British Man Arrested in Thailand for Posing as Tour Guide

[webfact]

 

A British man was arrested on Koh Phangan, Thailand, for posing as a tour guide and charging 70,000 Baht per head for tours. This illegal operation was unearthed by local authorities and tourist police following public complaints.

 

E (name witheld)., a 25-year-old British national, was apprehended at a hotel in Ban Tai. The arrest, on May 30, 2024, followed an intensive investigation into his activities. E. had been conducting tours without the necessary permits and licences required under Thai law.

 

The scheme involved organizing 18-day tours for foreign tourists, covering popular destinations including Bangkok, Khao Sok, Koh Phangan, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. The cost per participant was £1,499, which converts to about 70,121.91 Baht. The Koh Phangan leg of the tour spanned days 5 to 8, with tourists provided free accommodation during their stay.

 

The police discovered that E. had hired two silver vans to transport tourists around the island. Destinations included the Chinracha Boxing Stadium and other popular sites. These unauthorised tours were run by his company, Sterling Ling Travel.

 

 

 

During interrogation, E. admitted to orchestrating the tours and operating under the radar of legal requirements. Authorities noted that this illegal activity not only evaded local taxes but also potentially jeopardised the safety and satisfaction of the tourists involved.

 

The arrest marks a significant step in the crackdown on illegal tour operations in Thailand, highlighting the stringent regulations governing the industry. Ensuring tourist safety and the integrity of the tourism sector remains a top priority for Thai authorities.

 

E. was taken to Koh Phangan Police Station for further investigation and will face legal proceedings for his actions. Tourists are advised to verify the authenticity and legal standing of tour operators before partaking in travel packages.

 

Picture courtesy: Khaosod

 

 

-- 2024-05-31

 

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[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

E. was taken to Koh Phangan Police Station for further investigation and will face legal proceedings for his actions. Tourists are advised to verify the authenticity and legal standing of tour operators before partaking in travel packages.

How could any tourist manage this?

[freeworld]

Comment deleted.

[Korat Kiwi]

He's just a kid with good work skills and obviously found a niche market that wasn't being filled. 

 

Pity he didn't do it via correct channels. 

[brianthainess]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

The scheme involved organizing 18-day tours for foreign tourists, covering popular destinations including Bangkok, Khao Sok, Koh Phangan, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. The cost per participant was £1,499, which converts to about 70,121.91 Baht. The Koh Phangan leg of the tour spanned days 5 to 8, with tourists provided free accommodation during their stay.

 

The police discovered that E. had hired two silver vans to transport tourists around the island. Destinations included the Chinracha Boxing Stadium and other popular sites. These unauthorised tours were run by his company, Sterling Ling Travel.

 

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, 83 quid a day including accommodation and transport. His overheads must have been quite high. 

[roo860]

 

Mr Jabran Ilahee, 25, was caught in the act.

Common surname in Pakistan, apparently. 

[webfact]

British man arrested on Koh Pha Ngan for illegal tour operations
by Ryan Turne

 

Image courtesy of Khaosod

Police arrested a British man in Koh Pha Ngan yesterday for illegally working as a tour guide, charging foreign tourists 70,000 baht each and enjoying free accommodations in Thailand.

 

Reports received today detail that Deputy Superintendent of the Tourist Police Division 5, Sak Sirah Phueak-am, Commissioner of the Tourist Police, in collaboration with the district chief of Koh Phangan, had apprehended 25 year old Briton Jabrane Eelahi at a hotel in Ban Tai, Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani Province.

 

Eelahi faced charges for working as a tour guide without authorisation and working without a legal permit. The operation followed complaints about a tour business on Koh Pha Ngan suspected of employing foreigners illegally as tour guides.

 

Investigations revealed that Eelahi was leading groups of foreign tourists around the island and charging each tourist 70,000 baht.

Authorities discovered that Eelahi had hired two silver vans to transport tourists to various locations, including Chinnarat Boxing Stadium and other attractions between 10am and 12pm.

 

When questioned, Eelahi admitted to organising an 18-day tour across Thailand, starting from Bangkok and travelling through Khao Sok, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. The tour of Koh Pha Ngan occurred on days five to eight of the itinerary.

