Frenchman arrested for running unlicensed hotel on Koh Samui

[webfact]

Frenchman arrested for running unlicensed hotel on Koh Samui

By The Nation

 

 

A French businessman has been arrested for allegedly running a hotel on the tourist destination Koh Samui in Surat Thani without licence.
 

Surat Thani immigration police chief Pol Colonel Supalerk Phankosol said Yant Daniel Dukaruce (not official spelling) was arrested at a Lamai Beach hotel in Moo 3 village of Tambon Maret in Koh Samui district at 8pm Monday.

 

He was taken to the Samui police station for interrogation before seeking the court’s permission to remand him pending further investigation.

 

The arrest was made after police, Army troops and district officials jointly checked luxury villas on top of a mountain in Ban Bang Por in Tambon Mae Nam on May 14. The raid followed complaints by operators of legal hotels on the vacation island that some foreign businessmen were providing illegal accommodation on the island.

 

The official learned that a firm associated with the Frenchman illegally modified five villas on the mountain to provide 22 hotel rooms.

 

Supalerk said police summoned the businessman to face charges of illegally running a hotel, but he refused to turn up at the police station. Police later learned that he planned to fly from the island to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday and intended to leave the country, so they obtained and executed an arrest warrant from the Samui Court.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30370121

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-28

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[ThomasThBKK]

Idiots like that ruin it for every other law abiding farrang that just wants to rest in their Beach house be it on vacation or retirement. 

 

My sympathy level is quite looooow

Edited May 28, 2019 by ThomasThBKK

[mok199]

Still pissed about the Farang and his airport run where cash exchanging hands was caught on video ....they do enjoy their revenge this lot...

[trainman34014]

Now can we have all the Thai owners arrested for running Hotels without a license; that should fill the cells up pretty quickly !

[dendijk]

36 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Now can we have all the Thai owners arrested for running Hotels without a license; that should fill the cells up pretty quickly !

well that ain't gonna happen.

[from the home of CC]

6 minutes ago, dendijk said:

well that ain't gonna happen.

now that Prayut is back in the saddle for the next 20 I wouldn't count on that..

[davidst01]

he should have played it safe and crossed via the southern malaysia border. dum ass frenchman

[NightSky]

If it is personal property with an Air B&B ad to rent out a spare room or 'annex' with an occasional visitor that shouldn't warrant being arrested and deported surely?

 

This should be considered different to operating a proper resort full of tourists as a commercial business and in this is instance a licence is easily acquired if the business is legitimate..

 

..obviously there must be more to this story than what is being told here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by NightSky

[moe666]

27 minutes ago, NightSky said:

If it is personal property with an Air B&B ad to rent out a spare room or 'annex' with an occasional visitor that shouldn't warrant being arrested and deported surely?

 

This should be considered different to operating a proper resort full of tourists as a commercial business and in this is instance a licence is easily acquired if the business is legitimate..

 

..obviously there must be more to this story than what is being told here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a new code in town about hotels, more than likely the conversion will not meet the code restrictions so illigal. The new code stopped a Thai business family from building a hotel here in CM, we get to keep Maddogs

[parallaxtech]

I live on Chaweng Mountain and many of the villas/houses are rented daily/weekly/monthly on Airbnb.  The few of us who live here all year have to put up with loud parties until 6:00 am, idiots parking in our driveway, and motorcycles roaring up and down the mountain at all hours.  Are the police just being paid off or is there anything I can do?

[Thaifriends]

This time a white French guy. Avoiding tax is equal to stealing. If its a phone or VAT payable

[ThomasThBKK]

I live on Chaweng Mountain and many of the villas/houses are rented daily/weekly/monthly on Airbnb.  The few of us who live here all year have to put up with loud parties until 6:00 am, idiots parking in our driveway, and motorcycles roaring up and down the mountain at all hours.  Are the police just being paid off or is there anything I can do?

Yeah that sucks but the police is as much to blame as the landlords.

They just ignore everything and don't care about noise and safety issues.

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[mikecha]

good another one gone this what make the genuine ex pat her life difficult either be it visas or long stay 

no wonder the Thai goverment are on the look out 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, NightSky said:

If it is personal property with an Air B&B ad to rent out a spare room or 'annex' with an occasional visitor that shouldn't warrant being arrested and deported surely?

 

This should be considered different to operating a proper resort full of tourists as a commercial business and in this is instance a licence is easily acquired if the business is legitimate..

 

..obviously there must be more to this story than what is being told here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The official learned that a firm associated with the Frenchman illegally modified five villas on the mountain to provide 22 hotel rooms.

Just a suggestion... nothing personal.. read the post again!

[Robin]

I think the real issue is; was he running a legal hotel with all the required permits and papers, or trying to do something 'under the radar'?

 

I have met too many ex-pats who think that in Thailand it is easier to take to 'unofficial route' in business, and then complain when they are caught out.

 

How easy is it to get a Hotel licence?

[ThomasThBKK]

I think the real issue is; was he running a legal hotel with all the required permits and papers, or trying to do something 'under the radar'?
 
I have met too many ex-pats who think that in Thailand it is easier to take to 'unofficial route' in business, and then complain when they are caught out.
 
How easy is it to get a Hotel licence?

He wasn't, he transformed random villas into hotels without permits, prolly not even having a work permit for that stuff... Who knows.


It's damn hard and takes a looong time to get a hotel license tho, especially for already existing buildings as they don't comply to hotel laws.

