Thailand vows to get tough on frauds against foreign tourists

[FarangRed]

Thailand vows to get tough on frauds against foreign tourists

PHUKET: Thailand's deputy prime minister in charge of national security has vowed to prevent foreign tourists from being cheated during their visits to the country, including, specifically, Phuket.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said after attending meetings with the Tourist Fraud Prevention Committee that the problem needs to be eliminated.

Phuket Gazette

He said that there are many forms of cheating, starting with Thais cheating foreign tourists, foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat foreign tourists.

He added that from the year 2007 to 2010, around 6,000 Thais were arrested for cheating tourists, and 517 groups of foreign gangs were arrested.

Meanwhile, Suthep said that the recent mob of taxi drivers in Phuket province, who blockaded the Phuket Deep Sea Port to prevent tourists from using pre-booked tour company vans, was done to express their dissatisfaction over "unfair tour agencies".

The taxi and tuk-tuk drivers claim the tour agencies tend to provide large buses for tourists, leaving taxi drivers with no passengers. For the Phuket Gazette report on that incident, as well as an editorial on Phuket's transport cartels generally, click here and here.

Suthep has also set up four subcommittees to work on eliminating fraud.

He has assigned the Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary Sombat Kuruphan the responsibility of preventing Tourist Fraud in Bangkok and at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

At the same time, Interior Permanent Secretary Deputy Pranai Suwannarat will be in charge of towns frequented by tourists, such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

[FarangRed]

You can start with dropping the two-tier pricing system at National parks, the Phuket Zoo, etc. Also foreigners having to sign at the land office that they have no interest in the 10 million baht home that their Issan Thai wife has just bought – even though there is a paper trail all the way back to the foreigner's bank account in his home country.

[Scandinavian]

Hahahahah.... OMG.

A crackdown on Thai's cheating farangs and/or tourists.

What's next on the hilarious news list, crackdown on police corruption?

About as easy to fix, me thinks.

[setaputra]

They want to be seen doing something. Good PR and propaganda for the media for a few days. But little will happen; eventually maybe but not yet awhile

[BobR]

Isn't that what the Tourist Police are for? The solution could be as easy as a review of specific incidents of fraud or theft involving foreigners and how the incident was handled by the Tourist Police. If the local cops are afraid to tell the jet ski scum to FO, there is not excuse except corruption for the tourist police not to.

The funny thing is that the first time some of these thieves bought some serious prison time, the prevalence and arrogance would disappear very quickly.

[Khun Custard]

Thailand's deputy prime minister in charge of national security has vowed to prevent foreign tourists from being cheated during their visits to the country, including, specifically, Phuket.

At the same time, Interior Permanent Secretary Deputy Pranai Suwannarat will be in charge of towns frequented by tourists, such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

Some order of (de) merit evolving here folks .... ooohh ... those bad, bad Phuket people
The home of the time share terrorism

Anyone know if any farangs were cheated or injured in the shoot-out on the 3rd Rd yesterday in Pattaya?
I was just thinking that what we experinced this year during Songkran was much better than in previous years .....until I heard this on the radio news

[harrybarracuda]

Do you think they include in this all the lasses that take an LT fee and piss off after ST?

[artist]

Thailand's deputy prime minister in charge of national security has vowed to prevent foreign tourists from being cheated during their visits to the country, including, specifically, Phuket.

At the same time, Interior Permanent Secretary Deputy Pranai Suwannarat will be in charge of towns frequented by tourists, such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

Some order of (de) merit evolving here folks .... ooohh ... those bad, bad Phuket people
The home of the time share terrorism

Anyone know if any farangs were cheated or injured in the shoot-out on the 3rd Rd yesterday in Pattaya?
I was just thinking that what we experinced this year during Songkran was much better than in previous years .....until I heard this on the radio news

Shootings are an every day occurance around the karaoke bars on third road that are open all night and longer if the druggies/piss artists can continue paying

[notdavetherave]

Do you think they include in this all the lasses that take an LT fee and piss off after ST?

