Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

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Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

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Hua Hin condo owners fined for short-term rentals

https://property.bangkokpost.com/news/1 ... rm-rentals

HUA HIN, Prachuap Khiri Khan: The Hua Hin Provincial Court has ordered owners of two luxury condominiums in Hua Hin resort district to pay fines worth nearly 30,000 baht for leasing their residential units on an illegal short-term basis to Thai and foreign tourists.

Under the 2004 Hotel Act, violators can be jailed for one year and/or subject to a fine of up to 20,000 baht and a daily fine with a maximum value of 10,000 baht.

However, because the plaintiffs, whose names were withheld, confessed, the court agreed to reduce their penalties, Rutprathip Thamraphiphat, chief of Hua Hin district told the media on Saturday.

The ruling followed an inspection of three units in a Wan Wela Hua Hin Khao Tao condominium in Hua Hin last December which found their owners illegally leasing them out on a temporary basis.

The owners were divided into three cases. Two of them were settled on Saturday while the other is still being investigated, according to Mr Rutprathip.

In the first case, the defendant was fined 5,000 baht and has to pay another 500-baht daily fine for 20 days, which is equal to 10,000 baht in total.

The 5,000-baht fine was also imposed in the other case, together with a 100-baht daily fine for 81 days, which amounted to 8,100 baht.

"The wrongdoers leased the units to Thai and foreign tourists, charging them at both daily and weekly rates, without licences," Mr Rutprathip said.

He led the search of the three rooms amid reports some owners were advertising their units on social network sites.
The condominium is located on a 20 rai of land in Soi Hua Hin 101 in an area of tambon Nong Kae.

Citing an initial investigation, Mr Rutprathip said he believed "up to 90%" of owners had bought their units in order to offer lucrative short-term rentals to tourists.


The issue came to light following a dispute between the condominium operator and unit owners, in which the operator insisted that all rentals must be for a period greater than 30 days.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by Gregjam »

Bit of a joke that. Criminals not named, paltry fine related to the profits. TIT.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by handdrummer »

Why does the gummint care how long you rent your condo? If you get a permit can you then rent it for any length of time? If you rent it do you have to register the renters and pay taxes like a hotel?
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by migrant »

handdrummer wrote: Sun May 13, 2018 3:46 pm Why does the gummint care how long you rent your condo? If you get a permit can you then rent it for any length of time? If you rent it do you have to register the renters and pay taxes like a hotel?
I think the taxes. There is a facebook page, marketplace Hua Hin and they recently posted that they would only allow s-t rentals along with a picture of the hotel license.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by StevePIraq »

If you are renting out your property you should be classed as operating a business and you should have to have the necessary insurance, licenses and pay taxes on your earnings. It is only right, however this is Thailand.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by Mandy with cats »

Isn't letting a unit/house under four rooms and fewer than 20 guests not require a hotel license?
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by crazy88 »

READ ALL THE WAY DOWN


  ในช่วงไม่กี่อาทิตย์ที่ผ่านมา หลายๆโรงแรมในจังหวัดท่องเที่ยวหลักๆ เช่น
> เชียงใหม่และกระบี่ ได้รับการเข้าตรวจสอบใบอนุญาติโรงแรม
> ซึ่งทำให้หลายๆโรงแรมต้องปิดการขายไป หากคุณเป็นหนึ่งในโรงแรมที่อาจต้องได้รั
> บการตรวจและปิดการขาย คุณสามารถอ่านรายละเอียดข้างล่
> างเพื่อเข้าใจขั้นตอนการจัดการกับสถานการณ์ได้เลยค่ะ
> เราขอความร่วมมือให้คุณอัพเดตข้อมูลเพื่อเราจะได้ดำเนินการรั
> บมืออย่างถูกต้องค่ะ

    READ ALL THIS ONE WELL
>
> Recently, we have heard about how hotels in top tourist destinations, such
> as Chiang Mai and Krabi, have been visited by authorities for a hotel
> license check. This led to many hotels having to close down their
> businesses for an uncertain period of time. To make sure we take necessary
> actions, please update your hotel license status in the link below. If
> you're one of the hotels at risk, please refer to the steps below as a
> checklist your required actions.
>
> อัพเดตสถานะที่นี่ | Please
> update
>
> here
>
>
>
>
>
> สิ่งที่ต้องทำหากโรงแรมต้องปิดชั่วคราวเพราะไม่มีใบอนุญาต | What to do
> next if you have to close down because this?
>
>
> *Step 1*
>
> ปิดห้องในระบบ Partner Central หรือติดต่อเอ็กซ์พีเดียเพื่อแจ้งปิดการขาย
>
> Close-out your rooms on Partner Central or contact Expedia to stop sold
> *Step 2*
>
> เช็คในระบบว่ามีการจองที่ลูกค้ายังไม่เข้าพักหรือไม่
> ติดต่อเอ็กซ์พีเดียหากคุณไม่สามารถรับลูกค้าได้ คลิกที่นี่
>
> เพื่อเช็ค
>
> Check if you have future bookings. Contact Expedia if you cannot honor
> those bookings. Click here
>
> to check.
> *Step 3*
>
> ติดต่อเอ็กซ์พีเดียเมื่อพร้อมเปิดการขาย
>
> Reach out to Expedia once you're ready to re-open the property for
> bookings
>
>




