Need a Rental Less Than 30 Days? Good luck

[Undaunted]

Thailand to curb illegal rentals with new booking regulations

by Bright Choomanee

April 13, 2025

State agencies are being encouraged to collaborate with online accommodation booking platforms to create a system ensuring that only legally registered hotels and accommodation providers can accept online reservations.

This initiative is driven by the House Committee on Consumer Protection, following discussions with state agencies and online travel companies regarding the illegal rental of condominium units in violation of the Hotel Act of 2004.

Chanin Rungtanakiat, a 32 year old Pheu Thai Party list-MP and committee member, noted that online booking platforms often facilitate these unlawful rentals, making them partly accountable.

“Their involvement in these transactions is akin to facilitating the sale of illegal goods.”

The law imposes a fine of up to 20,000 baht (US$600) on violators, with an additional daily fine of 10,000 baht (US$300) until the activity stops. Most condominium regulations also explicitly forbid daily rentals.

Chanin emphasised the need for the government to coordinate efforts across different agencies to combat this issue. Relevant bodies include the Department of Provincial Administration, the Electronic Transactions Development Agency, and the Office of the Consumer Protection Board.

The proposed solution involves establishing a system that links databases of licensed hotels and accommodation providers with online travel agencies (OTAs) that manage bookings. This would necessitate the entry of a legally valid licence code for any property offering lodging services.

If adopted, the measure is expected to curb illegal rentals, improve service standards and safety for accommodations in Thailand, and provide greater assurance for guests, booking platform operators, and condominium residents.

Previously, following an increase in complaints about illegal rentals, particularly in the Sukhumvit and Sathon areas, deputy government spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak reported that the Ministry of Interior had instructed the Department of Provincial Administration to monitor the situation closely and conduct inspections.

The government also cautioned foreigners purchasing condominium units and renting them as hotel rooms about the legal infringements involved, according to Anukul, reported Bangkok Post.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/th ... egulations#

[Jun]

TIT & not many laws seem to be effectively enforced.
If the likes of Booking.com stop doing short term rentals, won't the trade just move to less reputable sites ?

I also wonder how many board members are affected by this ? Quite a few stay in Pattaya for well in excess of a month. For shorter stays in other locations, hotels work fine.

[Dodger]

Hotels have been complaining about this for years...mostly falling on deaf ears.

Just another totally unenforceable regulation to give the news media something to write about.

TIT

[Gaybutton]

Just another totally unenforceable regulation

Living in Thailand it doesn't take long to realize that often easily enforceable laws seem to be either ignored or enforced only occasionally. It appears to me that the authorities enforce what they want to enforce and ignore what they don't want to bother with.

The most glaring example is prostitution. That law prohibiting prostitution obviously is almost never enforced, as if the law doesn't exist at all. I've even seen stories about prostitutes actually going to the police if their customer refuses to pay.

I doubt it would be any different with this rental regulation. It might be the law, but would the authorities even bother to try to enforce it? I believe it will be just something else on the books, but likely to be ignored - unless there is tea money in enforcing it.

[Jun]

I believe it will be just something else on the books, but likely to be ignored - unless there is tea money in enforcing it.

I suspect those most likely to pay tea money would be those renting rooms out for less than 30 days. So the law doesn't get enforced.

The residents association would presumably be less likely to pay tea money to enforce it ?

[Gaybutton]

The residents association would presumably be less likely to pay tea money to enforce it ?

That is probably correct. In a very few cases it may depend on the size and location of the condo and how many owners want to rent out rooms for less than 30 days - and how many renters are willing to risk it. I doubt there will be much of that, if any.

[Jun]

In a very few cases it may depend on the size and location of the condo and how many owners want to rent out rooms for less than 30 days - and how many renters are willing to risk it. I doubt there will be much of that, if any.

Rentals under 30 days are already illegal, as I understand it.

Despite this, I see over 300 apartments available in Pattaya on booking.com for a random couple of days in May. Obviously at a higher room rate than you would pay for a month, or longer.

[Gaybutton]

Despite this, I see over 300 apartments available in Pattaya on booking.com for a random couple of days in May.

That comes as no surprise to me. If I would be surprised at all, it would be because it isn't much more than 300.

Selective enforcement? Tea money involved? Not enough man power to spend time enforcing it? Your guess is as good as mine.

A law is not a law unless it is enforced.

[pinoyfriends]

I used to book condominiums at the most modern developments by Copacobana and Riveria groups and loved staying there.
Efforts to forbid short term rentals escalated in recent months.
First it was the signs everywhere - reception, lifts, front gate, etc - including icons of handcuffed people going to jail for AirBnb listings to deter guests.
Then it was the condominium staff trying to charge AirBnb guests outrageous fees for "help" if they detected them.
These methods were ineffective.
The final and effective method was to install face scanners to access the buildings and lifts. Owners need to register their faces with security and are not permitted frequent registrations <30 days for short term guests. This has finally led to the owners delisting from the short term rental sites.
If you are an owners corporation and want to stop short term rentals in your condo, install face scanning security.

[Jun]

If you are an owners corporation and want to stop short term rentals in your condo, install face scanning security.

That definitely could work in certain cases.

However:
1 It could mean that whoever controls the face scanner has control of the tea money stream from those doing short term rentals.

2 Does the renter have to go down to collect any visitors ? This could be inconvenient.