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[johng50]

2 hours ago, NightSky said:

If it is personal property with an Air B&B ad to rent out a spare room or 'annex' with an occasional visitor that shouldn't warrant being arrested and deported surely?

 

This should be considered different to operating a proper resort full of tourists as a commercial business and in this is instance a licence is easily acquired if the business is legitimate..

 

..obviously there must be more to this story than what is being told here.

Sure is. this guy was taking business away from the also illegal thai operators.

[BestB]

2 hours ago, NightSky said:

If it is personal property with an Air B&B ad to rent out a spare room or 'annex' with an occasional visitor that shouldn't warrant being arrested and deported surely?

 

This should be considered different to operating a proper resort full of tourists as a commercial business and in this is instance a licence is easily acquired if the business is legitimate..

 

..obviously there must be more to this story than what is being told here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

License is not easily acquired . They do not issue hotel licenses unless building permit initially was for a hotel and meets certain criteria and then its 2-3 year wait.

 

there is no way in hell an existing building or a modified shophouse can get hotel license.

 

in this case, he has made modifications illegally , he was running it as a hotel with daily rentals . He was summoned to appear for questioning but did not .

 

if he had any brain , he should have gone to police station , made some donations and all would have been ok. Worst case, he would have been sent to court, pay 100000 baht bail, go to check in with court every week for 6 weeks, hey his bond back and all finished

 

he chose to do the runner.now they will try to hammer him hard 

[mike787]

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Now can we have all the Thai owners arrested for running Hotels without a license; that should fill the cells up pretty quickly !

RIGHT!  but great idea.

[LukKrueng]

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Now can we have all the Thai owners arrested for running Hotels without a license; that should fill the cells up pretty quickly !

 

4 hours ago, dendijk said:

well that ain't gonna happen.

If I recall correctly it HAS happened in the past, on Koh Phang ngan

[madmen]

2 hours ago, parallaxtech said:

I live on Chaweng Mountain and many of the villas/houses are rented daily/weekly/monthly on Airbnb.  The few of us who live here all year have to put up with loud parties until 6:00 am, idiots parking in our driveway, and motorcycles roaring up and down the mountain at all hours.  Are the police just being paid off or is there anything I can do?

Pay off the BIB. no other way

[BestB]

5 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Now can we have all the Thai owners arrested for running Hotels without a license; that should fill the cells up pretty quickly !

Thai owners also get arrested and prosecuted . During last year raids more than 500 hotels were raided and owners arrested and most were Thai .

 

In my batch , I was the only foreigner , other ( from memory 7-8) were Thai. This was just one catch of the day .

 

the main difference is , with Thai all

they can do is fine and nothing else , with foreigners, we have visa to worry about 

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, parallaxtech said:

Are the police just being paid off or is there anything I can do?

Local Thais at Samui says about suspect business – hotel, rental, whatever – that one should report it to "the soldiers"; that seems also to be what the news story said...????

Quote

The arrest was made after police, Army troops and district officials jointly checked luxury villas on top of a mountain in Ban Bang Por in Tambon Mae Nam on May 14. The raid followed complaints by operators of legal hotels on the vacation island that some foreign businessmen were providing illegal accommodation on the island.

 

[zyphodb]

Well, he's royally screwed now, they will take everything off him, assets in Thailand legal or illegal, any bank accs. here, and possibly jail before blacklisting too...

              gotta feel just a little sorry for him...

[KC 71]

I saw the 5 buildings on the news,it looked like they had all just been completed,swimming pools etc,they looked quite nice !
I wonder what will happen to them now.


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[Pravda]

First it was unlimited  border runs. The it came crackdown on tourists visas. Then retirees (who were ironically cheering against those filthy backpackers) were targeted with new seasoning rules. Soon health insurance. Now it's TM30.

 

Next: Arrogant Farangs who still think they own a house in Thailand.

 

Yes, this next crackdown is coming like it or not. 

Edited May 28, 2019 by Pravda

[mickey rat]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Police later learned that he planned to fly from the island to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday and intended to leave the country, so they obtained and executed an arrest warrant from the Samui Court.

You can run but you can't hide. Samui is a relatively small island after all.  

[sam neuts]

It looks like many readers are not aware of the law regarding short term property rentals in Thailand.

 

There is loads of information available that will show any foreign or Thailand renters that a licence is required. 

 

If the Frenchman decided not to abide by Thai law then it is his choice but there is no point in complaining about being arrested for operating illegally. 

 

Fines can be up to 10,000 THB per day since he started the business and imprisonment is also a possibility. 

 

Full compliance with the Hotel Act will be enforced by 2021.

[BestB]

57 minutes ago, Pravda said:

First it was unlimited  border runs. The it came crackdown on tourists visas. Then retirees (who were ironically cheering against those filthy backpackers) were targeted with new seasoning rules. Soon health insurance. Now it's TM30.

 

Next: Arrogant Farangs who still think they own a house in Thailand.

 

Yes, this next crackdown is coming like it or not. 

 Not sure about rest of Thailand but Pattaya confirmed next round is in the coming months is restaurants, stalls and anything else selling food or drinks without a license , hotels again without hotel license and businesses with nominee shareholders , ie pretty much every company that has a foreigner in it .

[ThomasThBKK]

 Not sure about rest of Thailand but Pattaya confirmed next round is in the coming months is restaurants, stalls and anything else selling food or drinks without a license , hotels again without hotel license and businesses with nominee shareholders , ie pretty much every company that has a foreigner in it .

That's great.

Hope they force foreigners to dump their shares in SET listed public companies too, can't wait to have my first asian finacial crisis.




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