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

[cmsally]

There does not seem to be much impetus to help the small businesses in Chiang Mai and from what I have seen they do not have enough "cohesion" to go forward as a group.

Maybe if it can be achieved elsewhere it will set some kind of precedent.

[johnoko]

6 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Well looks like now we know whats behind it !

This part of the interview with the head of the TAT I was referring to 

 

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. 

[JAZZDOG]

10 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Well looks like now we know whats behind it !

Share with me who is behind it

[BestB]

1 minute ago, johnoko said:

This part of the interview with the head of the TAT I was referring to 

 

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. 

But it’s not wrong building type for 30 day rentals . Me thinks right hand does not know what left hand is doing .

 

i am also thinking small places are caught in the crossfire between the big boys and smaller boys servicing same market but at cheaper prices .

 

surely guesthouse type of a hotel is in no competition or danger to a 4-5 star hotel or full service hotel.

 

clientele who stays in full service hotels do not change to guesthouse type and vice versa.

 

but say 130 room hotel with pool, bellboys , etc is in direct competition.

[cmsally]

3 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

Share with me who is behind it

Govt, TAT and big hotels at a guess.

[BestB]

7 minutes ago, cmsally said:

There does not seem to be much impetus to help the small businesses in Chiang Mai and from what I have seen they do not have enough "cohesion" to go forward as a group.

Maybe if it can be achieved elsewhere it will set some kind of precedent.

Each town appears to be hit differently . Chiangmai from what I gathered got hit hard in 1 go, so did Krabi . Pattaya on the other hand is being hit in small doses but on regular basis.

 

is it possible it’s locally controlled ?

[cmsally]

I think there is an ongoing situation in Chiang mai, something seems to crop up each day!

[heybruce]

6 hours ago, cmsally said:

I think there is an ongoing situation in Chiang mai, something seems to crop up each day!

It's Thaksin's hometown, and Prayut, the junta, and the people who like military rule don't like Thaksin.  Do you think that may have something do to with it?

[johnoko]

In total yesterday around 16 notices were put up on properties on Soi 9 of Moon muang Rd. Most of them were put up when there was nobody there. But one owner was there when they put up the notice and confronted the tesa baan staff. And they just told her throw it away we are only told to put them up and to take a picture that is all we are told by our boss. 

[JAZZDOG]

3 hours ago, johnoko said:

In total yesterday around 16 notices were put up on properties on Soi 9 of Moon muang Rd. Most of them were put up when there was nobody there. But one owner was there when they put up the notice and confronted the tesa baan staff. And they just told her throw it away we are only told to put them up and to take a picture that is all we are told by our boss. 

Seems like a case of the Blind leading the Blinded

[JimmyJ]

Is this situation still unresolved?

 

Was going to book a guesthouse in CM for next month but now thinking I should book a hotel or wait a bit to make sure they remain open.

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Is this situation still unresolved?

 

Was going to book a guesthouse in CM for next month but now thinking I should book a hotel or wait a bit to make sure they remain open.

Nothing is resolved and nowhere near the end . Raids continue with more being shut or arrested 

[JimmyJ]

9 minutes ago, BestB said:

Nothing is resolved and nowhere near the end . Raids continue with more being shut or arrested 

Thanks.

 

Am  I safe if I book a hotel, or are they cracking down in some way on certain hotels also?

 

Also, when looking at booking sites, I don't think all of the hotels and all of the guesthouses use that title in their name.

 

Is there some way to tell which they are considered?

[BestB]

35 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Thanks.

 

Am  I safe if I book a hotel, or are they cracking down in some way on certain hotels also?

 

Also, when looking at booking sites, I don't think all of the hotels and all of the guesthouses use that title in their name.

 

Is there some way to tell which they are considered?

The only safe bet is a 5 Star , all others are a guess.

[johnoko]

Airbnb just send us a copy of the hotel act 2004 in English but I'm not able to insert the link to share it with you guys. Will have some home work for the weekend reading this 

[johnoko]

I think I got it now 

HOTEL+ACT,+B.E.+2547+(2004).pdf

[cmsally]

Just because it is a hotel doesn't necessarily mean it has a hotel license. There are some small guesthouses that do actually have hotel licenses.

It is still ongoing with places raided etc being reported regularly.

[MekkOne]

2 hours ago, johnoko said:

I think I got it now 

HOTEL+ACT,+B.E.+2547+(2004).pdf

fine work of AirBNB, this translation can be found just by using google, and it clearly state "HIS TEXT HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL/ COMPREHENSIVE PURPOSES AND CONTAINS NO LEGAL AUTHORITY" so they could have sent you a roll of toilet paper it will have the same value.

[JimmyJ]

Well...I guess I'll proceed with reservations and assume [hope?] I'll get a refund if I arrive and the place is closed down.

Same with other Thai locations besides Chiang Mai.

 

I'm not sure if I'd be better off booking directly with each lodgings or thru a 3rd party site for ease of refund.

