News Forum - 16 Chinese tourists accuse Thai tour guides for abandoning them in Pattaya

[Thaiger]

Sixteen Chinese tourists complained to Pattaya Tourist Police yesterday after they were abandoned at an elephant village in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya by their Thai tour guides. One tour guide, however, denied the accusation. The Pattaya Tourist Police received a complaint from Chinese tourists via the 1155 hotline yesterday and rushed to the Chiang …

The story 16 Chinese tourists accuse Thai tour guides for abandoning them in Pattaya as seen on Thaiger News.

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[MrStretch]

"Officers also requested that the travel agency release a statement clarifying the issue as it has a negative effect on the image of Thai tourism..."

The latest mantra: negative effect on the image of Thai tourism.

It's all about face.

[kalyan]

do you think after this news, any foreigner will employ thai tour guide, instead they will find their ways.

[Chatogaster]

 

Messy article. One tour guide is claimed to have denied the accusation, and a few sentences later one tour guide is quoted -- but no quote has even the slightest hint of denial in it.

That the police want to conduct further investigations makes some sense (a service was fully paid for yet only partially delivered), but requesting the travel agency to issue a public statement is a clear case of confusing responsibilities and overstepping boundaries. Police should uphold laws (at least those that are sensible) and not be in the PR-business.

 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

6 minutes ago, Chatogaster said:

Police should uphold laws (at least those that are sensible) and not be in the PR-business.

Maybe they have found a new way of extortion? They use 3rd parties now?

[Chatogaster]

17 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Maybe they have found a new way of extortion? They use 3rd parties now?

I knew that statement could be interpreted as an open invitation to discuss politically motivated/questionable police practices (I was tempted myself while writing that sentence), but "employing" foreigners to dupe Thai is way too far-fetched.
 

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

59 minutes ago, Chatogaster said:

discuss politically motivated/questionable police practices

Not politically motivated …. More like Financially motivated.

[Chatogaster]

50 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Not politically motivated …. More like Financially motivated.

 

Just use Occam's razor.

I offered option #1: police feel political pressure when it comes to a bunch of tourists whose claim can't be denied and that claim is in the spotlight.

You offered option #2: once the foreigners claim was made police wanted to exploit it for personal gains (even though there's no evidence or even a hint in that direction).

It's good to be skeptical and corruption does exist, but suspecting this event of being a new way of extortion using 3rd parties is more aptly labeled paranoid.

 

[Skip]

I can well believe that the tourists were ignored and eventually abandoned... Thai people have a low tolerance for anyone complaining about anything and have major problems dealing with change to what is written on their "scripts".

[HiuMak]

14 hours ago, MrStretch said:

It's all about face.

This is key. The authorities will investigate if there is an issue with loosing face to Thailand. Else they will not bother.