Guest houses must now get a hotel license--any info?

[BestB]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Luxury-Chiang-Mai-hotel-closed-over-lack-of-licenc-30297224.html

 

i guess there goes the theory of the big boys putting pressure on the government . Appears big boys get shut down as well 

[BestB]

Just now, cmsally said:

So which law did they say you were breaking when they arrested you?

Illegally operating hotel without a license.

 

i denied charges, saying I have a license , to which I was ignored by the tourist police .

 

judge was little nicer about it, saying my license did not permit daily rentals 

[cmsally]

4 minutes ago, BestB said:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Luxury-Chiang-Mai-hotel-closed-over-lack-of-licenc-30297224.html

 

i guess there goes the theory of the big boys putting pressure on the government . Appears big boys get shut down as well 

That is back in 2016 , I believe there were " other issues" rather than licensing which brought about that raid. 

[BestB]

1 minute ago, cmsally said:

That is back in 2016 , I believe there were " other issues" rather than licensing which brought about that raid. 

True, was just pointing out big boys also have no say 

[cmsally]

25 minutes ago, BestB said:

Illegally operating hotel without a license.

 

i denied charges, saying I have a license , to which I was ignored by the tourist police .

 

judge was little nicer about it, saying my license did not permit daily rentals 

Do you know what kind of license you have. You said it was a license that covered under 50 rooms for daily rentals . However the judge says you have a license that does not cover daily rentals.

[BestB]

45 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Do you know what kind of license you have. You said it was a license that covered under 50 rooms for daily rentals . However the judge says you have a license that does not cover daily rentals.

I have room for rent license , issued by the city hall.

 

 

[cmsally]

"Pasee Rong Ruen le teedin"  ??

[BestB]

11 minutes ago, cmsally said:

"Pasee Rong Ruen le teedin"  ??

Nope, actual rooms for rent 

Hxng chèā, but I can double check later when I Am at work

[johnoko]

There is an interview in Thai with the head of TAT Thailand were its mentioned that he had a meeting with a group of OTA's in which he tried to convince them to only accept accommodations with an hotel licence.

And it was also mentioned they the police should use an older hotel act from 60 years ago which will give the police the power to close the property instead of only fining them. But the TAT would be willing to help finance owner for the conversion to a legal hotel

[johnoko]

Lots of hotels. Big 3 Big OTA Selling Room Legally TAT expands discussion Agoda-Booking.com and Expedia Partnered to Sell Legal Hotels THA heads up to Asset to take office in Thailand The latter was ordered by the Minister of Tourism and Sports. Last week, TAT coordinated with 3 global online travel agents (OTAs) including Agoda, Booking.com and Expedia to discuss the solution. Selling hotel rooms is legal, which will initially be a cooperation request. To sell hotel rooms legally registered by the Ministry of Interior registration documents. "We discuss the possibility. Because it is concerned about security. Good governance. And may be starred hotels. It helps to check the quality one way. The hotel is not yet registered and is in the process of being implemented. TAT will have a measure to help. If there is a fire escape problem. We may find a financial institution of the state. SME Bank or Savings Bank to help finance and TAT will help with marketing, "said TAT Governor.   Division of illegal hotel solutions In addition to arrest The penalties under the hotel Act BE 2547 are not considered violent, because the catch and then re-open. The meeting with the Director General of Public Works and Town Planning on June 19 to request the use of the Building Control Act 1979 to close the building. It is considered wrong building type. Why is it happening       This is what google translations makes of it

 

•  

[JAZZDOG]

2 hours ago, BobBKK said:

It's madness and shows the weakness in the Thai legal system where it's not a 'civil' matter and don't even start me on the lack of juries and precedent etc.

Or the fact it is completely arbitrary and selective enforcement

[BestB]

9 minutes ago, johnoko said:

There is an interview in Thai with the head of TAT Thailand were its mentioned that he had a meeting with a group of OTA's in which he tried to convince them to only accept accommodations with an hotel licence.

And it was also mentioned they the police should use an older hotel act from 60 years ago which will give the police the power to close the property instead of only fining them. But the TAT would be willing to help finance owner for the conversion to a legal hotel

Will TAT be willing to move roads and other buildings ??

