The Southern Tourism Business and Tour Guide Registration Office has revoked the licenses of four travel agencies on Koh Samui that were found to be operating illegally through Thai nominees. This action is part of a broader crackdown on businesses running under nominee arrangements throughout Thailand. During inspections conducted by Koh Samui Tourist Police, along with the Surat Thani Tourism and Sports Office, authorities examined 12 travel agencies and identified four as illegal operators.
Thai law mandates that at least two-thirds of a travel agency’s directors must be Thai nationals. Investigators discovered that one of the agencies had an Israeli national as the sole director, which contravenes these regulations. As for the other three agencies, officers visited their registered addresses but found no signs of active business operations.
Additionally, it was revealed that the three agencies had altered their director lists in a manner that violated Thai law, with links to nationals from France, Belgium, and Italy. Four Thai nationals were identified as nominees facilitating the operations, although their identities have not been disclosed.
Consequently, the Southern Tourism Business and Tour Guide Registration Office has not only revoked the licenses of these four agencies but has also blacklisted seven directors, comprising both Thai and foreign individuals. These directors will face a five-year ban from running travel agencies in Thailand, with further legal action and penalties anticipated from the Surat Thani Provincial Commerce Office.
According to DailyNews, Surat Thani province is home to 1,082 legally registered travel agencies, including 476 on Koh Samui, 84 on Koh Pha Ngan, and 144 on Koh Tao. The province has also issued licenses to 1,009 tour guides. Officials emphasized that inspections of illegal tourism businesses are a regular practice and not part of a newly initiated campaign. Information regarding companies that have applied for or had their licenses revoked will be sent to the provincial commerce office for further investigation into possible related offenses.
Source: Thaiger
