PHUKET: Laguna Holiday Club Resort refunded 10 people the cost of their club memberships but chose not to refund two other complainants, a meeting chaired by Vice Governor Somkiet Samgkaosutthirak heard today.
A letter outlining the complainants' cases would be forwarded to the Consumer Protection Centre in Bangkok, he said at the conclusion of the meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
A letter will also be sent to Laguna Holiday Club Resort asking for the Thai and English versions of the contracts involved. Only the Thai version has been sighted so far, provided by complainants.
A footnote on the Thai version of the contract says that the English version of the contract is the authorised version.
Today's meeting was attended by representatives from the Damrungtam complaints office, Royal Thai Police, Tourist Police, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Employment Office, the Company Registration Office and the Public Prosecutor.
Vice Governor Somkiet said officials should not be concerned by the reputation and size of Laguna Phuket - a highly-regarded collection of seven Phuket resorts, including the holiday club - but strive to consider the rights and wrongs of the cases.
''If these problems continue, Laguna could damage itself and the tourism industry,'' he added.
No representative from Laguna Holiday Club Resort was at the meeting. There was no explanation as to why 10 people had been refunded a total of 5.7 million baht while the other two had not.
Vice Governor Somkiet said the 10 people who had settled with LHCR had all been asked to sign agreements that they would not talk to the media.
The meeting heard that the 12 people who complained to the Damrungtam office on Phuket had all paid money for membership but could not book accommodation at the club resort when they wished.
The Director of the Damrungtam office, Praphan Kanprnsang, said he had previously been told by a representative of the club resort that there were 6000 members and 175 rooms.
Inquiries had shown that Laguna Holiday Club Resort was a legal entity that fulfilled all its obligations under Thai law, but Khun Praphan said the law was indistinct when it came to time-share.
Vice Governor Somkiet asked the representative from the Business Registration Office to organise a meeting of all 140 companies categorised on Phuket as holiday club or time-share operations.
Peak periods when more club members wish to take holidays than can be accommodated pose one of the most difficult issues for all holiday/vacation clubs.
A letter outlining the complainants' cases would be forwarded to the Consumer Protection Centre in Bangkok, he said at the conclusion of the meeting at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
A letter will also be sent to Laguna Holiday Club Resort asking for the Thai and English versions of the contracts involved. Only the Thai version has been sighted so far, provided by complainants.
A footnote on the Thai version of the contract says that the English version of the contract is the authorised version.
Today's meeting was attended by representatives from the Damrungtam complaints office, Royal Thai Police, Tourist Police, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Employment Office, the Company Registration Office and the Public Prosecutor.
Vice Governor Somkiet said officials should not be concerned by the reputation and size of Laguna Phuket - a highly-regarded collection of seven Phuket resorts, including the holiday club - but strive to consider the rights and wrongs of the cases.
''If these problems continue, Laguna could damage itself and the tourism industry,'' he added.
No representative from Laguna Holiday Club Resort was at the meeting. There was no explanation as to why 10 people had been refunded a total of 5.7 million baht while the other two had not.
Vice Governor Somkiet said the 10 people who had settled with LHCR had all been asked to sign agreements that they would not talk to the media.
The meeting heard that the 12 people who complained to the Damrungtam office on Phuket had all paid money for membership but could not book accommodation at the club resort when they wished.
The Director of the Damrungtam office, Praphan Kanprnsang, said he had previously been told by a representative of the club resort that there were 6000 members and 175 rooms.
Inquiries had shown that Laguna Holiday Club Resort was a legal entity that fulfilled all its obligations under Thai law, but Khun Praphan said the law was indistinct when it came to time-share.
Vice Governor Somkiet asked the representative from the Business Registration Office to organise a meeting of all 140 companies categorised on Phuket as holiday club or time-share operations.
Peak periods when more club members wish to take holidays than can be accommodated pose one of the most difficult issues for all holiday/vacation clubs.
