In Thailand, Airbnb and homestays undercut hotel industry as tourists seek unique experiences

[webfact]

In Thailand, Airbnb and homestays undercut hotel industry as tourists seek unique experiences

-- Airbnb generated US$1.1 billion in direct economic impact to the Thai economy last year, nearly half to local communities

-- But hotel operators say home share offerings operate without proper licences and are affecting their businesses, as the strong baht also hurts tourism

Jitsiree Thongnoi

 

In the hills in Thailand ’s northern city of Chiang Mai, guests can opt to stay in one of 10 wooden huts on a serene, naturally cool hilltop close to the homes of the local ethnic Hmong community.

 

MonHmong, which offers guests what it calls an “authentic experience”, joined home sharing platform a Airbnb’s homestay training programme last year. The programme is supported by the local government in a bid to boost tourism  in Thailand’s second-tier cities and benefit local residents.

 

The owner of MonHmong, who declined to be named, charges 900 – 1,500 baht (US$30 – 50) for a hut for two guests per night which includes breakfast. Unlike a typical homestay where all meals are covered, guests here order meals from the kitchen.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3042870/thailand-airbnb-undercuts-hotel-industry-tourists-seek-unique

 

-- South China Morning Post 2019-12-20

[thenewgoo]

Airbnb has no doubt opened up the market - a game changer! Having two children, the overpriced (and limited number of) family rooms  and ridiculous costs of 'extra-beds' (which turned your room into a sardine tin) at hotels previously made travel a financial nightmare. Having used airbnb, I won't look back. The only people worried about airbnb are the hotels themselves and their clout with government agencies who will do whatever they can to keep airbnb illegal.

[lujanit]

6 minutes ago, thenewgoo said:

The only people worried about airbnb are the hotels themselves and their clout with government agencies who will do whatever they can to keep airbnb illegal.

This is just not true.  There are threads on this forum which describe the havoc and noise condo owners have to suffer when other condo owners rent out their space via sites like AirBnb.

 

 AirBnb may be convenient for some owners and visitors yet it is not the answer for everyone.

[trainman34014]

Stop building so many Hotels, many just to launder money and that might help !

[Misterwhisper]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

one of 10 wooden huts

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

900 – 1,500 baht (US$30 – 50) for a hut for two guests per night

It is very clear from the description that this is not a "homestay" but a commercially operated hotel/resort that rightfully would require a hotel license. 

[ThomasThBKK]

Quote

MonHmong’s owner said the regulations make it difficult to comply: “I cannot register as a hotel because urban planning regulations state a hotel must be located within the city’s perimeter. And I’m not a short-term rental because my guests only stay for days at a time.”

 

This is the typical Thai BS.

 

WHY THE FAK DOES A HOTEL HAVE TO BE WITHIN CITY PERMITER??????? 

 

Many many many people want to stay far away from the city to enjoy nature, holy <deleted> what a retarded rule.

[natway09]

A customer booked a room with Air BNB for 6 nights at a local well known hotel/ apartment.

He booked in to find he was in a 2 bedroom unit but assumed because they had nothing else.

Your right folks, at 11pm heard a key in the lock to find an Indian checking in to the other bedroom.

Refund not possible ,,,, never again

[ThomasThBKK]

6 minutes ago, natway09 said:

A customer booked a room with Air BNB for 6 nights at a local well known hotel/ apartment.

He booked in to find he was in a 2 bedroom unit but assumed because they had nothing else.

Your right folks, at 11pm heard a key in the lock to find an Indian checking in to the other bedroom.

Refund not possible ,,,, never again

This is Thailand not Airbnb.

 

If the whole apartment filter is set and that happened i would say fraud, airbnb always refunds this <deleted> usually. But i doubt he selected the filter...

[ChipButty]

36 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

 

It is very clear from the description that this is not a "homestay" but a commercially operated hotel/resort that rightfully would require a hotel license. 

I would agree I thought anything with more than 5 rooms you need a license and that hardly sounds like a Homestay to me, maybe someone could throw some light as to who owns the joint

[ThomasThBKK]

6 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I would agree I thought anything with more than 5 rooms you need a license and that hardly sounds like a Homestay to me, maybe someone could throw some light as to who owns the joint

 

He cannot get a hotel license, it's impossible.

