12 Thai and foreign nationals arrested at 2 illegal hotels on Koh Pha Ngan
Hidden network of unlicensed workers and foreign operators uncovered
Police arrested 12 Thai and foreign nationals for illegally running hotels and working without permits on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Koh Phangan District Chief, Suriya Bunpan, led a joint operation with Immigration Police and Tourist Police to raid two hostels on the island after receiving a report about illegal activities involving foreigners.
The first raid took place at The 10 Club Hostel, where officers arrested nine suspects, including a 34 year old Thai woman named Kittiporn and a 37 year old Spanish man named Samuel.
The pair were accused of operating a hotel business without permission and hiring foreigners to work without valid work permits. They also allegedly failed to notify the registrar within 15 days about details of their foreign employees, such as the employer’s name, workplace, and job description.
Six other foreigners were apprehended at the hostel, including two Spanish and four Myanmar nationals. These foreign suspects held work permits but reportedly violated the conditions of their employment in Thailand.
They were charged with working beyond their legal rights and failing to report their employment details to the authorities within the required time frame.
Another raid was carried out at Kiko Hostel, where three more suspects were arrested. The group included a 31 year old Thai man, Pakorn, who was accused of running an unlicensed hotel and hiring foreigners without work permits. Two other suspects, from Argentina and Poland, were charged with working without valid permits.
All 12 suspects were taken to Koh Phangan Police Station for legal proceedings. The task force is continuing its investigation to identify other foreign-owned businesses operating illegally on the island.
In a similar case, Bangkok police arrested two Chinese nationals for illegally operating a hostel in the Din Daeng area. The pair were also found distributing food supplements and Viagra without a permit.
Meanwhile, four more foreign suspects were arrested in Phuket for running restricted businesses in violation of the Foreign Business Act, including a motorcycle rental shop, a travel agency, a barber shop, and several restaurants.
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