VIP escorts 'impossible to stop'

Travellers arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. The Tourism and Sports Ministry says it will be difficult to crack down on VIP escort services sold in other nations. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
Travellers arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. The Tourism and Sports Ministry says it will be difficult to crack down on VIP escort services sold in other nations. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

Authorities claim VIP escort packages on sale in China are difficult to police as the transactions are made outside of Thailand.

Facebook page "Lui Chin", which exposed the VIP escort sales on Chinese e-commerce sites last month, said this week that such packages are still available.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said if such services continue to be offered, he will order a related organisation under the ministry to investigate and help prevent illegal tourist services.

However, he said it would be difficult for the ministry to stamp out illegal sales because they are promoted via foreign online channels.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT deputy governor for domestic marketing, said it might be impossible to eliminate all VIP escort packages sold online.

The government must instead strictly enforce the law against any illegal actions in Thailand, she said.

Thailand might ask Beijing for help, as happened with the crackdown on so-called zero-dollar tours in 2016.

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Vocabulary

  • crackdown: strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity - การใช้กำลังเข้าปราบปรามของเจ้าหน้าที่
  • eliminate: to get rid of completely - กำจัดหรือขจัดให้หมดไป
  • enforce : to make sure laws are obeyed - บังคับให้ใช้, บังคับให้ทำ, ใช้กำลังบังคับให้ปฏิบัติตาม
  • escort: a person or a group of people, vehicles, ships etc that go somewhere with another person, vehicle, ship etc in order to protect them or to prevent them from escaping - คนที่คุ้มครอง
  • impossible (adjective): something that cannot happen - เป็นไปไม่ได้
  • package: many goods or services sold together in one "package" -
  • prevent (verb): to stop somebody from doing something; to stop something from happening - ขัดขวาง, ป้องกัน, กัน, กีดขวาง
  • stamp out: to end something bad or unpleasant by taking strong action - ยุติ, ดับ
  • zero-dollar tour (noun): paying a low price for a tour package but then being pressured into buying overpriced items -
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