WILL AIRBNB FOLLOW UBER AND BE BANNED ENTIRELY IN THAILAND.

[Alastair0]

The recent court decision to ban airbnb has been passed at a court ruling this week. What are the repercussions and what needs to be done.

I have been with airbnb since its early days and without doubt it changed our lives at a time when the economy was in decline, so I am a hugh supporter of airbnb and the concept introduced by Brian and the team. I have also worked with some of those in the highest positions within Thailand and after more than 20 years here I know well the situation now facing Airbnb and its hosts.

What I have to say will upset many but I don’t apologies for it and my concerns need to be voiced. Unless things change, unless airbnb sits down with those in office, unless airbnb can offer a reasonable and face saving alternative setup,  then airbnb much like Uber, will be gone and every host in Thailand and the Thai Asia hosting sector is at risk.

The problems are real ones. The most controversial is condominiums.  Condominiums / flats contain regular people who go to work in the morning, live normal lives. Their lives have been adversely effected.   Constantly facing strangers in their space, loud late arrivals, people shouting in the corridors and who have no respect for the neighbours.  

Condominiums are being bought up and rented out against condominium rules and the neighbours have had enough and the courts judgment rightfully has gone in their favor.  This has now opened up the issue of licensing, hotels, insurance and all that goes with it. Residents quite rightly have a strong voice and good reason to have existing regulation enforced and the courts have respect this.

Airbnb cannot hide behind the statement that hosts must respect local laws and regulation and hope for the best. These hosts don’t care.

Hosts are at the forefront of the problem. Buying condos or houses and renting them out, never seeing or meeting a guest, probably on Book Now and having little or no contact with the guest and focussing purely on getting the most money for the least amount of work. This is not the airbnb I signed up with.

Airbnb was and should be host inspired. Hosts should live on the property or at the VERY least greet and meet the guest and explain what is expected. Rooms should be checked before and after a guest leaves and hosts need to offer a room at a higher and more personal quality than a regular hotel. Guests should be made aware that it is a home not a hotel and that neighbours and property needs to be respected.

Houses in residential areas are also causing problems due to hosts looking for quick money. Renting a house that sleeps 4 and a group of 10 arrive, noise issues, drinking and general unrest for neighboring properties isn’t acceptable and they too will join in the anti airbnb movement here and with the courts decision they are in an even stronger position to take action.

The above is controversial and will cause many on the forums to disagree.
Ignoring public pressure on government departments and the judicial system is done at your own peril, only a significant change in the way airbnb operate in Thailand, (and I suspect other Asian countries that will follow Thailands leed), will have to be implemented.

A face saving proposal needs to be negotiated. Don’t underestimate the importance in Asia of saving face.  Attempting to win using  the legal system will surely backfire, in-fact I guarantee it.  Airbnb will loose the legal battle, and the more you push the more you loose. A compromise must be offered.

Hosts must live on the property. No more unsupervised lettings. Checks and visits from airbnb representatives to check the quality of the listing, much the same as some other booking agencies do or to follow up on complains made against a listing. No more condominium lettings, as it is known that it is against the local authorities regulations and condominium rules, so don’t accept listings that are illegal already.  Reinstate the quality of airbnb hosts and sell it as it used to be, sold as a special way to travel with highly responsible and respected hosts. Ensure that hosts are of a standard that is fit to be an airbnb host, not only relying on a broken algorithm that punishes excellent hosts and are being mixed up with bad ones. No more Superhost listings that are given to hosts that guests never see or meet. Hosts should be reminded that its not just a way to make money but a vocation, away to present your home to others who will appreciate all the work you have put into it.

I occasionally have time to read the posts on the forums and there are so many dedicated hosts out there that are being overlooked or ignored while the bad ones, the ones who will bring the whole system down, count the money and don’t care. De-list them and do it now and quickly.

Agree or disagree with what I have said, but if action is not taken and quickly (perhaps that should be changed to immediately) then you should all look for a new way to earn an income. Ask the Uber drivers……