Company executive arrested for 8 million baht tour fraud

Police apprehended a company executive accused of fraudulently selling non-existent tours, leaving customers stranded and causing an estimated 8 million baht in damages. Despite the allegations, the executive denies the tour fraud charges but admits to receiving a monthly salary of 100,000 baht.

Today, July 9, the Commander of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), Police Major General Witthaya Sriprasertphap, led a team to arrest 36 year old Thapnon. The arrest was made in Phop Phra district, Tak province, under an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on June 28.

The charges against Thapnon include public fraud and deceitful manipulation of computer data. The case originated on April 1, when a group of approximately ten victims filed a complaint with the CPPD.

They reported that a company based in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi province, had advertised tours to Japan through a Facebook page. The victims booked the trips via LINE and paid the tour fees into the company’s bank account.

As the departure dates approached, some customers had not received their flight tickets, while others who managed to travel discovered that there were no tour arrangements as advertised. Furthermore, they could not check into the hotels as promised, resulting in a collective financial loss of roughly 8 million baht.

The investigation led to the issuance of arrest warrants for all involved parties. However, the company shut down its operations, and some executives fled abroad. Eventually, police managed to apprehend Thapnon, a company director.

During the interrogation, Thapnon denied any involvement in the fraud but conceded that his role provided him with a monthly salary of 100,000 baht. He claimed ignorance about the tour scams. Police have handed him over to investigators from the first division of the CPPD for further legal proceedings and are continuing to track down the other suspects.

Victims have mentioned that they had previously travelled with the company several times without any issues, which had built their trust. The company had an official license from the Department of Tourism, adding to its credibility. This led the victims to believe that they were dealing with a legitimate business and did not anticipate being victims of a tour fraud scheme, reported KhaoSod.