Police raid Bangkok condo in crackdown on daily rentals
Authorities raided a luxury condominium in Bangkok’s Sathorn district on Thursday following complaints from residents that units were being rented out and foreign guests were smoking cannabis.
Officials from Sathorn district office, Yannawa police station and Department of Provincial Administration inspected the condo for over an hour.
Sathorn district director Thawatchai Paengthai said the condo owner has been instructed to implement strict entry and exit procedures, including document inspection. Signs had also been put up banning daily rentals and the smoking of cannabis.
The owner has also been told to screen monthly renters and regular residents, he said, adding that proper inspection is crucial to tackling the issue of daily condo rentals.
Yannawa Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Ratthanon Ekthitikulphat said the raid stemmed from numerous complaints that the condo owner had allowed foreigners to rent condo rooms daily, in violation of the Hotel Act. Police are collecting evidence to take legal action, he said
He said cannabis odour was detectable in the condo despite the presence of signs prohibiting marijuana smoking.
The condo operator had promised to cooperate with officials, and police will be dispatched regularly to inspect the premises, he added.
The police action would help raise awareness among tourists that renting condos daily is illegal, he added.
The Hotel Act stipulates that all rented accommodation must be licensed.
As a result, daily condo rentals through platforms like Airbnb are illegal and subject to a 20,000 baht fine, with an additional daily penalty of 10,000 baht until the practice ends.
Regulations of most condos clearly state that daily rental is prohibited to ensure the privacy and safety of residents.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul launched a clampdown on daily condo rentals on Wednesday after claims that the practice is widespread in Bangkok.
