Not entirely sure if this is the right forum, but I was recently in a situation where I booked an apartment in Thailand on Airbnb, only to discover upon check-in that I had been downgraded to a smaller unit with a completely different layout and view, and also on lower floor and the advertised view obstructed by ongoing construction of a skyscraper next door. The host appeared indifferent (hinting to this being typical modus operandi) and after some back and forth offered to cancel (during high-season) or a 10 % discount, which is likely to normal rate of said smaller apartment.
To avoid dealing with this again, I started asking hosts upfront whether the apartment shown in the listing—its layout, size, and view—would be the one I receive. What I found is concerning: For five instances in a row (counting my original host), I was told that the advertised apartment wasn’t actually available, despite being listed as such on Airbnb. Instead, they either offered me a different unit, often of lower quality, size, or with an inferior view (I'd guess they never would've told me had I just booked directly without asking). They also appeared completely indifferent to suggestions it might be good to not list the apartment as available then, and fix the description. I'd guess they also cycle these around once bad reviews begin piling up (for some of them I managed to find similar experiences in the review, of it not being the unit advertised). I haven't tried with more listings now as I got annoyed of wasting my time, so switched over to using booking.com for the time being.
I’ve reported this pattern to Airbnb, but I just wanted to give others a heads-up by posting it here (any better place?). If you’re booking in Thailand, I'd recommend asking your host before finalizing your reservation whether the apartment shown in the pictures is the one you’ll actually receive (or at least very similar in terms of size and layout).
