Traveling without reservations with a 10-year-old in Thailand

Good evening, You’re asking forum members—most of whom book their accommodations from the first to the last day of their trips—how they could possibly know if you can skip reservations?

Good evening,

This is a rather unfriendly message. Maybe some people can still give advice. There’s no need to respond like that.

Nothing stops those who don’t book from replying. I just shared my opinion.

I’ve always planned my trips thanks to this forum, and if I’m asking this question, it’s because I imagine there are still a few travelers who enjoy going with the flow wherever they please!

Personally, for 53 years of traveling, I’ve only booked once—and even then, only for part of the trip. I felt like I was on rails, without the freedom to change my itinerary or stay longer in the same place. I found that really restrictive. Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve never had any problems finding accommodation.

In Asia, I’ve never booked anything except the first and last night. But I’m traveling with my little guy and I’d like to avoid hassle as much as possible. A few times, I’ve ended up searching for hotels at 10 PM and winding up in some… let’s just say not very well-frequented guest houses.

Prices have gone up quite a bit due to inflation, which they’re trying their best to hide from us [:(] I’d say around 50%, but once you’re there, you’ll see everything—some prices haven’t changed, while others have doubled.

You should also know that it all depends on the season (peak tourist season or not) and the places you plan to visit (very touristy or not).

It’s rare to find nothing available because who would pass up the chance to make a little extra cash with just a small effort?

Hello,

I’m not sure if it’s possible to travel without booking anything in advance—I gave up that way of traveling a long time ago (waste of time on a short trip, rooms can be awful when everything’s booked within my budget, and the exhaustion and frustration of searching).

But what I *do* know is that the planned itinerary is very touristy. If you’re going during high season on top of that...

Plus, with a child, it can be trickier to run around the city looking for the right place. One of you stays with the kid in a café while the other searches.

My dad used to book nothing in advance. I remember a few nights in the car because everything was full at his price...

I get the feeling a lot of travelers take a middle-ground approach.

Either by booking cancelable options up to the day before or by reserving as they go (2-3 days ahead).

For prices, Thailand has moved upscale. Beach areas have really gone up in cost. A quick look on Booking, Agoda, etc., will give you the latest trends.

A quick look on Booking, Agoda, etc. will give you the latest trends.

The trend might drop soon because—just so you know, though it doesn’t affect me since I never book anything in Southeast Asia—Airbnb is now getting into hotel bookings. New competition from a well-known booking site plus lower commissions (15% with Airbnb, up to 25% with Booking) means you might see a slight price dip. Still, the cheapest option is always booking directly with the hotel.

Info from a news segment on France 2’s 1 PM news last Wednesday.

So far, booking directly hasn’t worked out too well for me. Between those who only speak Thai on the phone, those who don’t respond to emails at all, those who take your booking over the phone but then a month later, when you ask an extra question by email, tell you there’s no availability because they checked the wrong month when you booked, and those who charge a higher price than Agoda, etc.

Or maybe I’m just unlucky with this...

We’re 2 for 2 on bad luck.

After that, I don’t stress about it. I just check the hotel’s website, if there is one. Usually, it’s more expensive...

If I find the prices over the top compared to how the photos make me feel and I’m pretty sure there’ll be availability, I check it out in person. It’s rare, but it still happens to me.

It’s weird what you’re saying (Booking is more expensive).

When I book an apartment or a house, I check the price on these two sites. B is cheaper 9 times out of 10.

In France, Gîte de France can be cheaper than B or A.

So far, booking directly hasn't worked out too well for me. Between those who only understand Thai on the phone and those who don’t respond to emails at all...

good evening, what you're talking about is the "no-show" problem. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the hotel management. It's simple to explain: "no-shows" really disadvantage hotel owners. It's like people who book a table at a restaurant and don’t show up because they changed their minds. The fact that you pay on Booking.com means the hotelier receives a deposit. And they eventually cover their costs. That’s why no one responds to your emails—because most of the time, customers are unpredictable.

After that, I don’t stress about it. I just check the hotel’s website, if there is one. Generally, it’s more expensive...

Same thing here—it’s the same commercial logic as with cruises (see the discussion thread I contributed to). Booking.com and others’ marketing strategy is to buy hotel nights in bulk. For example, they might buy a hundred nights at the Carlton in Nice, which lets them lower the nightly rates. With a stock of millions of nights, Booking can comfortably turn a profit. But if you show up at the Carlton’s front desk in Nice without a reservation, it’ll likely cost you more

That’s weird what you’re saying there (Booking more expensive).

