AsiaRooms.com - Discriminatory Company

[puckered_penguin]

Asia Rooms are a descriminatory company. Ironically they will not accept bookings from Thais and just reply that the credit card was not accepted.

On ringing the credit card company was told no request came from Asia Rooms or any other company that day.

Attempted to do again with another credit card and the same thing happened.

Speaking with there sales staff was told that there company tells them not to accept bookings from Thai people or Thai credit card owners.

I identify them as racist as their management will neither post this on their web site nor acknowledge that this is their policy. Though their telesales staff are willing to admit to it. They then give a false message that the credit card was refused.

Still cannot work out the logic of this


Chambers (UK) dict. def.
(usually discriminate in favour of or against someone) to give different treatment to different people or groups in identical circumstances, especially without justification and on political or religious grounds.

I never had any problems with Asia Rooms, but of course I have a western name and my credit card address is in the UK. I have, in the past, booked many rooms with this company and never had a problem, until I stayed in a 'deluxe' room in the Copthorne hotel in Malaysia. It was appalling and the facilites advertised were not there or were under repair. I contacted Asia Rooms after leaving the hotel early and I ended up having about three weeks of asking for a refund, with replies saying they were checking things out, and then on the umpteenth email they asked if I wanted a refund???? I was furious at them. I got my refund after about a month. I have found them ok to book rooms with, although sometimes you can go to the hotel's website and get the room even cheaper if they have special offers (Holiday Inn sometimes does this) but their customer services is attrocious and be ready for a long wait if you want a refund.

The only problem I have experienced in Thailand is when buying something over the net. More often than not everything will go okay, but then, once in a while, my credit card payment will be refused and the comment made that purchases on 'this or that' particular server/network, whatever it's damn called, have been classified as unsecure due to risk of fraud. Do you think this may be a similar case with Asia Rooms rather than being racist against Thai's?

I in no way doubt what you say P.Penguin, but can others give their opinions of this company (any other Thai people especially) as, although I have had my problems with them, I still find them very easy to book with and often have lower rates than other web based booking sites. I don't intend to make a further booking with them in the next six weeks or so and will cease any future bookings completely if others can support your statements.

[puckered_penguin]

I think i mean discriminatory rather than racist

Chambers (UK) dict. def.
(usually discriminate in favour of or against someone) to give different treatment to different people or groups in identical circumstances, especially without justification and on political or religious grounds.

Like the baht bus drivers, same same but different. :alien:

As Thais pay less than Farang for anything, isnt it obvious why they only want farang?
Gerefan

Just wondering here - could it be possible that Asiarooms' financial base is located outside Thailand, and in that country, Thai-issued credit cards are not accepted?

Not all credit cards are internationally accepted. Cards from countries which do not have freely convertible currencies, e.g. China (and Malaysia during the few years after 1997 financial crisis) are not meant for use outside their own countries.

Another reason may be that some countries are notorious for counterfeit cards and other scams, and so that country's cards are barred in other countries.

So, if Asiarooms' credit card payments base is located in a country that does not recognise Thai-issued cards, then Asiarooms will be unable to process that transaction. It won't be a deliberately discriminatory policy, just a function of the creditworthiness of Thai cards in general.

[bkkguy]

I have used a Thai Baht credit card issued by a Thai bank with a Thailand residential address (but a falung name) whenever I have booked with AsiaRooms.com and never had it queried or rejected

bkkguy

when I wanted to book a room on Ko Samet, I asked Mim at NS travel would it be cheaper if booked in my teeraks name. She said it might be more expensive.

I had also a refusal when booking in my thai husband's name with a valid MC gold. When I asked the reason for this, they told me that they have some obligations from some hotel who DO NO WANT thai customers in their premises.
In this case, the response was "hotel fully booked" but when I made the booking under my name (belgian), the rooms was confirmed after a few hours.
The hotel : Mercure Fortune hotel Bkk

some hotel who DO NO WANT thai customers in their premises.
The hotel : Mercure Fortune hotel Bkk

Anyone regardless of their nationality can make a booking on the Mercure Hotel website at www.mercure.com (http://www.mercure.com) and will receive an instant confirmation.