Gloom, Doom, Hotel Room...

[BestB]

On 6/18/2018 at 4:44 PM, tootall said:

This is an operation run by the big corporations who build too many of these high price condo/hotel buildings and their payoffs to the police to circumvent/make rules as they go along. There are way too condo and hotels going up all over Pattaya. They build and build and do not have the infrastructure to support all the buildings and traffic they have now. I have a friend who has a restaurant/hotel and has all the up to date license yet he know he will be closed down. He states the police are telling all these lower priced establishments, that offer daily/weekly/monthly rates that they have to have an elevator and a pool, Where in the law books does this say it is mandatory?  It is the pressure from the big hotel/condo buildings going up every week that is the force/payments to the police for them to make this new crackdown 

 

 I am afraid your friend is either confused or clueless.

 

Elevator or/and pool is NOT a requirement.

 

What licenses does he have? room for rent or hotel license?

 

Police are not cracking down, Tourist police and army are the ones doing the raids. Police only process the charges and lock you up ?

[digbeth]

@BestB  The last couple of years, Thais were able to claim hotel expense on their tax return, I think it was for stays during certain period. I think it involves the 'hotel' making a VAT receipt, only registered hotels can give these out, were you aware or able to make these under the 'rooms for rent' licence? 

 

In my small soi in Pattaya, there's 2 new hotels, one was opened in the last couple of years, one is due to open any day now, all are of the same format, 7-8 floors, completely built to the property edge, no 'green area' to speak of, only a handful of parking spot on ground/basement level, both of these has a roof garden/pool, maybe they count these and the lobby area as the required space? They must have built to within an inch of the new rule. The one that's already opened definitely had a hotel licence and the soon to be opened one don't have a sign of slowing down.

 

Maybe this is the new 'low-end' for hotel licencing, these two hotel probably only have around 60-80 rooms charging 1000+ Baht a night.

 

 

 

[BestB]

Just now, digbeth said:

@BestB  The last couple of years, Thais were able to claim hotel expense on their tax return, I think it was for stays during certain period. I think it involves the 'hotel' making a VAT receipt, only registered hotels can give these out, were you aware or able to make these under the 'rooms for rent' licence? 

 

In my small soi in Pattaya, there's 2 new hotels, one was opened in the last couple of years, one is due to open any day now, all are of the same format, 7-8 floors, completely built to the property edge, no 'green area' to speak of, only a handful of parking spot on ground/basement level, both of these has a roof garden/pool, maybe they count these and the lobby area as the required space? They must have built to within an inch of the new rule. The one that's already opened definitely had a hotel licence and the soon to be opened one don't have a sign of slowing down.

 

Maybe this is the new 'low-end' for hotel licencing, these two hotel probably only have around 60-80 rooms charging 1000+ Baht a night.

 

 

 

 

Most hotel bookings come from online agents like Agoda etc, tax receipts are issued once they make a booking.

 

What makes you think they have hotel license? They could be operating with rooms for rent license

 

You will find a number of people operating hotels who do not know about the raids and many like myself believed we have all in order, as it turned out i was wrong.

 

I have been speaking to one owner on Facebook and this guy just refused to accept anything about the raids, because he did not know anyone who was raided.

 

Told him 100 times, listed a few already, told him what to do to avoid being arrested, Only not interested.

 

The other day, he gets raided and arrested, now his GF is pestering me to help.

 

One owner, a Thai , owns 5 hotels in Pattaya, of decent size was locked up with me. I was locked up with a few hotel owners (all Thai and all of a decent size)

 

I called him, after i got out to see what he was doing. He said open as usual, they can come arrest me again if they wish.

 

 

 

[digbeth]

You're right they might not have a licence, they just seem to legitimate with certificate and everything displayed behind the desk

 

I heard that only hotel licenced place can give tax receipt for the special tax return break. the revenue department even have a list of which hotel are eligible. The list for Chonburi is comically short with only around 300 hotels

 

Come to think of it, when we had relative come to stay and I put them in the room they made a small hassle about getting the tax invoice, and looking through the list I don't see the name of the hotel listed, they could be using different company name but I doubt it. I understand any registered company can issue tax receipt.

 

Well then, I'll be watching to see when they are raided next then, the new one soon to open just opposite this one is owned by ex MP Thai too, this will be interesting.

