In Kathu, Phuket, a foreigner has been apprehended for illegally working at a motorcycle rental business, amid an ongoing effort by the Tourist Police to address unauthorised employment of foreigners.
The Phuket Tourist Police reported that officers from Investigation Division 2 of the Tourist Police Bureau 3, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Pittaya Thepmuang, carried out a raid at ONE WAY Big Bike Rental on August 5.
During the operation, they encountered a man identified only as Dinar, who was observed washing motorcycles intended for tourist rentals. When asked to provide a valid work permit, Dinar was unable to comply.
According to the police, the work involving motorcycle rental services is prohibited for foreigners under Thai law unless specific permission is granted.
Dinar reportedly claimed he was assisting a friend named Victor by washing a motorcycle and had borrowed a motorcycle from Victor for personal use. However, officers determined his actions to be a form of illegal employment.
Dinar was subsequently detained and charged with being an alien permitted to temporarily reside in the Kingdom of Thailand and engaging in work or employment without permission. His nationality was not disclosed.
The Tourist Police stated that further investigations are underway to ascertain whether others are engaged in similar activities, reported The Phuket News.
In similar news, police in Surat Thani have launched a major crackdown on illegal foreign workers across three of Thailand’s top tourist islands, resulting in the arrest of 17 foreign nationals and one Thai citizen during a series of immigration raids this week.
The coordinated operation, involving Surat Thani immigration officers, local police, and administrative officials, focused on Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao. Police were responding to reports of foreigners operating unlicensed childcare centres, working without valid permits, overstaying visas, and committing other immigration violations, said Police Colonel Naruewat Phutthawiro, chief of the provincial immigration office.
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