Israeli national arrested for nominee-run travel agency in Phuket
Police arrested an Israeli national in Phuket yesterday, April 8, for operating a travel agency illegally through a Thai nominee.
Officers from the Department of Tourism and Tourist Police investigated illegal travel agencies in Phuket and found two companies in breach of the law.
The first company, Gmat Hospitality, was found to be operating through a Thai nominee. Investigators said the company changed its board structure after receiving its operating licence and was later found to have two directors, one Thai national and one Israeli national.
According to a report on the Phuket Times Facebook page, Gmat Hospitality did not meet the legal requirements for a travel business in Thailand. Under Section 17(1) of the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act, more than half of a travel company’s directors must be Thai nationals.
Police arrested the Israeli national listed on the company’s board, but officers did not disclose the suspect’s identity. The report also did not specify what penalties the suspect may face.
Under the Tourism Business and Tour Guide Act, a violation of Section 17(1) can lead to the revocation of a business licence. Those involved in operating a business through a nominee may face up to three years in prison, a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 baht, or both.
The second company, Andaman Sunday, was found to have committed a lesser offence by operating from a location different from the one reported to officials when applying for its licence. That offence carries a fine of up to 500,000 baht.
Officials urged tourism businesses in Phuket and other provinces to treat the latest arrests as a warning and said the crackdown on illegal operators was being taken seriously. They added that inspections would continue to improve transparency in Thailand’s tourism industry.
A similar operation was reported in Loei in February, when two men were arrested for illegally selling tour packages to Laos to Thai tourists.
In December last year, a British man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport for illegally operating a tour business in Thailand for more than a decade.
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