Is Airbnb legal in Phuket?

Airbnb regulations in Phuket, Thailand, are primarily shaped by the country's Hotel Act, which poses several challenges for property owners seeking to rent out their accommodations short-term. Essentially, the Act deems renting properties for periods shorter than 30 days without a hotel license illegal. This places typical Airbnb rentals, which often involve daily or weekly stays, in a legal grey area. However, enforcement is inconsistent, with authorities tending to focus on larger operations rather than individual hosts.

There are exceptions under the Hotel Act for small property owners, which may allow them to rent out their villas or condos legally. These exceptions are applicable if the property has eight rooms or fewer, accommodates less than 20 guests, and rental income is not the owner's primary source of income. Nonetheless, these are not automatically recognized and could be subject to neighbor complaints or other challenges.

Despite these complexities, many property owners in Phuket continue to list on Airbnb, leveraging the platform's established process—creating an account, detailing property specifics, setting pricing, and uploading high-quality images. Airbnb charges a typical service fee of about 3% per booking, applied automatically to payouts.

Hosts are encouraged to remain informed about the legal landscape, use competitive pricing strategies, ensure high standards and cleanliness, and collect positive reviews to enhance their visibility on the platform. Moving forward, hosts should stay updated on regulatory changes to ensure compliance while maximizing their Airbnb success in Phuket.