Phuket –
Tourism officials and police in Phuket have launched a joint operation to combat unlicensed tour guiding, apprehending a Chinese national accused of acting as a guide without authorization.
Relevant officers told the Phuket Express that the operation was carried out by officers from the Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office together with Phuket Tourist Police. Acting on intelligence reports, authorities tracked a suspicious tour van carrying seven Chinese tourists and one man believed to be operating as an unlicensed guide.
On Tuesday (May 26th) from 2:30 p.m., officials discreetly followed the van from an elephant camp to Promthep Cape, observing the suspect’s behavior. By 5:00 p.m., as the group gathered to watch the sunset, investigators concluded that the man was not merely a well-informed friend but was clearly performing the duties of a tour guide. Officers then moved in to interrupt the excursion and make the arrest.
A search of the suspect and the vehicle uncovered a Thai-language “guide assignment order” issued by a tour company, curiously left blank where the guide’s name should have been and a Chinese-language itinerary and a complete list of tour participants. Authorities described the evidence as conclusive, leaving little room for denial.
The Chinese national now faces two charges acting as a tour guide without a license under the Tourism Business and Guide Act, punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both and working without a permit as a foreign national under the Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers, which carries additional penalties.
