Phuket police crackdown on illegal Chinese tour guides ahead of High Season

Phuket Tourist Police initiated a crackdown on illegal Chinese tour guides in preparation for the upcoming tourism High Season.

Yesterday, October 14, Phuket Tourist Police, in line with orders from Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phueak-am, Commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, began efforts to combat illegal activities threatening the tourism industry. This directive was shared in a report posted by Matichon and directly relayed by the Phuket Tourist Police.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekkachai Siri, Senior Inspector of Tourist Police Station 1, Division 2, led officers on October 12 to target key tourist areas. The focus was on addressing crimes related to illegal foreign guides and other tourism-related offences.

In the bustling Soi Romanee in Phuket Old Town, officers apprehended a 37 year old Chinese national identified in the report only as Liu. Liu was discovered acting as an unauthorised tour guide for Chinese tourists. He faced two charges: working without a valid work permit and acting as a tour guide without the necessary license.

Liu was subsequently taken to Phuket City Police Station for legal proceedings, reported The Phuket News.

The crackdown is anticipated to continue as Phuket prepares for an influx of visitors during the High Season.

In related news, police in Phuket are investigating a Russian national accused of illegally selling tours to tourists at a kiosk in Karon.

A 23-second video posted online sparked outrage, with netizens criticising foreigners for allegedly taking jobs from Thai citizens.

“The tour sales profession has been taken away by foreigners. Please ask the page to tell the relevant agencies to help investigate. There are a lot of them in Kata and Karon!”

Tourist Police, led by Lieutenant Colonel Ekkachai Siri, visited the kiosk on Patak Road near Wat Karon on October 10. Officers from Karon Police and the Tourism and Guide Business Registration Office Southern Region 2 joined the visit.