Songkhla, Hat Yai: A French tourist and his Thai girlfriend flew from France to Hat Yai early this week only to find out that they have been cheated out of Bt13,800 they had paid several months in advance for a tour package to the popular Lipe Island.

Kevin Courlin, 27, and his Thai girlfriend, Chakkriporn Suangtho, 29, bought the package from the DD Travel Co Ltd at the 32nd Thais Visiting Thailand fair, which was a large tourism trade fair held at the Queen Sirikit Center early September last year.

Disappointed at being cheated although they bought the package in the large and well-known fair, Chakkriporn led her boyfriend to file complaint with the Hat Yai police station on Thursday.

She said she bought the package during their last visit to Thailand for a trip to the Lipe from November 21 to 23 for Bt13,800. The price should have included the accommodation, foods and travelling expense to and from Hat Yai International airport to the island in Satun.

The woman told police that they later asked DD Travel for rescheduling of the trip to February 2 to 4 and the company said it would be fine.

However, when they arrived from France on Monday, the couple could not contact the company. Its telephone went dead. They decided to call the resort in the package instead and learned that their room had been booked but no payment had been made.

They decided to check in anyway and the resort reduced the accommodation fee to Bt9,000 on humanitarian reason but the couple had to shoulder the traveling cost and had to pay extra for meals.
“I am very sad,” the woman told police. “We traveled across the ocean to visit Lipe just to find out that a package that we booked in a national fair turned out like this.”

Police promised to take legal action against the firm.

police will take action for tea money on both sides :-(

One time a Samui travel agency in nathon cheating me with fake boat tickets to ko tao , the lomphaya call the company when not refund money we call the police one day later money was refounded into my bankacount

No they will do someting i am shure

Hope some action takes place, it's a shame for sure.

I am in the tour business and if I have to book a tour from another company I would ask for two items.

1) TAT License and expiring date

2) Public Insurance Form and at what amount is the premium.

Most of those scams join a TAT fair but are not even a member of TAT. TAT loves to take anyone at the fairs as long they pay for the booth.

Pay nothing in advance in Thailand and avoid disappointment , this country is full of dubious businesses.

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If TAT took (invited) this company to the tour fair. and accepted the money from DD Travel as payment for the booth.. TAT should front up and reimburse this couple...it would be the right thing to do.

Advice.... never ever pay any deposit for anything in Thailand especially travel packages

No need to use travel agents anymore. Book everything yourself online.

Hope some action takes place, it's a shame for sure.

oh to be sure, to be sure

Punish the lame firm.

I try to use a credit card whenever I purchase an item of any consequence. If anything goes wrong, I generally can get a refund if the purchase is not fullfilled.

That's Thailand for you my darling (To the TGF why is she so surprised?). One member once said the "Cooling off period in Thailand is the space of time between when you open your wallet and put the money in the persons hand" use this rule for all types of business transactions and cross your fingers for good luck or prey to a dog (Which I have seen Thais do) whichever you feel more comfortable with.

Not exactly a huge loss in the scheme of things!

“I am very sad,” the woman told police. “We traveled across the ocean to visit Lipe just to find out that a package that we booked in a national fair turned out like this.”

Very sad ?

Pfff...shit happens, madam, sorry you were disappointed but better move on and be glad it was only 300 euros worth!

Damn, get a life !

If the tour agent had a TAT license, then a deposit/security had to be placed by the agent with TAT. The customer is protected by TAT and they will reimburse the funds.

9000 baht for 2 nights in a hotel

I find the title of this story very misleading, and feel like I have been suckered away from Facebook were I was about to read an amusing anecdote from a vague acquaintance I once knew.

Editor perhaps this (story?) would have been more aptly titled "Boring load of non event crap, don't bother to read below"