Thailand Police Arrest Chinese National Illegally Working as Tour Guide

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thai police have arrested a Chinese national for illegally operating as a tour guide in Thailand, where foreigners are strictly forbidden from conducting tour business.

Khaosod English reported that Yue Liu, 31, allegedly offered luxury tours to visitors at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in Bangkok and the Grand Palace. He was arrested at Tha Chang Pier on Maharaj Road.

Customers reportedly booked his services through the WeChat messaging app, making it difficult for authorities to detect. He would then take them on a tour around these historical sites in a luxury vehicle.

Liu was apprehended on May 6. Thai authorities are currently undertaking an intensive crackdown on illegal foreign workers in Thailand.

Liu faces charges for working without a work permit and operating a tour business without proper license.

Crackdown on Illegal Tour Business

This arrest coincides with the latest initiative announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, in collaboration with five government agencies: the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Department of Business Development, the Department of Special Investigation, the Tourist Police Bureau, and the Immigration Bureau.

This joint task force, known as the Joint Operations Center for Solving Problems of Tourism Businesses Using Thai Nominees (JOCST), aims to combat unauthorized tour businesses and illegal guides in the country.

Natreeya Taweewong, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, stated that this collaboration will help monitor tour companies and guides while strictly enforcing the law to enhance standards and safety in Thailand's tourism industry.

Foreigners Banned from Escorting Tourists

According to the Thai Ministry of Labor, the law prohibits foreigners from working as tour guides or escorting foreign tourists, individually or in groups, to various locations within the country. Foreigners are also prohibited from providing advice or information to tourists.

Violators may face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 baht, approximately Rp2.5 million to Rp50 million. They may also be deported to their home country and barred from applying for a work permit in Thailand for two years.

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