Tourist Police, Marine Police and officials from the Phuket Tourism Registrar Office arrived at the pier at 9:30am. They placed under arrest 41-year-old Minson Saechaow, who had just led 30 Chinese tourists off a tour bus and was about to lead them onto a ferry heading for Phi Phi Island.
The arrest came after police received a tip off, said police.
“Undercover officers were monitoring him for a while and when they saw him conducting a tour in the area they approached him and asked for his guide identification card, which he did not have,” said Lt Eakchai Siri of the Tourist Police.
“The tourists identified Minson as their tour guide,” he added.
In his statement to police, Minson admitted that he had been working as tour guide in Phuket for more than four months and that most of his clients were Chinese because he speaks fluent Chinese.
Minson was taken to Phuket City Police to be charged with working illegally as a tour guide.