No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I mean is that with Airbnb—whose name I assume more people know and which only takes a 15% commission—Booking will have to lower its commission to stay competitive. If it doesn’t want to lose too many customers, both hotel owners and travelers should benefit in the end.

Booking will have to adjust by reducing its commission if it doesn’t want to lose too many customers, and by doing so, both hotel owners and clients should benefit.

Don’t forget that the site in question is a for-profit business—it has to pay staff, servers, etc. So it’s only natural that it takes a commission on transactions.

Hi there, Well, it really depends on the destinations and the time of year for how easy it is, but it’s always possible—sometimes you’ll have to hustle a bit, and other times only expensive accommodations are left. That said, you can gather some addresses through this forum, for example, to ensure you have a place to stay when you arrive, especially with a kid. Then, if it doesn’t work out, you can do the old-school door-to-door search without relying on booking sites. Anyway, it’s still a good idea to have an address in BKK when you arrive after a long trip.

The marketing logic of Booking and others is to buy hotel nights in bulk

The same technique was already used back in the 80s for *standalone flights* sold by big flight ticket agencies like NF or Le Point Mulhouse.

Getting back to Booking and its ilk, it’s probably these "bulk purchases" they hypocritically rely on to tell nervous customers that even six months out, only a tiny number of rooms are left for their dates—pushing them to book right away. In reality, there are likely plenty of rooms available outside Booking. But the trick** works, doesn’t it, folks? Admit it—you rush to grab your credit card when a booking site flashes "only 3 rooms left for your dates"... [;)]

*Flight sold without on-the-ground tourist services. **Which the hotel owner also benefits from.

Don’t forget the site in question is a for-profit business—it has to pay staff, servers, etc. So it’s only natural it takes a commission on transactions.

...As well as a profit margin it’ll probably have to lower if it doesn’t want Airbnb—with its 10% lower commission—to eat into its earnings.

If Airbnb takes a lower commission than Booking, why is it more expensive than Airbnb??? That’s what I don’t get.

Otherwise, not all rooms are listed on third-party sites.

Hotels hope to make more profit by selling at the same price and pocketing the commission themselves. They release rooms gradually if they still have too many left.

Platforms have brought a lot of visibility to many establishments.

Is that advertising worth 15 or 25%—that’s the question...?

why is one more expensive than the other? Well, they're two different business models, *business model* in proper French.

For a year or two now, I’ve been wondering about something. For about a decade, I’ve checked Booking.com before trips to scout accommodations I might stay in once I arrive. Until recently, I could almost always negotiate at least 10% off Booking.com rates—even more in Turkey.

I just got back from Romania, and this time, negotiating on the spot was impossible. Sometimes it was even more expensive! So, I ended up booking "pensiuni" and "cazare"—places that don’t go through reservation platforms—and it was literally half the price for the same type of lodging Booking.com offers.

PS: I don’t find Airbnb cheaper than Booking.com every time I’ve checked—it’s usually the opposite. Maybe just a coincidence?

Sure, but Songsam says Airbnb’s commission is lower.

How does a lower commission result in a higher price?

Are hosts greedier on A than on B?

hi everyone, booking platforms set their prices based on supply and demand, no doubt—they’re basically doing yield management with their algorithms

A few decades ago, I took several trips to Thailand only booking some of my accommodations in advance. With the growth of tourism, now that I know where I want to go, I prefer spending time looking for a good quality-price ratio based on my criteria and booking with cancellation options on platforms A or B, rather than searching upon arrival. On vacation, I don’t have time to waste[;)].

A few years ago, I was showing the country to some friends, and the South was severely flooded while I was in Isan—railways, roads, airports, phones, everything was cut off. I had to change my plans (Koh Sukorn, Pattalung, and Prachuap Kiri Khan) to head north, but my favorite little hotels in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai were all fully booked. I found places, of course, but they were less pretty, less friendly, and less well-located.

Especially with a child, I’d recommend booking in advance.

I don’t know when your trip is planned, but when it’s very hot, kids love having a pool in Bangkok, for example. On the other hand, there’s no need to pay for a pool in the north in February—it’s too cold.

If you know where you’re going and what type of accommodation you want, you’ll find people on this forum happy to give you great tips.

Have a great trip.