Russian tour guide arrested

published : 7 Apr 2026 at 07:52

ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Achadthaya Chuenniran

Tourist police in Phuket arrested a Russian national for illegally offering tour services on a Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).

Officers said the suspect held a DTV, which allows stays of up to 180 days per entry and is valid for five years, but does not allow employment or include a work permit. They also took a Russian-language tour itinerary as evidence.

Police made the arrest on Saturday as part of a crackdown on foreigners taking up local jobs ahead of the Songkran festival.

Authorities have charged the suspect with operating a tour business without a licence, working as an unlicensed tour guide, and working in Thailand without a permit as a foreign national.

Police have transferred the suspect to investigators for legal proceedings and will seek visa revocation and deportation.

Vocabulary

crackdown: strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity - การใช้กำลังสลายผู้ประท้วง
deportation: the process of forcing someone to leave a country, especially someone who has no legal right to be there or who has broken the law - การเนรเทศออกจากประเทศ
employment (noun): when a person has work that earns them money - การจ้างงาน, การงาน
itinerary: a plan of a journey that you are going to make, including information about when and where you will travel - แผนการการเดินทาง
licence: an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something - ใบอนุญาต
revocation: officially saying that something is no longer legal - การยกเลิก การเพิกถอน
suspect: a person who is thought to have committed a crime - ผู้ต้องสงสัย
tour guide (noun): a person who brings tourists to interesting places to see on a tour - ผู้นำเที่ยว
valid: legally accepted - ชอบด้วยกฎหมาย
work permit (noun): the official permission for a foreigner to work in a country - ใบอนุญาตทำงาน