Phuket Governor warns illegal hotels ‘to be demolished
The Phuket News
Yutthawat Lekmak
24 January 2017

Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan today warned operators who illegally rent out properties for periods of less than 30 days that their properties 'would be demolished' if they continued to ignore the order to register as hotels.

Speaking at his Meet The Press conference at Provincial Hall this morning (Jan 24), Gov Chockchai confirmed that an investigative provincial committee had identified 860 venues across the island that were currently operating illegally as hotels.

“Officials found 1,367 venues actually operating as hotels in Phuket. Of those, only 507 had registered themselves as hotels,” he said.

Of the 297 hotels officials found in Muang District, which includes in Phuket Town, Kata-Karon, Wichit, Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn, only 177 were registered.

Likewise, in Kathu District, which includes Patong, only 236 of the 833 hotels officials found were registered, and in Thalang only 94 of the 237 hotels officials found had registered, Gov Chockchai explained.

The stern warning today follows Gov Chockchai repeating his warning for all operators providing short-term rentals to register within the Jan 31 amnesty.

they will face legal action

“If any of the hotel operators don’t follow the provincial notice within the deadline, they will face legal action,” he repeated again today.

However, he added that after that, official action could take on permanent consequences.

“All illegal hotels will be demolished,” Gov Chockchai said.

The deadline to register properties as hotels follows the Ministry of Interior on August 19 issuing a new regulation to make it easier for more property owners – especially condo owners – to obtain a hotel license.

The regulation – called the Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Descriptions of Other Types of Building Used for a Hotel Business Operation 2016 under the Building Control Act (1979) – will remain in effect for five years.

However, it applies only to buildings that existed before it came into force and whose owners desire to use the property as “Hotel” as defined by the Hotel Act.

Comments
Kurt  25 January 2017
The first 100 days of this Governor on Phuket are already over. What, so far, has this governor implemented, changed for the better on Phuket Island?

bustermanidogs 25 January 2017
Wow, looks like another dictator has landed in Phuket. The governor cannot make up new laws and demolish peoples businesses like this. Why is it that this governor acts tough on all the small businesses but leaves the really dangerous issues alone?

Why has he not acted against the jet ski mafia? Why has he not acted against the illegaly registered visa run minivans? Why has he not acted against the taxi mafia overcharging? Why does he not threaten to demolish their minivans or jet ski's?

I think we all know the reason why, scared or corrupt? This Phuket governor is just one in a long line of governors who can not do the right thing and just uses soft targets for his propaganda campaign. He is not qualified to make a decision to destroy people businesses and livelihood over which the law already says is a finable offense.

Another question comes to mind about who may be behind this? Maybe the big hotel conglomerate have a hand in this, with certain hands 'held out' to receive their thanks?

eric dekegel | 24 January 2017
Always a lot of words but no action, just take the list from Airbnb from A to Z and you are busy for two years at least. But another problem he seems to forget is the taxi scam at the airport. We had this week in three days, two cases, a Chinese-Malay couple and a Chinese family overcharged by the two different companies operating at the airport.

The fee to our B&B (who is registered) is 700 baht and they charged respectively 1,200 baht and 1,300 baht. This is disgusting me, we complained them, one bring back the 500 baht the same day the other one seems to play around and said today now its tomorrow. If they not come I will personally go to the airport and make a complaint with the AOT Phuket.

These people seems to be forgotten that they just go on business as usual and  give a bad reputation to our island! No checks anymore.

Where is the navy? Being busy disturbing tourists who want sun, umbrella and sun lounge, but if all go on like that we will not need any equipment anymore as nobody will come anymore! If next time it happens again I will contact the newspaper and let them come to interview the guests.

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