Five hotels in Phuket have been ordered to suspend operations after failing to secure licences and complete required improvements, provincial authorities said.

The closures were imposed after operators did not make the necessary changes despite being given extra time, Deputy Phuket Governor Romdon Haji Awae said on Saturday 26 September 2026.

The action follows a provincial review of hotels operating without licences or with structural issues. Authorities had allowed affected properties 30 days to correct physical deficiencies.

Separate review for 40 other hotels

A further 40 hotels are being considered for licence renewals, but these properties are on separate regulatory tracks from the five ordered to suspend operations.

Some of those hotels have yet to submit important documents, including environmental impact assessment reports and structural safety certificates, Mr Romdon said.

The hotels under renewal consideration have different deadlines, with the province expecting operators to provide the outstanding paperwork by October.

The five closures were not linked simply to missing renewal documents. According to the deputy governor, they followed failures to obtain licences and meet the improvement requirements set by authorities.

The report did not identify the five hotels by name. Visitors whose accommodation is affected by a suspension should contact their booking platform, travel insurer or hotel operator about alternative arrangements and refund options.

Documents due by October

The next immediate deadline concerns the 40 hotels whose licence renewals remain under review. Provincial authorities expect the missing documents to be submitted by October.

Their cases will be assessed separately from the five properties already told to halt operations.

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28 September 2026

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The report did not identify the five hotels by name. Visitors whose accommodation is affected by a suspension should contact their booking platform, travel insurer or hotel operator about alternative arrangements and refund options.

Surely would make more sense to name the 5 hotels, as can't see the hotels rushing to say to clients via email / phone sorry you can't stay here anymore as we've been closed down!

14 minutes ago, phil2407 said:

The report did not identify the five hotels by name. Visitors whose accommodation is affected by a suspension should contact their booking platform, travel insurer or hotel operator about alternative arrangements and refund options.

Surely would make more sense to name the 5 hotels, as can't see the hotels rushing to say to clients via email / phone sorry you can't stay here anymore as we've been closed down!

Good point... a large number of people may be arriving with no place to stay due to this action.

Deputy Phuket Governor Romdon Haji Awae and the Tourism Authority of Thailand's refusal to identify the hotels appears to be negligence. There is a duty of care owed the hotel clients and refusing to disclose the hotel names is inexcusable. if the hotels were booked through an OTA, the OTA should be advised. What are these people thinking?

I came on to make the same point.

I feel for people, especially those with multiple rooms booked or have booked (and paid) for a considerable length stay. Imagine flying for 12-36 hours after catching flights from the US or Europe with stopovers, arriving at Suvarnabhumi in 30+ degree heat, getting a taxi, and then finding your accommodation providers has gone t..ts up!

At least put the names of the hotels that are struck off or are illegal, so ten, twenty, two hundred (who knows how many?) tourists don't arrive to find themselves outside a closed hotel with their suitcases in the sweltering heat, on the other side of the planet from home, possibly with a wife and/or kids in tow, and unsure what their options are - and do they have enough money to pay again for their accommodation? Because we know that when the "cancellation isn't free after date x" is enforced. Closed down or not, they'll still take the money from Agoda/Expedia/Trip or whomever.

And this is just the beginning. Full-on High Season isn't that far away, and they still have another 40 to meet the October deadlines. So far.