Phuket
Phuket hotels given one month to start reporting foreign guests

PHUKET: Hotels and other guest accommodation establishments across the island have until May 1 to start filing daily reports identifying their guests to Phuket Immigration before officers start raiding – and charging – the hotel operators.
The news follows Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sunchai Chokkajaykij on Thursday laying down the law to his officers, ordering them to launch a campaign to get hotels, resorts and apartment residence operators to report the names of their foreign guests to the immigration office each day.
“According to the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, hotel, apartment and resort owners and staff must report the identity of each foreign guest to the immigration office within 24 hours of the guest checking in,” Col Sunchai said.
“If they do not start filing the daily reports to us, they will be fined up to 2,000 baht. If they know the foreigner is illegally in the country and still allow that foreigner to stay, they will be charged with harboring an illegal immigrant and face up to 10 years imprisonment,” he warned.
Immigration officer Capt Angkarn Yasanop explained that hoteliers and staff can file the reports online at phuketimmigration.go.th.
“On our home page, click the link ‘Notification of residence for foreigners’ written in Thai on the left [click here],” he explained.
“After you register online, you will receive your user name and password,” Capt Angkarn said.
“Each day, just visit our web page, log in and submit the names of your foreign guests,” he added.
Capt Angkarn said that although the online system was launched two years ago (story here), only about 1,000 hotels, resorts and apartment residences had registered and were filing daily reports through the website.
To boost the number of hotels using the system, Capt Angkarn and fellow officers have started visiting venues across the island in person to explain the system – and the need to use it – to hotel management and staff.
“Two days ago, seven officers and I went to Patong and Karon to meet hotel owners and staff and explain this to them,” Capt Angkarn told the Phuket Gazette.
“We will also post signs in tourist areas and in the popular beach areas around the island, and we will check which hotels and apartments have not registered with us, and send them a letter telling them to register their guests’ names with us,” he added.
Hotel operators have until May 1 to start filing their daily reports.
“After that date, we will start conducting raids and fining hotel operators for not filing their reports,” Capt Angkarn said.
— Orawin Narabal
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Thailand
Hotels and restaurants raided, 50 arrested for allegedly cheating “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme

Several hotels and restaurants in Phuket and Chaiyaphum were raided this morning and 50 people were arrested for allegedly stealing from the government subsidy scheme “We Travel Together.” The scheme was launched to help businesses that were financially hit by the lack of tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic and to stimulate the battered economy.
Last month, the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn filed a criminal complaint against 312 hotels and 202 shops for allegedly cheating the scheme which covered 40% of room rates and offered e-vouchers. Instead of lowering prices to draw in more travellers, some hoteliers and restaurateurs allegedly raised their prices to get more subsidies.
This morning, police arrested 38 people in Chaiyaphum and 12 people in Phuket suspected of cheating the subsidy scheme. Suspects, including hotel and restaurant operators, face charges ranging from fraud and false identification to misusing electronic cards and adding fraudulent information to the computer system.
Nation Thailand says the verification system for the scheme was not stringent and people were able to register fake hotels and list fake bookings. Some hotel operators recorded higher prices for rooms to get a bigger payoff from the government.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Thailand
Phuket eases restrictions, bars back to late-night hours

Things are getting back to normal in Phuket. The provincial government eased disease control restrictions, allowing restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to go back to their normal operating hours – no more midnight closure order – and lifting the late-night alcohol ban.
While bars can now stay open late and serve alcohol after midnight, dancing is prohibited and venues cannot serve alcohol in containers that will be shared among groups of people.
The Phuket Communicable Disease Committee agreed to ease the restrictions yesterday and an order allowing late-night hours and alcohol sales was posted today by the Phuket’s Public Relations Department.
“As the Covid-19 situation in Phuket has improved that there are no more Covid-19 infections found, the committee agreed to cancel the late-night alcohol ban in order to revive the economy of Phuket.”
All businesses related to gathering activities are warned to follow the Covid-19 preventive measures.
SOURCE: Phuket News
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Crime
2 shot dead at Phuket Bus Terminal Saturday night

Police say 2 men were gunned down at the Phuket Bus Terminal by a colleague at the terminal along the stretch of Thepkasattri road heading into Phuket Town last night. The incident happened at about 10:15pm with the local police chief arriving along with medical staff from Vachira Hospital shortly after the incident.
60 year old Wian Iadchuthong, the alleged gunman, was waiting to surrender at the scene when police arrived. Police say Wian appeared to be drunk and told them he had a serious argument with the 2 men and decided to take their lives with the gun. Police say they found 50 year old Yod Sae Lee lying on the ground in front of a taxi service stand, badly wounded. He was given CPR before being rushed to Vachira Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
54 year old Prakob Chuthong was also found lying dead by the counter of a 24 hour car park service kiosk. Police say he had been shot 2 times, once in the left side of his head and once in his left rib cage, according to Bangkok Post.
Witnesses say before the shooting, Wian was quietly drinking alone. But after getting drunk, he walked to the counter of the car park service kiosk and allegedly fired 2 shots from a 9mm gun at point-blank range, killing Prakob instantly. Wian then ran towards Yod, who was sitting in front of the taxi service stand. Yod saw Wian coming at him with the gun and he ran away to 1 side of the terminal building, only to be intercepted by Wian who allegedly fired 5 shots. Yod was hit 1 time in the head, 2 times in the torso and 2 times in the legs. Yod was also rushed to Vachira Hospital where he later died.
An initial police investigation found that the 3 were close colleagues at the workplace, but often engaged in heated fights over motorcycle taxi and taxi services at the bus terminal.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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