Tour company owner arrested after Thais dumped in Osaka
The owner of a Thai tour company has been arrested for deceiving 33 tourists left abandoned in Osaka, Japan, in early February.
Tourist Police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal said on Thursday that Sonthaya Phosri, 35, had been arrested the day before under a warrant issued by the Thonburi district court.
He was charged with cheating 33 Thai tourists out of a combined Bt1.184 million by promising them a guided tour of Osaka from February 2-6.
When the Thais arrived in Osaka, the owner of the coach chartered to ferry them around the city demanded transportation fees, which were supposed to have been included in the package for which they paid Sonthaya.
The coach owner dumped the group at a restaurant and drove off with their luggage and passports.
Osaka police helped them recover their belongings, but they had to pay for accommodations and food, an amount topping Bt134,700, while waiting to return to Thailand on February 6 and file a police complaint.