Russians Arrested in Phuket and Surat Thani for Running Unlicensed Tourism Businesses
PHUKET/SURAT THANI — Police have arrested five Russian nationals across two southern provinces for illegally operating tourism-related businesses, including leading guided fishing tours and renovating a building intended to become an entertainment venue — jobs that are legally reserved for Thai citizens.
Russian Illegal Tour Guide Arrested in Phuket
In Phuket, a 37-year-old Russian man was arrested on a boat while guiding a fishing tour for five compatriots in Chalong Bay on Wednesday. The arrest was the result of a sting operation that had been assembled over the course of a month, after an informant successfully infiltrated a group of illegal tour services allegedly led by the suspect.
According to Phuket tourist police inspector Police Lieutenant General Ekachai Siri, the Russian individual charged clients 3,000 baht for guide services — a profession that is strictly reserved for Thai nationals under Thai law. Foreigners are prohibited from working as tour guides, regardless of their language skills or knowledge of local attractions. The illegal operation is punishable with a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or both.
The case highlights a persistent issue in Thailand’s tourism industry: foreign nationals, often from Russia and China, using their language skills and familiarity with tourists from their home countries to operate unlicensed guiding services. These illegal operations undercut legitimate Thai guides, deprive the state of tax revenue, and leave tourists with no legal recourse if something goes wrong.
In Surat Thani, police arrested four Russian men on Tuesday evening who were renovating a building on Koh Samui for another Russian national, with the planned venue intended to become an entertainment facility. The arrests took place near Chaweng Beach in tambon Bo Phut, where the group was preparing to open a karaoke bar.
The four suspects, aged between 27 and 45, were holding tourist visas and were registered as staying in Phuket — not Samui. Two of them had overstayed their visas, remaining in Thailand beyond the period they were legally permitted to stay. They had made their way to Koh Samui specifically to perform the renovations, which included installing audio and video equipment for the karaoke system and electrical wiring.
Police seized the instruments and equipment found at the scene, including audio and video gear intended for the venue’s entertainment systems. All four have been charged with working without permits and, in the cases of the two overstayers, additional charges for exceeding their permitted stay.
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on foreign nationals engaging in
illegal work — particularly in the tourism and entertainment sectors, where Thai law reserves many roles for citizens. While Thailand welcomes foreign visitors and investors, the law is clear: certain jobs are off-limits to non-Thais, and those who violate the law face arrest, fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
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For the five Russian nationals now in custody, the lure of easy money in Thailand’s tourism industry has led to handcuffs and court dates. The guide who charged 3,000 baht for his services will have plenty of time to consider whether it was worth it. And the four renovators on Koh Samui, who traveled from Phuket on tourist visas to build a karaoke bar, have learned that “tourist” does not mean “worker.” The law is clear, and now so are the consequences.
-Thailand News (TN)
