of others (obviously they were not part of the party). If a particular resort truly thinks that such a party may bother them over two days then they should sponsor their own family oriented two day festival of activities pool side or (there are many other places to take a families during the day on Phuket). The use of lame and overly dramatic scare tactics to try and get others to cancel their plans just because it doesn't match theirs is itself lame. As for World Wide media attention, it will show that Phuket is live and well especially after several very negative stories during the last year. Locals can promote Phuket if they want to spin it as a positive.
Posted by
mike
on
November 1, 2012 13:38
Editor Comment:
A very narrow perspective that puts short-term profit ahead of real community interests, mike. Interesting to learn you ascribe to the use of public beaches for private commercial enterprises. It's the one time of the year when Phuket is 100 percent full . . . and you want to bring in 50,000 more people. Total madness, mike.
My goodness it only gets worse 2000 security staff, what on earth are they expecting, or is that just for Paris Hilton! No way should anyone agreed to putting this event on. Yes I agree that the customers of the hotels in Surin should not have their New Year ruined they visit year after year and they come for a peaceful and quite Christmas and New Year if they wanted a rave they would not have chosen Surin. Please someone pull the plug before its to late,leave Surin and the surrounding area alone.
It's a shame this was not put to an open meeting then we would have known the full facts, but letters have been sign so I have no doubt it will go ahead. A very sad day indeed. But maybe ticket sales will not be good enough and it will be cancelled we wait in hope.
Posted by
Granitebeetle
on
November 1, 2012 13:42
About a year ago somebody tried to arrange a mass wedding on a southern Phuket beach, and as far as I remember the event got cancelled, because private arrangements on a public beach is not legal here.
It is obvious that this event will coarse a much bigger disturbance in local society, but if the principal difference in this case and the wedding could be explained then it might be easier for common people to understand why this party is allowed.
Posted by
Sherlock
on
November 1, 2012 13:59
Editor Comment:
The mass wedding was poorly organised and did not have the backing of everyone involved. Sound familiar?
This must look like a great idea on Paper, Phuket is the perfect glitzy play thing for socialites like Paris Hilton. 2 Nights of Fashion, Glitz and Glamour in the Andaman Sea then quickly jet off back where they came from. You can see why it is appealing.
I can only guess that the reason they haven't chosen Koh Phangnan, which with its monthly Full Moon Parties regularly exceeding 50,000 people would seem like the natural choice, is because it doesn't quite have that 5 star image of Phuket, and also, it is a bit of a trek to get to.
Phuket does have an appealing image to the more affluent travellers and party goers as the popularity of all its beach clubs and ultra cool resorts show. But to try and get 50,000 people to what is actually one of Phuket's smallest stretches of public beach and have them safely enjoy 48 hours of partying, in the middle of peak season with limited number of rooms available for them to stay in, limited number of spaces on flights to get in and out again, says to me that the idea, the flyer, the poster, the website, The Paris Hilton Flying Visit all look very glamorous and cool and good luck to you ... but please, get a grip beautiful people. You haven't thought this through
Posted by
Roger
on
November 1, 2012 18:03
Can we back up a little before this story ever got out.
1) deck chairs take up public beach and charge lots of money
2) restaurants encroach on the beaches daily all over Phuket.
3) Touts are always disturbing people while on the beach to sell you their wares.
So once we go and fix them 3 problems listed above which happen everyday of every year.
I don't see the problem with a 2 day event of a Party, which would actually benefit Phuket in the long run if it is organised properly.
You can take a leaf out of Phang Nga party every month and do exactly the opposite and it would be a great party.
The full moon party is known to be roudy, drunking fools who are high on drugs as well as being poisoned and killed by local cocktails, yet everyone is either assuming this party would be the same.
I for one have not seen celebrities actually attend a public drinking to get drunk and take lots of drugs party.
Maybe they do in their own private parties, I have no idea about that.
I am for this party as a tourist attraction, money income to Thailand and a great promotion for Phuket. As well as if the people who come then think, wow Phuket is actually a nice place, then maybe they will stay at one of the complaining luxury hotels in Surin.
Posted by
Tbs
on
November 1, 2012 18:26
Editor Comment:
You seem to have missed the point, tbs. The resorts at Surin are 100 percent full at that time of year, like virtually all of the rest of Phuket. To put it simply, there is no room between Christmas and New Year for 50,000 more people. The problem is not the idea, but the lack of understanding about Phuket, its real needs, and when and where the right time and place would be to throw this kind of party.
"The problem is not the idea, but the lack of understanding about Phuket"
Exactly, in their mind, the name Phuket fits the image of the kind of party they want to hold. It has all the necessary buzz about it, but they are imagining Phuket without 'any other people on the island other than those that want to go to that party' which is more or less the state of Haad Rin, in Koh Phangnan every month.
