Ultimatum for illegal guesthouses on Koh Phangan
Owners of all illegally operating guesthouses on Koh Phangan have until Oct 15 to register before a crackdown begins, a district official said on Wednesday.
Koh Phangan assistant district chief Wattana Buranathanang said authorities will clamp down on unregistered guesthouses after the deadline.
They have to register the business at the district office, he added.
The district has found more than 150 guesthouses in operation on the resort island without registering as a business, in violation of the Building Control Act. Many simply convert commercial buildings into guesthouses for tourists, largely backpackers, it said, adding they charge tourists between 300 and 500 baht per day for shared rooms and bathrooms.
Hotel owners on the island have cried foul over unfair competition from illegal operators, saying they pay no taxes to local administrations and the government.
District officials, police and soldiers based on Koh Phangan held talks on Wednesday to find ways to legitimise the businesses.
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Hard for guesthouses to get licenses when the buildings in Haad Rin were built without permitting, so cannot be licensed.