Mr Krit made his plea earlier today (Feb 1), in response to a tour guide in Phuket going on a national television show and saying that an official had carried out the B1mn drugs extortion.
Mr Krit said he looked into the report after it was brought to his attention.
“This is old news.. This happened years ago, probably before the NCPO [came to power],” he said.
“This incident has caused damage to not just Phuket, but the entire country,” Mr Krit said.
“Reports like this should not be put into the current context without knowing what happened, when it happened,” he said.
“Therefore, the damage caused by this is enormous… It may cause tourists from all over the world to feel that they do not trust to travel to Phuket or Thailand ever again,” Mr Krit said.
“If possible, I ask people involved in the matter to please come forward and clarify that it was a mistake, that the information came out like that, in order not to damage the reputation of Phuket and Thailand,” Mr Krit added.