Russian man arrested over unlicensed Phuket fishing tours
A Russian man accused of running an illegal tour operation in Phuket was arrested at sea today, May 6, after police traced fishing trips allegedly sold through Telegram to Chalong, Mueang Phuket, Phuket.
The case began with a tip-off to the Tourist Police hotline. Police were told that a group of foreigners had been advertising tour packages on Telegram, prompting officers to monitor the group for over a month and gather evidence.
Investigators later arranged for an informant to book a fishing tour priced at 3,000 baht per person. Today, the Russian suspect allegedly took the informant and six other Russian tourists out for a fishing trip off Chalong.
Tourist Police and the tour business registrar followed the boat in a patrol vessel before identifying themselves and arresting the man at sea. The suspect reportedly had no licence to operate a tour business or work as a guide.
Police transferred him to investigators for legal action on three charges. He is accused of operating a tour business without a licence, an offence punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or both.
He is also accused of working as a guide without a licence, which carries a penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.
The third charge is working beyond the rights granted to a foreign national under Thailand’s foreign workers law, which carries a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht.
Phuket Times reported that police said they will seek to revoke the suspect’s visa and deport him after the criminal case is completed.
They added that the arrest was part of a wider campaign against foreigners allegedly working in jobs reserved for Thai nationals.
Similarly, last year, Phuket Tourist Police arrested two Russian tour guides and fined two tour companies in a coordinated crackdown on illegal tour operations. The two Russians were caught red-handed while operating as unlicensed tour guides, a direct violation of Thai law.
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