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Phuket Share Touts Fined at Airport: Crackdown Call

By Phuketwan Reporters

Friday, April 8, 2011

THE MAN who generated the current campaign against time share touts in Patong now wants police and municipal authorities to crack down by arresting touts who break the law by harassing Phuket tourists.

Patong municipal council member Weerawit Kuresombut declared his intention to pursue the issue as two touts were arrested and fined by security officials at Phuket International Airport for the first time.

Both touts were fined 2000 baht for harassing tourists at point away from their regular stall at the airport. The Tourist Authority of Thailand also reported that Australian visitors had complained about time share touts now operating at Phuket airport.

A complaint by Khun Weerawit at the last meeting of the Patong municipal council led Mayor Pian Keesin to order the erection of a large billboard at a major intersection in Patong warning about the activities of touts.

The touts operate on foot and on motorcycle around Patong and Karon especially, way-laying visitors and enticing them to attend pressure selling sessions for time share. Occasionally touts are fined 500 baht but they quickly return to selling.

Next to high tuk-tuk fares, the time share touts bring most complaints from Phuket tourists. Khun Weerawit now wants more serious action by police and municipal authorities to eradicate them.

He says he will formally seek a crackdown at the next council meeting.

Several reputable brands sell time share or holiday club membership on Phuket. None of the reputable brands employ touts.

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Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Who were they touting for? If they were arrested and fined details must be available. Naming and shaming is a much better deterrent than a 2000 baht fine.

Posted by Pete on April 8, 2011 17:10

It's about time!!! These touts are really a pain in the ass for the tourists who comes for relaxation. They should be deported as I am sure none them (foreigners) have any proper work permits.

Posted by Anonymous on April 8, 2011 17:19

not enough complaints on tuk tuk, jet ski and blockades. laughing joke

Posted by john s on April 8, 2011 17:29

Yeah, name and shame them, it's the law. After all if they were given a fine it means they were effectively tried and convicted of an offense. The fine is the punishment for that offense, and paying it is an admittance of guilt. Under Thai law one does not even need to be convicted of a crime to be named and shamed in the media for it. So why not tell us who they are?

Also I'm curious who these "reputable" time share brands are to whom you refer, because I know of none who don't use touts.

Posted by CaptainJack on April 8, 2011 19:55

Editor Comment:

We said time share or holiday club memberships. Try Laguna Phuket, J. W. Marriott and Anatara. There are probably others.

Amazing how quick, decisive and comprehensive a crackdown by Phuket authorities CAN be when the target group consists almost exclusively of foreigners.

I'd love to see the same vigor applied to Thai nationals who harass or cheat tourists.

It's not exactly like there's a lack of complaints regarding Tuk-Tuk drivers and Jet-Ski operators now is it ?

As a side note I might mention that I met with some of my embassy staff today since they happened to be on the island. They said tour operators in my home country are issuing warnings about not only excessive charging by Tuk-Tuks but their increasingly violent behavior.

The embassy staff was gathering more information on this subject and are passing it on to our Foreign Ministry and the travel agents.

They mentioned that several consuls and embassy employees of different western nations have been discussing the Tuk-Tuk issue lately and that action is forthcoming.

That made my day.

Posted by Chris on April 8, 2011 22:22

The touts get arrested regularly by Police and then they get "bailed" out as well without any paper work.
Its common that a tout is removed from work for a day and a 10-15k baht fine is paid to the Police.

Taxis will lose money when touts are gone as they get about 500 baht for every farang that goes with a Tuk-tuk.

Posted by Joe on April 8, 2011 23:44

Please come to Kata, both opposite the Kata Beach Resort and on Kok Tanodoe Road, near the Boathouse. They are rude and aggressive. Get rid of them!

Posted by Vfaye on April 9, 2011 03:11

Please do something! We have been coming for the last 5 years and it is progressively worse each time. We are approached at least 15 times per day in February even at night along Bangla Road. I have taken a photo of one who became abusive while on a morning walk along the beach. We are on a holiday give us a break, stop the harasment.

Posted by Anonymous on April 9, 2011 05:10

Every time I have been approached, as they are usually Farangs, I just speak to them in Thai. They usually leave me alone quite quickly.

Posted by Michael on April 9, 2011 07:09

The touts are working illegally, they do not have work permits. This is an Immigration Police issue, they should crack down on these parasites, charge and deport them.

Posted by Phuket Kop on April 9, 2011 12:04