More hotel raids expected as tourist season hots up in Chiang Mai

[webfact]

More hotel raids expected as tourist season hots up in Chiang Mai

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

CHIANG MAI: -- A raiding party of police and soldiers found a brand new Chiang Mai hotel with plenty of tourists - the only thing missing was a license to operate.

 

The raid came as the governor of the northern province has issued orders for more checks in the wake of the Malin Sky bar incident.

 

Raided yesterday was the Pause and Play Hotel in Chang Pheuak district. A quick check revealed many of the 54 rooms at the four story property were occupied for about 2,000 baht a night, reports Manager Online

 

But the license was nowhere to be found.

 

The manager was hauled off to the station and soon the owner, Titaporn Traisuphakit, 57, arrived to say she had applied for the license but been told there was a big backlog and it would take some time.

 

She wanted everything to be legal but had still opened in the meantime. So the authorities shut her down, albeit temporarily.

 

Manager online reported that raids on illegal hotels are expected to continue after orders issued by the governor of the province in the wake of incidents at the Malin Sky bar the other week when a major general's son was beaten up.

 

That bar was found to be operating without the necessary permits.

 

Source: Manager Online

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-09

[colinneil]

Getting near the new year.

How can we top up the drinks fund?????

Ohh i have an idea, lets raid a few hotels that have forgotten the envelopes  !!!

Brilliant problem solved  

[mcfish]

Nothing wrong with enforcing the law,its not fair on those who are legal and doing the right thing

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[CNXBKKMAN]

Police and soldiers raid a hotel because it doesnt have the right paper work. Surely this is the job of the local government? How many people are now unemployed? How many tourists have booked this place and may not even get a refund? They have to book somewhere else or not visit at all? The low season would have been a better time to start closing hotels down imo.

[mcfish]

Police and soldiers raid a hotel because it doesnt have the right paper work. Surely this is the job of the local government? How many people are now unemployed? How many tourists have booked this place and may not even get a refund? They have to book somewhere else or not visit at all? The low season would have been a better time to start closing hotels down imo.

I get what your saying but waiting to uphold the law for a low season is wrong. It doesn't happen in the west so why should it happen here?

You deal with the law as it presents itself. If Thailand had to wait for low season to enforce laws that would effect tourism then nothing would get done. Not much gets done as it is

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[Sparkles]

38 minutes ago, CNXBKKMAN said:

Police and soldiers raid a hotel because it doesnt have the right paper work. Surely this is the job of the local government? How many people are now unemployed? How many tourists have booked this place and may not even get a refund? They have to book somewhere else or not visit at all? The low season would have been a better time to start closing hotels down imo.

You are 100% right.Poice and Army have no right to get involved unless its believed to be a terrorist or criminal related activity going on within the hotel.

Massive over kill.

Isn't there a Government Department that could have dealt with this in a discreet and proper manner.

If you were unlucky enought to be a guest what sort of message does it send out that Police/Army are required.

High or low season is irrelevant and I doubt,as a guest, you would ever return

 

 

 

[ChrisY1]

31 minutes ago, Sparkles said:

You are 100% right.Poice and Army have no right to get involved unless its believed to be a terrorist or criminal related activity going on within the hotel.

Massive over kill.

Isn't there a Government Department that could have dealt with this in a discreet and proper manner.

If you were unlucky enought to be a guest what sort of message does it send out that Police/Army are required.

High or low season is irrelevant and I doubt,as a guest, you would ever return

 

 

 

Of course the tessaban should have total control over all construction in their region.....but they don't like going out....and the graft keep coming to them...the owner most likely has paid them to enable the building to proceed!

[fstarbkk]

The government announced yesterday that 600 of 953 Hotels in CM are operating without the proper license. Ask yourself why this is suddenly a priority issue, in the wake of the Malin Sky affair.

 

[skinnymilinky]

So she went to sort out her license, the government told her there was a backlog and that she would have to wait, knowing she would probably open anyway,  and then passed her details on to the police for a nice wee back-hander...

[bubba]

That's funny...just had a look at booking.com and while Pause and Play do not have availability over the weekend, you can book rooms there for next Monday.

[mcfish]

Aren't hotels required to have liability insurance in case of fire, earthquake, accident? Most certainly the guests and the hotel would not be covered without a licence. A good reason to shut them all down!

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[Loaded]

The Governor has been aware of the problem for a while. However, you are working against influence when you want to enforce laws here.

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The raid came as the governor of the northern province has issued orders for more checks in the wake of the Malin Sky bar incident.

Another example of far reaching effect of the generalissimo. Its like "Don't Mess With Texas"

[AlphMichaels]

"Hots up".  OK then.