 

Eelahi stated that the cost of the 18-day Thailand tour package was £1,499 (70,121 baht) per person. He confessed to all charges during interrogations and was handed over to the Koh Phangan Police Station for further legal proceedings, reported Khaosod.

 

The arrest highlights the ongoing efforts of Thai authorities to crack down on unlicensed tour operators and ensure that tourism-related businesses comply with legal requirements, serving as a reminder for foreign nationals seeking to work in Thailand to obtain the necessary permits and adhere to local laws to avoid legal consequences.

 

The authorities continue to monitor and take action against illegal activities to protect the interests of both tourists and legitimate businesses in the country.

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-05-31

 

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[wensiensheng]

“The arrest marks a significant step in the crackdown on illegal tour operations in Thailand, highlighting the stringent regulations governing the industry.”

 

I’m not sure that catching one random guy in the act is such a significant step. There are plenty more.

[khunjeff]

He wasn't "posing" as a tour guide and running a "scheme", he was an actual tour guide, running tours. He was violating employment laws, but it doesn't sound like he was defrauding his customers.

[newbee2022]

Oh dear, Thailand the hub of British law breakers.

Disgusting🙏

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, newbee2022 said:

Oh dear, Thailand the hub of British law breakers.

Disgusting🙏

He will probably identify as being a Pakistani 

[Hakuna Matata]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A British man was arrested on Koh Phangan, Thailand, for posing as a tour guide and charging 70,000 Baht per head for tours

 

OMG, those perky Brits once again in Thailand? 

[Hakuna Matata]

6 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Oh dear, Thailand the hub of British law breakers.

Disgusting🙏

 

Absolutely agree with you 🙂

[Hakuna Matata]

15 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

He was violating employment laws

 

He should be held accountable for breaking the law, shouldn't he?

[newbee2022]

19 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

“The arrest marks a significant step in the crackdown on illegal tour operations in Thailand, highlighting the stringent regulations governing the industry.”

 

I’m not sure that catching one random guy in the act is such a significant step. There are plenty more.

If you will give your expertise and additional names to the police it would be at least very helpful.

[Robbkk]

Thai authorities should be rewarding this man, instead of putting him in jail. He is providing a valuable service to tourists that locals are obviously failing to do.

 

 

 

 

[shackleton]

Getting to be a regular thing here in Thailand 🇹🇭 

 Brits in the news headlines been a busy week so far 😱

 

 

[cnx101]

15 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Oh dear, Thailand the hub of British law breakers.

Disgusting🙏

He’s Pakistani

[biggles45]

'Ensuring tourist safety and the integrity of the tourism sector remains a top priority for Thai authorities.' 

 

They have got to be joking? Surely no one believes this. 

[khunjeff]

7 minutes ago, Hakuna Matata said:

He should be held accountable for breaking the law, shouldn't he?

 

Sure. But for working illegally or running an unlicensed business, not for operating a fraudulent scheme (as the first article implies he was doing).

[newbee2022]

3 minutes ago, cnx101 said:

He’s Pakistani

He got a British passport. So I'd say he's British, wouldn't he?

[Nick Carter icp]

Just now, newbee2022 said:

He got a British passport. So I'd say he's British, wouldn't he?

 

   Many British Pakistanis  identify as Pakistani rather than British 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The authorities continue to monitor and take action against illegal activities to protect the interests of both tourists and legitimate businesses in the country.

No competition guys....

[transam]

5 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

He got a British passport. So I'd say he's British, wouldn't he?

My friend's Thai wife has a British passport............

[BritScot]

3 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

He's just a kid with good work skills and obviously found a niche market that wasn't being filled. 

 

Pity he didn't do it via correct channels. 

He isn't Thai so no correct channels as its a reserved Thai only job.

[NativeBob]

send him back to Kashmir, right?

[transam]

9 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Many British Pakistanis  identify as Pakistani rather than British 

And towns...............😂

[teeyai]

A bloke was just trying to make a living and live in the Country that many others Dream of . Doesn't seem unreasonable to Me . This World is Full to the brim of Bull<deleted> Laws Controlling Us, half of Which Mke Our lifes all the Harder for it .

[Keep Right]

More Brits behaving badly. Thailand seems to attract the worst of the worst of the Brits.

[thailand49]

How the great had fallen each day it is the Brit did this did that.  If aren't drunk, getting kick in the head, now they scamming good folks.