SURAT THANI – Immigration officials in Surat Thani Province have set up an investigation team after receiving a tip-off that foreigners from Myanmar were working as tour guides in the area around Nang Yuan Beach, Koh Tao Subdistrict, Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province.
This profession is reserved exclusively for Thai nationals and the presence of unqualified tour guides could damage the image of the tourism industry.
Several agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Immigration Police, Surat Thani provincial labour agents, Koh Samui Tourism Police and officers from the Koh Tao Police Station, 25 officers in total. They split into two groups disguised as tourists and bought one-day tour packages for Koh Tao and Nang Yuan Island. Officers were also stationed in the Nang Yuan Island area.
The investigation revealed that foreign tour guides had been working on one of the two excursion boats during the entire trip. The arresting officers identified themselves and found that there were five Myanmar nationals working as tour guides and one Myanmar national working as a boat driver on the boat from Koh Samui.
During this time, the officials also encountered another excursion boat from Koh Tao taking tourists to Nang Yuan Island. They uncovered and found that one Myanmar national was working as a tour guide and another without notifying the employer within 15 days.
Eight Myanmar nationals were arrested in this operation. Six of them were charged with operating as unlicensed tourist guides and operating beyond the permitted scope, one was charged with operating a boat without a license and operating beyond the permitted scope, and one was charged with failing to inform the registrar of his employment within 15 days. They were handed over to the Koh Tao Police Station for further prosecution.
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