A German man and a Myanmar national were arrested on Koh Pha Ngan for illegally operating a tour business using electric motorbikes to guide tourists.
Tourist police swooped in at midday on Monday, September 22, following complaints that high-speed electric motorcycles, reportedly rented out by the pair, were causing safety concerns among locals and visitors.
The suspects were identified as 33 year old Roman, a German national, and 31 year old Pyae Aung from Myanmar. The duo allegedly operated guided motorbike tours for tourists without the required business permits or registration.
According to investigators, Roman had been running the company for about six months. He told police that he had hired Pyae Aung as a tour guide, offering clients electric motorbike trips around the island for 2,000 baht per hour.
Police revealed that while the company was legally registered on Koh Samui, it had expanded operations to Koh Pha Ngan without proper authorisation. This off-the-books branch, complete with rental bikes and guided tour services, violated Thai business laws.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Winit Boonchit, a superintendent with Surat Thani’s tourist police, confirmed that operating tour guide services is strictly reserved for Thai nationals under the Foreign Business Act.
“The tour guide profession is protected under Thai law.”
Winit added that foreigners are prohibited from working as guides or managing such services without special permissions.
The arrests have raised fresh concerns about unlicensed tourism operators on Koh Pha Ngan and other tourist hotspots, where safety issues and legal violations often go unchecked until complaints are filed.
Officials are now reviewing the case and may press additional charges related to the use of unregistered electric motorcycles, some of which were reportedly being used on public roads without insurance or licence plates, reported Bangkok Post.
Tourist police have vowed to continue cracking down on illegal business activities involving foreign nationals, especially those operating without permits or putting tourist safety at risk.
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