A Thai guide and an illegal Chinese guide have been arrested for cheating a Chinese tourist caught littering in Pattaya by altering the receipt after paying the fine for him.
Jiang Yuhang, 35, a Chinese national, and Thai tour guide Udom Sia Yia, 39, were arrested on warrants issued by the Pattaya provincial court on Oct 9 for colluding in falsifying official documents.
The Chinese man was also charged with working as a tour guide without a licence or work permit. Mr Udom was charged with allowing an unlicensed person to use his tour guide licence.
Tour operator Wicharn Promwichai was also arrested and charged with hiring an illegal tour guide and hiring a foreign national with no permit to work, police told a news briefing on Wednesday.
The altered receipt. (Photo by PattayaWatchdog Facebook page)
Their arrest follows a complaint laid by a male Chinese tourist the duo cheated by showing him a receipt for payment of a littering fine with the figures altered from 2,000 baht to 3,000 baht. He was required to pay it.
A photo of the altered receipt was posted on “PattayaWatchdog’’ Facebook page, and the pair were heavily criticised.
The tourist, Yu Jianmin, filed a complaint with tourist police and immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi airport after returning from Pattaya on Oct 8. Mr Yu accused the two guides of cheating him over the size of the fine.
He admitted he had dropped a cigarette on the ground at Laem Bali Hai pier in Pattaya on Oct 5.
An official saw it, charged him with littering in a public place and said he would take him to the Pattaya city office to pay the fine.
The Chinese guide intervened, saying the tour boat was about to leave and he should give his passport to Mr Udom, who would handle payment of the fine.
When the boat returned to the pier later Mr Udom gave him back the passport and a receipt with the figures altered to show 3,000 baht.
Mr Yu said when he questioned the amount, Mr Udom said the fine was actually 5,000 baht but he had negotiated it down to 3,000 baht. The tourist was not convinced and wanted to file a complaint with Pattaya police. The two guides opposed doing this.
Pol Lt Col Piyapong Ensarn, Pattaya tourist inspector, said on Wednesday that investigators concluded the two guides had colluded in altering the figure on the receipt to cheat the tourist of 1,000 baht.
