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By APD writer Chen Jiabao
BANGKOK, Sept 19 (APD) -- Thai police has set up a panel to investigate the suspected zero-dollar tour operators over the tax evasion worth seven billion baht(two billion U.S dollars).
Piyaphan Pingmuang, commander of Economic Crime Division said the Revenue Department filed a complaint against the major zero-dollar operators, namely OA Transport Co. and its subsidiaries, saying that they avoided to paying tax since 2011 to 2016, leading to a huge loss of the government's revenue.
The Revenue Department's latest complaints were made after the Criminal Court late last month acquitted 13 people of charges tied to the zero-dollar tour scams.
Piyanphan said the acquit would not be the end of the scam, as the prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered to an overhaul of the case which destroys the country's image.
The Criminal Court acquitted seven people and six companies including OA Transport Co. of charges relating to "zero-dollar" tours organized for Chinese visitors in August.
They were accused of operating tour guide services without charging fees, damaging tourism, taking advantage of tourists, operating unauthorized tour guid services and laundering money.
The court said there was no sufficient evidence to support the charges.
Tourists who join the zero-dollar tour or kickback tour are usually lured to buy cheap tour packages in their own countries, only to find their expenses become greater once they arrived in Thailand.
They are later pressured into purchasing overpriced products or services, in an attempt to extract unreasonable sums and profits.
It's reported that tour agencies who deal with OA Transport Co. enjoy free or low bus renting rate as well as a 40-percent commission from shopping revenue once they take their tourist enter shops in OA's network, which charged them 35% higher than normal prices.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
