# Hotel licence (ใบอนุญาตประกอบธุรกิจโรงแรม)

Source: https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/glossary/hotel-licence

**Definition:** A hotel licence is the permit required under the Hotel Act B.E. 2547 (2004) to offer paid accommodation for stays of less than one month. Without one, letting a condominium or villa by the night or week is unlawful.

Operating without a licence is an offence under section 59 of the Act: up to one year in prison, a fine of up to THB 20,000, or both, plus up to THB 10,000 for each day the offence continues.

There is a limited carve-out. Premises with no more than eight rooms and 30 guests in total are treated as non-hotel accommodation under a 2023 ministerial regulation, but the operator must still notify the local registrar and meet building and safety rules. The carve-out does not override a condominium's by-laws, and the Department of Lands has taken the position that condominium units cannot be used for hotel operations.

In practice, the developments where nightly letting is lawful are those designed, approved and licensed as hotels and run by an operator. If income from short stays is part of your case for buying, ask to see the licence and check whose name it is in and which buildings it covers.

A draft law to replace the Hotel Act was under consideration in late 2026, so check the current position. See [short-term rental rules](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/short-term-rental-rules) and [hotel-managed and rental pool schemes](https://www.thailandpropertyinvestor.com/guides/hotel-managed-and-rental-pool-schemes).