Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Vows To Crack Down On Thailand Tourist Fraud

[webfact]

Deputy Prime Minister Vows to Crack Down on Tourist Fraud

The deputy prime minister in charge of national security has vowed to prevent tourists from being cheated during their visit to Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban said after attending meetings with the Tourist Fraud Prevention Committee that the problem needs to be eliminated.

He said that there are many forms of cheating, starting with Thais cheating foreign tourists, foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists.

He added that from the year 2007 to 2010, around 6,000 Thais were arrested for cheating tourists, and 517 groups of foreign gangs were arrested.

Meanwhile, Suthep dsaid that the recent mob of taxi drivers in Phuket province, who closed down boat docks to prevent tourists from returning to the main land, was done to express their disatisfaction over unfair tour agencies.

The drivers claim tour agencies tend to provide large buses for tourists, leaving taxi drivers with no passengers.

Suthep has also set up four subcommittees to work on eliminating fraud.

He has assigned the Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Sombat Kuruphan the responsibility of preventing tourist fraud in Bangkok and at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

At the same time, Interior Permanent Secretary Deputy Pranai Suwannarat will be in charge of towns frequented by tourists such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

-- Tan Network 2011-04-19

[barrybankruad]

Start with the jet ski mafia

[Who, me ?]

a life time occupation, then. Good words, but how far will this one go?

[transam]

Since when has it been a ''crime'' for a tour operator to provide transport for it's customers.

[Payboy]

Since when has it been a ''crime'' for a tour operator to provide transport for it's customers.

Since it became difficult to collect tea money from international tour operators.

[Crushdepth]

Start with the jet ski mafia

You beat me to it.

Suthep has also set up four subcommittees to work on eliminating fraud.

Any chance these will accept submissions from the public? This might actually be a good opportunity to get some action on the jet ski guys...and the police cooperating with them.

[jimbeam1]

No problem though as none of this really affects tourism though. It's those darn girls on Silom with their bits out?

jb1

Edited April 19, 2011 by jimbeam1

[MILT]

I think the focus should be more on educating the tourist, to look out for certain fraud schemes and would be far cheaper to write up and post important information. Trying to bust mafia's and scam tour companies, jet ski et. The people doing the fraud would have to expose themselves even more to succeed in their rip off schemes. Just a thought

[lovetotravel]

I wish him the best of luck...he's going to need it...

[Oberkommando]

Breaking the rice bowls of his party's voter base down South is probably not a wise idea.

[TimeBandit2]

Isn't this this same schlemiel who "doesn't respect farangs?"

And his criticism of the cruise line is ludicrous. The tuk-tuk drivers have about as much right to scam cruise ship passengers as I do. *Libelous statement edited out*

When the passengers do get scammed, they blame the cruise line (and could easily sue them - and win) and then guess what? The cruise line avoids Phuket next time.

His comments about foreigners scamming foreigners and Thais and foreigners scamming foreigners is pandering to the Thais listening who might bristle on the notion that they are anything but a nation of honest, hard-working, racist licentious hypocrites.

At least the leadership is maintaining the standards of ineptitude.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Scott
Libelous statement edited out

[orchidlady]

..."unfair tour agencies. The drivers claim tour agencies tend to provide large buses for tourists, leaving taxi drivers with no passengers."

How is it unfair to provide large buses for tour groups? It is much easier to manage for the tour group. All the tour groups that work in Bangkok provide large buses for the tour groups but still taxuis abound. I realize their are more people in Bangkok but there is also the sky train and MRT. What else is different? REASONABLE TAXI/Tuk Tuk RATES! have the Phuket mafia ever thought of lowering their prices to actually pick up business from the people staying in hotels who want to go out to restaurants to eat , or go out shopping etc.They could be busy all the time by lowering their rates...but that would require more work. What a novel idea...doesn't take a genius to implement.

[foxteen]

Don't cheat me or i cheat you..i learn how to cheat and i use..That's going on in Thailand.Cheating and scams on daily life.Better to avoid as you can, and stay away of the cheatters and scammers

[lovelomsak]

What I feel the reason tour groups are in buses are because the tourist base has changed. Thailand now has asian groups touring and they will need buses or willnot book a tour simple as that. Stop the buses may as well close the hotels and restaurants. Asian tourists mostly travel in large groups and require buses. Things are a changing.

[Mrjlh]

Isn't this this same schlemiel who "doesn't respect farangs?"

And his criticism of the cruise line is ludicrous. The tuk-tuk drivers have about as much right to scam cruise ship passengers as I do to gang-bang Sutep's wife, video tape it and sell it to a porn site.

When the passengers do get scammed, they blame the cruise line (and could easily sue them - and win) and then guess what? The cruise line avoids Phuket next time.

His comments about foreigners scamming foreigners and Thais and foreigners scamming foreigners is pandering to the Thais listening who might bristle on the notion that they are anything but a nation of honest, hard-working, racist licentious hypocrites.

At least the leadership is maintaining the standards of ineptitude.

Re- read his full statement and get the whole story. He didn't blame the "cruise line", he blamed the tuk-tuks for blocking and preventing the passengers from using the tour buses that the tourist paid for. But added the tuk-tuk had just as much right as the tour operator. But the problem is the tuk-tuks rip off the tourist by over charging them. Two separate issues here.

[BLACKJACK2]

It would be nice if he showed the way by clamping down at national parks and government offices.

[Beetlejuice]

What this actually means:

Thais cheating foreign tourists

Thai business owners, farang business owners using upfront Thai names, adult entertainment establishments, seeing ways of making fast bucks out of naive holidaymakers.

Foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners

Farangs that renew their tourist visas on the borders, unscrupulous forever tourists that wheel and deal in Thailand mostly involved in illegal activities cheating holidaymakers or anyone else who they believe is gullible.

Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists.

Farangs that renew their tourist visas on the borders, unscrupulous forever tourists that wheel and deal in Thailand with their Thai partners in crime.

What they should be saying is; holidaymakers being cheated by farangs on tourist visas living in Thailand. There is a world of difference between forever tourists and holidaymakers.

[PhoenixRising]

Tuk-tuk drivers really are the worst cheaters of all in Thailand and their constant pestering really should have been dealt with ages ago. Nice to see that someone in power takes notice of such things (even if he doesn't respect farangs). When it comes to cheating tourists, Cambodia, Lao and Malaysia are a lot worse. I think tourists really need to stick up for themselves and refuse to take a lot of crap that these local leaches dish out on tourists on a daily basis. Sometimes people need to know when being nicey nice doesn't work with these creeps.

[londonthai]

"foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists. ... around 6,000 Thais were arrested for cheating tourists, and 517 groups of foreign gangs were arrested"

sounds, like it would be a crackdown rather on foreigners, than thai.

are now foreign tourist agencies, providing large buses for tourists, classified as "gangs"?

[Phatcharanan]

When it comes to cheating tourists, Cambodia, Lao and Malaysia are a lot worse.

MALAYSIA?

Have you actually been there? Not once have I ever been a victim, so to speak. Sure some have 'tried it on' but it is nowhere near as endemic as it is in THailand.

[PhoenixRising]

When it comes to cheating tourists, Cambodia, Lao and Malaysia are a lot worse.

MALAYSIA?

Have you actually been there? Not once have I ever been a victim, so to speak. Sure some have 'tried it on' but it is nowhere near as endemic as it is in THailand.

I use to live and work in Malaysia and I still go back rather frequently. Taxis are a serious rip off in the big cities such as KL and Butterworth/Penang. And they are not friendly either! You'll pay ten times the going rate of the biggest scam you'll likely experience in Thailand!

[elshaheen]

wow, that's a great idea. What's he smokin, must be that new stuff from Burma.

[ParadiseLost]

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Suthep Thaugsuban said after attending meetings with the Tourist Fraud Prevention Committee that the problem needs to be eliminated.

He said that there are many forms of cheating, starting with Thais cheating foreign tourists, foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat other foreign tourists.

He added that from the year 2007 to 2010, around 6,000 Thais were arrested for cheating tourists, and 517 groups of foreign gangs were arrested.

Has a video of this statement been uploaded to Youtube? If so then arrest this man for tarnishing the wonderful reputation of Thailand.

Erm wait, he will have to get his knockers out first...

Edited April 19, 2011 by ParadiseLost

[KKvampire]

Perhaps the Deputy PM should have a word with the Chief of Police regarding Police Officers who cheat Tourists or any Falang for that matter in Bangkok

Eg. Police "You threw that cigarette or piece of paper on the Street, you have to pay an immediate fine". Happened to a friend of mine from China who was here 2 months ago who as a first time visitor was scared.

I can't wait to be stopped and asked this,I will willingly go to the Police Station and take it to court, sadly I doubt it would get to that even if I refused to pay.

Edited April 19, 2011 by KKvampire

[toffo9]

The biggest fraud in thailand is the corrupt police pulling every farang they see over in the checkpoints and fining them for bogus things..

[dumball]

='Phatcharanan' timestamp='1303215814' post='4366594']'PhoenixRising' timestamp='1303215269' post='4366582']

When it comes to cheating tourists, Cambodia, Lao and Malaysia are a lot worse.

[

MALAYSIA?

Have you actually been there? Not once have I ever been a victim, so to speak. Sure some have 'tried it on' but it is nowhere near as endemic as it is in THailand.

Same applies to Cambodia , having conversed with tourists and expats visiting from Thailand for a ' Rest ' , the less scamming is quite noticeable . Often scam can be related to the naivete of the one in an intended scam , failing to read up on intended destination .

[Oberkommando]

When it comes to cheating tourists, Cambodia, Lao and Malaysia are a lot worse

As a frequent visitor to Cambodia there's nowhere near the amount of scams that there are in Thailand. In fact, to my knowledge I have never been scammed there in over 20 visits. You might pay over the odds and be unaware you are getting ripped off sure, but there's just nowhere the amount of organised scams in Cambodia that there is in Thailand.

If you'd said North Vietnam I may have agreed with you. It is a constant annoyance there.

[Throatwobbler]

Isn't this this same schlemiel who "doesn't respect farangs?"

And his criticism of the cruise line is ludicrous. The tuk-tuk drivers have about as much right to scam cruise ship passengers as I do to gang-bang Sutep's wife, video tape it and sell it to a porn site.

When the passengers do get scammed, they blame the cruise line (and could easily sue them - and win) and then guess what? The cruise line avoids Phuket next time.

His comments about foreigners scamming foreigners and Thais and foreigners scamming foreigners is pandering to the Thais listening who might bristle on the notion that they are anything but a nation of honest, hard-working, racist licentious hypocrites.

At least the leadership is maintaining the standards of ineptitude.

Foreigners do rip off foreigners here. It happens a lot. We are not all sweet and innocent like myself.

[IAMSOBAD]

Who will arrest the police who own and run the crooked bars...jet skis and tuk tuks?

This is the problem.

Tuk tuk mafia+jet ski mafia+every known Thai scam= Police mafia

[ginjag]

No problem though as none of this really affects tourism though. It's those darn girls on Silom with their bits out?

jb1

I agree these are the three that have caused the millions not to arrive at swampy. TAT should look at this shocking case of sex on the highway, and put a stop to it -period. ( but let the ping-pong ball show go on)

Remember this guy who wasn't keen on farrangs a while ago--he wants to protect them now- next week we will all have to report at border posts every week :lol: