How Tech Can Help, Where It Still Stumbles, and Why People Will Always Matter.
Artificial intelligence has crept into our industry. One moment, we were juggling booking forms and rooming lists, and the next moment, AI arrived like a bright young trainee who learns in seconds, never blinks, and never asks for a coffee break.
Smart, yes. Magical, sometimes. Ready to run the show? Not quite.
With more than four decades in hospitality from the early 1980s to today, I can say, with a smile, that I have seen new technologies arrive with great fanfare. Some changed everything. Some disappeared faster than a guest towel left unattended. AI is different because it touches almost every corner of hospitality, from pricing and forecasting to kitchens, housekeeping, and front-of-house.
But hospitality is a people business. Always has been. Always will be.
What AI Does Well
AI deserves some applause. When used sensibly, it can:
- tidy up repetitive work so staff can focus on guests
- forecast demand more accurately than guesswork
- offer instant translations that help calm nerves and build rapport
- suggest prices, menus, and marketing ideas with real speed
- Keep maintenance on schedule and prevent surprises when the hotel is full
These tools can make life easier for everyone.
Where AI Still Trips Over Its Own Feet
Now for the honest bit. AI is clever, but not infallible.
In hospitality, accuracy matters. A robot server delivering food to the wrong table is amusing once, but less funny on a busy evening. Automated housekeeping systems can still misread priorities, especially when the hotel is full. Predictive tools sometimes predict the wrong thing.
And as for driverless taxis, I admire the technology immensely, but I am not entirely convinced I am ready to jump into one just yet. Perhaps one day. Not today.
Guests want reliability. They want trust. They want reassurance. Until AI can match that confidence, humans remain essential.
Why Human Expertise Still Beats Any Machine
There is an old saying in travel, “If you book without a travel agent, you are on your own.” Anyone who has travelled knows how true that can be.
A travel professional carries real-world knowledge that AI cannot mimic. They know which hotels look perfect online but sit next to a nightclub. They know which rooms catch the sunset, which ones face the car park, and which properties may look charming but require strong legs and a sense of adventure.
AI sees data. Humans know the story.
Excellent travel advice comes from judgment, experience, and a deep instinct for what guests truly want. And we are not trying to teach grandmother to suck eggs here. Most readers have travelled widely and know full well that trips can go beautifully or hilariously off-script. The point is simple: AI is helpful, but people remain irreplaceable.
In a world full of clever machines, honest human advice is still worth its weight in gold.
Three Thai Industries Most Affected by AI
Although hospitality is our focus, three sectors in Thailand are feeling the strongest AI pressure:
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Manufacturing and automotive
Smart factories, robotics, predictive systems, and machine vision are reshaping production.
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Retail and services
AI now guides stock, pricing, customer behaviour, and personalised marketing.
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Hospitality and tourism
From bookings to chat systems to guest messaging, AI is everywhere. But the Thai welcome, warm and human, remains the anchor.
A Thoughtful View from a Respected Thai Colleague
Before we look ahead, it is worth noting a broader concern that touches every industry. My good media friend, a respected Thai colleague, Khun Thana, recently shared his concerns about how AI is beginning to affect the economy. His words were honest and essential:
“Domestic purchasing power in Thailand has significantly decreased due to job market contractions. The advent of AI has led many companies to cut costs by halting new hires and gradually laying off existing employees. When fewer Thais are employed, the overall purchasing power in the market declines. This creates a dangerous cycle, companies see reduced revenue, which, in turn, pressures them to further reduce their workforce. ”
His perspective is a helpful reminder that AI does not live in isolation. It sits inside a real economy, with real households behind it, and changes in one sector can ripple through others quickly.
For hospitality, this means we must introduce new technology thoughtfully. AI can support us, but it should never overshadow the people who give Thailand its warmth and welcome.
My View After More Than Four Decades in Hospitality
Technology will keep advancing. Tools will keep improving. AI will become smoother, faster, and more reliable. Yet the heart of hospitality has never been in the machines. It has always been in the smiles, the warmth, the genuine care, and the thousand small interactions that make a guest feel safe and welcome.
AI will help us, but it will not replace us. The future belongs to teams who use technology to lift service, not flatten it. Combine Thai warmth with clever tools, and we can create experiences that are more personal, more efficient, and more joyful than ever.
That is the future I believe in.
By Andrew J. Wood – (c) 2025
Read Time: 7 minutes.
About the Writer
A Yorkshireman by birth and a Bangkokian by choice, Andrew J Wood has been exploring Southeast Asia’s hospitality and culinary landscapes since 1991. A seasoned travel writer, raconteur, and hotel reviewer, Andrew combines old-school courtesy with a dry wit that’s unmistakably English.
His love of gracious service and good manners, traits he believes the world could use more of, shines through every word he writes. From the gleaming hotel lobbies of Bangkok to the bustling markets of Hanoi, he finds joy in the details: a warm smile, a well-brewed cup of tea, or a perfectly folded napkin.
For Andrew, travel isn’t just about movement; it’s about meaning, memory, and the gentle art of slowing down. In his book, the perfect Sunday is unhurried, well-fed, and always finished with something sweet.
