As a tourist, you’re planning a vacation to Thailand, certainly one of the most exciting holiday destinations on the planet. The last thing you want to do next is to agonize over what type of accommodation to choose. Traditionally, Thailand has always offered hotels and guesthouses, but travel apps have gained a foothold in recent years and now present a third option. The best-known of these is AirBnB.
Airbnb is better than a hotel in Thailand. It is generally cheaper and far more flexible, usually offering discounts for extended stays and sites are often within the homes of locals. The app provides feedback from previous guests and full details/images of the venue for consideration when planning.
A caveat should also be raised at this point: Airbnb is illegal in Thailand. Let’s look into this…
Officially, AirBnB is Illegal in the kingdom of Thailand
The fact that Airbnb is illegal in Thailand will raise many eyebrows and drop an equal number of jaws, but it’s true. In a country known for the loosest morals on the planet, homeowners are simply not allowed to rent out a room (or rooms) to earn a few extra Baht. (U$1 – THB33.5)
With around 39 million visitors pouring money into Thailand’s coffers annually, it is a small wonder that the That Hotel Association (THA) and the Thai Government have voiced their concern aloud. They feel that platforms like Airbnb and others will disrupt and damage the hospitality market, damaging the country’s economy.
Airbnb has a simple platform: People wanting to become hosts provide complete details and pictures of their properties. Once vetted, these hosts are added to the Airbnb database and can immediately be found by various search criteria.
Thus, in just an hour or two, a plumber with a spare room or a teacher with a cottage can effectively become short-term landlords, with no oversight from the authorities.
This simple model does, however, create direct competition with licensed hostels, guesthouses, and hotels. The competition pits private landlords against the Thai Government and the Thai Hotel Association, who took two AirBnB hosts to court in 2018.
The Hua Hin court heard evidence against hosts who rented out their condominiums for daily and weekly rates and found them guilty of violating the 2004 Hotel Act, fining the pair a little less than U$450.00 each. While the fine was relatively small, it opened the doors to further prosecution under the same act.
Anti-AirBnB Coalition
This group believes:
- Any hosts who rent to guests, regardless of whether it is a nightly or weekly rate, are operating an unlicensed hotel. The absence of any hotel permit is an infringement of the rules and regulations of the Hotel Act.
- Unlicensed AirBnB hosts living in condominiums infringe on other guests’ rights to live in a peaceful and quiet condo when they allow Airbnb guests to use their homes.
Pro-Airbnb Coalition
These people feel that:
- According to the Thai Commercial Code, they are entitled to benefit from and enjoy the fruits of their labor, including ownership and use of the property.
- Since they do not disrupt other condominium residents, there should not be a blanket zero-tolerance policy.
- Only commercial entities with ‘more than four rooms’ are bound by the Hotel Act, and that what they – the hosts – are doing is perfectly legal.
The fact is that the Thai authorities are ill-equipped to effectively challenge a tech giant that can open new host venues at a hundred times the speed that the police can close them down.
Since 2018, there have been no known cases of Airbnb hosts being closed down or even prosecuted, and it seems to most pundits that authorities and hosts have reached a status quo.
As with many other industries in Thailand that are officially illegal – prostitution, hashish, knock-off goods, etc. – private hosting appears to have moved into the ‘Greymarket State.’ This state is where you are left alone, providing you don’t draw too much attention to yourself.
Perhaps it’s simpler than that, and ‘donations’ are being made to local authorities, but regardless of the reason, Airbnb is alive and well and living in Thailand. A quick search on the net took me four seconds to find 33 hosts in Bangkok alone, and that was with just a single search criterion.
With over 60 000 AirBnB hosts providing a safe and clean haven for guests in Thailand, it is clear that Airbnb and other hosting service platforms are here to stay.
As expected, Bangkok and Phuket enjoy the lion’s share of activity and income from Airbnb rentals, with Bangkok raking in U$ 33 million last year.
What Can You Expect from an AirBnB Venue?
Clearly, price, location, and the season will determine this, but let’s give you an idea:
- Clean linen and rooms, including private bathroom
- Air-conditioning is sometimes provided
- Bright, airy rooms
- Access to tea, coffee, and perhaps a toaster.
- Local advice
The above items are pretty standard, but on occasion, your host may also offer you:
- Kitchen access (or meals)
- Laundry facilities
- Swimming pool
- TV
- Guided tours or itinerary.
If you are going to proceed with Airbnb, take advantage of all of the information noted in the listings, mainly the dates and nature of any feedback from previous guests. This info is the most valuable of all. Nothing ensures a review as strongly as a guest having an unpleasant visit; look for the negative comments in addition to the positive ones.
Airbnb does not censor guest’s comments in any way, so unless the guest has a reason to lie, you will get the exact facts as they see them, and this is an invaluable tool for you in preparing your decisions.
Take the good with the bad, and understand that sometimes guests can be (and are!) spiteful if things don’t go their way. Check the comments of, say, the previous 20 guests, and you will have an excellent idea of what you are in for.
Don’t be afraid to contact the hosts – this is done via the AirBnB portal – and ask them for current pics and any info you might want clarity on. Judge the tone of their replies and the speed at which you get them, but bear in mind that they also have lives to lead, including cleaning and preparing the guest spaces, so 12 hours for a reply depending on zonal differences is fair.
Naturally, there are several variables that you will want to consider before you take the plunge. Still, regardless of where you decide to lay your head in Thailand, you are about to embark on a visit you will never forget.
What About Business Visitors to Thailand?
Business visitors may have very different requirements from their accommodation than tourists for several reasons:
- Duration of Stay – you may be in the kingdom for a very short visit and need to be close to a specific venue; exhibition center or conference center, perhaps.
- Communication and Data Centers – Since you are here on business, you might require some printing is done or require a fax service or a landline to your home or office. An Internet Terminal might be needed if you do not travel with your computer. (Yes, some still do!)
- Special Laundry Requirements – Having your suit or dress dry-cleaned or smartly pressed is vital for some business people.
- Ease of Passage – Many business travelers do not want the hassle of leaving their accommodation at the end of an exhausting day to exercise or find meals, etc., and prefer everything under one roof.
Many top hotels have large pools suited to swimming lengths rather than paddling, several restaurants, a full laundry service, and a communication center. This is in addition to fully serviced rooms, porter service, and far more.
Generally speaking, Airbnb stays will not offer many of these amenities and certainly not all of them, so if you feel these are important to your trip, consider a good hotel. You’ll pay a little more, but you’ll be ready to rock the boardroom.
Conclusion
There are tens of thousands of Airbnb hosts throughout Thailand (62 000 in fact), including all of the famous islands and as far north as a Tree House near the fabled Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. You really don’t need a hotel if on vacation, but you will find one in all but the most remote locations if you decide to go that route.
