« Prev Page 4 of 6 2 3 4 5 6 Next 127 replies to this topic

[Briggsy]

I predict a name change for this hotel very soon.

Cops condone the theft of hundreds of dollars in cash from many tourists and then threatens the victims with violence. Phuket sinks to yet another low.

[JetsetBkk]

scott_cos, on 2007-11-04 09:24:41, said:

<snip>
Up shot is Mercure Hotel IS NOT ready to service international guests - and if you must stay there, be very careful of your safety in that hotel.

http://www.phuket.com/mercurepatong/

Quote

Mercure Patong Beach Hotel - In the heart of Phuket, the unforgettable Mercure Patong Phuket is just 5 min from Patong Beach

These web sites pick their words very carefully.

[game4shame]

scott_cos, on 2007-11-04 02:24:41, said:

As most of you know, the Phuket Film Festival was recently staged in Patong. Our Festival VIP guests and most Festival staff stayed at the new Mercure Hotel.  What a travesty!

Besides rotten odor smell seeping into most rooms, two, TWO guests on different floors awoke to find people (one a woman, another a man) in their rooms.  An oversight on the part of someone at the front desk in making key cards? Who cares, what extremely poor security.

And what about two of our film makers observing a Thai woman and a Caucasian man fornicating in the first floor swimming pool at about 11:30 at night?  Film makers were loving it - envisioning movies that could be made of the experience. But come on, what a representation of Thailand! Why didn’t staff tell them to go to their rooms.  Ok, ok – Thai staff are shy and reluctant to intervene.

Training is the operative word here.  Why aren’t staff trained better?

Shall we throw in the problem of the lock on my door which kept me locked out of my room for 45 minutes, the hotel assistant front desk manager that entered my room without my permission and had staff empty a can of deodorant aerosol in my room to cover up the foul odor - destroying open food, my toothbrush and about 2,000 Baht worth of medication in my bathroom?

But if that is not enough, how 'bout the continued knocking on my staff's door without anyone there when they checked through the peep hole and the refusal on the assistant hotel manager's part (Khun Narongchai) to rectify or acknowledge the situations.

When asked to write a letter apologizing to the Festival VIP guests that had odor problem in their room, Narognchai admitted this to be a problem from the start of operation of the hotel and asked that I provide email addresses of the VIPs.  I asked the guests, prominent directors and producers who did not want their private email addresses given out - I told Narongchai “no.”  So he refused to write a letter.

I later found out from another hotel staff person, Khun Ekachard, that the email addresses would have been used for marketing purposes, Narongchai denied that only to be confronted at a later conversation where Ekachard made the marketing claim in front of Narongchai and was told to "shut up" (in Thai) by his boss.

Up shot is Mercure Hotel IS NOT ready to service international guests - and if you must stay there, be very careful of your safety in that hotel.

don't mean to be a smartarse but I thought this thread was about sea sun sand.  

[JetsetBkk]

game4shame, on 2007-11-05 18:01:42, said:

don't mean to be a smartarse but I thought this thread was about sea sun sand.  

No need to express remorse - you weren't being smart or funny.

[JetsetBkk]

From the latest edition of the Phuket Gazette, page 29:

Quote

The Governors' Letter

"Calling On The Community"

..Gazette chief reporter...asks Phuket Governor Niran about recent reports on the Phuket forum of popular Internet blog site that one hotel in Patong has allowed its staff to systematically rob guests of valuables stored in room safes. Here Governor Niran re-affirms his commitment to tourist security in general and warns hoteliers that failure to provide this will result in their own financial ruin."

Hotels that allow their staff to steal from guests' room safes or otherwise harm them will find their business suffering from lack of trade in the long run..."

Download the whole Phuket Gazette issue here:

http://www.phuketgaz...te/Nov03_07.pdf

or here:

http://www.phuketgaz...f=2007117181255


 sunsandscam.jpg   140.93K   23 downloads

[onethailand]

Nice one.

Now if only Governor Niran could do something about the integrity of the police force in Phuket...

[game4shame]

JetsetBkk, on 2007-11-06 16:07:39, said:

game4shame, on 2007-11-05 18:01:42, said:

don't mean to be a smartarse but I thought this thread was about sea sun sand.  

