OVER a thousand Thai tourists were left stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport last night (April 11) after being swindled by a direct market company which offered them a free trip to Japan for enrolling as a member, Thai News Agency said this morning (April 12).
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul advised the victims to file a police report.
At 10 p.m. last night a group of over a thousand Thai passengers gathered within Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal after being conned by a direct marketing company to become members and join a trip to Japan on a chartered flight but when they reached the airport they found out that there is no such flight.
Mrs Sunantha Phuchongrat, one of the victims who came to the airport from Ayuthaya, said she and a friend enrolled with a company selling food supplement for 9,730 baht upon being told that with this membership comes a trip to Japan taking them to Tokyo, Osaka and Universal Studio Japan on a Cathay Pacific chartered flight during April 11-16, 2017. They were told to meet at 8 p.m. at gate number one on the fourth floor of the airport but when the time came no one appeared to distribute air tickets so she is now certain she has been swindled.
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn said a check revealed that this company is not tour operator but a direct marketing firm which cheated the public. Tourist police have collected the names of the victims this morning and will be taking some of them to file a complaint for further legal action.
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Top: Victims of a tour scam fill out forms at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Photo: Thai News Agency
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