Russian man arrested on Koh Pha Ngan for illegal motorcycle rental business
Suspect admits earning over 150,000 baht monthly from unauthorised rentals
Police arrested a Russian man on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in Surat Thani province, today, September 25, for illegally offering a motorcycle rental service.
Officers from Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, the Immigration Bureau, and the Surat Thani Special Taskforce received a complaint from a local that a foreign man was illegally operating a motorcycle rental business on the island. The man was later identified as 30 year old Russian national Timofey.
Officers monitored Timofey’s activities until they observed him teaching an Israeli client how to ride a motorcycle. They intervened, stopping both foreigners and requesting to search Timofey. He was found to be staying in Thailand on a tourist visa and did not hold a permit to operate a business or work in the country.
Timofey initially denied the allegations, claiming the Israeli tourist was his friend. However, police later uncovered messages between the pair regarding the motorcycle rental. Officers urged the Israeli woman to confess to avoid legal charges, which she eventually did.
She explained that she had contacted Timofey through a recommendation from a friend. She rented the motorcycle for 400 baht per day without needing to pay a deposit. The vehicle had two additional wheels fitted on each side to make it easier to ride and balance.
The Russian suspect eventually confessed, admitting that he had been running the business for over six months, earning more than 150,000 baht per month. His main clients were Israeli nationals.
According to Timofey, most of his customers were foreign women who could not ride standard motorcycles. To accommodate them, he modified the bikes by adding two extra wheels.
Timofey was charged with operating a business without a permit. Under the Foreign Business Act, the offence carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a fine ranging from 100,000 to 1 million baht, or both. Police also conducted further inspections across the island, seizing motorcycles that Timofey had prepared for his clients.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
