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Thailand cracks down on island mafias and restructures tourism operators

Thailand cracks down on island mafias and restructures tourism operators

Matichon•Economy•23d ago

Reader Briefing

Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports is launching a comprehensive operation to combat island mafias and restore tourist confidence.

  • •Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Phantyenarongkul, has ordered a crackdown on criminal elements and the restructuring of tourism businesses on popular islands.
  • •The initiative aims to address safety concerns following a series of incidents affecting foreign tourists.
  • •Collaboration with various government agencies, including police and immigration, will be intensified to ensure tourist safety and regulate foreign stays.

Overview

  • •On June 4, Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phantyenarongkul ordered a comprehensive crackdown on island mafias and tourism operators.
  • •This action is in response to continuous safety issues and frequent assaults on foreign tourists on popular islands like Koh Samui and Koh Samet.
  • •The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will collaborate with the administration and tourism police to strictly prosecute offenders.
  • •Minister Surasak emphasized the need for strict supervision of tourist safety and the prevention of overstays and unexpected incidents.
  • •Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Deputy Prime Minister Supaljitt Suthamaphan have stressed the importance of absolute safety in tourism.
  • •The investigation into businesses operating with Thai nominees, particularly in entertainment venues, will be expanded.
  • •The Ministry will work with the Immigration Bureau to screen for high-quality foreign tourists, especially in southern islands with high crime rates.
  • •Minister Surasak stated that the time has come to seriously control safety issues and ensure legal compliance within the tourism sector.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

นายสุรศักดิ์ พันธ์เจริญวรกุล
"Ordered tourism police to strictly and strongly supervise tourist safety closely."
สั่งการให้ตำรวจท่องเที่ยวเข้มงวดในการดูแลความปลอดภัยของนักท่องเที่ยวอย่างใกล้ชิดและเข้มแข็งที่สุด
นายสุรศักดิ์
"When problems arise, we will try to resolve them as quickly as possible. If ordinary individuals commit offenses, they will be arrested and prosecuted."
เมื่อปัญหาเกิดขึ้นจะพยายามเร่งแก้ไขให้เร็วที่สุด หากเป็นกรณีคนทั่วไปกระทำความผิดจะต้องจับกุมดำเนินคดีตามกฎหมาย
นายสุรศักดิ์
"Now is the time to get serious about controlling safety issues."
ตอนนี้ถึงเวลาที่จะต้องเอาจริงเอาจังในการควบคุมเรื่องความปลอดภัยแล้ว

Key Entities

Person

Surasak Phantyenarongkul(นายสุรศักดิ์ พันธ์เจริญวรกุล)
Minister of Tourism and Sports in Thailand, who ordered a crackdown on island mafias.
Anutin Charnvirakul(นายอนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️
Prime Minister of Thailand, who has emphasized the importance of maintaining safety in the tourism sector.
Supaljitt Suthamaphan(นางศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand overseeing the tourism sector, stressing the need for safety.
Zhang Jianwei(นายจาง เจี้ยนเว่ย)
Ambassador of China to Thailand, who pledged to help monitor Chinese tourists to ensure quality and prevent incidents.

Organization

Ministry of Tourism and Sports(กระทรวงการท่องเที่ยวและกีฬา)
The Thai government ministry responsible for tourism and sports, initiating a crackdown on safety issues.
Tourism Police(ตำรวจท่องเที่ยว)
The police unit responsible for tourist safety in Thailand, instructed to intensify surveillance and enforcement.
Ministry of Interior(กระทรวงมหาดไทย)
A Thai government ministry collaborating on investigations into businesses allegedly operating with Thai nominees.
Ministry of Commerce(กระทรวงพาณิชย์)
A Thai government ministry collaborating on investigations into businesses allegedly operating with Thai nominees.
Royal Thai Police(สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)
The national police force of Thailand, which has the duty to address criminal issues and crackdowns on islands.
Immigration Bureau(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง)
The Thai immigration agency, which will cooperate with the Ministry of Tourism to screen high-quality foreign tourists.

Place

Koh Samui(เกาะสมุย)ℹ️
A popular tourist island in Surat Thani, Thailand, identified as an area with ongoing safety concerns.
Koh Samet(เกาะเสม็ด)ℹ️
A popular tourist island in Rayong, Thailand, identified as an area with ongoing safety concerns.
Pattaya City(เมืองพัทยา)ℹ️
A city in Thailand where investigations into unlicensed entertainment venues using Thai nominees have been conducted.