PHUKET, Thailand – Cops in Phuket are cracking down on illegal accommodation. Officers yesterday raided a Wichit apartment block that rented rooms by the day without a hotel licence. The operator now faces a hefty fine and jail time.
The inspection on July 29 came after neighbours complained. Officers found staff on site but no owner or manager anywhere to be seen.
Staff present, bosses absent
The team secured witness statements and evidence. All the paperwork now goes to police, who will launch a criminal case under Section 15 of the 2004 Hotel Act.
We found staff working but the person responsible was not there.
said a Phuket official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Daily lets need a proper licence
Anyone renting rooms day by day in Thailand is legally running a hotel. That means a hotel operating licence is compulsory — and this Wichit operator did not have one.
Without that licence, the penalties bite hard. The law allows for stiff fines and even prison time.
Raids part of a wider push
This case is not a one-off. Phuket authorities are drawing a clear line against unlicensed accommodation to protect tourist safety and ensure fair play for legal hotels.
Yesterday’s raid is just the latest in a string of operations with exactly that goal.
Hotel forced to demolish after court loss
Things got even tougher earlier this month for a hotel inside a national park. The Supreme Court ruled the land documents invalid because the complex had occupied more than 13 rai of Sirinat National Park.
The binding verdict forces the operators to tear down their own building in Sakhu sub-district. Officials are now enforcing the order.
Six national park cases on the desk
Authorities are currently pushing six land-grab cases in Sirinat National Park at full speed. Two of those proceedings have already reached a final verdict.
That means officials can now execute court orders and have illegal structures removed. More demolitions are expected.