Phuket district chief vows to crack down on illegal hotels

PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Jirawat Namatra issued an ultimatum to illegal hotel operators after locals and members of the business community filed complaints about unlicenced hotels operating in Patong.

In February, more than a thousand unlicensed hotels applied for registration as hotels after a two-month ultimatum was issued at the end of November last year by then Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan (story here).

“We inspected the ‘Boomerang Hotel’ and ‘Capitano Hotel’ in Patong on Wednesday and found that that they were operating without a hotel business licence,” said Mr Jirawat.

Both owners were charged for illegally operating a hotel business. The case is being followed up by the Phuket Provincial Administration Office.

“We want hotel owners to be 100 per cent transparent in their operations. Administration officials will continue to crack down on any hotels operating illegally,” said the chief.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong