Myanmar nationals arrested for illegal business on Koh Phangan
A Myanmar national operating a motorcycle rental business on Koh Phangan, earning 20,000 baht daily, was apprehended for engaging in a profession restricted to Thai citizens. His employee, also from Myanmar, faced arrest.
Tourist police, immigration officers, and local officials conducted a raid at a motorcycle repair shop in Ban Hat Rin Village 6, Ban Tai subdistrict. They arrested the owner, 40 year old Than Zin Soe and his employee, 39 year old Win Naing, on Thursday, February 27.
During the operation, nine motorcycles and an air tank were confiscated, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Winit Boonchit, the local tourist police inspector.
The arrest stemmed from tourist complaints regarding a foreigner confiscating passports from renters and imposing high rental charges.
During questioning, Than Zin Soe admitted to renting motorcycles and holding customers’ passports to ensure bike returns. The shop also offered repair services, and customers signed contracts upon renting. He disclosed paying his employee 200 baht daily, including food and accommodation.
He reported earning at least 13,000 baht daily from rentals and additional income from repairs, totalling around 20,000 baht.
The duo was detained, with Than Zin Soe facing charges of unlawfully running a business, working in a reserved occupation, and employing an illegal migrant. His employee was charged with working without a permit, and it was revealed he had overstayed his visa by five years. They were transferred to Koh Phangan police station for legal proceedings, reported Bangkok Post.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police Bureau commissioner, announced intensified measures for cracking down on foreign nationals violating laws in tourist hotspots like Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.
In similar news, a Chinese couple was arrested in a dramatic raid at a luxury condominium in Kathu, Phuket, for allegedly operating an illegal business in Thailand.
Phuket Immigration, alongside the Crime Suppression Division 3 and Region 8 Crime Suppression Division, launched the operation at 11.30am on February 27, catching the suspects off guard. The duo, identified as a 43 year old man surnamed Bin and a 39 year old woman surnamed Chen, were detained on the ground floor of the condominium.
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