[brain150]

4 hours ago, mcfish said:

Nothing wrong with enforcing the law,its not fair on those who are legal and doing the right thing

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

 

Slavery was legal

Discriminating jews in Nazi Germany was legal

Torture in the US is legal

Killing people with drones is legal [in the US]

 

... Laws should always be questioned as they are rarely good for the people !!!

[Sparkles]

And always a photographer in tow

[Mickmouse1]

Yes YES clean up the lot..let's close down those 600 illegally operating hotels . let's stay at " good morning campus"???

 

[TerrylSky]

This hit and run, hit and miss police activity is sad; why did they pick that hotel? why not the whorehouse next door? why are some laws enforced on some and not on others? I think we all know. TIT.

 

[mcfish]

 
Slavery was legal
Discriminating jews in Nazi Germany was legal
Torture in the US is legal
Killing people with drones is legal [in the US]
 
... Laws should always be questioned as they are rarely good for the people !!!

Yep not having a hotel licence is right up there with killing and torture lol

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[FredNL]

It seems like someone didn't receive a brown envelope.

[NextStationBangkok]

It is quite common in Asia to start business without license and authorities will come and give papers anyway.

 

If you apply for license and wait, probably only next generation can start the business.

[Saraburi121]

38 minutes ago, brain150 said:

 

Slavery was legal

Discriminating jews in Nazi Germany was legal

Torture in the US is legal

Killing people with drones is legal [in the US]

 

... Laws should always be questioned as they are rarely good for the people !!!

Torture is not legal in the US, killing bad people with drones is.   Technology and laws evolve.

[Docno]

5 hours ago, mcfish said:

Nothing wrong with enforcing the law,its not fair on those who are legal and doing the right thing

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

That's all very well and good if the government is running efficiently. But I have some sympathy for the owner if the proper paperwork has been submitted in a reasonable timeframe and hotel is ready to go, and you're told that you cannot get approvals because of a backlog. This should not be an issue ... it means that there is something wrong on the government side (bad processes, insufficient personnel, etc.). Can you imagine how much money the owner would be losing on a weekly basis due to this government backlog?

[Docno]

5 minutes ago, Saraburi121 said:

Torture is not legal in the US, killing bad people with drones is.   Technology and laws evolve.

It was back when waterboarding was practiced ... oh yeah, that wasn't torture, it was only enhanced interrogation.  

[natway09]

Why did they not just ask to see a copy of the licence application which supposedly has been submitted?

As a prerequisite for licence issue fire escapes, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers , guest insurances etc are on the checklist.

Trying a brown envelope for a legitimate hotel licence could land you in prison.

They are reserved for bars, nightclubs & "massage parlours"

Had they joined  the Hotel Association?

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, fstarbkk said:

The government announced yesterday that 600 of 953 Hotels in CM are operating without the proper license. Ask yourself why this is suddenly a priority issue, in the wake of the Malin Sky affair.

 

Perhaps nothing is fixed or improved in C M because the fees the local government should be getting are non existent.

The city is falling apart and nothing is done for the public infrastructure.

[mcfish]

That's all very well and good if the government is running efficiently. But I have some sympathy for the owner if the proper paperwork has been submitted in a reasonable timeframe and hotel is ready to go, and you're told that you cannot get approvals because of a backlog. This should not be an issue ... it means that there is something wrong on the government side (bad processes, insufficient personnel, etc.). Can you imagine how much money the owner would be losing on a weekly basis due to this government backlog?

Thais are masterful liars and it's a good excuse .however Slowly run government departments when it comes to permits and licencing is most certainly not unique to Thailand.

That hotel is not insured. If some one slips and cracks their skull they won't able to sue for damages.

No licence shut them down, no excuses!

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[Saraburi121]

35 minutes ago, Docno said:

It was back when waterboarding was practiced ... oh yeah, that wasn't torture, it was only enhanced interrogation.  

This news article was date December 9.2016.  Long after the practice was done away with.  Back to the article we are commenting on. Sorry for getting off topic.  I dislike reading  comments that stray off into the political too far and not the topic. hat way09 hit it talking about safety.

[DDbkh]

Surely part of the reason for the license is to confirm that all the appropriate safety rules are in place. If the local government won't enforce the rules it's a good thing that the army is doing so.
What would you say if hundreds of people died in a fire in this unlicensed hotel??

[Homburg]

Sometimes translating from Thai to English can be tricky. One example is the Thai for "there is a big backlog" actually translates into English as "there is not enough in this envelope".  

This is not the West:  Without the requisite "paperwork" in the envelope the licence will never be issued, and even for those establishments that have a licence, unless they have powerful friends then it is inevitable that the BIB etc. will find some "problem" with the licence so that they can still get their tea money.  TIT.