No need to express remorse - you weren't being smart or funny.

strange post.

[mcgriffith]

Ladies and Gentlemen- please confine your commentary to the topic at hand, which is a hotel.
Thank you for your understanding.

[Briggsy]

Could any Phuket members who happen to pass this hotel be kind enough to tell us if it's changed its name yet?

[Super Hans]

Briggsy, on 2007-11-08 09:49:56, said:

Could any Phuket members who happen to pass this hotel be kind enough to tell us if it's changed its name yet?

Nope. Not as of today. Your middle name isn't Rawdon is it?

[swain]

seasunsandresort.com is their domain name...   for 2 dollars on yahoo... you can buy the domain name seasunsandresort.net which no one has...  I have a hosting company in the USA and I will host it free of charge...  and you guys can post all those negative reviews of the place and the thefts.  This of course is totally legal, and believe me I think its 2 dollars well spent.  I did this to a guy that ripped me off for 800 dollars I took the .net extension of his domain and told my story on it.   Two months after I put it up he paid me the 800 plus my charge for building the site for 200 extra dollars to take it down.  

Things like this should not go unpunished.   The internet is the great equalizer!!

[LaoPo]

swain, on 2007-11-08 17:19:19, said:

seasunsandresort.com is their domain name...   for 2 dollars on yahoo... you can buy the domain name seasunsandresort.net which no one has...  I have a hosting company in the USA and I will host it free of charge...  and you guys can post all those negative reviews of the place and the thefts.  This of course is totally legal, and believe me I think its 2 dollars well spent.  I did this to a guy that ripped me off for 800 dollars I took the .net extension of his domain and told my story on it.   Two months after I put it up he paid me the 800 plus my charge for building the site for 200 extra dollars to take it down.  

Things like this should not go unpunished.   The internet is the great equalizer!!

Curious to learn what the hotel will do.....pay or not. Maybe you should send them an email, pointing them at YOUR website     

LaoPo

[vanalli]

What great justice are people hoping for here?

[chiang mai]

Ms. Chiang Mai used to play the "kim" (a flat violin type instrument that is played like a xylophone) on weekends in the dinning area for guests at this hotel. We have now agreed that she will no longer play there.

[Briggsy]

Super Hans, on 2007-11-08 23:01:11, said:

Briggsy, on 2007-11-08 09:49:56, said:

Could any Phuket members who happen to pass this hotel be kind enough to tell us if it's changed its name yet?

Nope. Not as of today. Your middle name isn't Rawdon is it?

Thanks for the sleuthing. I have no name or connection to the word, "Rawdon"

[perko]

LaoPo, on 2007-10-21 08:05:49, said:

LivinLOS, on 2007-10-21 02:55:14, said:

Increasing amount of posts on tripadvisor saying the same thing..

<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews...ong_Phuket.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews...ong_Phuket.html</a>

Good post; thanks.

It seems odd though that 2 posts are quite positive about this hotel; 1 from September 25th -"Good value & good location"- and 1 from October 3rd -"Central, clean and friendly staff."

Maybe something drastic (with the Management/staff) has changed AFTER October 3rd...?


edit:...OR the said tourists from those 2 posts didn't have any cash in their safety boxes...

LaoPo

laopo i read your assertion  i actually got them to stay there , i have been many times and agree its a beautiful resort , now spoiled . one of the men is a business manager who had nearly 3000 in cash the other a carpet shop owner south of perth who stupidly had 5000$ aus in cash . i have been 26 times to thailand and only get out of atm what i need 10000bht at a time the man from china was /is an embassy employee from aus , and yes something drastic has happened recently i stayed there in may , no problem, actually 2005 i had my anz gold interfered with in macau , also 2004 i had the same thing in Genting Highlands    believe me they had no shortage of money but it was theirs not the criminals   brian

[TopDogger]

JetsetBkk, on 2007-10-23 04:35:00, said:

LivinLOS, on 2007-10-22 08:43:39, said:

4 digit combo (presuming its correct and the user didnt unlock with one code and relock with another, or smudge a key, or notice the greasyness)..

Would still be 4 to the power of 4 (or 256 permutations)

4 separate keys, used once each gives only 24 combinations (which is factorial 4), not 256 combinations (which is 4 to the power 4).  