[BestB]

4 minutes ago, digbeth said:

You're right they might not have a licence, they just seem to legitimate with certificate and everything displayed behind the desk

 

I heard that only hotel licenced place can give tax receipt for the special tax return break. the revenue department even have a list of which hotel are eligible. The list for Chonburi is comically short with only around 300 hotels

 

Come to think of it, when we had relative come to stay and I put them in the room they made a small hassle about getting the tax invoice, and looking through the list I don't see the name of the hotel listed, they could be using different company name but I doubt it. I understand any registered company can issue tax receipt.

 

Well then, I'll be watching to see when they are raided next then, the new one soon to open just opposite this one is owned by ex MP Thai too, this will be interesting.

 

Do not be surprised if they did not get raided, if its owned by someone with connections, they can always "skip" it ?

 

They have enough to raid, from my knowledge about 50 hotels get arrested on weekly basis in Pattaya and its been going on for about 6-8 weeks already. But its not Pattaya alone, 3 days ago Krabi had 70 hotels done in 1 day

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 11:01 PM, BestB said:

Bottom line is no one really knows why places been raided, what they hoping to achieve and why they trying to achieve it

 

No one knows what to do after being raided, most if not all unable to comply with the new regulations, as not only waiting time for hotel license is 2-3 years, but no one could possibly comply with insane regulations.

Situation normal then. It wouldn't be LOS if they didn't go through such upheavals occasionally. This "crackdown" is just the latest in a very long list.

Remember when they were going to fine people 100,000 baht and a year in jail for smoking on the beach? Has anyone gone to jail for that?

This too shall pass, and they'll move on to the next target. If I owned property in LOS, I'd be starting to be a bit concerned.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 11:46 PM, BestB said:

 

Do not be surprised if they did not get raided, if its owned by someone with connections, they can always "skip" it ?

 

They have enough to raid, from my knowledge about 50 hotels get arrested on weekly basis in Pattaya and its been going on for about 6-8 weeks already. But its not Pattaya alone, 3 days ago Krabi had 70 hotels done in 1 day

I just checked on the Krabi subforum, and a lot of hotels ( way more than 70 ) on Phi Phi were inspected, 90% found illegal, but no mention of any arrests of anyone.

[BestB]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I just checked on the Krabi subforum, and a lot of hotels ( way more than 70 ) on Phi Phi were inspected, 90% found illegal, but no mention of any arrests of anyone.

When raided and found “guilty” manager or owner is taken to police station , then charged and arrested. You will need to trust me on this one, as I have already been through it.

 

With Krabi, I just used as example , 70 were done in 1 day, I am

sure more were raided.

 

strangely enough Bangkok and Pattaya raids are not really making news headlines but it’s certain raids are taking place 

[JAZZDOG]

Watch out now
Take care, beware of greedy leaders
They'll take you where you should not go
George Harrison 
 

[The manic]

On 6/20/2018 at 12:01 AM, BestB said:

Where do you think smaller places need to register?

 

We are all registered with rooms for rent license, pay city tax, building tax, even sign tax

 

Whoever told you raids were designed to register? register what and where?

 

Whoever told you raids were designed to get hotels to register guests?

 

I am a small hotel owner and i was raided, i was arrested, i was jailed, i was judged and released.

 

I was not told, or ordered or required to "register" anything anywhere

 

I have all required by law licenses, which now as it turns out are not enough

 

I have tax receipts, company documents, work permit and everything else imaginable and yet i was jailed and judged.

 

There is another thread going at the moment, where all the reasons and speculations have been discussed.

 

Bottom line is no one really knows why places been raided, what they hoping to achieve and why they trying to achieve it

 

No one knows what to do after being raided, most if not all unable to comply with the new regulations, as not only waiting time for hotel license is 2-3 years, but no one could possibly comply with insane regulations.

 

Interesting interview with Hotel association president, where most of what she says is an absolute waffle mumbo jumbo, but 1 thing she said which rang some bells for me.

 

Just recently, they had 300 members, meaning only 300 hotels have hotel license, In this interview she stated 800 members,

 

How on earth they managed to triple the number of members in such a short time when licenses are not being issued and people are told "backlogged"

'First they came for food vendors and I did nothing, then they came for the street hawkers and I did nothing. Then they came for me. And nobody did anything' Really guys; what do you expect from the present set up. You are living under the same conditions as 90% of the Thai population. Powerless and at the mercy of the whims of the authorities. 

[sam neuts]

I don't know if I am allowed to post any links but here is one that may clear up the AirBnB part.

 

Please feel free to remove it if it is not allowed and readers will have to message me.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/06/24/thai-law-case-closed-on-airbnb-heres-why-it-wont-matter/