The demonstrators said small and medium-sized enterprises and small hotels in Phuket were dying because of the Covid-19 pandemic. - AFP
PHUKET (The Nation/Asia News Network): A group of 50 owners of boutique and small hotels in Phuket rallied in Patong area on Tuesday, urging help from the government after their bank creditors threatened to seize their hotels.
They staged the rally at a car park behind the Krung Thai Bank Patong branch to highlight their grievances to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who is visiting Phuket with an entourage to evaluate the performance of government agencies.
The demonstrators carried banners that small and medium-sized enterprises and small hotels in Phuket were dying because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their leaders said they represented some 200 small and boutique hotels in Phuket, which have been affected by the pandemic. They said they did not receive government help because most of them had failed to obtain a hotel licence.
A leader said the pandemic had forced the closure of their hotels so they lacked income and were unable to service their debt to the banks.
He said many of the 200 hotels were seized by the bank creditors and were auctioned off.
“We would like to ask for leniency from banks. Please don’t seize our hotels. Some of the owners have to continue to pay back loans even after their hotels are seized. We would like to seek understanding from the government instead of helping only big hotels,” the leader said.
The group dispersed after a team of officials of Wissanu promised to take up their demands.
