Tour operator arrested 7 years after Korea trip fraud

Tour operator arrested 7 years after Korea trip fraud

Tour operator Theeraphon Phongwet, 49, centre, is arrested in the car park of a condomimium in Bangkok's Bang Kholaem district on Friday, on a charge of public fraud. (Supplied photo)
Tour operator Theeraphon Phongwet, 49, centre, is arrested in the car park of a condomimium in Bangkok's Bang Kholaem district on Friday, on a charge of public fraud. (Supplied photo)

A tour operator has been arrested in Bangkok seven years after he allegedly swindled 41 holidaymakers out of almost one million baht in total 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 in January 2011 for public fraud, was apprehended at the car park of Supalai Sathon-Charoenrat Condominium in Bang Kholaem district, Bangkok, on Friday by Crime Suppression Division police.

A group of 41 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 and Jan 4, 2011. 

They each paid him 24,000 baht, but he had failed to arrange the agreed overseas trip. 

The complainants were local businessmen, chairmen of tambon administration organisations, local leaders and government officials, CSD police said.

During interrogation, Mr Theeraphon said he had started the firm in 2005. In 2010, he had booked air tickets through a travel agent for customers buying tour packages 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 handed him over to Muang police station in Lop Buri for legal action.

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