Haad Rin is a party place, so the addition of 50,000 people to a large curving bay with seasoned bar and guesthouse owners at every turn, every full moon, is in keeping with the place, generally most people in Haad Rin welcome the business and most people are there for the same vibe.
Fast forward to Phuket and you have got an upmarket family and higher end tourist Beach Resort, Surin, where you are not going to be able to get a 300 THB room for the night and all the 5 star resorts will be full from their own key market tourists. So where exactly are all of these extra people going to go? Rooms and Flights will be jammed packed already and all these sleep deprived revelers on a come down will be wondering just how anyone could have not asked the question, "how are we going to safely accommodate and then safely send on their merry way, 50,000 people from tiny Surin?
Posted by
Roger
on
November 1, 2012 22:17
Maybe the Organizers do not target 50.000 new people (not possible!) to come to Phuket and attend that event, but want the guests of Phuket at that time, to join the party?
Also than, the logistic in Transport and Parking will not be easy! Small hilly roads and small space all together there, for so many-if such masses would come from allover the island and possible Khao Lak, has to be seen.
Posted by
Alfred
on
November 1, 2012 23:11
At every single full moon date Koh Phangan's hotels, guesthouses and bungalows are jam-packed, and that's island-wide not just at Haad Rin. Therefore to suggest the island as a venue for 50,000 people congregate is a nonsense. And much more so to suggest Surin. Just think about it: where will people stay?
Posted by
Sam W
on
November 2, 2012 08:16
This Party will damage the tourism more than promote, as the World know that Phuket always Fully Book on 30,31 December and 1 January,
To have this Party to Benefit them self not for Phuket and Tourism,
Why not make it in Summer in September when Phuket not have many tourist.
Dont think we don't know what you want!!
Posted by
Miki
on
November 2, 2012 09:30
The drama! It's a great idea and getting such big names to Phuket would be amazing!! Yes it will be difficult to sort out all the things that need sorting for an event of this magnitude but if they can, it's gonna be epic!! Oh buhu for al the tourists that need to go to another resort this NYE cus then don't want to participate in a event of this sort. Jeez people, stop being so dramatic. "However, the party is likely to destroy forever the image of Phuket as the perfect place for well-heeled families to relax between Christmas and New Year. " Really, FOREVER? No, maybe some or even all of them will change their regular trip to their favourite resort in Surin but not forever, that's ridiculous. And I'm not a binch drinking drug taking crazy person, and I can appreciate a thing like this anyway, weird huh?
Posted by
Jen
on
November 2, 2012 10:52
Editor Comment:
The key to good tourism management is to encourage people to keep coming back, year after year, Jen, by providing the same relaxing environment. Yes, a week of setting up and two days of noise and chaos and a couple more days of pulling down will destroy Phuket's reputation among five-star customers, the families who have been visiting year after year. And yes, many won't come back.
So let me get this straight, stabbings, robbings , vehicular accident related deaths are not ruining Phukets reputation forever but a 2 day party will?
Please.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
November 2, 2012 12:10
Editor Comment:
Anonymous person, Phuket has never been more attractive to tourists. Numbers continue to rise because violent incidents have been reduced and even the number of deaths on the roads is trending down. To hold a 48-hour party for 50,000 at a five-star beach destination between Christmas and New Year simply undermines all the good work done by the industry over the past decade.
Agree to some extent Ed(itor) however by your own admission, correct (honest) statistics have not been provided for a while in relation to road accidents in Phuket, why should any other stat (insert tourism figures here) be any different.
The story may break later, but there were more than 2 deaths on our roads the other night.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
November 2, 2012 14:47
Editor Comment:
Sure, but road safety is a universal problem.
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What a load of Buffalo Dung, Those complaining see the world outside their bubble as half empty not half full and who are they to demand to know all the actions of others (obviously they were not part of the party). If a particular resort truly thinks that such a party may bother them over two days then they should sponsor their own family oriented two day festival of activities pool side or (there are many other places to take a families during the day on Phuket). The use of lame and overly dramatic scare tactics to try and get others to cancel their plans just because it doesn't match theirs is itself lame. As for World Wide media attention, it will show that Phuket is live and well especially after several very negative stories during the last year. Locals can promote Phuket if they want to spin it as a positive.
Posted by mike on November 1, 2012 13:38
Editor Comment:
A very narrow perspective that puts short-term profit ahead of real community interests, mike. Interesting to learn you ascribe to the use of public beaches for private commercial enterprises. It's the one time of the year when Phuket is 100 percent full . . . and you want to bring in 50,000 more people. Total madness, mike.