The new Ministerial Regulations Prescribing Categories and Rules for Hotel Business Operations (No. 2) B.E. 2566 (2023) (“The New Regulation”) was published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 30 August 2023, and becomes effective on 29 October 2023.
The New Regulation contains the following key changes:
(1) New definition of “Non-hotel”: The MOI expands the definition of non-hotel accommodations from those with 4 rooms and a maximum of 20 guests to include properties with no more than 8 rooms catering to a maximum of 30 guests.
(2) New classification of hotel: The New Regulation categorizes hotels into 4 distinct types, each with its own defining features:
- Category 1: Category-1- a hotel pertain to hotels exclusively offering rooms and possessing a maximum of 50 rooms;
- Category 2: Category-2 – a hotel comprises those with more than 50 rooms, or hotels providing both rooms and facilities for dining, food services, or cooking.
- Category 3: Category-3 – a hotel provides rooms, dining room, or places for food services or cooking and has either entertainment places or conference rooms in accordance with the relevant laws or conference rooms.
- Category 4: Category-4 – a hotel provides rooms, dining room, or places for food services or cooking and has both entertainment places and conference rooms in accordance with the relevant laws and conference rooms.
(3) Endorsement of new types of accommodation: The new regulations encompass a broad new spectrum of accommodation and, thus, hotel business operators can make special type of accommodations and temporary lodgings in the form of floating rafts, tents, containers, or even repurposed vehicle wrecks, all designed to preserve the unique identity of each community. This initiative aims to not only entice tourists but also bolster the community’s economic prospects with supplementary income.
(4) Additional rules and criteria on new types of accommodation: Furthermore, the New Regulation includes guidelines and safety criteria aimed at ensuring the well-being of hotel guests. These include requirement of hygienic public restroom installment, stipulation mandating the assignment of room numbers to each accommodation unit, necessitation for incorporating safety features within each accommodation unit, including the installation of locks and peepholes.