Why chat bookings do not show up
Booking by chat costs the guest nothing. Many message several places at once and say yes to all of them. When plans change or they find something cheaper, they lose nothing by not turning up. It is not that they are bad people. Not coming simply has no price.
A deposit gives not coming a price, and that is usually enough.
1. Ask for a small deposit, not the full price
You do not need the full price. Ask just enough for the guest to commit, such as ฿500 for a small room or ฿1,000 for a villa, or about a third to half of the first night. Small enough that nobody hesitates, big enough that nobody walks away from it. The rest is paid at check-in.
2. Send a PromptPay QR, not an account number
A 10-digit account number is easy to mistype, and the guest has to jump between apps. A PromptPay QR is scanned and paid in seconds, and the amount can be built into the code so the guest types nothing. Thai guests can pay from any banking app, and guests from some Asian countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia, can now scan Thai QR codes with their own banking apps.
3. Give a clear payment deadline
Write it plainly: "Please pay the deposit within 2 hours to hold the room." If it is not paid in time, the room goes back on sale. No waiting, no chasing, and no holding a room for someone who may never come.
4. Check the slip, then confirm in writing
A booking is confirmed only when the money has arrived. Check the amount in your banking app against the slip, then send a confirmation with the dates, the room, the amount paid and the balance due at check-in. The guest feels safe, and you have a record if anything goes wrong later.
5. Write your cancellation rule before the guest pays
One line is enough: "Free cancellation up to 7 days before arrival, after that the deposit is kept." Send it in the chat before the guest pays. They know from the start, there is nothing to argue about later, and if a guest asks to change dates, moving the deposit to the new dates is a kindness they remember.
A checklist for this week
- Set a deposit amount for each room type
- Make a PromptPay QR for your property
- Write a deposit message with a payment deadline
- Write a one-line cancellation rule
- Send a written confirmation every time the money arrives
Where Sookzaa helps
Sookzaa puts these steps on one booking page: it shows the deposit and your PromptPay QR, the guest attaches the slip, you get a LINE alert, and booked nights close on your calendar so the same room cannot be sold twice. The money goes straight to your bank, with no commission. See the direct booking tools or try the demo dashboard.