KOH PHANGAN — Thai authorities have arrested a French man and four Myanmar nationals after uncovering an unlicensed resort operating on Koh Phangan, a popular tourist island in southern Thailand, officials said.
The arrests came as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreign-run businesses operating illegally on the island, which is a major tourism destination in Surat Thani province.
Immigration police in Surat Thani, working with provincial police and local administrative officials, inspected a resort in Ban Tai subdistrict on Sunday after receiving information that it was operating unlawfully. Authorities said the resort consisted of 11 daily rental units charging between 2,000 and 4,000 baht per night (about $65 to $130), and also offered restaurant and fitness services.
The operator, identified as Arnaud, 32, a French national listed as a company director, was unable to produce a valid hotel business license, police said.
Officers also found four Myanmar nationals working as a cashier, waitstaff and dishwashers. Authorities said the workers had failed to properly notify officials of their employment and were working outside the scope of what they were legally permitted to do.
Arnaud was charged with jointly operating a hotel business without authorization, working as a foreign national beyond permitted job categories, employing foreign workers in violation of labor regulations, and failing to report the employment of foreign workers within the legally required 15-day period.
The four Myanmar workers were charged with failing to notify authorities of their employment within 15 days and working outside their permitted job scope.
Lt. Gen. Phanumart Boonyalak, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said the operation was intended to boost confidence among tourists visiting Koh Phangan and ensure they are not exploited by illegal businesses that could damage the island’s image as a tourist destination.
He urged the public to report suspected violations involving foreign nationals by calling the immigration hotline at 1178 or contacting the Surat Thani immigration office.
_____________