A numerical digit was 0 to 9 when I went to school.

[PadThaiGuy]

Here is how the greasy fingerprint scam works.
The maid wipes (nose)oil on the keys .
The guest later opens the safe.
After, the maid blows powder onto the keypad to reveal the keys used by the guest.

You get robbed and then the Police don't do a thing and actully hassle the victim if they start demanding action. Very Thai.

Edited by PadThaiGuy, 2007-11-14 08:10:59.

[JetsetBkk]

TopDogger, on 2007-11-13 23:22:00, said:

JetsetBkk, on 2007-10-23 04:35:00, said:

LivinLOS, on 2007-10-22 08:43:39, said:

4 digit combo (presuming its correct and the user didnt unlock with one code and relock with another, or smudge a key, or notice the greasyness)..

Would still be 4 to the power of 4 (or 256 permutations)

4 separate keys, used once each gives only 24 combinations (which is factorial 4), not 256 combinations (which is 4 to the power 4).  

A numerical digit was 0 to 9 when I went to school.

What are you on about?

[JetsetBkk]

And now a double page spread in the Phuket Gazette:



http://www.phuketgaz...te/Nov17_07.pdf

[Super Hans]

Is it me or is that piece very badly written? I'm also disappointed the Gazette give the impression it was tourists looking for an insurance scam - maybe one or two could do that, but when there are lots and lots of unattached holidaymakers all with the same complaint...?

[dee123]

britmaveric, on 2007-10-21 09:30:06, said:

Well leaving dosh in hotel safe is well not very wise as you found out. Hence using travelers cheques and debit card is the best route. Keep dosh on you and if use the front desk safe deposit boxes.

Solid advice again from britmaveric....I learned this lesson som 20 odd years ago when the same thing happened coincidentally in Phuket,....they often target "boozers" like I indeed was then,taking portions of cash each time,

[phuketsub]

Super Hans, on 2007-11-18 16:44:24, said:

Is it me or is that piece very badly written? I'm also disappointed the Gazette give the impression it was tourists looking for an insurance scam - maybe one or two could do that, but when there are lots and lots of unattached holidaymakers all with the same complaint...?

I don't think it was the Gazette "giving the impression" it was the tourists looking for an insurance scam. They simply presented the charges to the people being accused and gave them the right of reply.
It's true that the writing could have been better, though.

[shedend]

Safe deposit boxes at reception area covered by motion CCTV recorded on DVR is the best option. For example once doris the maid enters your room you do not know what she is up to..... All she has to do is conceal the item(s) in a used towel, bathrobe etc  so any existing CCTV Camera in the hallway only effectively shows time of entry/exit into the room. Then she hides the item somewhere in the hotel and then walks out with it and no questions asked. This is also the MO used if the guest reports something missing/stolen from the room the item is left longer in hiding before it is removed from the premises.

All staff to be security background checked is also a help but never rarely happens as it costs money.

Maybe we should start a honk your horn every time we drive pass the SS&S..........

[stiffoak571]

shedend, on 2007-11-18 14:00:19, said:

Safe deposit boxes at reception area covered by motion CCTV recorded on DVR is the best option. For example once doris the maid enters your room you do not know what she is up to..... All she has to do is conceal the item(s) in a used towel, bathrobe etc so any existing CCTV Camera in the hallway only effectively shows time of entry/exit into the room. Then she hides the item somewhere in the hotel and then walks out with it and no questions asked. This is also the MO used if the guest reports something missing/stolen from the room the item is left longer in hiding before it is removed from the premises.

All staff to be security background checked is also a help but never rarely happens as it costs money.

Maybe we should start a honk your horn every time we drive pass the SS&S..........

Much as it pains me to disagree with a Blue from the wrong end of the Fulham Road (I am a Cottager myself) I still want a "safe" safe in  my room - had dodgy safe deposit boxes on many trips to Greece - once found my box open on the floor! Also dont want everyone to see how many cards/how much cash Ive got cos as soon as I get my 10000THB to take out for the night you can be sure someone will then follow me round the corner to take it off me - or maybe being from London makes me suspicious - certainly the thread has knocked the hotel out of the running for my trip at easter.