Chinese tourist arrested for 'working illegally selling day trips' around Thai island
A Chinese tourist was arrested over allegedly working as an illegal tour guide in Thailand.
The suspect reportedly sold guided day trips on the bustling holiday island Phuket despite the job being restricted to Thai natives.
Police launched a sting after locals complained that a foreign tourist was working in the banned occupation.
Officers tracked his movements as he toured seven Chinese nationals around the resort destination.
They spent two-and-a-half hours shadowing the group through the Mountain Billion elephant camp and Foji Phuket water park, with the suspect giving explanations and guiding the visitors through the attractions.
Footage shows the man, wearing a red shirt and black shorts, escorting fellow Chinese nationals into a van.
Cops later moved in to arrest the suspect as he wrapped up the day trip at the scenic Promthep Cape at sunset.
Police seized a Thai-language job order for the tour from a travel company, though the section for the guide's name had been left blank.
They also confiscated a Chinese-language itinerary and a customer list.
After the arrest, the company's directors were summoned to Phuket Tourist Police for questioning, where they reportedly denied assigning a guide to the tour.
The Chinese suspect was charged with working as an unlicenced tour guide, which is punishable with up to one year in jail, a 100,000 baht fine, or both. He was also accused of working in Thailand without a valid work permit.
The tour company was charged with failing to provide a licenced guide to accompany tourists, which carries a maximum fine of 500,000 baht.
Under Thailand's Foreign Employment Act, tourists are banned from working in dozens of occupations including tour guiding, labour work, agriculture, and hairdressing. They are also prohibited from working in the country without a valid permit.
Violators may be fined 5,000 to 50,000 baht and may face deportation to their home country. They will also be banned from seeking a Thai work permit for two years.
While Thai employers may be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 baht per illegal employee. Repeat violators face up to one year in jail, a steeper fine of 50,000 to 200,000 baht per illegal worker, and a three-year ban from hiring foreigners.
