The arrest, which took place at Promthep Cape, has yet to be publicly reported by local authorities. Instead, details of the case were released by the Department of Tourism in Bangkok.
According to the department’s report, officials from the Southern Region 2 Office of the Registrar of Tour Businesses and Tour Guides received a tip-off that a Chinese national was illegally working as a tour guide in Phuket.
Tourism officials then coordinated with Phuket Tourist Police to investigate the report.
Officers began monitoring the suspect from about 2:30pm after spotting a Chinese man accompanying a group of seven Chinese tourists travelling in a tour van around Phuket.
Authorities observed the man’s behaviour until they were satisfied he was clearly acting as a tour guide before moving in to arrest him when the van arrived at Promthep Cape at about 5pm.
During the inspection, officers found a tour guide work order written in Thai issued by Blue Ocean International Tourism Co Ltd (Licence No. 34/03491). However, officials noted that the document did not identify the assigned tour guide, include a Chinese-language itinerary or list the names of the Chinese tourists.
Officials later summoned the managing director of the company to Phuket Tourist Police Station for questioning. However, the Department of Tourism report did not name the managing director.
The company representative, also not named in the report, admitted that the company had not provided a licensed tour guide to accompany the tourists during the trip.
The Chinese man was handed over to investigators to face two charges: acting as a tour guide without a licence under the Tour Business and Tour Guide Act B.E. 2551, and working in Thailand without a work permit under the Foreign Workers Management Act B.E. 2560.
The offence of acting as a tour guide without a licence carries penalties of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to B100,000, or both, the Department of Tourism noted.
Meanwhile, Blue Ocean International Tourism Co Ltd was charged with failing to provide a licensed tour guide to accompany tourists, an offence punishable by a fine of up to B500,000.
Officials from the Southern Region 2 Office of the Registrar of Tour Businesses and Tour Guides said legal proceedings against the company will continue in accordance with the law.