To: assistanceth@expedia.com
Subject: Re: Please Update Your Hotel's License Status
กรุณาอัพเดตข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับใบอนุญาตโรงแรม

MY QUESTIONS. READ WELL



Hello

I list with you. Not hotel rooms or guesthouse or condominiums. Just
private, standalone villas with a max of 3 rooms and max 6 people.
Sometimes my bookings are for 3-14 days. Sometimes Thai nationals;
Sometimes foreigners or a mixture. We are a company and pay all our
required income taxes as advised by our lawyer and accountant . We are NOT
a hotel, condo, or guesthouse. Where do we stand?

Best regards

Steve

THE RESPONSE FROM EXPEDIA . A MAJOR WORLDWIDE AGENCY

Hello Steve,

Thanks for your promptly feedback.
This email is to raise awareness in case of some hotel got the issue.

!!!!!!!! In your case, there is no action required from you now.!!!!!!!

We appreciate for your explanation.

Regards,
Expedia Thailand Lodging Team,
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by caller »

Wouldn't you be better checking with your Thai lawyer who you make reference to in your post? Somehow I don't think anything Expedia say will cut a lot of ice with the Thai authorities.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by buksida »

Right, Expedia are just a booking agent that takes commissions, similar to Airbnb. They have no authority over the authorities in this country.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by migrant »

I am a "gold member" of Expedia whatever that means. Supposedly I have a better contact with customer service than the others. I've found Expedia useless in arguments so have dealt with them accordingly.

Last year we cancelled a 4 night booking in Cha Am. Cancellation policy said 1 nights charge, OK with me. I had to prepay all 4 nights in making the reservation. When I didn't see the 3 nights refunded after a month I asked Expedia, they said go direct to owner. I contacted the prick owner and he refused to refund the other 3 nights. He didn't argue about the policy, or state it was wrong, he just refused to refund.

I figured, OK, I am a Gold Member, Expedia is a world wide organization, I will contact them. Over 3 months of emails, and calls, with them, customer service "specialists" and managers, alike all I got was a universal "the hotel refuses to issue a refund". I pointed out that it was Expedia's website that showed the 1 night cancellation policy and I got a "the hotel refuses to issue a refund".

Finally I gave up. If I would have known that I would have kept the reservation and had an open house at the hotel room for HHAD members with all the beer and sangsom you can drink!! (I still may and throw in shrimp appetizers).
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by crazy88 »

Hi Migrant

Sounds well out of order that neither party seems to want to take responsibility. Had the same thing myself with another booking agent and had to go through multiple people by email and phone before getting a result and an apology .

Having used Expedia I have only experienced either them collecting the money and only released it to the owner once the tenant was in and happy; Or the owner being paid in full upon tenants arrival by the satisfied tenant in full and sending Expedia their share once invoiced.

How did the owner end up with the money ?

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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by crazy88 »

Also what was the excuse for not refunding ?

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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by migrant »

crazy88 wrote: Mon Jun 18, 2018 8:17 pm Also what was the excuse for not refunding ?

Crazy 88
The owner gave no excuse and all I got from Expedia was the hotel was not returning the money. I'm sure you know some hotels booked thru Expedia want payment when booking, others give the option of paying upon arrival. This one required payment when booking. Like you I thought Expedia would hold the money, but then again I thought they would honor what they said on the website!! Not sure what occurred internally.
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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by crazy88 »

Thanks for that Migrant. 4 nights is bad enough but what if it was 2 weeks @ 10k night !!!!

I will be having a really good look at their contracts to see who is responsible in such cases.

Perhaps the owner/renter was not advised of the cancellation or has a complete no refund policy or both. Whichever ,in this case, I would suffer it and apologise to maintain goodwill with the client and take it up with the owner, if they were the one at fault, later. Bad customer service from Expedia in any case. In Expedia shoes I would have some serious ear ringing, if not head rolling, going on.

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Re: Hua Hin Condo owners fined for short term rentals

Post by handdrummer »

I use Booking.com and pay when I arrive. That way there's no problem.
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