KOH PHANGAN – Not only did this arrested British man pose as a guide and take foreign tourists around Phangan Island, but he also led tours throughout Thailand for 18 days, charging a budget price of 1,499 pounds per person.
On May 30, tourist police officers, together with officials from the Koh Phangan District Office, arrested Mr. Jabran, a 25-year-old British national, at Sarana Bungalows Hotel in Ban Tai Subdistrict, Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province. It was discovered that he had been working illegally in Thailand as a tour guide, which is a prohibited profession for foreigners.
Tourist police received a complaint to investigate a tour business operating in the Koh Phangan area, alleging that a foreigner was secretly working as a tour guide, leading groups of foreign customers around Koh Phangan.
He had hired two silver vans to take tourists to various locations, with the following itinerary: from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., he would guide tours to Chinrat Boxing Stadium, the road behind Koh Phangan District Office, and other places.
According to the investigation, it was found that Mr. Jabran had been secretly working as a tour guide within Thailand for a total of 18 days, starting from Bangkok, Khao Sok, Koh Phangan, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.
The Koh Phangan tour was scheduled for days 5-8 of the entire tour. The cost of purchasing the 18-day Thailand tour package from Intro Travel company was 1,499 pounds sterling, equivalent to 70,000 baht per person.
The suspect confessed to all charges. He was then taken to the investigating officer at Koh Phangan Police Station to be prosecuted for the offenses of “being a foreign person working as a tour guide without permission (tour leader)” and “being a foreign person working without a work permit.”
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