[cmsally]

23 minutes ago, BestB said:

Nope, actual rooms for rent 

Hxng chèā, but I can double check later when I Am at work

I must say I have never heard of a license for "hong chao" being given out by city hall. I don't think there is anything along those lines in Chiang Mai. If this was given out by the city authorities when people went to make enquiries about hotel licensing, it almost seems like a campaign of misinformation.

 

Frankly this is beginning to look like a very serious crackdown and suggests hotels are really reaching the critical point regarding income.

2 pronged attack on the physical license and also trying the online booking sites.

Apparently Hostelworld.com was asking for a hotel license to sign up last week which is ridiculous when you look at their sector of the market.

 

Also last week Booking.com sent a "verification of owner" form to fill in . It would seem to be related to all this I presume.

[BestB]

2 minutes ago, cmsally said:

I must say I have never heard of a license for "hong chao" being given out by city hall. I don't think there is anything along those lines in Chiang Mai. If this was given out by the city authorities when people went to make enquiries about hotel licensing, it almost seems like a campaign of misinformation.

 

Frankly this is beginning to look like a very serious crackdown and suggests hotels are really reaching the critical point regarding income.

2 pronged attack on the physical license and also trying the online booking sites.

Apparently Hostelworld.com was asking for a hotel license to sign up last week which is ridiculous when you look at their sector of the market.

I sell on ALL channels , so far only Expedia asked to confirm and it was not compulsory or urgent.

 

authorities will struggle to enforce anything via OTA ‘s as all are registered in Singapore and have only rep offices here and OTA’s are not going to loosing billions in revenue from government spats

[MekkOne]

8 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Apparently Hostelworld.com was asking for a hotel license to sign up last week which is ridiculous when you look at their sector of the market.

wasn't hostelworld but Expedia, and they did blocked accounts that cannot produce license.

[JAZZDOG]

16 minutes ago, BestB said:

I sell on ALL channels , so far only Expedia asked to confirm and it was not compulsory or urgent.

 

authorities will struggle to enforce anything via OTA ‘s as all are registered in Singapore and have only rep offices here and OTA’s are not going to loosing billions in revenue from government spats

You have to be kidding me, all the OTA's then are going to be sharing a few hundred destinations in LOS as opposed to 30,000 presently. Actually that might end this cluster f&*k in it's tracks when travelers find that the cheapest accommodation just jumped from 400 baht to 4000 baht per night.  I also received the owner verification from booking.com but no request for registration or license. Did not seem urgent so I replied. Might regret that I did.

[JAZZDOG]

Pretty much sums it up. Interesting read:

 

https://steemit.com/getyerlearnon/@gooddream/do-not-open-a-business-in-thailand-part-5

[cmsally]

Quote

ข่าวประชาสัมพันธ์จากส่วนควบคุมอาคารและผังเมือง สำนักการช่าง เทศบาลนครเชียงใหม่

เจ้าของอาคารที่ใช้อาคารประเภทอื่นๆ มาประกอบธุรกิจโรงแรม หากประสงค์จะยื่นขอรับใบอนุญาตดัดแปลงอาคาร (อ.1) จะต้องได้รับอนุญาตก่อนวันที่ 19 ส.ค. 61 ไม่ใช่ ณ วันยื่นคำขอ และหากประสงค์จะยื่นขอเปลี่ยนการใช้อาคารยังได้ต่อไปอีก 3 ปี ถึงจะใช้สิทธิ์ตาม กท.นี้ หลังจากนั้นต้องปฏิบัติตามกฎหมายเดิม เจ้าของอาคารที่มีความประสงค์ โปรดติดต่อส่วนควบคุมอาคารและผังเมือง สำนักการช่าง เทศบาลนครเชียงใหม่ โดยด่วน!

This is a bit confusing in that they are giving the impression you need to have received your Or 1 before 19 Aug not just submitted the paperwork. I think they are suggesting that you at least have to submit paperwork and get some kind of approval that the process is possible.

