Fraud Alleged Following Cancelled Cruise

[george]

Fraud alleged following cancelled cruise

BANGKOK: -- A group of disgruntled holidaymakers yesterday filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division against a cruise company, which they claim defrauded them.

About 50 people are alleged to have paid for cruises aboard the Andaman Princess, operated by Siam Cruise Co Ltd, which were later cancelled. None of the complainants was offered a refund by the company, which has since gone out of business.

Pravit Vilert, 36, who led the group, said he paid Bt30,000 for a cruise on the Andaman Princess at a recent tourism fair hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

However, just days before the scheduled departure date of July 5, his travel agent called to tell him the trip had been cancelled but that he would receive a full refund by July 29, he said.

When the reimbursement failed to appear, however, and he was unable to contact his travel agent, Pravit went directly to the cruise company’s offices in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok, only to find that it had gone out of business.

Pravit said that the group members had each paid between Bt20,000 and Bt200,000 for their cruises, with their combined losses totalling Bt5 million. None had received a refund after having their trips cancelled.

He added that the group was also planning to file a complaint with the TAT.

A former worker on the Andaman Princess yesterday told The Nation that the company had suffered financially in the wake of the tsunami disaster and had been unable to pay employees’ salaries.

No one from Siam Cruise Co Ltd could be reached for comment.

--The Nation 2005-08-01

[sriracha john]

Update:

Siam Cruise agrees to pay salaries

Published on August 12, 2005

The operator of the heavily indebted luxury cruise ship the Andaman Princess yesterday agreed under a Central Labour Court arbitration order to pay retroactive salaries to 82 crew whose employment contracts were unlawfully terminated.

The payment of Bt10 million is due on September 26.

Siam Cruise Co Ltd had not paid 88 of its crewmembers since May due to heavy losses.

The employees last week filed a suit with the court against the cruise operator, but the court managed to persuade the parties to reach a settlement.

Earlier this month, a group of passengers staged a protest against Siam Cruise after their trips were cancelled and no refunds were given.

The company has put the Andaman Princess up for sale for Bt130 million.

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Hope the workers DO get their backpay.... and DO hope the passengers get at least something back...

geez... that's a LOT of hope.

[Nordlys]

And no hope of my dad as a shareholder receiving any return of his investment on Siam Cruise....