Chinese guide arrested for demanding extra money from tourists
An unlicensed Chinese tourist guide has been arrested for allegedly demanding an extra fee from a group of Chinese tourists he led to Pattaya for shopping.
The arrest of Li Hai, 21, was announced by Pattaya deputy tourist police chief Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal on Friday.
Police traced Li and arrested him after a Chinese tour website posted a clip, which was stealthily shot by a tourist. The clip showed Li telling tourists aboard a bus that they must pay him extra money after he had led them to a souvenir shop.
Surachet said the group of 10 tourists from China visited Thailand on May 1 under a tour programme of travel company TYT and Li was reportedly assigned to be the tour guide of the group to Bangkok, Rayong and Pattaya.
Surachet said the incident happened on May 5. Li was caught in the clip threatening to evict the tourists from the bus if they refused to pay an extra fee to him.
Surachet said Li was charged with working as a tour guide without licence. Police will also arrest two executives of TYT – Charoenporn Sukvithi, 45, and Ratana Hongthong, 39 – for allegedly hiring an unlicensed guide.