 

Only in chiang mais city zone they issue hotel licenses. The greenzone and all other zones are out of luck. 

 

https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news-archive/city-plans-new-zoning-may-not-see-light-of-day-anytime-soon/

 

Everything outside of red/orange is forbidden to apply for hotel licenses, because some micro brain decided so.

[madmen]

41 minutes ago, natway09 said:

A customer booked a room with Air BNB for 6 nights at a local well known hotel/ apartment.

He booked in to find he was in a 2 bedroom unit but assumed because they had nothing else.

Your right folks, at 11pm heard a key in the lock to find an Indian checking in to the other bedroom.

Refund not possible ,,,, never again

Total BS you select an option. Entire place or just a room that is in a shared condo. Refund not possible because he ticked a room 

 

 

[madmen]

Every year the reports will get worse by hotels crying about lack of bookings. Nothing to do with lack of tourists. Air BNB is the future and its unstoppable 

[cardinalblue]

Go Amazon Go AirBnb...

[Destiny1990]

What’s the unique experience from staying in an Airbnb room?

[Tops]

A guy I know bought a two-bedroom condo in Ekkamai in 2015 and it was finished late 2017 before he could move in.

 

On each floor there are 2 similar / opposite two-bedroom condos at the end of the floor. 

Next to them, on each side, there are 6 one-bedroom condos and 2 studios near the elevators on one side and 4 on the other side. 

 

The other two-bedroom condo is bought by another farang. 
The 12 one-bedroom and the 6 studios were bought by a Chinese. Every day there are 2 busloads of Chinese arriving because it is used as AirBnB. Every evening the Chinese party downstairs in the swimmingpool. About 100 Chinese peeing and $#!tting in pool daily !!!

 

Rules and laws aren't enforced. 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Tops

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

10 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

What’s the unique experience from staying in an Airbnb room?

You get live streamed via hidden webcam to a bunch of pervs.

[madmen]

2 hours ago, Tops said:

A guy I know bought a two-bedroom condo in Ekkamai in 2015 and it was finished late 2017 before he could move in.

 

On each floor there are 2 similar / opposite two-bedroom condos at the end of the floor. 

Next to them, on each side, there are 6 one-bedroom condos and 2 studios near the elevators on one side and 4 on the other side. 

 

The other two-bedroom condo is bought by another farang. 
The 12 one-bedroom and the 6 studios were bought by a Chinese. Every day there are 2 busloads of Chinese arriving because it is used as AirBnB. Every evening the Chinese party downstairs in the swimmingpool. About 100 Chinese peeing and $#!tting in pool daily !!!

 

Rules and laws aren't enforced. 

Thats because nobody attended the AGM and complained to juristic. Its only law if juristic enforce it. No good crying to his mates he needs to push hard to get it law in his building but without juristic he is screwed

[CNXexpat]

In Chiang Mai they build a huge building with 600 units which is advertised as "Airbnb friendly". I would never ever buy a condo to live in there. Every day new people will arrive with their luggage and they will not care so much about noise or keeping all clean. 

 

Nobody of the owners will pay taxes, much less staff is needed compared to a hotel. 

 

In the beginning Airbnb was advertised as "staying with local people, making new friends". Now people buy condos only for that and many guests will never see their host. It´s more anonymous than a hotel where the staff is always greeting and you have people to ask some things.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, madmen said:

Thats because nobody attended the AGM and complained to juristic. Its only law if juristic enforce it. No good crying to his mates he needs to push hard to get it law in his building but without juristic he is screwed

 

It's the law whether juristic enforces it or not.  

 

[CNXexpat]

12 hours ago, impulse said:

 

It's the law whether juristic enforces it or not.  

 

Right. And if the government will start to enforce it one day to support the tax paying and staff hireing hotels, the Airbnb condo owners will start crying. 

Edited December 21, 2019 by CNXexpat

[madmen]

14 hours ago, impulse said:

 

It's the law whether juristic enforces it or not.  

 

technically. But if Juristic dont enforce it then it will go completely uncontrolled .

[madmen]

Yesterday France the second biggest Air BNB customer after the USA ruled against a landmark case against air BNB . So you can see how deep the Airbnb tentacles can go ..

