One of the Vises Hotel tenants being evicted hands the complaint to Prapan Chansaeng, right, chief of the Phuket Consumer Protection Board. The case is now with the Provincial Attorney.

Evicted tenants seek redress

By Phuket City
Published on July 2, 2008

Long-term tenants of the Vises Hotel in Patong have filed a complaint with the Phuket Consumer Protection Board at the local provincial hall after being told by Kathu Police last week their forced eviction was not a police matter.

The tenants were met by Prapan Chansaeng, who explained that by law a hotel can rent rooms only on a daily basis, despite the victims having allegedly paid sizeable sums in advance and been granted long-term tenancy agreements.

Foundation to the rescue

Prapan said the Consumer Protection Board could do little to help them. However, he would try to assist by putting on his other hat, as head of the Phuket Office of the Damrongtham Foundation.

The Damrongtham Foun-dation provides legal aid to any person of any nationality the foundation believes has been unfairly treated.

Prapan immediately prepared a complaint against the hotel, which was signed by Provincial Office Chief Rapeepat Na Nakorn and then by Vice-Governor Smit Palawatvichai on behalf of Governor Niran Kalayanamit.

The complaint has now been forwarded to the Provincial Attorney.

Prapan said that the management at Vises Hotel had created numerous problems over the years and that he would co-ordinate with both police and the Public Prosecutor to ensure the latest problem was dealt with by the law.