Phuket officials arrest Chinese national accused of unlicensed tour guiding
Phuket tourism officials and tourist police arrested a Chinese national accused of guiding seven Chinese tourists without a license during a joint enforcement operation.
Tourism officials and police in Phuket have arrested a Chinese national accused of working as an unlicensed tour guide during a joint enforcement operation targeting illegal guiding.
Officers from the Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office and Phuket Tourist Police acted on intelligence reports and tracked a tour van carrying seven Chinese tourists and one man suspected of serving as their guide, according to officials who spoke to The Phuket Express.
Authorities said they began following the van at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, after it left an elephant camp and headed to Promthep Cape. By about 5 p.m., as the group gathered to watch the sunset, investigators concluded that the man was carrying out the duties of a tour guide rather than acting as a friend accompanying the group, and moved in to stop the excursion and arrest him.
A search of the suspect and the vehicle found a Thai-language guide assignment order issued by a tour company, with the guide’s name left blank, as well as a Chinese-language itinerary and a full list of tour participants, officials said.
The suspect faces two charges: acting as a tour guide without a license under the Tourism Business and Guide Act, and working without a permit as a foreign national under the Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers.
Officials said the tour guide offense carries penalties of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both. They said the foreign worker charge carries additional penalties.