Lets hope they don't do wawy with the nightlife.

[Spin]

Did they give any indication which decade this action would start?

[FarangRed]

Phuket officials tackle taxi, tuk-tuk blockades

Thai Hotels Association adviser Methee Tanmanatragul said negative reports about public transport in Phuket were ruining the island’s reputation.

PHUKET: A long-term solution to the repeated blockading of Phuket Deep Sea Port by local taxi drivers is to be in place by mid-May, a meeting of local leaders announced today.

This morning marked the first gathering of representatives from 17 government agencies and private sector groups who are to establish a formal committee to deal with tuk-tuk and taxi issues that are harming Phuket’s reputation among tourists.

Phuket Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen led the preliminary meeting, held at Phuket Provincial Hall.

Thai Hotels Association special adviser Methee Tanmanatragul told the meeting that two transport-related issues were doing great harm to the island’s reputation among tourists: the blockading of Phuket Deep Sea Port by Ao Makham taxi drivers and actual physical assault of tourists.

“At the beginning of March, 120 people from tour agencies held a meeting at the Grand Centara [hotel] in Karon. A representative from Travel Spirit, one of five biggest Australian tour companies, was hit in the head by a taxi driver at the hotel entrance. He [the driver] did not know the man’s company brings about 450,000 tourists to Phuket each year.”

News of the assault has been sent to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has expressed concern about it, he said.

“From now on there can be no more blockades at the Deep Sea Port. Right now the reputation of Phuket is absolutely ruined, as we can see from various websites,” Mr Methee said.

On this point Mr Bhuritt added that an internet search of the terms “Phuket” and “taxi” leads to as many as 40 different websites, blogs and discussion forums, all with very negative comments about Phuket.

“Right now tour groups from Scandinavia have already stopped coming to Phuket, opting instead for Khao Lak in Phang Nga,” he said.

The situation has deteriorated to the point where Phuket faces losing tourists to rival destinations such as Malaysia and Singapore, he added.

In the short term, local taxis will be given access to 50% of tourists disembarking at the Deep Sea Port, as agreed to in an emergency meeting following the blockade of luxury cruise liner Silver Spirit earlier this month.

To establish a long-term solution a committee will be set up to consider all the issues involved. Possible solutions might include requiring all black plate taxis to legally register and to set up a management system like the one at Phuket Airport.

Mr Methee said the long-term management plan would take a few months to develop.

“But at least it's a start,” he said.

Marine Office chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut said, “Right now our officers inspect the port area every day to prevent more blockades. I have already told the taxi drivers that if they cause any more problems they will drive away tourists and will no longer be able to earn income.”

Mr Phuripat will meet with local travel agents on May 4 to hear their views on the problem, he said.

Vice Governor Weerawat asked police officers at the meeting to keep an eye on taxi drivers in Karon.

The problem of taxi drivers harming tourists occurs much more frequently in Karon than in Patong or Phuket City, he said.

[tomta]

“From now on there can be no more blockades at the Deep Sea Port. Right now the reputation of Phuket is absolutely ruined, as we can see from various websites,” Mr Methee said.

Ban those websites. A tried and tested solution.

[setaputra]

Did they give any indication which decade this action would start?

No they did not.

But the next MILLENIUM was briefly mentioned

[NLo]

He said that there are many forms of cheating, starting with Thais cheating foreign tourists, foreign tourists teaming up to cheat other foreigners, and Thais and foreigners working together to cheat foreign tourists.

You guys seem to have missed this bit. I see an easy way to get a 66% success rate.

[Cujo]

Yes, it appears 2/3 of the cheating is foreigners cheating Foreigners.

[harrybarracuda]

“At the beginning of March, 120 people from tour agencies held a meeting at the Grand Centara [hotel] in Karon. A representative from Travel Spirit, one of five biggest Australian tour companies, was hit in the head by a taxi driver at the hotel entrance. He [the driver] did not know the man’s company brings about 450,000 tourists to Phuket each year.”

Oh that's just fucking classic, that is!