DOPA deploys special team for Phuket hotel raids under nationwide crackdown
DOPA said it deployed a special operations team from Bangkok to raid three allegedly unlicensed accommodation businesses in Karon and Rawai, seizing booking records and other documents for legal action.
Thailand's Department of Provincial Administration said it sent a special operations team to Phuket to raid three accommodation businesses in Karon and Rawai that were allegedly operating without hotel licences.
According to DOPA, the operation was part of the nationwide "Conquering the Gangsters" campaign launched under directives from Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and DOPA Director-General Narucha Khosasilvilai, who publicly uses the name Narucha Kosacivilize.
DOPA said investigations found several operators were allegedly offering accommodation to Thai and foreign tourists through online booking platforms without obtaining hotel licences or meeting standards required under the Hotel Act 2004. Officials then conducted surveillance and gathered evidence before identifying three establishments in Phuket that were allegedly accepting room reservations and providing hotel-style accommodation services without authorisation.
After what DOPA described as sufficient evidence had been obtained, officers carried out simultaneous inspections at all three locations. Booking records, service information and other documents were seized for use in legal proceedings, Narucha said.
DOPA did not identify the three raided establishments, name any suspects arrested, or explain why Phuket was selected for the operation. Only one hotel, "The Beachfront," was identifiable in photos released with the report.
Narucha said the raids were part of a broader campaign to suppress corruption, maintain public order and target businesses operating outside the law. He said enforcement against illegal hotels would continue nationwide, especially in major tourism provinces.
He said unlicensed accommodation operators violate the law, create unfair competition for legitimate businesses, undermine tourist safety standards and risk damaging Thailand's tourism reputation. DOPA would continue enforcing the law strictly and consistently to protect public interests, maintain tourism standards and support sustainable economic growth, he added.