 

https://www.thelocal.fr/20191219/french-hoteliers-lose-case-against-airbnb-in-european-court

[SkyFax]

Even given the overwhelming success of companies like Airbnb, Amazon, Uber, and those similar, it is nice to know that one can still manage one's life without patronizing any of them.

[IraqRon]

22 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

 

It is very clear from the description that this is not a "homestay" but a commercially operated hotel/resort that rightfully would require a hotel license. 

so true.  and who really pays that much to stay in a wooden hut close to hmong families?  I did one similar in the hills above Doi Mae Salong with some visiting friends who wanted the experience.  Local villagers totally off putting and in the morn had a faux market set up for the Euro folks brought up in buses from the city, so there went to ambiance.  

[Traubert]

22 hours ago, Tops said:

A guy I know bought a two-bedroom condo in Ekkamai in 2015 and it was finished late 2017 before he could move in.

 

On each floor there are 2 similar / opposite two-bedroom condos at the end of the floor. 

Next to them, on each side, there are 6 one-bedroom condos and 2 studios near the elevators on one side and 4 on the other side. 

 

The other two-bedroom condo is bought by another farang. 
The 12 one-bedroom and the 6 studios were bought by a Chinese. Every day there are 2 busloads of Chinese arriving because it is used as AirBnB. Every evening the Chinese party downstairs in the swimmingpool. About 100 Chinese peeing and $#!tting in pool daily !!!

 

Rules and laws aren't enforced. 

Your numbers don't add up mate and nobody is defecating in the pool they swim in. Particularly not the Chinese who are petrified of illness.

[Orton Rd]

Not unique just cheap, i'll never stay at an airbnb again, last host looked like a serial killer and never spoke a word. Sticking with Hotels, at least you are more likely to get something of a professional standard airbnb is a gamble

[madmen]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Not unique just cheap, i'll never stay at an airbnb again, last host looked like a serial killer and never spoke a word. Sticking with Hotels, at least you are more likely to get something of a professional standard airbnb is a gamble

sounds like your not the friendly type. Enjoy a run down dump all of 15sqm (unless its true 5 star) in a 40 year old building or go a modern 35 sqm condo with a kitchen for the same price ?

 

Thai hotels are the biggest gamble on the planet. 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by madmen

[newnative]

On 12/20/2019 at 1:18 PM, thenewgoo said:

Airbnb has no doubt opened up the market - a game changer! Having two children, the overpriced (and limited number of) family rooms  and ridiculous costs of 'extra-beds' (which turned your room into a sardine tin) at hotels previously made travel a financial nightmare. Having used airbnb, I won't look back. The only people worried about airbnb are the hotels themselves and their clout with government agencies who will do whatever they can to keep airbnb illegal.

Totally incorrect. As a condo owner/resident, I'm 'worried'.  And also angry about the illegal daily renters ruining my RESIDENCE.  Condo rentals of less than a month are illegal in Thailand--and lots of other places.  And, rightly so.

[dcnx]

On 12/20/2019 at 1:31 PM, lujanit said:

This is just not true.  There are threads on this forum which describe the havoc and noise condo owners have to suffer when other condo owners rent out their space via sites like AirBnb.

 

 AirBnb may be convenient for some owners and visitors yet it is not the answer for everyone.

It’s because they accept anyone And everyone who books. I own many units and rent them on Airbnb, no problems. I’m selective and read their reviews. I never accept people who are new or don’t have several reviews.

[jonclark]

On 12/20/2019 at 5:07 PM, Tops said:

A guy I know bought a two-bedroom condo in Ekkamai in 2015 and it was finished late 2017 before he could move in.

 

On each floor there are 2 similar / opposite two-bedroom condos at the end of the floor. 

Next to them, on each side, there are 6 one-bedroom condos and 2 studios near the elevators on one side and 4 on the other side. 

 

The other two-bedroom condo is bought by another farang. 
The 12 one-bedroom and the 6 studios were bought by a Chinese. Every day there are 2 busloads of Chinese arriving because it is used as AirBnB. Every evening the Chinese party downstairs in the swimmingpool. About 100 Chinese peeing and $#!tting in pool daily !!!

 

Rules and laws aren't enforced. 

Quick call to immigration police stating tm 30 violations would fix in an instant. 100 x 2k fines... Can you hear the cash register sing???