Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul arrived in Phuket on Thursday (Feb 4) and met with the island’s tourism registrar committee to follow up on the registrar process on tourism businesses.
During the meeting, Ms Wattanavrangkul suggested the committee add the private sector to help crack down on the use of illegal foreign nominees as shareholders in a company. She also wanted to hear complaints, obstacles or ideas on assisting help prevent the issue.
Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul and the tourism registrar committee, in charge of monitoring the register process for tourism businesses, were in attendance at the meeting held at at Point Yamu By Como in Pa Khlok along with officials from the Andaman Tourism Association, Phuket Tourism Business Association, Thai Hotels Association and Phuket Commerce.
The Phuket Department of Business Development (DBD) reported during the meeting that survey carried out this year revealed that less than 50 percent of tourism businesses have foreign shareholders.
These they divided into five categories: real estate, vehicle rental, spa business, retail (handcrafts and souvenir) and tour businesses which also includes restaurants .
“Within this five categories, the DBD investigated 44 businesses and found no evidence of them using illegal nominees. However, we did find other businesses that we suspect have used illegal nominees, and they are now under investigation,” Ms Wattanavrangkul said.
“Two of those companies – vehicle rental and retail companies – have been advised to present documents regarding their business,” she added.
Ms Wattanavrangkul also expressed her concerns overs the procedure for inspecting the process of business registration and suggested that adding those from the private sector to the committee would help get deeper information about tourism businesses and eliminate loopholes.
“I recently attended an Asean meeting in China and learned that more than 6 million Chinese tourist left the country to travel. Around one in three of those tourist will end up in Thailand, so I want everyone to take good care of the tourists especially during this festival season,” she said.
“I will come back to Phuket again next Friday (Feb 12) to again check up on the issue of illegal nominee companies because this problem will take time to solve,” she concluded.