Taxi problems were the biggest issue for tourist police last year among thousands of arrests, the Tourist Police Bureau said on Wednesday.
Tourist and Sports Minister Weerasak
Kowsurat said that from January to October last year, tourist police
cracked down on thousands of crimes ranging from overcharging taxis, to
illegal entertainment venues.
Last year tourist police beefed up crackdowns on unruly taxis and
unlawful tour guides. He said in 2018, police arrested 12,679 taxi
drivers - including over 5,668 drivers who refused to pick up
passengers, 3,408 drivers who refuse to use meters, and 1,659 drivers
who overcharged - up from 1,681, 255, and 120 driver arrests during the
same period a year earlier.
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Police also arrested 1,581 unauthorised tour guides, and 390 so-called
“sitting guides”, who use their licenses to accompany an unauthorised
guide who can speak foreign languages. The number was up from 132 and
nine guides arrested in 2017.
Tourist police also arrested 6,333 low-quality tour operators, 26
vendors who offered overpriced products to tourists, and raided 35
illegal entertainment venues. They also found 1,406 cases of illicit
drugs at tourist venues and there were also 161 cases of “influential
people” carrying firearms in tourist areas and 9,533 cases where
tourists were affected.
Source TheNation
