Pattaya Police Arrest Illegal Beach Vendors

Picture courtesy of CH7.

Police in Pattaya have arrested eight foreign nationals accused of illegally working as beach vendors, following complaints from locals about foreigners taking jobs from Thais.

At around 04:30 on 11 August, Pol Lt Col Arun Saphanon, Deputy Superintendent of Pattaya City Police’s investigation division, led an operation along Pattaya Beach to check for unlicensed vendors. Officers discovered several foreign nationals selling goods such as fruit, boiled peanuts and grilled dried squid to tourists.

When police identified themselves, some vendors attempted to flee. In one dramatic moment, a suspect leapt into the sea and swam out to deeper waters. Despite officers calling for him to return, he refused, until it became too much to bear, forcing him to swim back and surrender.

In total, seven Vietnamese nationals and one Cambodian were detained, along with their goods and handed over to investigators for legal proceedings.

Police said the operation followed repeated public complaints about foreign workers selling goods along the beachfront without permits, a practice prohibited under labour laws.

  Adapted by Asean Now from CH7 2025-08-12