 

Chiang Mai Municipality

[MekkOne]

2 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

Pretty much sums it up. Interesting read:

 

https://steemit.com/getyerlearnon/@gooddream/do-not-open-a-business-in-thailand-part-5

the subject of this article is actually a hostel that was seen, for years, as some business that was stealing the customers to a lot of other business, from hotels, bars, restaurants, tour operator even tuktuk driver by offering free pick up for the guests... You can bee innovative but you don't have to step on the feet of your hosts, IMHO SP was over the line and was doing too much, you choose a business and you attract the customer for your business but, after a while, you have to let them go and use the surrounding establishment or you'll end up to be hated by all your neighbours in every touristic place in the world (in this instance Thailand doesn't matter).

[JAZZDOG]

6 minutes ago, MekkOne said:

you choose a business and you attract the customer for your business but, after a while, you have to let them go and use the surrounding establishment

Exactly what 99% of those affected are doing with the same result, arrested, jailed, found guilty with little or no recourse to insure their livelihood. You invest in LOS and you are perpetually on a slippery slope. 

[BestB]

3 hours ago, MekkOne said:

wasn't hostelworld but Expedia, and they did blocked accounts that cannot produce license.

According to whom? Mine is not blocked and I did not respond 

[MekkOne]

1 minute ago, JAZZDOG said:

Exactly what 99% of those affected are doing with the same result, arrested, jailed, found guilty with little or no recourse to insure their livelihood. You invest in LOS and you are perpetually on a slippery slope. 

not only here, you go to Ibiza, Formentera, Canary Islands, Italy, Greece and start a business that gonna take most of the customers from the locals, they maybe will not have a 'legal\ way to shut you down but they will have a legal way to make you spend loads of money in lawyers....

[JAZZDOG]

1 minute ago, MekkOne said:

not only here, you go to Ibiza, Formentera, Canary Islands, Italy, Greece and start a business that gonna take most of the customers from the locals, they maybe will not have a 'legal\ way to shut you down but they will have a legal way to make you spend loads of money in lawyers....

Reread what I posted. Run of the mill hotels facing the same fate.

[MekkOne]

4 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

Reread what I posted. Run of the mill hotels facing the same fate.

Sorry but English isn't my first language, I don't understand what you mean...

[cmsally]

I was shown some LINE posts today of places closed, and not only that but had big "posters" stuck to them saying, this building cannot be used.

We have not even reached 19 Aug but the feeding frenzy seems to have commenced!

[BestB]

12 minutes ago, cmsally said:

I was shown some LINE posts today of places closed, and not only that but had big "posters" stuck to them saying, this building cannot be used.

We have not even reached 19 Aug but the feeding frenzy seems to have commenced!

This in Chiangmai ? Pattaya to my knowledge no forced closures.

 

i am only guessing but maybe large hotels like 50 rooms and more are punished harsher than the smaller guys.

[cmsally]

Yes in Chiang Mai, I will try and go past to take a look and see if it is true , tomorrow.

This was a smaller hostel type place.

[johnoko]

32 minutes ago, cmsally said:

I was shown some LINE posts today of places closed, and not only that but had big "posters" stuck to them saying, this building cannot be used.

We have not even reached 19 Aug but the feeding frenzy seems to have commenced!

This was by using the hotel act I believe from 40 years ago. Which the head of TAT yesterday suggested of using to close as he said it unsafe places instead of fining them. They sure are in hurry to get cracking.

In the media  hotel owners are calling to close the so called unsafe places as fast as possible. There was just an interview on the SME channel with some hotel owner claiming that this for the best of the country because those under standard places are shinning a bad light on the countries tourism industry. the irony a big shot hotel owner on a channel called SME  

 

It looks like a full offensive is being started 

Edited June 20, 2018 by johnoko

[cmsally]

Well looks like now we know whats behind it !

[johnoko]

apparently the head of Krabi is calling a meeting between the smaller guesthouses and big hotels there. To find a solution as he states its impossible for many established businesses to make the required changes and he wants to find some way out. But when the guestshouses here petitioned the governor he said he will try but probably could not help  

 

The meeting in Krabi is scheduled for the 5th of next month

Edited June 20, 2018 by johnoko