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The proposed amendments to some sections of the Hotel Act and Immigration Act, which passed their first reading in parliament on Wednesday, aim to reduce duplicate reporting of foreigners' temporary stays in Thailand, but may not address existing loopholes as illegal operators are excluded from enforcement.Proposed by the cabinet and a Bhumjaithai Party MP, the amendment aims to streamline the notification process for stakeholders required to report foreign guests residing temporarily in Thailand.
The responsibility for reporting a foreigner's stay primarily falls on the householder, owner of a dwelling or hotel manager, who must notify authorities within 24 hours via electronic channels. Foreigners are no longer required to make duplicate notifications themselves, except in cases deemed necessary for national security or public safety.
However, opposition parties argued that the definitions of the three groups required to report foreign guests remain unclear, as they do not cover all types of accommodation in the market, particularly unregistered properties.
Records indicate of the 20,000 legally registered accommodation providers, only 50-60% have submitted information on their foreign guests to the Immigration Bureau.
