Croatian man arrested for illegally running travel agency in Chiang Mai

Secret office uncovered in luxury condominium in Changklan area

Petch Petpailin3 hours agoLast Updated: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

187 1 minute read

Croatian man arrested for illegally running travel agency in Chiang Mai — Photo via ThaiRath

Police arrested a Croatian man for illegally operating a travel agency targeting foreign visitors in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai Provincial Police launched a crackdown on illegal activities affecting the province’s tourism industry. The operation aimed to build trust and restore the image of Thai tourism, with officials hoping to demonstrate that Thailand is a safe destination for travellers.

As part of the operation, officers closely monitored a suspicious Croatian national, later identified as Andre. He was suspected of renting a luxury condominium in the Changklan neighbourhood of Chiang Mai to run a travel agency.

Officers raided the condominium yesterday, May 20, and questioned Andre. He confessed to offering travel packages to foreign tourists interested in visiting Chiang Mai and admitted that he did not possess a work permit or the necessary authorisation to operate a travel business.

Illegla tourism business in Chiang Mai — A secret travel agency office in a luxury condo. | Photo via Facebook/ North Now

His actions violate two laws:

Section 80 of the Travel Agency and Tour Guide Act: Operating a tourism business without a permit. The penalty includes up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or both.
Section 8 of the Foreigners’ Working Management Act: Working in the kingdom without a permit. Penalties include a fine ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a two-year ban on applying for a work permit.

Foreign man runs illegal travel agency — Photo via ThaiRath

A government spokesperson announced last week that the crackdown on illegal tourism businesses is being carried out nationwide, particularly in popular tourist destinations.

According to government data, the operation, conducted between October last year and March this year, targeted 940 tour operators and 338 tour guides. Officials stated that investigations would continue.

Pattaya, another major tourist destination in Thailand, also announced a similar crackdown last week. Officials reported that foreign tourists often seek language-specific travel packages or discounted tour services, fuelling the growth of illegal operations.

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.