French national and four Myanmar workers arrested in Phangan
Police raided a resort on Koh Phangan yesterday, December 15, arresting a Frenchman and four Myanmar nationals in a crackdown on illegal businesses and nominee company operations on the island.
The operation was led by immigration police in coordination with local authorities after they received a tip-off about a resort suspected of operating without proper licences. Upon inspection, officers discovered the property has 11 villas offering daily accommodation for 2,000 to 4,000 baht per night, alongside restaurant and fitness facilities.
The company’s director, a 32 year old French national, did not present a valid hotel operating licence. Additionally, four Myanmar nationals were found working illegally as cashiers, waiters, and dishwashers, all without the proper documentation and in roles beyond the scope of their permitted employment.
Bangkok Post reported that the Frenchman was charged with operating an unlicensed hotel business, hiring foreign workers in violation of their visa conditions, and failing to notify authorities about foreign employees within the required 15-day window.
The Myanmar workers were charged with working outside their authorised occupations and failing to report their employment to authorities.
Police Lieutenant General Phanumart Boonyalak, Immigration Bureau commissioner, stated that the crackdown was part of ongoing efforts to uphold Thailand’s tourism image and ensure fairness in the business landscape.
In another arrest on Koh Phangan, two foreigners arrested for illegal construction and electrical work without permits, facing legal action after police found evidence. Polices had been monitoring the duo’s activities and observed them transporting electrical materials to the site in a pickup truck.
When officers revealed themselves, the suspects initially denied the allegations, claiming to be tourists and threatening to sue the officers, but their claims were undermined by documents found in their vehicle, such as cash receipts, project plans, and house blueprints. The suspects acknowledged the evidence and confessed to conducting their business unlawfully and undertaking similar jobs at several locations.
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