Click a thumbnail to view more photographs
Russian Rub Downs Rubbed Out as Phuket Police Close Illegal Massage Parlors
By Sert Tongdee Tuesday, January 8, 2013
PHUKET: Police have closed down five massage shops in the Kata Karon region in response to claims that they are being operated by Russians without appropriate permits.
The latest closure came yesterday about 7.30pm when a massage parlor shop house with a cyrillic alphabet name similar to Macca Gjiibix was raided in the Kata Centre.
Jamruan Lantan, chairman of the Thai Massage Group, Kata Karon, accompanied police on the raid. A Thai nominee for the company could not produce appropriate permits.
The shophouse contained a souvenir shop on the ground floor.
A meeting was told on Friday that Russians controlled about 20 massage shops in the kata Karon district. The meeting followed a blockade of the local police station the previous evening.
Taxi and tuk-tuk drivers blockaded the beach road and demanded that officials stop Russian operators from taking their customers.
At a meeting today at the Kata Karon administrative offices, Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada said locals anywhere on Phuket should call police if they detected an illegal business operation.
He said he would respond with a team from the Phuket tax office, Immigration, the Labor Office, and the Department of Business Development as well as police.
|
Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Hope that the Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada will extend the crackdown to all illegal businesses owned by foreigners and not only Russians.
Many thai businesses are starving and are close to go bankrupt so it is logic to protect businesses for Thai people first.
Posted by
Whistle-Blower
on
January 8, 2013 17:51
Your transliteration of the Russian name is a bit cryptic, but the first part is certainly 'massash' (massage). Can't make out the following word, but it ends in a -h/-kh sound. High time you folks on Phuket learned some Russki.
Posted by
Swami K.
on
January 8, 2013 17:56
What reaction may we expect from Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada in case we report illegal Thai business operation?
Posted by
Jakub
on
January 8, 2013 17:58
At a meeting today at the Kata Karon administrative offices, Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada said locals anywhere on Phuket should call police if they detected an illegal business operation.
Plenty of illegal taxi's still operating there can I report them?
Posted by
rich
on
January 8, 2013 18:53
Oh dear, some came running while others ran coming.No more Russian happy endings to this fairies tail.
Posted by
DuncanB
on
January 8, 2013 19:11
Wow, swifter action has never been witnessed. Local mob blocks a road, next day the Russians are out of business. Didn't take long to 'investigate', or 'gather information', or 'interview all witnesses'. Pack your bags and get out of dodge!!!! hilarious, and amazing, Thailand!!
Posted by
geoff
on
January 8, 2013 19:31
Well if it was taxi and Tuk Tuk drivers blockading the roads and a massage parlour was raided does that mean all the massage parlours are run by the just as dodgy transport providers
Posted by
Anonymous
on
January 8, 2013 21:41
If there would be a crack down on all illegal Thai Businesses, the island would be quite empty. Quick action was taken because it's obviously more fun to kick ass of maybe illegal farang businesses than to fight the local mob.
Posted by
Resident
on
January 9, 2013 08:20
@geoff yes but Geoff if that's happen to your country and your family can't eat how yo feel ? Yes pack and go off this is a way should be no need like Europe way court paper take a year or two here its all fashion way save money and bye so keep up the progress to clean phuket
Posted by
Ratatouille
on
January 9, 2013 08:47
It's so easy: Echange Russian signs and put up those in another language. And then? Legal?
No, the police has to inspect all the tourist areas (in plain clothes), collecting facts and take pictures. The police get their salary for doing investigative jobs - not just sitting in their offices and waiting for someone coming up with a complaint! It's not the tourists' task "to report illegaly run places". How can they decide legality? They can't even read the papers.
Posted by
Anonymous
on
January 9, 2013 08:55
did the thai tax team ever crack down on JJ and all the others after the amount of money they earned was revealed (I know they did not)
Posted by
Michael
on
January 9, 2013 09:23
"Echange Russian signs and put up those in another language."
Yes, that would work, especially since their customers, Russians, would not recognise it as one of their own anymore and would not come into their shop anymore.
Posted by
stevenl
on
January 9, 2013 17:51
Russians just making money illegally like everyone else in Phuket. Its a free for all with the odd rotten apple being made an example of
Posted by
Damien
on
January 10, 2013 12:11
It's not that their Russian and working illegally. It's that their Russian and workign Illegally. If you don't understand then you truly don't belong anywhere's near Thailand.
Posted by
BB
on
January 10, 2013 21:32
|
Hope that the Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada will extend the crackdown to all illegal businesses owned by foreigners and not only Russians.
Many thai businesses are starving and are close to go bankrupt so it is logic to protect businesses for Thai people first.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on January 8, 2013 17:51