Two South Korean illegal tour guides arrested in Chiang Mai

Two South Korean nationals working illegally as tour guides in Chiang Mai have been arrested by the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau.

Thai immigration detained the suspects, identified as 50 year old Han and 41 year old Kim, on a local road in Chiang Mai City. The arrests were made after immigration officers received tips from concerned citizens about their illegal activities.

The suspects were taken to Chang Pueak Police Station and charged with overstaying their visas. They admitted to police that they had been offering personal tour guide services, charging between 10,000 and 15,000 baht depending on the number of days and tourists. Their services were advertised on social media, and they had been operating for two months.

In addition to overstaying, Han and Kim also face charges of working without legal permission. Thailand considers tour guiding a protected occupation, and work permits and visas for this job are not available to foreigners.

The Thai Immigration Bureau has informed South Korean Immigration officers about the case. Upon checking their records, South Korean Immigration discovered that Han and Kim are allegedly involved in a luxury car Ponzi scheme, affecting over 60 victims with damages exceeding 109 million baht.

Following their legal proceedings in Thailand, Han and Kim will be deported to South Korea to face charges related to the Ponzi scheme. The exact duration of their overstay in Thailand was not disclosed to the media, reported Pattaya News.

In related news, a Chinese woman involved in a Ponzi scheme that caused over 150 million baht in damages to victims has been arrested at a condominium in Pattaya, Chon Buri province. According to Deputy Chief of the Immigration Bureau (IB), Police Major General Panthana Nuchanart, the 24 year old scammer, identified only as Hu, was apprehended by immigration police at a condominium on Pattaya Sai 2 Road.

In other news, police arrested a British man in Koh Pha Ngan on May 30 for illegally working as a tour guide, charging foreign tourists 70,000 baht each and enjoying free accommodations in Thailand.