The Criminal Court dropped charges against 13 suspects accused of running illegal tour services and exploiting mostly Chinese tourists in connection with last year's crackdown on zero-dollar tour scams, saying there was insufficient evidence.
Instead of complaints from tourists to substantiate the allegations, the judge only found accounts from the alleged victims saying that had formed a "good impression" and were "never forced to buy products and services" during their visit to Thailand from March to August last year, the court said yesterday.
Prosecutors brought the case to court in October of last year, following raids on companies believed to be involved in the country's biggest zero-dollar tour network, a coordinated scam to sell unusually cheap tour packages to tourists.
The tourists were allegedly forced to buy overpriced products and services from shops.
The 13 defendants, including the six firms they operated, faced charges including collusion to unfairly reap benefits from tourists, illegally running tour services, laundering money and causing damage to the Thai economy and tourism, the court was told.
The suspects were Somkiat Khongcharoen, 58, managing director of Fuan Travel Co, Thawal Jaemchokechai, 60, an executive of Fuan Travel, and Winit Chantharamanee, 70, a manager of the same firm.
The others were from the same family. They were: Nisa Rojrungrangsi, 62, managing director of Royal Gems International Co, Thai Herb Co, Bangkok Handicraft Centre Co and Royal Paradise Co; her husband Thongchai, 61; their son Wasurat, 27, managing director of OA Transport; and their daughter Saithip, 36, director of Baan Kanom Thongthip.
Their six companies run transport and retail businesses.
According to prosecutors, OA Transport provided free bus services to tourists, but they were taken to buy products from companies connected with the firm. The goods allegedly had incorrect labels and were sold far above market prices.
Money from the plot was believed to have been shared among company executives and tour guides, causing 98 million baht in damages.
But the court saw no strong evidence to support the charges, including complaints from the alleged victims, to back up the charges.
The claim that the tour services were being run illegally provided insufficient grounds for harsh penalties, the court found. The Anti-Money Laundering Office did track the money trails of the 13 defendants, but did not find enough evidence to act against them.
