I was on a "free and easy" tour with my sister in Thailand last week.The first 2 days was spent in Bangkok and the next 3 days in Chiang
Mai. We had several very unpleasant experiences during our stay:
Besides the cheat outside the grand palace in Bangkok and the tuk tuk
driver who wanted to ripped up off in Chiang Mai, the most unpleasant
experience happened inside the hotel we lived in Chiang Mai. It is
called Chiang Mai Orchard Hotel, which claimed to be a 4 star...
http://www.chiangmaiorchid.com/
23 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Tel : 0-5322-2099, 0-5322-2091-3
Fax : 0-5322-1625
On the morning of March 17, we booked a 2- person private one day tour
with this guy inside the hotel, by the tour booking counter. The guy
was dressed in the same uniform as other hotel staff and also also has
a hotel logo on his shirt. He told us he is hotel staff and will be
both the guide and the driver for the tour. He said the car he used
belong to the hotel. According to him, the one-day private tour is
1500 budt per person, and 3000 budt for my sister and me. We
double-checked with him if we can choose both elephant riding and
national park inside this package, and he confirmed that it is still
the same price: 3000 budt for 2 persons in total for this one day tour
package.
When we set off, he told us this price only include car renting. All
the other fees like tickets, lunch are all not included. In order to
same time, we accept that. But during the whole trip, there were not
even abit of guide service, he was only acting as a driver. But that
is not the worst part yet...
When we were back to downtown, the guy said we can pay together with
hotel bill when we check out the next day, so we just paid the tip to
him.
On the next day, we got up early in the moring to check out and catch
the early flight back to Bangkok. When the hotel staff showed us the
bill, we are shocked!! The quoted price is 4000 budt for the one day
tour!!! We asked hotel staff why it is 1000 budt more than what we
discussed, he could not offer any explanation!! What he could do is
only took out an invoice with the price 4000 budt for the one day tour
with THEIR managers signature on it. Whatever we asked about this,
his only answer is "no" and " our manager signed it"!!! Thats all.
What kind of hotel is this? Do we also have to pay even if it is 1
million, only because their manager signed it???? Dont they feel
ashamed?We gave them our trust, and what we got is only humiliation
and anger?!?!
Since we had a flight to catch, we have no time to waste with them, we
had to pay 4000 budt and it is a terrible ending of this whole trip!!!
Even this kind of hotel is not trustworthy, how can we imagine the
others? What comment can we give when our friends ask about Thailand?
I wish this issue can be properly settled, the guy can learn his
lesson and no other people will be cheated again on this.