[heybruce]

4 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Well...I guess I'll proceed with reservations and assume [hope?] I'll get a refund if I arrive and the place is closed down.

Same with other Thai locations besides Chiang Mai.

 

I'm not sure if I'd be better off booking directly with each lodgings or thru a 3rd party site for ease of refund.

June through October are not busy times for tourism in Chiang Mai.  Even if there is a problem with whatever accommodation you book, there will be alternatives.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Well...I guess I'll proceed with reservations and assume [hope?] I'll get a refund if I arrive and the place is closed down.

Same with other Thai locations besides Chiang Mai.

 

I'm not sure if I'd be better off booking directly with each lodgings or thru a 3rd party site for ease of refund.

Why would you pay in advance in low season? Plenty of places open outside the moat. I never book in advance in low season.

[JAZZDOG]

15 hours ago, heybruce said:

  19 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Well...I guess I'll proceed with reservations and assume [hope?] I'll get a refund if I arrive and the place is closed down.

Same with other Thai locations besides Chiang Mai.

 

I'm not sure if I'd be better off booking directly with each lodgings or thru a 3rd party site for ease of refund.

Use booking.com, no credit card, no deposit. You can reserve 20 different rooms and leave 19 hotels hanging with no-shows. People do it all the time especially Arabs and Indians.

[LomSak27]

7 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

Use booking.com, no credit card, no deposit. You can reserve 20 different rooms and leave 19 hotels hanging with no-shows. People do it all the time especially Arabs and Indians.

Right, used Booking .com and it wanted my credit card info for a reservation. That was a week ago in Bangkok.

My bad luck to get the only hotel that does that on booking.com. eh

 

[JAZZDOG]

5 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

Right, used Booking .com and it wanted my credit card info for a reservation. That was a week ago in Bangkok.

My bad luck to get the only hotel that does that on booking.com. eh

 

Option of the host but hotels receive many more bookings not asking for CC but many are cancel or no-show

[WinnieTheKhwai]

20 hours ago, JAZZDOG said:

Option of the host but hotels receive many more bookings not asking for CC but many are cancel or no-show

 

Yes, the Booking.com site and overall business process is a complete disaster.   Lots of people use it to just have 'something' in place for a year into the future and then cancel when they actually travel.  Meanwhile that prevented other people from booking.   Plus hotels have to chase guests to get paid, they don't provide a payment gateway service.

 

No wonder AirBnB is walking all over the old model of doing business in the hospitality industry.

[cmsally]

Most of the "just in case" bookings are over Xmas / New Year.

Normally if you close off that period until a few weeks beforehand, that gets rid of many of those. Most people I know find that Booking.com works quite well. Their admin site is way better than that of Agoda, which is a nightmare.

I assume the Thai govt is going to try and get the online agents to demand licenses to list but maybe I am wrong. I don't know if it would be possible.

[BestB]

15 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Yes, the Booking.com site and overall business process is a complete disaster.   Lots of people use it to just have 'something' in place for a year into the future and then cancel when they actually travel.  Meanwhile that prevented other people from booking.   Plus hotels have to chase guests to get paid, they don't provide a payment gateway service.

 

No wonder AirBnB is walking all over the old model of doing business in the hospitality industry.

I do not have amd never had this problem .

 

i have a policy, booking will be charged 50% at the time of booking ( which I can change to 10% or 100%)

 

should credit card provided be invalid , guest gets an email to update credit card info within 24 hours . If nothing provided I cancel the bookings .

 

what you need is virtual cc capability on your credit card machine, without out booking .com should be last company to use

[BestB]

6 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Most of the "just in case" bookings are over Xmas / New Year.

Normally if you close off that period until a few weeks beforehand, that gets rid of many of those. Most people I know find that Booking.com works quite well. Their admin site is way better than that of Agoda, which is a nightmare.

I assume the Thai govt is going to try and get the online agents to demand licenses to list but maybe I am wrong. I don't know if it would be possible.

Already tried , but since OTA’s are not governed by Thai laws as not registered in Thailand , they have slim chance of success.

[JAZZDOG]

22 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

Yes, the Booking.com site and overall business process is a complete disaster.   Lots of people use it to just have 'something' in place for a year into the future and then cancel when they actually travel.  Meanwhile that prevented other people from booking.   Plus hotels have to chase guests to get paid, they don't provide a payment gateway service.

 

No wonder AirBnB is walking all over the old model of doing business in the hospitality industry.

Very true, their business model is to throw sh*t against the wall and see what sticks. Ends up 75% of their "bookings" end up cancelations or no-shows. Might work for large hotels that always carry vacant rooms but for smaller places a waste of time.

[cmsally]

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

Already tried , but since OTA’s are not governed by Thai laws as not registered in Thailand , they have slim chance of success.

There are already certain clauses in the agreements that seem to refer to "whatever the rules in your country" etc.

I would imagine the govt is scrambling around trying to get some kind of power over them or their local offices.