Thai Tour Operators Charged over “Zero-Dollar” Chinese Tour Scams

 

BANGKOK – Thai prosecutors have charged a string of tour operators with ripping off Chinese tourists, police said Thursday, as the kingdom cracks down on scams targeting their most lucrative visitors.

 

China sends more people to Thailand than any other nation and tourism remains one of the few bright spots in the kingdom’s otherwise bleak economy.

 

But complaints have soared in recent years over dodgy tour guides and practices, particularly so-called “zero-dollar” scams.

 

Such schemes promise Chinese package tourists an impossibly cheap or free holiday only to pile on excessive charges once they arrive in Thailand.

 

Full story: http://www.chiangraitimes.com/thai-tour-operators-charged-over-zero-dollar-chinese-tour-scams.html

 

-- © Copyright Chiang Rai Times 2016-11-25

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

They just pick on the those you don't grease the wheels.

20 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

You'd like to think things would be clearer when people appear in court and charges are made public but court reporting here is well, hardly extensive and often restricted.

issues like this can be dealt with or otherwise and no one would ever know what if anything actually happened.

If necessary a vague statement can be made later to say the charges were dealt with and that's that.

12 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

You'd like to think things would be clearer when people appear in court and charges are made public...

 

Prosecutors this week charged 13 people from seven different Thai tour operators !!!

 

Why not just name these people and their companies, instead of leaving a cloud over the whole industry ???

 

 

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

 

Not transparent.....as usual!

the zero dollar tour operators have been given a month to turn themselves in.

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

 

I can't remember there ever being a genuine and sincere attempt to thwart crime. There will be crackdowns and purges but all criminally influenced so that one gang can increase its market share.

1 minute ago, Loaded said:

 

I can't remember there ever being a genuine and sincere attempt to thwart crime. There will be crackdowns and purges but all criminally influenced so that one gang can increase its market share.

Oh yes, I totally agree. Crime is managed in Thailand (profits go to the 'right' people, polite society not inconvenienced, crime maintained at levels so as not to have chaos, anarchy or uprisings).

 

I wanted to see in the context of this case how the management of businesses operating outside of government concession is actually being manipulated. But it seems the authorities have thrown a blanket over it.

What? They've actually admitted that Thais are involved in this and not just the illegally working Chinese?

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

Whoever these 0 baht guys are, they took a lot of initiative to go get and hold on to the customer.  They went right to the source.  No actual tourist complaints are actually mentioned in the article.  Could this be the complacent, inbred wealthy getting upset over being out maneuvered ?

Transperency,of course there is,everybody knows who is 

corrupt,don"t we???..............lol

8 hours ago, Briggsy said:

No details released to the press. Only "organised crime offences, joint money laundering and illegally running tourist operations without permission". Very vague.

 

Hard to truly understand what is really going on. Is it a genuine attempt to stop tourists being extorted? Is it an attempt to divert income streams? Is it just to appease the Chinese Embassy?

 

Not transparent.

 

All of the above. Its called velocity of money.