Pattaya sees rise in independent Chinese tourists amid decline in group tours

[webfact]

Phuket tour group cause controversy at sea
Tanyaluk Sakoot


The tour group were happy to show off their finds.

PHUKET: -- A group of Phuket tourists have caused controversy after being photographed with a variety of marine creatures, including some which are protected species.

The issue came to light after the Conservatism Thai Group shared on social media photos of the group, believed to be Koreans, holding starfish, coral, sea urchins and giant clams whilst aboard a boat moored close to Hea Island.

The boat is believed to belong to Chalong based tour company.

According to Thailand’s Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, giant clams have been declared a protected wildlife species, with no harvesting, possession or trade allowed.

After learning about the photos, Director of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Centre (MCRCC), Thanet Mannoi and his team went to look for the tour company involved.

Thanet explained, “I am not happy with what they did with the animals.

“We went to look for the boat involved on Saturday (February 7) morning, but we could only find another boat regiestered to the same company.

“We did search that boat and found nothing related to the animals. However, we did find a tour guide named Win Ko Ko, 23, from Myanmar. According to 2008 Tourism Business and Tour act this is illegal.”

Mr Thanet went on to say that if nothing illegal was found all that he can do is explain to tourists what they should do with the animal.

“Honeslty, I feel cramped when I do not have the power to check every tour boat. There might be groups who catch animals and take photos to share on social media, so I want to check other tour boats if possible.

“It would be more active if we unite to work together with other concerned officials. Or are we approved to act when we are concernecd,” he said.

Director of the Phuket Office of Tourism and Sport̕s, Santi Pawai, who is currently trying to rid the island of illegal tour businesses and guides said, “Actually, I am checking for more information about this tour company. After we have found illegal workers in that tour company we will cancel their licence for sure.”

Speaking about the two boats, Chief of the Phuket Marine Office, Phuriphat Teerakulpisut said, “I know the two ships are named Juja” and “Junyong” and we are checking the information about their licences now.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tour-group-cause-controversy-at-sea-50948.php


-- Phuket News 2015-02-09

[naboo]

Ah! Damn those Koreans and Burmese! Ah! There were definitely no Thais involved in this, I couldn't find them, it was just the Burmese and those damn Koreans! Ah!

[Torrens54]

Ah! Damn those Koreans and Burmese! Ah! There were definitely no Thais involved in this, I couldn't find them, it was just the Burmese and those damn Koreans! Ah!

If the Sun fails to "Rise in The East" one of these fine days, you can BET it will be the fault of those Burmese!

I know this for a fact............ Why???

Well...... my wife has TOLD ME!

[stevenl]

Ah! Damn those Koreans and Burmese! Ah! There were definitely no Thais involved in this, I couldn't find them, it was just the Burmese and those damn Koreans! Ah!

Ah, that's why the Thai company will be shut down.

[keestha]

Sadly enough not unusual that tourists take home illegal souvenirs (corals, clams) from snorkeling tours, often the perpetrators are East Europeans and Asians.

Fierce competition among snorkeling tour operators, they won't be so willing to do/say anything which would displease the customers.

[webfact]

Phuket tour guides that caused controversy at sea apprehended


Yung Cook Shone, 50 (left) and Whar Yun <deleted>, 25 face being charged with working as illegal guides.

Phuket: -- Following the controversy caused by a group of tourists photographed with a variety of marine creatures, one of which is a protected specie, two tour boats were captured yesterday (February 10) and their crews investigated.

At 3:30pm, Phuket Tourism and Sport Director, Santi Pawai and Marine Police Superintendent Lt Col Pichet Samakjan, led a team of marine and tourist police to Chalong Pier to search the boats Juja and Junyong as they were the ones used when the photos were taken. (original story here)

Marine police managed to identify the boats after a person name Jirapong Jeewarongkakol posted a number of pictures of Asian tourists holding coral, star fish, the potected giant clam and other sea creatures on Facebook.

On the first boat, Yuja, police questioned a Burmese man, Whar Yun <deleted>, 25, who police believed was one of the men seen in the Facebook pictures.

Whar, who did not have a tour guide permit, denied the allegation and said that he did not work as tour guide on the boat but did have other duties. However, when officials pressured him, Whar admitted he worked as a tour guide the day the pictures was taken.

When officials asked to see boat operation permit and boat registration, the captain of the boat told police that they still waiting for the Marine Office to renew them.

At the same time, a second team of police were searching the Junyongboat. The boat owner and tour guide, Yung Cook Shone, 50, a Korean national, admitted that he guided the tourists that day because he was short of staff.

Yung also admitted that he had let the tourists take pictures of the animals that they had caught, but had released them back to the sea after the pictures was taken.

Police escorted Whar and Yung to Chalong police station, and both now faces charges of working illegally as guides. Punishment of which can be up to 1 year in prison, a fine of no more than B100,000 or both.

The boat operators face charges of operating tour boats without a permit which carries a maximum fine of B5,000, and also operating the boats on an expired licence for which they could be fined a maximum of B10,000.

Tourism and Sport Director, Santi Pawai said that the Facebook pictures of tourists holding the animals were severely criticised on social media. It was inappropriate and he was surprised that the tour guide allowed this to happen.

They investigated after seeing the Facebook page and learned that the boats belong to Ozat Diving Centre Company (ODC) which does have legal business registration documents.

ODC told police that the company did not have a tour guide on board and said that the people in the pictures were in fact just tourists.

Officials warned that all tour companies that did not have Thai guides will be subject to arrest because they want to stop tourists from doing anything consider inappropriate and which could damage the tourism image.

All tour companies that fail to comply will have their business licences revoked.

With regards to the pictures taken with the aninals, Thanate Mannoy, Director of the Coastal Resource Conservation Centre said that tourists having their pictures taken with the animals caused no harm to them from the look of the pictures, and that they can only advise tourists what they can and cannot do with them.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-tour-guides-that-caused-contoversy-at-sea-apprehended-50968.php

-- Phuket News 2015-02-11

[chooka]

The boats were captured, did they put up a fight?

[biggles45]

So, upto 100,000 fine for the illegal foreign guides but only upto 15,000 for the Thai company for bad paperwork. What about mploying illegal workers?

Of course Thai tourist guides would never let this sort of thing happen.

[Rod Wallop]

It's so easy for Thais to maintain this perfect persona, when all those around them are so corrupt, immoral and stupid.

[starkey_rich]

Ah! Damn those Koreans and Burmese! Ah! There were definitely no Thais involved in this, I couldn't find them, it was just the Burmese and those damn Koreans! Ah!

Ah, that's why the Thai company will be shut down.

You are joking of course.

A Thai company shut down.

In your dreams.

[Traveling Sailor]

"The boat operators face charges of operating tour boats without a permit which carries a maximum fine of B5,000, and also operating the boats on an expired licence for which they could be fined a maximum of B10,000."

These should be MINIMUM fines, not maximum.