A tour operator has been arrested in Bangkok seven years after he allegedly swindled 41 holidaymakers out of almost one million baht for a trip to South Korea that did not materialise.
Theeraphon Phongwet, 49, wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Lop Buri provincial court for public fraud, was apprehended in the car park of Supalai Sathon-Charoenrat Condominium in Bang Kholaem district yesterday by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police.
The group of holidaymakers complained to Muang Lop Buri police in January 2011 that Mr Theeraphon, owner of Club Horizon tours, had sold them packages for a five-day trip to South Korea from Dec 31, 2010 to Jan 4, 2011.
They each paid him 24,000 baht, but he failed to arrange the overseas trip.
The complainants were local businessmen, chairmen of tambon administration organisations, local leaders and government officials, CSD police said.
During questioning, Mr Theeraphon said he had started the firm in
2005.
In 2010, he had booked air tickets through a travel agent for customers buying package tours to South Korea, but the agent failed to give him the tickets, he claimed.
However, he had a criminal record showing arrest warrants had been issued in 10 cases of public fraud.
CSD police later handed him over to Muang police in Lop Buri for further legal action.
