Mr Theeraphong announced the news yesterday (Feb 7), despite ministerial regulation change being signed by Gen Anupong Paochinda, Minister of Interior at the time, on June 7 last year and coming into effect on June 20 last year.
Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) President Chamnan Srisawat himself was in Phuket in June last year to head a two-day ‘SME Restart’ event, promoting the fact that small hotels could be finally register as legally recognised hotels.
However, Phuket remained the only province where the bureaucratic mechanisms were not in place to allow small and boutique hotels to register to become legally recognised as hotels under the law.
The unexplained delay in Phuket officials allowing small hotels to register resulted in a delegation representing small hotel owners in Phuket appealing to the Senate for help in September last year.
Hence, Mr Theeraphong’s announcement yesterday finally broke the silence from Phuket officials on any progress in allowing small hotels to register.
In what was described as “a pioneering meeting utilizing remote video conferencing technology”, the announcement came through a meeting of Mr Theeraphong and other officers from the Kathu District Office, as well as officers from other relevant government agencies.
According to an official report of the meeting, Mr Theeraphong apparently stressed the importance of bringing small accommodations, especially those with no more than eight rooms, into the official licensing system to ensure compliance with the new ministerial regulations.
He emphasised the need to provide legal knowledge and guidance on the application process for obtaining a hotel license. To facilitate the process, the Kathu District Office had implemented an electronic submission system through Google Forms and established a LINE Official channel for quick access to officials.
During the meeting, expert speakers from the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) and the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT-Phuket) explained the legal framework and guidelines for compliance. Topics covered included the types and criteria for operating a hotel business, as well as guidelines for reporting buildings as accommodations that are not already legally recognised as hotels.
The initiative aims not only to ensure regulatory compliance but also to enhance security and safety for tourists, support economic growth, and distribute income to local communities and small accommodation operators in Kathu District, said the official report.
Encouraging small accommodation operators to obtain hotel licenses is seen as vital for the sustainable development of the tourism sector in Phuket Province, the report added.
“By leveraging digital solutions and fostering collaboration between stakeholders, Kathu District is leading the way in modernizing the licensing process for non-hotel accommodations, ultimately contributing to the growth and prosperity of the region,” the report concluded.
B&B BOON
Wirintra Paphakityotphat, head of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Region 11 branch, which represents Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, has previously pointed out, “In Phuket, there are 4,600 hotels in operation, 900 of which are legally licensed and 3,700 are unlicensed.
“Allowing small hotels to register will allow small hotels to accept more tourists as guests, Even at an average of 60% occupancy, that will provide accommodation for more than 10,000 more people a day,” she said.
The economic benefit spoke for itself, Ms Wirintra explained. Using the same 60% occupancy projection would account for 2.19 million guest stays per year, generating income of B16.202 billion a year for Phuket, she said.
“Small hotels earn only 10% of their room revenue from tourists, that’s over B1.62bn baht a year, and will result in money flowing to more than 2,500 other businesses. Altogether generating over B14.585bn a year [for the local economy] and creating more than 25,000 jobs,” Ms Wirintra said.