Russian woman arrested for leading illegal Phuket tours

[webfact]

Russian woman arrested for leading illegal Phuket tours
Saran Mitrarat


Ms Tsybiktarova (blue shirt) explains her situation to an officer while her tourists take each other's photos.

PHUKET: -- A Russian woman was arrested today (January 6) at the Karon Viewpoint for acting as an illegal tour guide and running an unregistered tour company.

Yuliya Tsybiktarova, 29, was arrested while escorting Russian tourists at the viewpoint. Tourist Police officers also seized tour package brochures from her.

The arrest came as part of regular drives conducted by police and Tourism Registry officers at the beginning of each month to catch people breaking the rules on tours.

When the officers arrived at the viewpoint, which has views over Kata Noi, Kata Yai and Karon Bays, they spotted Ms Tsybiktarova leading seven Russian tourists out of a van and then telling them about the delights of the area.

After watching for a while the officers approached her and asked her for her tour guide ID which – being a foreigner – she did not have.

She told them she had worked as manager of BJ Holiday on Siriraj Rd in Patong for a month, and admitted she had taken Russian tourists on tours. The company paid her B50,000 a month, she added.

The Tourism Registry officials found that BJ’s application to provide tours had yet to be approved, yet the company was already selling tour packages to Russian tourists.

Ms Tsybiktarova was taken to Karon Police Station for further questioning.

Her arrest follows the arrests of three Burmese men found working in an illegal dive shop on Koh Racha on New Year’s Eve.

Those arrests came on the orders of Santi Pawai, Director of the Phuket Office of Tourism and Sport.

The raid on Hou Hai Diver Co – which aimed its dubious services at the mainland Chinese market – came after a furore over Internet marketing by the company, which appeared to offer dive trips that included catching marine turtles and damaging coral.

One poster on Facebook commented, “Dear all my Chinese friends! Pls share and pass our word to them; Tourist company that provided this advertisements and their customers. It was happened when they were traveling in Phuket, Thailand.

“Please do concern about the rules of places and respect ours while traveling especially diving,” “By these photo pls pls pls forward and pls let them know what should not do. On behalf of [the] host country, we always welcome the lovely tourists [with] good minds but ... If you are not ... We will not [welcome you] too.” Mr Santi said it was discovered that Hou Hai Diving had no diving credentials such as PADI certification or registration (though it did have PADI stickers), and no tourism business registration.

“Moreover, their Burmese staff have the wrong work papers – they have only labourers’ papers, and no dive instructor qualifications,” he added.

The company was ordered closed and the case has been handed over to police for further investigation. Another two Burmese are being sought for their involvement.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-woman-arrested-for-leading-illegal-phuket-tours-50440.php


-- Phuket News 2015-01-07

[Kooweerup]

It was the photographer.

[jspill]

Someone forgot to pay the tea money.

[ChrisY1]

Unlicenced dive instructors is inexcusable.......

To think that these clowns actually teach novice divers is criminal.........

[mok199]

time for some sanctions

[Lupatria]

Send her back to Siberia to cool down. I just wonder what would happen to an illegal Thai-Guide in Krasnojarsk.

[SOTIRIOS]

...wow....busting criminals....???

...they applied for the permit...

...how long does it take.........

....makes one wonder what happens if they come across the pile of those awaiting their permits....

...what a load of hokum.....

[canopus1969]

BJ Holiday - now that sounds fun

[monkeycountry]

Well, the chinese must be aware that most of the stuff they themselves produce in their many factories is of low quality, so why would a chinese dive company be any different :-)

[Johnnie99]

Well done the police!

[John1thru10]

Thank godness this desperate criminal is finally off the street. Between this woman, and the three vaguely middle-eastern guys they found over their visas last month, it's amazing Thailand was able to survive.

[steelepulse]

If someone was skeptical, they would think that the police know there is a lot more money to be made in this type of bust than Somchai pickpocketing someone.Of course the police aren't in this for the money, they love to enforce and uphold the law.

[richard10365]

Most ASEAN countries don't allow foreign tour guides. Foreigners can be tourism agency managers but cannot actively give tours. With that said, I'm sure there are a lot of foreign tour guides in Thailand.

[bangon04]

Yes there are so many fluent Russian-speaking Thai tour guides available that it would be ridiculous to give work permits to a foreigner to do the job... another serious crime ring busted..

[kingalfred]

Illegality in Thailand. Whoever decides at the time,and if you are not Thai its ALWAYS illegal.

[FiestyFarang]

What's going to happen this year with the implementation of Asean, will there be Philippino tour guides speaking good English, working in the bar etc.

[Tchooptip]

I've only known two Russians families with little children, here in Thailand the four parents working without WP, I do not really care just telling my own experience

[KKr]

Send her back to Siberia to cool down. I just wonder what would happen to an illegal Thai-Guide in Krasnojarsk.

He would be without a job ;-)

[John1thru10]

What's going to happen this year with the implementation of Asean, will there be Philippino tour guides speaking good English, working in the bar etc.

Only quality bar girls will be encouraged to work in Thailand.

Edited January 7, 2015 by John1thru10

[BlackJack]

What's going to happen this year with the implementation of Asean, will there be Philippino tour guides speaking good English, working in the bar etc.

I think all that has been postponed

[marko kok prong]

I can imagine the chinese dive company would offer their customers to catch and then eat the turtles.

[MiKT]

Well, the chinese must be aware that most of the stuff they themselves produce in their many factories is of low quality, so why would a chinese dive company be any different :-)

This is racist bulls..., many Chinese companies produce 1st class stuff. Like HS trains, Christmas crackers with fortune telling fish, etc.

But it has nothing whatsover to do with illegal, unlicensed Chinese diving instructors who should simply be drowned. Preferably in the South China Sea, since they own all of it.............maybe. Burmese unlicenced diving instuctors on the other hand should be drowned in the ohhhhhhhh .......South China Sea or the Andaman Sea or the Indian Ocean or the Ping River. Nothing to do with Burma, I just don't like the Ping pong.

[wvavin]

We should be able to see Ms Yuliya Tsybiktarova around soon after her company finished "discussions" with the police shortly. Anyone dares to bet?

[AlQaholic]

Time to learn Chinese! Imagine the market for a PADI licensed dive Instructor:))

[DaiHard]

BJ Holiday

I bet that fooled a few people

[arunsakda]

What's going to happen this year with the implementation of Asean, will there be Philippino tour guides speaking good English, working in the bar etc.

A proper Angeles City GRO could make a mint in BKK.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[poweratradio]

What's going to happen this year with the implementation of Asean, will there be Philippino tour guides speaking good English, working in the bar etc.

A proper Angeles City GRO could make a mint in BKK.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Explain?

[maidee]

how sad are these laws?

she looks kinda asian

if only one of her parents was thai, so would not have to take all this crap ...

i cannot buy land in my name, but my children or wife can ...

2015, but thailand still lives in feodal times

[stevehaigh]

Yes there are so many fluent Russian-speaking Thai tour guides available that it would be ridiculous to give work permits to a foreigner to do the job... another serious crime ring busted..

and Thai's seem to have zero interest in learning Russian. its offered at my kids school and no one signed up, not one person, so they cancelled it.