Foreign tourist fraudulent activities in Thailand : case study of jewelry business

• Main Author: Puttidej Bunkrapue
• Other Authors: Sunee Kanyajit
• Language: English
• Published: Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center 2023
• Subjects: Tourism > Thailand; Tourism > Corrupt practices > Thailand; Travel > Safety measures.
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/89729
• Institution: Mahidol University

The research on foreign tourist fraudulent activities in Thailand that focused on jewelry business is intended to explore problems and swindle schemes relating to tricking foreign tourist into purchasing jewelry, crime patterns, including the prosecution procedures as well as examine guidelines for crime prevention and suppression. The study was conducted by collecting qualitative data and selecting samples through Purpose Sampling. Total 21 samples that had been selected among experienced specialists and quite familiar with foreign tourist fraudulent for at least 5 years were divided into 7 groups, 3 samples for each group. It was found in this study that problems on tricking foreign tourists into purchasing jewelry tended to increase the severity, but the numbers of Unreported Crime seemed much lower than the factual complaint statistic. Key factors involving committing crimes were (1) Official corruption (2) Limitations and loopholes in enforcing laws and prosecuting cases and (3) commitment to solving problems. Quite often, the stores involving fraudulent were small businesses that had been collaborated with the swindlers. For examples, the public bus drivers, tour guides or tour leaders were those picking victims from foreign tourists who travelled alone. Fraudulent was the whole gang movement, which evolved from the practice of few store operators with the public bus drivers to the sophisticated operation as the network and widespread in different locations. Fraudulent was executed with advance planning and appropriated division of labor and benefits in advance. Furthermore, it was found that the store operators engaged similar approach as the tour company by offering incentives for those who could bring foreign tourist to shop at their stores. The problems encountered while attempting to prosecute the offenders were the statutory interpretation, collection of evidence as well as time limitation on the tourists' staying whereas they refused to pursue the case, so instead the officer in charge intervened as the meditator. As a result, it opened a channel for corruption between the officer and store operator who wanted to avoid prosecution and refund for merchandise. For crime prevention and suppression, this research recommends cooperation of all sectors to solve problems by disseminating knowledge and providing adequate information for foreign tourists. Meanwhile, surveillance should be set up to prevent crime and prosecute the store entrepreneurs and those in favor of crimes.